<strong>55. New Semester and First-Year War [7]</strong>


    The moment Ria manifested〈Fafnir〉and was ready for battle.


    「UOOOOOOHHHHH!」


    In order to close the distance with her, I started running.


    (Ria has a wide range of long-range attacks using ck me and white me. It’s simply suicide to engage her in a long-distance battle…)


    However, she might have been anticipating it.


    「Too naive, Allen! Draconic Roar!」


    Ria immediately swung her sword and spread a mixture of ck and white mes.


    A non-regr ranged attack covered the stage.


    「Kuh!?」


    I jumped back at once and brushed off the sparks that fell onto me.


    Right then,


    「ck Breath!」


    Jet-ck mes swooped down on me.


    「First Sword – Flying Shadow!」


    In response to the looming ck me, I greeted it with my prided Flying Shadow.


    However,


    「Wha!?」


    The shadow that I shot was drowned out by the ck me in an instant.


    (Damn, the output is in a different league fromst time…)


    I jumped wide to the side and avoided the ck Breath.


    (If I try to get close, indiscriminate ranged attack. If I take a distance, long-range attack with ck mes… It’s a really troublesome ability after all…)


    Her way of fighting is very simr to ude-san.


    (Maybe they underwent the same training in Vesteria Kingdom…)


    While thinking about that, Ria observed every movement I made, and didn’t show even the slightest opening.


    The carelessness and pride that was visible in the previous battle, havepletely disappeared.


    「…I never thought you could tear down Flying Shadow. I’m amazed, Ria.」


    「Fufu, are you surprised? But, this isn’t even the extent of my powers…!」


    When she swung her sword, zing ck mes rushed towards me again.


    「……」


    After that, I was forced into a one-sided defensive battle.


    「Eat this – ck Burst!」


    Ria swung down her sword with all her strength from an overhead position.


    「Huge…!?」


    Arge mass of ck me was released, which was about two times bigger than ck Breath.


    「Kuh…」


    The next moment, when I quickly jumped to the right and tried to avoid it,


    「Burst!」


    The mass of ck me exploded, and arge amount of fist-sized mes scattered in all directions.


    「…!? Eighth Sword – Yatagarasu!」


    I spread a barrier of shes right away, but…


    With just eight shes, it was impossible to shake off more than a hundred mes.


    One of the scattered ck mes attacked my right leg, and burning pain ran through it.


    「Dammit… First Sword – Flying Shadow!」


    I shot a flying sh as a minimal counterattack.


    However,


    「-White Coil!」


    Ria’s white me formed a coil-likerge shield, and blocked Flying Shadow very easily.


    And then,


    「ck Breath!」


    In response, Ria unleashed the wave-like ck mes as a counter.


    (This is bad… Little by little, the damage is surely umting…)


    As evidence of this, the movement of my body gradually became dull.


    (If the match continues to drag on like this, I’ll be at a disadvantage…)


    If I can’t find a way to reach her, the match will gradually get worse and I’ll lose.


    This overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation. Having understood it perfectly, I heaved a loud sigh.


    (Haa… The fact that I can’t use a soul dress is fatal as a swordsman…)


    The increasing number of fights with soul dress users has made me realize that fact.


    (…No, save theints for after the match ends.)


    I switched my mind set and strengthened my resolve.


    (… I’ll be fine)


    This body endured the big explosions of ude-san’s〈Avio Troop〉.


    It will surely endure Ria’s powerful mes.


    (…Let’s go!)


    Endure the pain that will surelye in a few seconds!


    With my resolve strengthened, I instantly started running.


    「UOOOOOHHHHH!」


    「So you’re finallying…! Draconic Roar!」


    The mes mixed in ck and white divided me and Ria.


    (Don’t fret…! The pain is only momentary… If I break through this me wall… I will have a winning chance…!)


    Brilliantly zing, scorching mes – I dived right into the heart of it.


    「Guh-a…」


    The violent mes burned my body, and a sharp pain ran through me.


    Hot, painful, agonizing, but – not unbearable…!


    「HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!」


    The moment I overcame the stinging pain and managed to break through the wall of fire.


    「Just as I expected. I knew you would break through that me wall valiantly.」


    Ria, waiting at the end of the wall, had already swung her sword high.


