Chapter 127. Transfer Student and Christmas [4]

Claude-san and I held up our swords and quietly stared at each other.

(It’s a little different from last time…)

When we exchanged swords at the arena in Vesteria Kingdom, she rushed at me with attacks as soon as the duel began.

(Judging from the aggressive nature of Claude-san, I thought she would come at me right away…)

Do you have some strategy in mind or have you changed your fighting style?

At any rate, my prediction was a miss.

When I was thinking about that, Claude-san, with beads of sweat on her forehead, started to slowly circle around me while maintaining the same distance.

「Ki, Kisama… You seem to have improved quite a bit…」

「Is that so…? Thank you.」

I never imagined she would praise me… How rare.

「Exceeded far above my expectations, huh… then I would be at a disadvantage in close combat.」Claude-san murmured something, and quickly swung her long sword thrice, slashing the soil in the schoolyard.

A crest appeared there, casting a pale light.

Following that, the soil changed shape with every passing second.

「CHI-CHICHICHICHICHICHI!」

「GUWA–!」

「FURORORORORORO…!」

It transformed into fist-sized swallow, raven, and a barrel-sized owl.

The swallow and raven perched on Claude san’s shoulder, whereas the big owl flew overhead.

(…It’s out.)

Inorganic material which is cut with her soul dress transforms into a bomb and is manipulated at will.

It’s the fearsome ability boasted by Claude san’s soul dress -〈Avio Troop〉.

Six months ago, I was tormented by that ability.

「Fuu, if you think it’s going to be the same as before… You’re in for a world of pain.」

As she swung her long sword with a confident look,

「CHICHICHICHICHICHICHI!」

The swallow cried out in a high pitched noise, and flew in the completely wrong direction. It slowly dropped its altitude, and the moment its body came into contact with the schoolyard, a large explosion sounded, producing a huge crater.

「!?」

Everyone who was watching the scene unfold suddenly began to buzz.

「O-Oi, are you serious?」

「What a power in such a small swallow…」

「As expected of a person originating from the Royal Vesteria Academy…」

Claude-san was not interested in the reactions of our classmate at all, as she looked straight into my eyes, with a fearless smile on her face.

「How was that? Are you surprised?」

「Yeah, that power can’t be compared to before…」

「Fuu, of course. After losing to you that day… I’ve been doing hellish training every single day!」she said, putting on a belligerent smile.

(…No matter how you look at the explosion just now, it’s the power of the old『owl』class.)

It is necessary that I be cautious of it.

While keeping Claude-san at the edge of my sight, I glanced at the big owl that was glaring at me from the sky.

(Even a small fist-sized swallow produced such a big explosion.)

If that barrel-sized owl explodes, it will surely be an enormous explosion.

As I analyzed Claude-san’s power,

「Now, show me your power, worm!」she exclaimed, quickly slashing the soil in the schoolyard.

「「「CHICHICHICHI!」」」

「「「GUWAAA, GUWAA! 」」」

Ten bombs made from swallows and ravens each were produced; a total of twenty.

(…The number has also increased.)

If I remember correctly, previously there were only ten or so of them in total.

(It’s twenty at a time now, huh…)

That’s a fearsome growth.

「Fufu, are you so surprised that you became speechless? Then, get blown away where you stand! Now, dance!」

At the same time as Claude san’s orders, the twenty bombs rushed at me.

(…They’re kinda fast.)

By the time I noticed, they were close to my nose tip.

「Burst!」

The moment she cried out, dazzling light filled the whole area and an explosion of unprecedented scale occurred.

Clouds of dust rolled up, and momentary silence dominated the place.

「Fuu, I definitely caught you…!」

Together with Claude-san’s voice, who was convinced of victory,

「Doesn’t this look really bad…?」

「If you get hit with something like that directly, there won’t even be a trace remaining…」

「O-Oi, Allen… Are you alive?」

I heard the uneasy voices of my classmates.

「-Aa, of course.」

I answered briefly, and swept away the clouds of dust with darkness as proof.

「That’s Claude-san for you. Power, quantity, speed, everything is remarkably different. But, I’ve grown a little too, you know?」

The output of the dark robe seems to be much higher than her swallow and raven.

