Ephemeral Ability Reflects the Heart

「Please don't move. We don't have much time」

「Yeah. I know. I'm not such a child that I'm going to waste my time here」

Kamishiro is sitting cross-legged on the floor, and Hana is laying her hand gently on his body.

From her hand, a warm light leaks out and heals around the spot where the light hits. This is the well-known [Healing] ability of Aika.

After the first round of the first event, Hana dashes to the audience seats and ask Aika to borrow her [Healing] with [Looting].

『It can't be helped. Although it is a disadvantage that the range of the stock becomes narrower』

Deciding that it was more important to improve the winning rate in the second round, she immediately started to heal Kamishiro.

It is impossible for Kamishiro to recover completely during the five-minute interval, but everything is being done to make his recovery as much as possible.

During this time, there is nothing Chihiro can do.

At least, he tried to stay out of the way and took a few steps away, when he noticed Aika walking toward him from the audience seats.

When his eyes met with hers, she smiled and winked at him.

Then she walks up to Minamoto, who is resting.

「You lost」

Minamoto's face lights up with happiness for a moment when he is called out, but then quickly tightens up.

「Yeah. I showed you my bad side...」

「No, you looked good」

「Oh, really? Then I have a chance」

「I'm sorry, I don't think so」

Aika dismisses Minamoto's reaction with a curt.

Then she looks back at Chihiro, runs up to him, and puts her lips to his cheek.

「Huh!? I envy you」

Minamoto screams at the kiss, which only touches Chihiro's cheek for a moment.

Again, Aika looked at him and smiled mischievously.

「I'm not going to break up with him」

「...Damn. You normie!」

He glared at Chihiro irritably.

Apparently, he can't tolerate people enjoying their youth, though he seems to be a youthful fighter.

（Isn't Aika-anesama becoming more and more devilish?）

（...haha. I guess so...）

After smiling at Chisato's muttering, Chihiro walked up to Minamoto to say a few words to him as well.

「If you want to have a private match, I'm always open to it」

「Heh? Are you sure you can win?」

「...Well, I think it would be tough, to be honest」

At least at this stage, he has no idea how to fight an opponent who can beat Kamishiro to a pulp like that.

Aika, who has been following Chihiro, tilts her head and says.

「But Chihiro-kun beat Kamishiro-kun once」

「What!?」

「A-Aika」

It seems that these words were rather unpleasant to hear.

After that, Chihiro had a hard time because Minamoto became strangely enthusiastic. He was afraid that he might really challenge him to a match if they did not have a chance to compete in the rest of the events.

And so, five minutes passed.

Although it was a short time, the effects of the rest and [Healing] were clearly effective. Kamishiro stood up again, and this time he did not waver but stood firmly.

Yotsuba asks calmly but seriously.

「Kamishiro-kun, what are your chances?」

「Honestly, I don't know. But it should be an opponent that is definitely not impossible to beat」

Kamishiro replied and turned his attention to the members of Shibatsuru Academy. Among them was Shirahama Saki, who was stretching with a relaxed expression.

The difference in fatigue and damage is obvious. In addition, her ability is――.

Lucille tells it with squinting eyes.

「Yuuki. I've been watching their game from the side, but she seems to be [Disappearing] as I thought」

She beats the students of Shibaryuu Academy to a pulp while she disappears.

It seems that without any countermeasures, the student was knocked out without any chance to recover from the attack.

「I understand. I'll be careful」

Kamishiro smiles softly and nods his head.

Maybe a vague warning won't do anything, but who knows?

Just as Chihiro was pursing his lips in a tight line, he saw Hana standing up at his side.

「Now... then. Izumi-kun, can I borrow your [Sleep EnhancementAid]?」

「Yes. But why?」

「Are you stupid? I'm trying to recover my strength by getting some sleep during the game」

Well, Aika's [Healing] is quite consuming.

It is a small price to pay for fast healing of injuries, but Hana's body will not be able to keep up with it if it is used too often. She should rest as much as possible when she can. Even five minutes of sleep would return triple the effect.

Chihiro nods, and then finishes the [Looting] with Hana.

They looked at each other for five seconds.

Surprisingly, he hasn't done this since the first time he was stolen his [Mind Reading]. Thinking of this, he saw Hana's cheeks were slightly tinted, and he felt embarrassed too.

「...I'm done. Well then, I'm going to sleep in the corner」

「Okay. I'll tell you the result later」

As he watched Hana walk away, the second round match was just about to start.

Kamishiro's face tightened.

Saki stands calmly with a wooden sword in her hand.

『Another weapon user』

Marika mutters.

Saki is probably meant to compensate for her lack of strength. Even if not, the power of a wooden sword is very different from that of bare hands. Unless she is more familiar with bare hands like Kamishiro or Fuwa-senpai, there is little reason not to use it.

It can compensate for the reach, especially in the case of Saki's strategy.

「Second round, Shibahou Academy, Kamishiro Yuuki vs Shibatsuru Academy, Shirahama Saki. Start!」

Kamishiro moved instantly.

He did not have as much energy as he had in the first round. He may have been aiming for a short term battle, but before he could make a move, Saki's body, including her wooden sword, disappeared in a puff of smoke.

「Damn!」

It would have been easier if he had landed a blow.

But Kamishiro immediately changed course and launched a wide-range roundhouse kick into the seemingly empty air. If Saki was within the range of his attack, he could inflict damage, and in some cases, she might even appear.

However, the attack ends in an empty shot, right after that.

Bang!

「Kuh!?」

There is a heavy sound, and Kamishiro frowns.

Probably, Saki's wooden sword hit him somewhere in his body.

「Just like before, she doesn't come out at the moment of attack... She's really a nuisance...」

Lucille muttered in a cold voice.

「Yotsuba, are you sure it's just that it's [Invisible]? Not like a some kind of ghost」

「Probably, I think so. But I don't know for sure」

According to Kaito, this is not the same as Suzu's [Cognitive Obstruction].

The fact that she was invisible even at the time of the attack suggests that it was not some kind of instantaneous movement.

If this is the case, it would be more reasonable to assume that she simply became invisible.

「Maybe we should have brought some flour or something...」

「...I doubt if it's effective when the clothes and the weapon are gone...」

『Either way, this place is too wide. If we're going to bring it, we might as well bring some paint or something』