Seiya and Nagisa’s time to freely spend together was much shorter than expected. It couldn’t be helped, as I was too busy handling work that the moment I met them was already when the sun was high in the sky.
Still, dragging Seiya around, snacking at stalls, participating in treasure hunt events, and watching beach beauty contests made for a fun time, and even Seiya, who had shown skepticism a few days ago, wore a pretty good expression.
The treasure hunt event was about wandering the beach with a device resembling dowsing rods, looking for treasure buried in the sand… which were actually exchange vouchers for treasures that students had painstakingly buried in various spots on the beach since early morning.
Despite being an event openly meant for little kids, I thought Seiya and Nagisa, who have a strong sense of being adult-like, might need to engage in something like this to lighten up and enjoy themselves, so I insisted a bit.
Unfortunately, the items we found weren’t particularly high-grade, so we only received drinks in the end. But honestly, it was better than taking home some uselessly good prizes. None of us were financially struggling, so taking home something too fancy would have just been awkward.
To be honest, I was the first to be invited to participate in the beach beauty contest. I wondered if it would sound a bit unlucky to say so, but I felt it was only fair that I accepted.
After all, whose body is this? It would be even stranger not to accept. If a beauty contest were held for all of Kivotos, it would be a given that I would rank high.
Anyway, I received such an invitation…
[The winner of the beach beauty contest is… Kirihouji Nagisa!]
I sent Nagisa up in my place.
Because I thought it would be more fun that way. When Nagisa, who was awkwardly fidgeting on stage, heard my cheers, her expression relaxed, and I thought at that moment she might as well have been declared the winner right there, she was that adorable. There was an overwhelming cuteness that felt like it could bomb the heart.
But even in such enjoyable times, an end would eventually come.
The last match of this summer festival, which would determine my fate, had finally commenced—the maritime mock battle.
[With the hot sun, cool breeze, and equally heated atmosphere, let me introduce myself! I am the unwavering number one caster from Kronos School dispatched to provide the best match for everyone gathered here at this festival——]
They had brought in a famous student from the third year of Kronos School to commentate the match. Honestly, yesterday’s mock battle should have been done this way, but being the first festival, there were many inadequacies.
To be frank, the match during the first day when the Student Council President did the commentary seemed like the best. Not only was the match enjoyable, but the commentary itself made it easier for the audience to immerse themselves.
[Trinity and Gehenna. Do you see the fierce exchange of glances between the students of the two academies? It truly is an unmatched rivalry among all of Kivotos!]
Two ships, connected by chains and maintaining a certain distance, had students gathered on deck preparing for an intense battle. Given that the outcome of the entire festival hinged on this match, the tension in the battlefield was palpable.
As time passed, the distance between the two ships would gradually decrease. This was possible because the design of those ships was practically a stage.
From the start, the interiors of the two ships were nearly empty, resembling a model that had just the galleon-like shape for this mock battle. Pulling the chains gradually from both sides would mean that by the end of the match, the distance between the two ships would be virtually nonexistent.
Though based on the galleon design, they didn’t use wood, so throwing grenades wouldn’t sink either side.
Another unique feature was that there were multiple towers on the masts, allowing for snipers to have room to maneuver. Of course, nets were set up around to prevent snipers from accidentally falling.
It was a stage set up just for this one match.
[The rules of the match are simple! As time goes by, the distance between the two ships will shrink, and before that distance closes completely, the side that can suppress all opponents or takes down more troops when the distance has shrunk wins! Attacks aimed at the towers are limited to firearm shots, while there are no restrictions on using explosives targeting the opponent’s deck.]
Originally, the plan was to have two real battleships for a capture-the-flag style match, but it was decided that battles within the ships would make it less enjoyable for spectators, so it shifted to an open and enjoyable full-on battle.
[Bouncing across the chains to the opponent’s deck is, of course, permitted… but if you fall into the water or are incapacitated on their deck, unlike if you drop on our deck, you won’t be able to rejoin the battle even after recovering. Thus, it would be safer to attempt crossing over when the distance between the two ships has narrowed!]
