Alice"s group immediate separates from Tesfia in the outside world upon branching down a different path than her. Should they get lost, they merely need to head north to find the headquarters which was established 4km north of the starting point.
A while has pa.s.sed since they entered the forest, yet for some reason not a single mamono has been encountered. Alice feels herself being crushed by the tension as she walks forward. Even though she realizes combat is inevitable, a part of her desires to never engage in any.
"Alice-san, calm down, everything"s alright."
They have no need to hurry. The words spoken by Seniatt are born from her consideration towards Alice"s short comings.
Seniatt herself is a similar type to Alice. She, however, is more experienced and therefore better able to recognize Alice"s troubles. Furthermore, being at the back of the group, she"s able to keep track of everyone.
A common trend among the groups, including Tesfias and Alices", is to place command with their highest ranking member. While no rule exists creating such a vertical structured system, belonging to the academy may have created a dependency on one.
Alice doesn"t respond in impatience. Her honest gentle feelings lace her words, "Thank you very much." They are so straightforward that she herself gets embarra.s.sed and redirects her attention forward.
The progress of Alice"s group is particularly slow compared to the other groups. While it"s partially the result of her cautious leading, the path forward cannot be called easy either. The roots from the abnormally large trees warp the ground while shrubs obscure visibility. Alice doesn"t even have the confidence to say they have been advancing down a straight line.
The trail they travel over might never be called a proper path. Regardless, Alice leads her group forward while cutting away the obstacles with her naginata type AWR. As such, her arms and legs are riddled with cuts and sc.r.a.pes.
After walking for about an hour, they are able to emerge onto an open s.p.a.ce. The distance they covered was about half of what they could normally walk. They are also more or less halfway towards headquarters.
Ma.s.sive trees are s.p.a.ced apart, granting them a much cleared field of view.
They all stop. As expected, the outside world is a marvelous place. Only as magicians are they granted the only opportunity in their lives to see the outside world. To have done otherwise and never see it would be their greatest regret. While forests do exist within the domed walls, they are nowhere near as majestic as what currently lies before them.
Only an unexpected event prevents them from admiring the place for hours on end, instead returning them to their senses.
A disconcerting, strange, laughter rings out. Everyone turns alert on instinct. They harden their bodies and place power in their hands. Although intending to act with caution, they are surprised by a figure emerging from a ma.s.sive tree"s shadow.
A dog… it is not. Its body has the unmistakable black characteristic of mamono. Furthermore, the fangs in its mouth have undergone a bizarre development, giving them knife like sharpness.
"Hii……!"
The scream sends a shiver of terror up Alice"s back upon hearing it.
The person didn"t scream because of the mamono"s repulsive appearance, but the crimson eyes with which it stares them down. Cries of delight seem to be rising from the mamono"s thin, famished, body upon finding prey.
Alice unconsciously cries out, "Absolutely not!"
Behind the mamono appears another figure. It"s of the same species as the first, but with some differences. Its thick neck and dog like face give it an ominous impression.
Seniatt winces at the panicked cry. She says, "Two E- ranks! [Dire Wolf]! Alice-san, we"re evacuating from here."
Whether Alice rejects the proposal from fear is unknown, but she responds by shaking her head. Her voice shakes, but she is still able to remain calm and make an accurate a.s.sessment of their situation.
Neither she nor her party members are accustomed to traveling over the sort of terrain beneath their feet. Their progress will be slow. To begin with, escaping mamono whom originally inhabit the outside is difficult.
She says, "That is impossible. They would instantly overtake us."
"If I buy time, all of you…" Seniatt decides to accept her responsibilities as their supervisor by becoming bait.
Alice again rejects her proposal. For one, she doesn"t find it acceptable. However, she also has a better idea in mind. She says, "I will protect this spot. Senpai, you can use defensive magic, correct? Please use that to buy time if the worst come to it."
