Instead of stepping forward, Miura swung her leg from her spot.
"Blade Draw, Soaring Dragon!"
It was a "flying slash" fired from her foot. It was a shockwave with concentrated magic.
Vivio saw it clearly and spun to avoid it.
"Divine--"
"!"
Miura's spinning kick, which had been advancing forward, scattered the magic she was charging before she could fire it.
The punch was a concentrated blow, thrown with the momentum of her spin. It hit Vivio's crossed arms.
However,
"(It's not working?!)"
Her life bar barely moved. No matter how many times she hit her, she couldn't seem to break through her guard.
This was Vivio's technique. Not only was she using Sacred Defender, but she was also using her body to skillfully deflect the impact.
If she continued with her rushed attacks,
"There!"
"?! Ugh...!"
Vivio's counter came flying. It was a knee to the face, a part of her body she had neglected to defend while she was so focused on her offense. The damage was significant because she had held out for so long.
"(Damn it...! I'm rushing too much! I need to back off once--)"
Miura, who had become defensive after Vivio's counter, was too slow to retreat. It was a different matter than moving forward.
"Accel Smash!"
Vivio's fist connected with her face.
"A direct hit! A direct hit! Miura takes the full blow--and Vivio's combo won't stop! Is she barely able to stand?!"
She was barely defending, but she had lost all her momentum.
"(She's open! With this...!)"
Her guard was down, and a clear path to her chin opened up.
The uppercut she had absolute confidence in. She threw it with the intent to finish the fight.
But it was... caught by Miura. She was held firmly and couldn't escape.
"This is the distance I wanted...!"
The moment their eyes met, a cold sweat broke out on Vivio's back.
This time, it was Vivio who had been lured in.
Miura's kick slashed through her torso and left arm.
"...!!!"
"Th-that's a powerful one! It's a devastating counter that stole her opponent's move! Vivio is suffering a serious crash!"
Her left arm had a hairline fracture. Three of her ribs were broken.
The pain from the simulation was also flawless. A sharp pain shot through her.
"(My left arm can barely move. It hurts so much I want to cry, and my magic is almost completely empty--but I have enough for one last blow...!)"
She forced magic into her numb left arm and somehow managed to move it. She bit her lip and took her stance. It was a clear sign that she wanted to continue.
"I can do this, Chris. My final special move! Gather all the magic in my right hand!"
Seeing this, Miura's heart pounded.
"(Vivio is truly amazing. If I can beat someone this strong, I'll be even more...)"
"(I'll counter Miura's final blow--with a 'Blazer'!)"
This was truly the end.
"(I'll finish this with this!)"
"(I'll break through her!)"
There were no tricks. The two of them closed the distance in a straight line.
They clashed, and then--Miura's kick missed. It whiffed right past Vivio's head as she ducked.
"She dodged it?!"
"It's going to work!"
Both seconds couldn't help but yell out.
Vivio's fist, having gathered all of her remaining magic, shone brightly.
"One Flash, Certain Hit! Accel--ugh!"
A punch isn't just thrown with the arm. It uses the entire body. This was even more true for a finishing move.
The simulation of her broken ribs caused her body to slow down for a moment. She couldn't put her full power into it. Her step was also weak.
It would land, but it wasn't enough to take her opponent's consciousness or her life. And Vivio's body couldn't move any more than this.
"One Flash! Certain Fall!"
The flow of the match was decided.
"Heavenly Piercing Star Blade!"
Vivio, who had taken the star kick, lost consciousness, and her body was slammed against the wall of the ring.
"The match is over! With 10 seconds left in the third round! Miura is the victor of this martial arts showdown!"
Clink, clink
The arena was filled with a massive cheer. The energy was on par with that of a top-tier match.
No, in fact, Miura had already put one foot in the top tier. In the first round, she had already defeated Mikaya, a top fighter.
And Vivio, who had put up such a good fight against Miura, was no longer a fighter who could be ignored--
"...And? What's going on? The seconds and the doctors are saying something..."
The announcer, who had been speaking in excitement about the match, changed his tone as he watched the scene in the ring.
In the ring, not only Kuro and the others but also the doctors who were on standby gathered around the fallen Vivio, who wasn't getting up.
The doctors gave some instructions, and a stretcher was brought in from the back.