    Apparently… She seems to have read my pattern.


    「High King Style – Strong Strike!」


    「Guh…!?」


    I defended the imminent downward sh by standing ready with my sword positioned horizontally.


    A tremendous impact ran through my body. And the moment I thought I managed to defend it,


    「HAAAAAAAAAAAA!」


    A tremendous amount of fire jetted from the back of Ria’s sword.


    It granted explosive propulsion to her downward sh, and


    (Guh, H-Heavy…!?)


    I couldn’t bear that tremendous power and was blown away.


    (Damn it…)


    For thest four months, I’ve been training to death.


    I’ve ovee many fierce battles. Always doing the very best with all my effort.


    However, the growth of〈Fafnir〉far exceeded mine.


    Ria didn’t miss this opportunity where my posture was greatly broken and,


    「HAAAAAAAAAAA!」


    Ria went on the offensive at once.


    「High King Style – Consecutive Spears!」


    An explosive thrust of ck me was unleashed repeatedly.


    「……」


    By dodging, parrying, and blowing off – I somehow survived through the consecutive attacks.


    I was honestly impressed by the stormy onught.


    (Ria… you’re truly amazing.)


    She had an overwhelming talent for swordsmanship, had the soul dress〈Fafnir〉, and worked hard earnestly every single day.


    I know it best because I swung the sword together with her in the Practice-Swing Club.


    「High King Style – Strong Strike!」


    She, once again, unleashed a strong downward sh.


    「HA!」


    And in response, I met her attack with a diagonal sh containing my whole body weight.


    The swords shed violently with each other, and today is the second time we are locking swords.


    (… She’s what we call a『genius who makes an effort.』)


    For someone like me… For an ordinary man who desperately tries to bridge the gap in talent with effort, she is like a natural enemy.


    「Allen, I’m sorry, but this match is – my victory!」


    From the back of Ria’s sword, mes jetted out with tremendous momentum.


    With explosive propulsion, her sword bore down on me mercilessly.


    (Damn… I want to win…)


    I know better than anyone else that I am a talentless ordinary person.


    Even so… I want to win against Ria.


    I want to beat her genius swordsmanship.


    I want to win against a genius who makes an effort.


    (I want to win against the『talent』that has always stood in my way…!)


    At that moment, unprecedented enormous power overflowed from the depth of my body.


    「UOOOOO”O”O……RAA”!」


    「Wha… Kyaa!?」


    Her sword, boosted by〈Fafnir〉, was pushed back by my simple physical strength.


    For the first time in this match, I overcame Ria in a contest of strength.


    (What… is this…)


    It felt like the power that was sealed in the depths of my body was seething up. It felt strange and nostalgic for some reason.


    I’ve had this kind of experience several times before, but… This time, it feelspletely different…


    (…I can do it!)


    And when I was staring at my palm,


    「… A-Are you…『Allen』?」


    As Ria said so, she held her sword in front of her chest.


    As her sword de acted as a mirror – I saw a white-haired head and a ck pattern emerged under my left eye in the reflection.


    「Aa… my appearance seems to be a little different, but it’s definitely me.」


    That guy didn’t take over.


    This body is now properly controlled by me.


    「Did you perhaps… control the power of the spirit core?」


    「…No, not yet.」


    It’s true that this tremendous power fills my whole body, but…


    (…Still, there is a realm of difference in power between me and that guy.)


    Now that I’m stronger, it became much clearer.


    It seems that the road to attaining soul dress is still far off.


    (This time… It’s probably his whim or something…)


    The next time we meet, I should probably give that guy a word of thanks.


    (…Well, let’s concentrate on this battle for now.)


    Restore the derailed thoughts.


    (Anyway, this has closed the difference in physical strength…!)


    Surely, I wouldn’t lose one-sidedly in terms of strength anymore.


    (From here on out, it will be my swordsmanship and Ria’s〈Fafnir〉. It’s the match to decide which is better…)


    I lowered my center of gravity and assumed Seigan no Kamae.


    「Here Ie… Ria!」


    「Yeah, I wouldn’t have it any other way… Allen!」


    The finals between me and Ria, entered the final phase.