Chapter 6: You’ve Got a Good Punch, Don’t You?
Around the time Kazuma and the others were moving from the beach, Momoko, who was on the same team, was acting together with Miyazono Alice.
Momoko knew from prior investigation that Alice was on close terms with Kazuma, and though she knew of her personality, this was their first time meeting face-to-face.
“Come to think of it, you transferred here, right?”
“Yes. From the First Academy, due to my father’s work.”
“Hmm. Must have been tough, transferring at a time like this.”
“Well, it was difficult, but everyone in class was kind to me.”
“That’s good to hear. By the way, changing the subject, are there really a lot of strong Gifted at the First Academy?”
“Yes, that’s right. Since the population is larger, a fair number of them gather there.”
“I see~. Well, more people means more Gifted, I guess. By the way, do you know who was the strongest among the first-years there?”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know the details.”
Seeing Momoko apologize so guiltily, Alice hurriedly offered her own apology.
“I’m not blaming you or anything! There’s no need to bow your head. Uh, actually, it was my bad for asking such a weird question.”
“No, please don’t worry about it. I’m the one who should be sorry for not being helpful.”
“That’s why, there’s no need to apologize… Haaah, alright, fine. This is getting us nowhere. I was in the wrong, and you just had bad luck. That settles it, right?”
In short, Alice concluded that Momoko, having transferred at an odd time, was unlucky, and she herself was at fault for asking a question Momoko couldn’t answer.
“Fufu, yes, you’re right. I understand. So, both sides are to blame, then.”
“That’s not quite what I meant, but if you’re satisfied with that, then fine.”
After that, without any falling out or lingering bad air, the two of them wandered through the urban area, searching for their allies.
After a while, the two left the urban area and came out to the seaside. There wasn’t a soul on the beach, nor any sign of anyone. Just as they were about to turn back, thinking this was a dead end, Momoko happened to spot footprints.
“Ah, Miyazono-san. Look, there are footprints over there.”
“Hm? Where, where?”
Approaching the entrance to the beach, Momoko found two sets of footprints. Both were heading in the same direction, towards the urban area.
“Two sets of footprints. It’s highly likely they were on the beach from the start.”
“It looks like they’re heading towards the urban area, so perhaps we just missed them.”
“Yeah~. It would’ve been great if we could’ve met up, but I guess it can’t be helped. For now, shall we head back to the urban area?”
“Yes.”
They couldn’t meet up with their allies, but at least they had the small gain of knowing allies might be nearby. The two turned back from the beach and headed towards the urban area.
“Come to think of it, I haven’t asked yet, Shinonome, what’s your Gift?”
“My Gift is Clairvoyance. But it’s not very useful. At best, I can see through something about as thick as a playing card.”
“So you can’t tell if there’s an enemy on the other side of a wall or something?”
“No. I’m sorry for not being more helpful.”
“Don’t worry about it. Fighting is my role, after all.”
“That’s very reassuring.”
As the two were talking, they saw a figure ahead.
There was only one. If it were an ally team, there should be two. But the figure ahead was alone.
Alice stepped in front of Momoko protectively and entered a combat stance.
“If it’s an enemy, hide behind that car there. If it’s an ally, we’ll just join up… but it’s probably an enemy.”
True to her words, the figure ahead also noticed Alice and Momoko and started running. They didn’t look overjoyed at a reunion. Alice, thinking they had probably spotted their target and started running, clenched her fists tightly.
“Finally, found you.”
“Haha, that’s my line.”
“Tch. Facing Miyazono in my first fight? Give me a break.”
“You should consider it an honor. The chance to fight me! Prepare yourself, Miura!”
“Damn it! Here goes nothing!!!”
The boy called Miura charged at Alice, prepared to be shattered. Alice, while raising her estimation of Miura for his straightforward, bold approach, grinned fiercely and charged to meet him.
The two clashed. Both were Body Enhancement Gifted, but Alice came out on top. She was slightly superior.
“Guh!”
“Not bad, Miura! You’ve improved over the summer break!”
“Of course I have! After what happened! I can’t just keep looking down forever!”