The difference in rank between Seniatt and Alice is practically inexistent. As such, she tries to warn her of the difficulty. "By yourself would…"
Alice does let her finish. She gives her group members a gentle smile as she says, "There is no need to worry. Just one shouldn"t be much trouble. Therefore, everyone, would you mind lending me your strength to defeat the other?[i]"
Those trembling in fear will gain confidence by being made to think about an upcoming battle.
Alice isn"t conscious about it, but she feels as though she might have heard in a lecture that having magicians who"ve succ.u.mbed to fear upon entering to the outside world return to their senses is important. No, I"ve heard this every day at training.
Not just that, but showing that mamono can be defeated will not only alleviate fear, but also temporarily provide the courage to move.
Alice approaches a mamono while holding her naginata in one hand. Her heart beats faster than usual and her legs shiver so much she can barely walk. Regardless, she continues forward, not just to live up to her responsibilities as the highest ranked member of her group, but also because of her pride. Such a situation is what she has been training for.
She takes a deep breathe, but her breathing continues to quiver. Her composure is far from being restored.
Alice grips her AWR and channels her mana through it.
Her doubts towards being able to smoothly accomplish the task quell on the spot.
That"s right… I"ve been giving it my best.
An out of place smile spreads across Alice"s face upon seeing the fruits of her hard work. A mysterious confidence wells up from within herself, one that alleviates her fear.
The mana enveloping her AWR displays a blade free of hesitation. It represents her the source of her courage.
Everything will be fine!!
Alice calmly closes the distance between herself and the mamono. She gradually rotates her naginata— instantly going from slow to rapid. The shift creates the illusion of a circular wall appearing before her.
She not only possesses a high level of mana, but also an awe inspiring level of spearsmanship technique. With an att.i.tude that"s ready for combat, Alice continues forward.
The mamono pounce the moment she enters their range. They attack in a straight line— blade like claws ready to dig into her.
"[Reflection]!" Alice doesn"t shout the name of her spell due to inferior skill in magic, but as a manifestation of her spirit… She"s encouraging herself.
[Reflection] is a spell that reflects magic. It has no effect against physical attacks. Still, the claws of the mamono are deflected.
Alice sighs in relief at the result. At the same time, she recalls something Arus mentioned during her mana control training. "To begin with, mamono generate magic within their bodies. Their black bodies are for all intents an AWR. As such, mana is always clinging to the outsides of their bodies.
It"s for that reason normal weapons do not affect mamono.
As such, Alice suspected [reflection] would. Regardless, [reflection] is not enough to defeat the mamono. She therefore dashes forward, focusing her attention on the one sent bouncing back[ii].
She swings her blade up from the bottom the moment it lands.
The Dire Wolf releases an eerie cry, "Gigii!", at being scooped up. Its expectation of crashing into the ground is instead replaced with a floating sensation. As a four legged creature, it prefers being on the ground. To remain airborne is fatal.
"Not yet!"
Alice does not overlook this opportunity. The warnings Arus provided her have all already been reviewed. She twirls her naginata and cuts up the mamono"s body.
On her final strike, she feels a sort of resistance. Realizing she hit the nucleus, she continues the swing and stops.
The mamono"s body crumbles away.
"I did it… Everyone, there"s only one left…"
Alice turns back towards her group. With her victory, she wants to show that the mamono can be defeated. Her excitement, however, causes an error in judgement. Experienced magicians would never allow such feelings to arise in their partners and would exterminate them completely. Furthermore, they would advise to expel all negligent thoughts the instant the outside world is treaded.
"Look out!!"
The thud of a mamono crashing into something echoes behind Alice. The semi-circular wall protecting her was created by Seniatt"s prided spell, [spiral veil]. It creates a high density air by vibrating the air in place and is living up to its reputation as her best magic.
"Thank you very much!"
Seniatt"s tone is more reminiscent of an elder sister than an uppercla.s.sman as she says, "You"re strong, but still need a bit of work." She then directs her gaze onto the remaining mamono and speaks to her other group members. "Are all of you just going to sit there and let Alice-san take care of everything?"