「I-Impossible…! Unharmed after taking that current explosion? No, before that… What is that sinister power!?」she exclaimed, pointing to the dark robe that clad my body.

「Aa, come to think of it… This is the first time I’ve shown it to Claude-san.」

It would not be appropriate for me to know of her ability, and her not knowing of mine in a fair duel.

「As you can see, my power is『darkness』. It can protect and also heal everyone. Unlike its appearance, it is a fairly gentle power.」

「No way, you… attained soul dress!?」

「Yes… But I manifested it just the other day, and I’m still in the middle of learning how to use it.」

Then, I cut off the conversation and raised the output of darkness.

The darkness gushing out from my body blocked the light and cast a large shadow on the schoolyard.

「What an output! Is this guy a monster…!?」Claude-san muttered something, as she turned pale.

「I’ll go next. Dark Shadow.」

When I stretched out my right hand,

「……!?」

Abyss-like darkness crawled across the schoolyard and rushed towards Claude-san.

It showed complex and agile movement, as though having a will of its own.

(…Strange.)

Since the manifestation of soul dress, the nature of my darkness has changed a little.

How do I put it… It feels sinister, as Claude-san stated earlier.

(As expected, I am approaching that guy more and more…)

At first… it was this terrifyingly robust body.

After that, the sudden black-and-white hair.

And now, this sinister, evil darkness.

(There is no doubt about it anymore…)

Little by little, I’m definitely becoming like that guy.

I honestly have no idea if this is a good thing or a bad thing.

(…I’ll ask Leia-sensei next time.)

When I was vaguely thinking about that,

「Kuh, don’t underestimate me…」

Claude-san jumped up high, and the overhead owl flew down, as though changing positions.

「FURORORORORORO…!」

The owl produced an enormous explosion downwards, and succeeded in fending off Dark Shadow splendidly.

(I see… So she can even control the direction of the explosion now… Even so, that is quite the firepower…)

Even though I’m clad in a dark robe… If I were to take that enormous explosion directly, I wouldn’t walk out unharmed.

Claude-san, who broke through Dark Shadow,

「…Kisama, why are you holding back your prided swordsmanship? Come at me seriously!」

She yelled at me, without trying to hide her displeasure.

Apparently, she is irritated that I did not get into close combat, and targeted from far away.

「All right. Then, here I come.」

I sheathed my sword into its scabbard and dropped my center of gravity.

(…The swallow and raven can be neutralized by the dark robe. The only thing that bothers me is the owl that protects her.)

I had difficulty with that strategy last time too.

(Feels slightly nostalgic…)

I remember plunging into the heart of the explosion with the resolution of death at that time.

(Well, following common sense… The same move won’t work twice…)

The opponent is Claude-san, a first-rate swordsman.

(Even if I took advantage of my robust body and plunged into the explosion… I wouldn’t be able to surprise her like I did last time.)

I will probably end up being dealt with calmly.

If so… All I have to do is close the distance at such a speed where she can’t react.

(I don’t know if I can do it or not, but… It’s well worth a try.)

And the moment I took a step firmly on the schoolyard, I had already stepped into the certain kill distance.

「Wh, a…!?」

Claude-san’s eyes widened in shock.

「Hi, High King Style – Strong Strike!」

She unleashed a diagonal slash at a moment’s judgement.

I evaded the blow with just footwork, and circled around to Claude-san’s rear.

「Guh, not yet…!」

Still, she desperately snapped back, twisting her body and kept me in her sight.

(Indomitable fighting spirit… I have to learn from her, too…)

I unleashed the fastest slash to not be disrespectful towards Claude-san.

「Seventh Sword – Instant Flash!」

A godspeed Iai slash, which cut the sound barrier,

(Fast! Defense… Impossible! Evasion… Impossible! Death!?)

Stopped exactly at Claude-san’s neck.

「That settles the match. You accept?」

「…………Aa, it’s my loss.」

〈Avio Troop〉slipped out of her hand – and the result was decided.

Thus, I, who had won the duel with Claude-san, felt relieved for the time being.

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