The elite forces from both academies had finished their preparations to determine the victor. Now, I decided to put aside any obsession with the bet and focus on the match about to unfold before my eyes. Nagisa, who knew about the bet, tightly gripped my hand and gently rubbed my palm.
“Believe in everyone at our academy, Mika.”
“Hahaha, I want to do that too…”
Even as she spoke, Nagisa’s expression was quite complicated, knowing Trinity’s past performances.
As it had been proven in yesterday’s mock battle, when it came purely to combat, it was true that Trinity had a slight edge.
However, this was only true under the premise that Tsurugi could suppress Hina. In today’s battle, with the battlefield area reduced, it would be hard for the Arius Squad to avoid Hina and break the front lines.
Thus, even though they won yesterday’s match, it was not possible to be overly optimistic. Especially since Tsurugi, who had to contain Hina, would likely take significant damage trying to cross over to the Gehenna side before mid-game, so the key would be how little damage could be sustained while moving the battlefield beforehand.
[Now, let the much-anticipated final match of the 20XX summer festival begin! The ultimate showdown to determine the victor between the two academies!]
…What is this situation where the familiar opening of the commentator spills from the unfamiliar high school girl’s mouth? The lengthy cry of the girl was so drawn out that I couldn’t help but give a hollow laugh because it didn’t seem to end.
[——Aaaah!!! Let’s go!!!]
Bang!!!
After a breathless eternity, the opening comments concluded with the shot that signaled the start of the match.
*
To summarize the early stages of the match in one word: passive. Both sides were cautious since the distance between the two ships was considerable. A standoff between snipers and sporadic gunfire continued, while Gehenna’s Student Council President began to assert her dominance.
Bang!!!
Like a predator waiting, Hasumi’s shot aimed at Hina, but Hina, as if anticipating the timing, calmly tilted her head and dodged it, starting her own firing.
Peeing——
With its distinctive sound, Gehenna’s formidable firepower began to sweep across the deck of the Trinity side. As their presence was akin to a lone artillery battery, the snipers frantically tried to respond, but Gehenna wasn’t just going to observe.
[Indeed, this is the aura of the best ever Student Council President, elevating the esteemed reputation of Gehenna Student Council to even greater heights! Moreover, Gehenna’s snipers show no intention of letting Trinity snipers roam freely!]
Makoto, feeling high and mighty just by being above Hina, disrupted Hasumi’s shot with chilling accuracy, forcing her to take cover in the tower.
Haruuna and Hiyori, who had developed a strange rival relationship since the sniper contest to the mock battle, had completely cut off their attention to the lower situation and stepped into a duel of their own.
Iori swiftly took down one sniper from the Justice Realization Department and engaged with a sniper from the Sisterhood. Thanks to that, the last sniper belonging to the Manma Battle started opening fire on the Trinity students on the deck.
In the midst of this, Hina’s shots swept across the deck, making it difficult for our students even to stick their heads out from cover.
With the deadly demon from Gehenna facing off the deck, there were hardly any students ready to engage her since they were waiting for the right moment.
However, saying that there were none of such students in Trinity didn’t mean there was an absence of response, as Saori and Azusa calmly positioned themselves behind cover, directing Hina’s focus toward them.
[While the Gehenna Student Council President mercilessly victimizes Trinity, two bold students begin their bloody fight against her! Truly a precarious battle like that of a tiny nation against a giant, yet it’s not entirely impossible for Trinity—what good news that should be for them!]
Even the caster saw this as a mere flail attempting to stop the leak rather than a hopeful signal for a counterattack, and I couldn’t help but agree.
Still, the distance between the ships was steadily decreasing, so Tsurugi would certainly find her opportunity to shine. Moreover, even though a sniper from our side had already retired, I trusted our academy’s snipers.
If Hiyori, currently locked in a prideful duel with Haruuna, freed her hands and feet, it wouldn’t be impossible to keep Hina in check. The sniper rifle in Hiyori’s hands, which was based on heavy sniping, could deal considerable damage, making it a valid weapon against Hina.
Even though the early match dynamics were certainly leaning in favor of Gehenna, once our strategic weapon, the false angel of madness, got a chance to shine, it would only be a matter of time before the tide turned.
…It had to be that way.
