[392] Battle Readiness (5)
Shirone didn't look back. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't figure out why Maya was acting this way.
"Maya."
"Can't we have something delicious while we talk? I've wanted to try that for a long time."
"Maya."
On the second call, Maya turned.
"Yeah?"
Shirone closed his mouth.
The moment their eyes met, the words in his head scattered in every direction. He couldn't voice what wasn't clear. That was the problem—it wasn't clear.
"If it's because of us that you're going to face Screamer, you don't have to. You seemed worried lately."
It felt cowardly to lean on Iruki's words, but if it settled things, there was no point quibbling.
"No, it's fine. It's the overall evaluation anyway. I'd probably be more of a burden—so I should be the one to apologize."
Just as Maya turned the doorknob to leave, Shirone realized he couldn't hold back any longer.
"Then why the hell are you doing this?"
Even with his voice raised, Maya didn't look surprised. She offered an embarrassed smile and, out of habit, scratched her cheek.
"No matter how I think about it, I don't get it. Why have you been avoiding me lately? I can feel everything, you know."
"Have I… done something wrong?"
"That's not what I mean."
"Then why do I have to be kind to you?"
Shirone halted as he stepped toward her. It felt like a sharp blade had suddenly stabbed his chest.
"What do you want from me? How do you want me to act? Do I have to stare at you and giggle like an idiot all the time?"
Shirone couldn't understand Maya's behavior. If it were a misunderstanding, they could clear it up. But this wasn't a misunderstanding.
"How you treat me is your choice…."
Maya gave a bitter smile. He began to understand, faintly, what Amy had meant about nearly bursting from frustration. Still, he had no intention of taking back the answer he'd given that day.
"Then Shirone, can you love me?"
Shirone's face hardened.
As he'd expected, Maya lowered her eyes with a sad look.
She had tucked away the memory of the wind that had blown through the music room that day, just as he had.
'Shirone, I'm not like Amy. I'm not cold or strong. If I can't cling to you, every day will be hell. I'll think of nothing but you. If you can't love me, it has to end here. I'll just let it go.'
Shirone's trembling eyes slowly steadied. The rabbit-like startled expression smoothed out.
Maya braced herself. Even so, an unavoidable thrill made her heart race.
What answer would Shirone give?
Do you love me? Actually, I like you too?
All kinds of hopeful lines came to mind, but she already knew the outcome.
I'm sorry.
A terrible feeling settled in. She'd be unable to shake it for a while. Nights would be spent in tears.
'But this is it. I'll end it here.'
Resolved, Maya lifted her chin. Yet when she met Shirone's determined gaze, her courage buckled.
"Maya, I—"
"A, ahahaha!"
Shirone's face flicked to incredulity. Maya laughed so hard she cried, wiping under her eyes with her forefinger as she stepped closer.
"Just kidding, just kidding! Oh my, you're gullible."
"Ju-just kidding?"
"You did this at the senior event too—now again. If you keep pulling stunts like this, I'll tell Amy, okay?"
Shirone had no footing. He felt as if he were standing in the middle of an unreal world.
"But you haven't been talking lately…"
"Ah, my head's been a mess. No time for anything else. My family expects things at home, my grades are slipping. Sorry. From now on—never! I won't pretend I don't know."
Shirone felt deflated. He wanted to sort his thoughts, but Maya left no room for that.
"All right, come on! Hurry up! Iruki's waiting. Hill Capture! We have to win, right?"
"Uh? Yeah, of course."
Maya pushed Shirone out of the music room. As she crossed the threshold, her face was clenched—teeth gritted, eyes squeezed shut.
'Sigh, it's happened. What do I do now?'
It felt like stepping across the threshold into hell.
* * *
Beneath the northeastern mountain range of Alpheas Magic School there was a cave that descended twenty meters underground.
If you then navigated the convoluted labyrinth beyond, you would come to the Golden Coin Circle, chaired by Fermi.
It was a residence large and lavish enough to be called a mansion.
All manner of delicacies were arranged on the tables, tuxedoed waiters circulated with wine, refilling empty goblets at once.
Beautiful dancers performed in the center while a seven-piece band played a gentle accompaniment.
The full-time elite staff at the Golden Coin Circle numbered forty.
Their daily payroll alone exceeded seven hundred gold, and all of this existed for the sake of five members.
Fermi lounged on a sofa, sipping wine. On the carpet, a white-furred tiger lay sleeping with a leash around its neck.
On the four sofas flanking him sat the members of the Golden Coin Circle—what people called Fermi's entourage.
"Finally, monthly revenue has passed seven million gold. Breaking ten million is now within sight."
It wasn't an amount a student could casually handle, but Fermi remained indifferent.