That “what happened” referred to the Humanoid Ibinom attack incident. At that time, students living in the dorms who hadn’t returned to their family homes were in the academy’s evacuation shelter.
During that time, they came face-to-face with Humanoid Ibinoms. Of course, at first, many were eager to fight, but upon witnessing the Ibinoms’ overwhelming strength, most fled.
He was one of them. He had aspired to join the National Defense Force in the future and become a hero protecting the people from Ibinoms, but reality had crushed him.
However, at that moment, he saw them: the upperclassmen bravely standing their ground while he was fleeing. There wasn’t a student who wouldn’t be inspired by that sight. Witnessing his seniors fight without running, even knowing they might lose, even understanding they might die, Miura resolved to change.
“Uooooooh!”
“Ngh?!”
The outcome should have been completely decided, but Miura didn’t give up until the very end. He overpowered Alice and seized the mount position.
Now, it was anyone’s guess who would win. Just because she was mounted didn’t mean Alice would lose so easily. However, Miura, who had shed a layer over the summer break, was also not an opponent who could be defeated easily.
“Oraaaaaaah!”
“You—!”
Raising his hand like a hammer, Miura mercilessly brought it down towards Alice’s face.
One might question doing that to a female opponent, but this was both training and a real battle. On the battlefield, distinctions like age or gender don’t exist.
Alice blocked Miura’s attack. Though in a disadvantageous position, she wouldn’t be defeated so easily.
Having blocked the attack, Alice kicked Miura, who was on top of her, in the back, succeeding in dislodging him.
“Guh…”
“That was close. Now it’s my turn!”
Quickly getting to her feet, Alice launched an attack on Miura. Her high-speed tackle, honed through wrestling, shot towards him.
Miura, however, placed his hands on her shoulders, did a somersault, and elegantly dodged it. Alice, who had been sure it would hit, was shocked by this and let out a flustered cry.
“No way!?”
“Gotcha!”
“Aguuh!”
Having moved behind her, Miura delivered a kick to Alice’s wide-open flank.
Frozen in shock, Alice couldn’t defend in time and was knocked sideways by Miura’s kick. Though she didn’t feel pain, Alice clutched her kicked side as she stood up.
“Kuh… Haha, not bad, Miura.”
“I kicked pretty seriously, you know…”
“Well, this isn’t reality, after all. That probably won’t count as a death judgment.”
“It wouldn’t be strange if some internal organs ruptured from that, though.”
“Well then, shall we continue?”
Though Alice had shown a pained expression, she swallowed it down with a grin and took a fighting pose.
Seeing this, Miura gave a wry smile. But then, quickly smiling just like Alice, he charged forward, determined to render Alice combat-ineffective this time.
“(Youth is a wonderful thing~. No, no, of course, I’m still young myself… but being four years older than those kids, I can’t help but feel like I’ve aged.)”
Momoko, watching the fight scene hidden from view, couldn’t help but have such elderly thoughts about the two, who were so student-like, still green, and vibrant.
Momoko herself was still in the young category, but compared to the academy students, she was indeed older. However, she felt a complex mix of emotions because she could wear the uniform without it looking out of place at all.
“”Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!””
While Momoko watched quietly, the battle between the two had reached its climax.
Both had exhausted their strength, roaring from the depths of their stomachs to fire themselves up, fighting desperately to overcome their opponent.
“This is the last one!”
“I won’t loooooose!”
This was it. Both simultaneously realized they had no more strength left.
Therefore, they unleashed their finest blow, their strongest blow, the greatest strike they could muster, at the same exact moment.
“Heh, hehe… You’ve got a good punch, Miura.”
“Hearing you say that makes all the hard work worth it…”
And with that, both were knocked down simultaneously. Having fallen into a combat-ineffective state, they received a death judgment and were about to disappear from the Virtual Space.
“Shinonome, my bad. I’m out of here.”
“Miyazono-san!”
Momoko rushed over, but Alice dissolved into particles of light and vanished. Momoko’s outstretched hand grasped only empty air, and she lost her protector.
“(If an enemy finds me now, aren’t I doomed?)”