THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

"Because you are…Dragonroad?" Farner retrieves her arms and joins Lanuvel, they both face me with interrogative faces.

"Isn't Dragonroad your name?" Lanuvel is a bit more puzzled than her, though.

"It is. But it is more than that as well."

"What is it precisely then?"

"I am sorry, Farner. I can't tell you guys."

"You can't or just want to?" They both bring their faces so close to me their smell invades my nose. Their nice and so fragrant smell. Such a soothing and sweet smell…

"I can't, for now.. But one day, I promise that I will." Once I will defeat the Longinus, there won't be any need to hide anything anymore.

"Are you sure we will be alive by then?"

"I will make sure you will, don't worry." I could say that Lanuvel just said something weird but seeing how things change out here, it wouldn't be surprising if one of us died indeed.

"I hope so. Also, just so you know…"

"What?"

"You are a huge pervert."

"Eh?" Where does that come from?

"I swear. I can't believe this guy either." Even Farner agrees.

"Wait, did I do?"

"Don't act like you don't know what you are doing." Lanuvel blushes while getting away from me. Oh no, you aren't going anywhere without telling me what I did. This time, I will make sure of it.

I grab her hand but because Farner was also getting away at the same time, we all fall.

"Kyaa!"

Me on top of them both. As we do, they both blush even harder and start wriggling around a little bit.

"Why do you guys keep wriggling around like that?"

"Isn't it your fault?"

"You keep pressing it against us. How do you want us to react?" Pressing? What am I pressing against them? It's only my body.

"Do you hate it?" DO they hate the sensation of feeling my body against theirs that much?

"W-what?!!" Farner screams right into my ears. Why do you overreact just from a simple question?

"I-it's not like we don't like it but…"

"It's more that the time isn't right. We aren't ready." Ready? You need to be ready to embrace me? Seriously?

"Huh…Okay." I stand up and help them as well. "Then when will you be ready?" I can't really feel your warmth but I do enjoy the smell of your bodies and hair when we are together.

"Hm…" Lanuvel looks at Farner who just looks back at her. They both then close their eyes and their heads go from slightly red to a completely embarrassed red.

"When you will be, just let me know then."

"…" They don't even answer and just keep their eyes closed. I sit on my bed but to my surprise, Farner falls on me right after that and kiss me out of nowhere.

"Hm!!" Her kiss is…her kiss is… Before I can even understand why she is doing that, she stops and let the place to Lanuvel who does the same. In less than a minute, I am assaulted by so many flavors, scents and emotions that I blackout for a moment.

When I open my eyes, they aren't in my room anymore.

"What in heavens just happen?"

***

The next morning, it's the opening ceremony of the school. I thought we were supposed to go but it seems it is not mandatory for us. Instead, I go to the hall and find all the guys who were at the training the day before yesterday, except Germinia.

"Good morning." As always, Cordel greets me like the leader of the pack. All the others are just silently reading a booklet. Lanuvel is especially attentive to it, going as far as covering part of her face with it while looking downward.

"Good morning."

"You want to know about the tactics I created?"

"Tactics?"

"For the team battles."

"But the headmaster said I shouldn't participate." I mean, Germinia isn't here as well.

"Yeah, that's why you should learn some tactics and prove him you have what it takes."

"Leave him alone, Cordel. That's guy isn't the kind to work with other people."

"Nobody asked you, Esteressa."

"Said what?!" As always, Peter and Esteressa are fire and water.

"Well, why not?" I don't really have anything better to do right now.

"Good." Cordel gives me a booklet as well then, I sit near one of the beta class.

"As I was saying earlier, the problem with a standard arrow formation is the rear…"

Cordel's booklet is full of schematics of points, lines, and arrows. Listening to what he is saying, it seems this book explains how people should position themselves when they are fighting as a group and the name of the tactic associated with it.

"So, what can we do if they attack from the left? You said yourself that this formation is weak on that side. Doesn't everybody know that?" Keltia seems really interested in this. I don't think I have ever seen her so focused.

"That's the point. We won't change anything to it. Because people know that weakness exists, they will obviously think that we have reinforced that side as a countermeasure and attack the right side instead."

"So we will have to act like the weak side is actually the strong one. That's simple." Yep, Esteressa, it is so simple I am surprised you understood it.

"No, on the contrary, we will act as if it is the weak side."

"Wait, what?" I knew it. Esteressa didn't understand anything. Well, I didn't really either but it doesn't matter.

"You are not really making any sense right now, Cordel." It seems even Lanuvel is lost.

"Listen, by showing them that our supposedly weak side is strong, they will change and attack the right side, right?"

"Yes."

"But then, while we will fight, it will become obvious that the left was actually weak."

"Huh…Yeah, I think. What is your point?"

"Patience, Lanuvel. If you show them that the left side is weak from the beginning, what will they do?"

"Attack it obviously. I mean, that's what we want to prevent."

"Sigh…No, try to think a bit harder."

"They will drop their guard since it will look easy, right?" I think I understand what he wants to say now. Though it is a bit risky, unless…

"Exactly." Cordel snaps his fingers while pointing at me. Like him, everybody else also looks with dumbfounded and surprised faces.

"What?"

"You were actually listening? Wow."

"…Yes, Keltia, I WAS listening."

"Anyway, guys. My point is that we want them to drop their guard enough to be able to use our trump card."

"Trump card? You said we can only have six members per team."

"Yes, but how many people are on this schematic, Esteressa?"

"Don't know, five?"

"Exactly, five. So the remaining member will be the trump card. An independent acting member who will have two roles."

Cordel then looks at me with admiration, while the others also do the same, though their eyes are mostly filled with doubt.

"Just because I can fly? Really?" I just read his thoughts and the reason why he wants me to be the trump card isn't that reasonable. "Fran-The headmaster will never accept it."

"Oh, I am sure he will. An individual who can freely navigate through the battlefield, and easily have an overview of it. Who wouldn't want such a person to be on his side?"

"If you say so. What would my role be then?"

"Your first role will be to assess the general situation on the battlefield. To detect upcoming threats, signals them to us and if possible," Cordel then tries to imitate the movement of my hand when I create a bullet, "suppress them."

"That's not one role." You list like three things right now.

"The second one will be to intervene in case the team is overloaded."

"How would that happen if I suppress threats beforehand."

"Don't worry, it will happen really quickly, I am sure."

"Since he will be flying around, other teams will make a priority of shooting him down, right? Isn't it too dangerous?" Lanuvel, you look cute when you are worried. The way your face becomes all milky and gentle especially.

"Well, he will just have to handle it. Anyway, like you are saying, other teams will put a priority on him, giving the main team more leeway to proceed. But sooner or later, they will also attack the main team, that's when you will reunite with us and we will then change the formation into the arrow type. Since Kevin will surely be tired, he will be at the rear for a while."

"Oh yeah! That's what I call a tactic!" It seems Esteressa finally understood.

"It was about time."

"Shut your trap!" And of course, Peter wouldn't let it go. I wonder how things started between them to be like this now.

Everybody is silently nodding at Cordel's explanations while he makes a smile of achievement and satisfaction. Well, I can't really say his plan is failproof but we will see how it goes.