It wasn't unheard of for a defeated fighter not to get up, but there was never this much commotion.
In other words, something was wrong.
"We are concerned about the well-being of Vivio--!"
The lively arena instantly became silent.
---------
"Heartbeat and brainwave levels are normal. There's no effect on her linker core."
Shamal continued while operating her device.
"However, there is no remaining magic in her body. It's a temporary coma due to a concussion and the exhaustion of her stamina and magic... In other words, she's just tired from giving it her all. I've already used healing magic, so she'll be fine."
Hearing her words, Nanoha and the others breathed a sigh of relief.
After the match, Vivio was taken to the infirmary.
Nanoha and the others, who had been in the stands, all went to the infirmary. Just as they were about to be taken to a hospital, Shamal showed her Bureau ID. She was skilled in healing and took over the examination.
"Thank you, Dr. Shamal."
"It's nothing, really."
As Nanoha and Fate bowed their heads, Shamal gently waved her hand.
"Wait? Then why didn't her transformation magic wear off?"
Vivio, who was lying in the bed, was still in her adult form, and her BJ hadn't been canceled.
"Ah, that's because Chris's functions have shut down in emergency defense mode. I think she used up her reserve magic just to maintain her functions to defend against Miura-chan's Star Blade. She should be back to normal soon."
As she said, a light immediately appeared around Vivio's chest. The next moment, parts of Vivio's body shrank back to their original size, and Chris, who had been fused with her, was sitting on her flat chest.
Nanoha gently lifted Chris.
"You worked so hard, Chris. Thank you for protecting Vivio."
Despite her gentle words, the rabbit ears drooped. She was regretting that she couldn't protect her even after giving it her all.
"Don't be so sad. Vivio will be fine soon."
Fate also patted her head.
Seeing this, Kuro decided that they were okay.
"...Well then, I'll go tell everyone. That Vivio and Chris are okay."
"You're so mature, Kuro-chan. Ah, I'll go too."
"I'll go inform the staff."
Kuro, Hayate, and Fate left the room.
"Just in case, I'll make an appointment for a detailed examination at a nearby hospital. Can you stay with her, Nanoha-chan?"
"Yes, I understand."
With that, Shamal left the room.
Only Nanoha remained.
She sat in the chair and spoke gently to the sleeping Vivio.
"I was worried, but I'm glad you're okay. You were so amazing, Vivio."
"..."
"Why don't you come in instead of just standing there?"
A few seconds later, the door slid open timidly.
"So you came to cheer us on, Yami-chan."
"...Yes."
Yami had been secretly cheering for them the whole time. Not just for Vivio's match, but for all of Team Nakajima's matches, all the way from the preliminaries.
After training with them every day, it was no surprise that she would want to cheer for the other girls besides Vivio.
The fact that Yami was there to cheer them on was the best evidence of that.
"Vivio, you did your best."
"...Yes, she did."
Yami had watched their training up close, but she still couldn't get used to the idea of making combat a sport.
That's why her reply was so vague.
Nanoha understood this and didn't say anything more.
"Vivio."
"!"
Nanoha greeted the waking Vivio with a gentle voice. Yami swallowed the words she was about to say.
"Mom... Yami-san... Ehehe, I lost..."
"Yeah, yeah. You worked hard. You were amazing."
"...Yes. You did a great job."
Vivio must have been disappointed, but she was smiling as if she had given it her all.
At that moment, another pair of girls visited the hospital room.
"Um...!"
"Hey..."
It was Miura, looking down with tears in her eyes, and Vita behind her with a apologetic look on her face.
"Ah! Miura-san!"
When she saw them, Vivio jumped off the bed. She grabbed Miura's hands and shook them wildly.
"Thank you so much! It was a great match, wasn't it?"
"Huh...?"
Miura was dumbfounded by how energetic Vivio was.
"I was worried about a lot of things, but it looks like you're okay."
"Yeah."
Vita and Nanoha nodded at each other.
"Yami-san! Let's go! Our teammates still have their matches!"
"Huh, you want me to go too?"
"Of course! You and Miura-san, too! Let's all go cheer them on!"
Pulled along by the now-energetic Vivio, they all headed for the arena.
---------
"Now let's move on to the next match. We have a fighter who uses a unique magical technique and martial arts, 'Shunkoken'. A member of the team of extraordinary rookies, Team Nakajima, Rio Wesley!"