The sharp-eyed members fell silent. On a day an emergency meeting had been called, they would need to choose their words carefully.
"Arian Shirone…."
Once Fermi opened the floor, the members, as if prepared, began to speak.
"Do we really need to bother? We'll deal with him eventually, but shouldn't we focus on business?"
"I agree. He's a clueless rookie. Wouldn't it be better to just let him graduate and be done with it?"
You don't tear down the house to swat a fly.
Even so, with Fermi showing emotion, there was no guarantee nothing would happen.
"That's exactly why we can't leave him be."
"Fermi, aren't you getting too worked up? You can ignore provocations."
"You can ignore provocations. But this is dangerous. It's a risk that threatens the Golden Coin Circle's survival."
They followed Fermi on most things, but they couldn't share classifying Shirone as a threat.
"Of course Shirone is an impressive rookie. But we're professionals—you know that. Not just because we make money; our skill backs it up. We can control him in the graduation exam."
Fermi swirled his wine glass with cold eyes.
"Do you know why we don't make more money? Because people don't realize this problem started long ago. Or they see it and overlook it. Today's danger will become an unmanageable one in the future. If we don't prepare now, when it hits we won't have a solution."
The members fell silent. Once again, Fermi was right.
"From now on, Shirone is to be classified as a highest-grade threat to the Golden Coin Circle. We'll analyze him properly—scrape out everything, including what he hides inside."
"How do you plan to do that? The overall evaluation is a high-scoring event, and participants will give their all. Screamer's team seems fully prepared too."
Fermi tapped the sofa twice. A bluish aura shimmered from his body, and dark objects clipped and slid back and forth beneath his raised hand.
An off-the-books depreciation swap.
Ting! A casino chip spun up and bounced.
Fermi snatched the chip as it fell and flipped it to Hershi.
A whirlpool pattern swirled in the chip's center, and its rim bore an alternating black-and-white design.
"This is…."
Hershi looked at Fermi in surprise.
A chip like that was far too valuable for this kind of use. Even at market conversion it was worth over four hundred thousand gold.
'He's serious, Fermi.'
Shirone would inevitably become their future rival. Only someone certain of that would pull out such a chip.
"Use that to make the deal. Contract condition: make Shirone put everything into Hill Capture. Prod him a bit and he'll reveal his true colors."
"Understood. Anything else to tell them?"
After a moment's thought, Fermi's mouth split into a cruel smile.
"Tell them not to worry about the fallout—make it flashy and decisive."
Hill Capture (1)
It was the day of the Hill Capture evaluation.
After thirty students gathered on the training ground, the first thing they checked was the lineup of the opposing teams.
Shirone checked Screamer's team as well.
Pony was Screamer's strategic ally; Suabi and Luman were the core of a deadly magus combo. They'd also included the reliable Aider, making the team look solid.
Six teams assembled as the evaluation instructor explained the rules.
"Today is Hill Capture. You already know the opposing teams. Six teams will be evaluated simultaneously; there is no time limit. The first team to reach five points wins. Teams that score twenty points but lose will have twenty points deducted. The match will be held at the Hill Capture main arena, Site 2000."
Shirone surveyed the arena.
It was a rectangle two hundred meters long and fifty meters wide, surrounded by twenty-meter-high glass walls. Inside, each side had a ten-meter-high hill with a flag planted in the center.
Matches proceeded in rounds; the moment a flag was pulled, Site 2000 would pause and the next round would begin.
"For strategic depth, teleportation is prohibited. Flight height is limited to the barrier height of twenty meters—exceeding it is disqualification. When a body touches the flag, the flag's mana-control device prevents any magic use. Don't cry about it later—remember this."
Grabbing the flag left one exposed, so being struck by enemy attacks was likely.
Therefore, to pull the flag, at least two people needed to occupy the hill and cooperate.
The instructor continued.
When teams entered the field, formations split at the central 100-meter line, and members assumed positions to perform assigned roles.
There were four positions: forward, winger, linker, and guard.
The forward started at the ten-meter mark—the frontmost point of their side relative to the midline—and charged toward the opposing team's flag.
Wingers moved along the left and right lines and typically started around the twenty-meter mark—more defensive than the forward. However, since they were less frequently engaged defensively, their movement tended to be faster.
Linkers started at the central 50-meter point, balancing offense and defense.
Depending on the enemy's strategy, a linker might assist one wing, charge with the forward, or even fall back toward the flag with the guards to help repel attackers—a true multipurpose role.
Finally, guards defended the flag atop the hill. Even if an enemy forward penetrated, the flag prevents magic while being held, so guards could concentrate on defense—making it a heavily defensive position.