Meanwhile, back at the arena. Even though there was a state of emergency where Vivio was carried out on a stretcher, that was that. The tournament couldn't be stopped for something like that.
Rio entered with her second, Deed, but her face was grim.
"And facing her is an unassailable top fighter, the Cannonball Queen, Harry Tribeca!"
Harry raised a hand to the cheers. Her face was tense, but she had a complicated feeling about Rio.
"Her friend is unconscious... She must be so worried..."
"It's great that our leader is so kind to everyone, but..."
"That's enough! You have to focus on the match!"
Harry's former biker gang friends, who were also her seconds in the tournament, scolded her for her lack of focus.
"The young lady of the Thunder Emperor and Zig are waiting for you in the main tournament!"
"I know! Don't worry! I won't go easy on her!"
The two of them stepped into the ring, and just before the match began, an announcement came over the speakers.
"Before the match begins, we have some good news for everyone! The fighter who lost consciousness in the previous match, Vivio, has no health issues whatsoever and will wake up soon!"
At the announcement, Rio's expression immediately brightened.
Seeing this, Harry also grinned.
An announcement that stopped the flow of a match could sometimes disrupt a fighter's concentration. But for these two, it seemed to be a crucial boost to their performance.
"Damn it, she's all perky now."
Harry tied her headband for luck.
"I'll make you cry with my cannonballs! Be ready, shorty!"
"Unfortunately, I won't! For Vivio and for my team! I'm going to win!"
The match began.
---------
"Uoooooooooh! BURN!"
"Haaaaaah!"
Harry's flame cannonball, "Gun Flame," and Rio's flame cannonball, "Gurenken," clashed in the center of the field.
An intense heatwave blew across the entire ring, but it was blocked by the protective field and didn't escape.
"A clash of powerful cannonballs! But their power is perfectly equal! Both attacks completely cancel each other out!"
Three minutes had passed since the first round began.
Harry was on the offensive with her specialty, long-range cannonballs, and Rio was fighting her in kind.
Even though many projectiles were flying around, neither of them had taken any damage. Their magic consumption and the heat must have been immense, but they both looked calm.
"Tch, not bad, shorty!"
"Thank you! I'm doing my best!"
She was fighting the Cannonball Queen and hadn't taken any damage yet. It was a fight that was uncharacteristic of a Strike Arts fighter.
That was because Rio was not only a Strike Arts fighter but also a practitioner of Shunkoken.
Shunkoken was a "magical martial art" that also included projectile and weapon combat.
"Lightning Binds!"
"Gah!"
When Rio slammed her right foot onto the ring, countless magical binds came up from the ground and wrapped around Harry's body, pinning her to the ground.
It was an electric bind that Rio had set up. It had the effect of numbing the restrained opponent.
"Ah, geez! Our leader gets bound way too often!"
"Ugh! My straightforward personality is my downfall!"
Her seconds were making a ruckus. Harry yelled out to them,
"Don't make a fuss, you guys! A bind like this is nothing... huh?"
The powerful binds from the first match she had with Elz Tassmin were much scarier. She could break out of this in a few seconds.
But something more serious happened.
The entire ring shook.
The cause was:
Rio had slammed her fist into the ring.
"Heave... ho..."
"Hey, what are you doing...!"
Harry was so shocked by the sight that she forgot to break free from the binds.
With an incredible grip, her fingers dug into the ring, and,
"Shooo!"
She lifted it all at once.
The ring, unable to handle the stress, cracked, and in Rio's hand was a massive rock, too big to be called a manageable size.
"We all promised our team members! That the dreams of our defeated teammates will be fulfilled by those who remain! So I won't lose to you, Boss!"
"!"
Harry gasped. She could easily imagine what was coming next.
"Here I come!"
With Rio's cry, the massive rock flew toward Harry.
--------------------------------------------
🚀 Want Early Access (80+Chapters ahead ) & Bonus Content?
"Loving this story so far? You can read ALL chapters RIGHT NOW by joining my P4tr3on!
✨ Unlock instant access to the full completed novel
✨ No waiting for daily updates
✨ Support your favorite degenerate author (that's me!)
Only $5.99 for the full experience!
🔗 Check my profile for the Link!!