She rebukes them, but whether she could have inspired anyone without Alice first having defeated a mamono before their eyes is questionable. Regardless, each member grips and channels mana into their AWR.
No one has fear in their eyes. They approach Alice and get into formation around her. Together, they overwhelm the mamono with their numbers and achieve their first group victory without any danger.
–n.o.ble Diamonds 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, report!!–
Headquarters was notified about the extracurricular lesson"s commencement. Nothing had gone wrong and they were well furbished to deal with any emergencies.
The headquarters is setup similar to that of an official military instillation"s. Allowed in are teachers experienced in combat. Outside the headquarters on standby is the uppercla.s.smen reinforcement unit.
Loki, originally, is not suited to speaking in public. At present, she has no need to speak with the teachers. The same, however, cannot be said about the students on standby. Her deficiency, however, runs counter to the expectations of Arus. As such, she does not shriek from her task.
She steps out of the tent serving as the main office and senses a restless atmosphere. The reinforcement unit is the source. They have yet to face any mamono, but already dread the idea. Naturally, the eyes of the almost fifty students fall upon her the moment she appears.
Loki says, "As of now, the extracurricular lesson is underway. As you"ve been informed in advance, I will be sending you instructions through your >. All of you will be entrusted to judge your own situations."
Her words are a warning.
She continues, "Please act with your partner in mind, no exceptions. Arbitrary decisions will not receive support from headquarters. Please note that dealing with the consequences will be your own responsibility."
She threatens those who would move with disregard towards their instructions. Headquarters will not rescue them from any dangers they bring upon themselves.
Naturally, Loki"s words are nothing more than a threat. She doubts she"ll be able to a.s.sume complete control over them with it, but experience has shown that it"s effective nonetheless. In fact, since the extracurricular lesson is being enacted under the a.s.sumption that some harm will occur, large problems take priority over the small ones. The director, too, made that request of Arus upon accepting the situation.
Almost every student present swallows. Loki"s words are those of a triple digits magician"s. Furthermore, the silver haired girl before them serves as the commander of their headquarters, the headquarters which is being operated by their teachers.
In that place, there is no one who can go against Loki"s eyes. Her unchanging expression and flat tone sends a chill down everyone"s backs. They are frightened against disobeying her orders.
Loki adds, "Well then, teams one to ten, please deploy at once."
Due to headquarters being located in the outside world, a high possibility exists that mamono will attack it. Arus and Loki may have cleared the surroundings, but that did nothing more than buy time. As such, the remaining ten teams, twenty people, will serve as guards for the perimeter.
Right as Loki turns around to return back into the tent, a member of the reinforcement unit speaks up. The female, second year, student voices the fear everyone there has towards the mamono. She says, "Will two member teams be strong enough to face against mamono?"
Doing anything about it, however, is already too late.
Loki words are not intended to comfort her. With her stoic voice, she merely states facts. "At highest, only D rank mamono are within this area. For some reason, they"ve taken to hiding. Regardless, you are here because the Director judged your abilities suitable for the reinforcement unit. According to the Director, teams of two are sufficient for D rank mamono."
Her words are encouraging, but that is not their intended result.
The girl says, "Except…"
Loki can tell she is still uneasy. She isn"t surprised, uneasiness isn"t easy to dispel, after all. She says, "Although I say D rank, there is no way to know what could happen in the outside world. As such, dealing with the circ.u.mstances has been entrusted to your discretion. If the mamono cannot be exterminated, then fallback with the first years."
"…I understand."
Permission to escape from mamono does not only sooth the girl"s anxiety. Everyone takes comfort in it. That stated, it was something made clear in the preparatory discussions as well.
Loki wonders if she failed to properly explain the discretionary powers entrusted to everyone. That too, however, even if understood, can"t be helped considering they are merely hatchling magicians.
"Loki-kun!"
From within the tent comes the rough cry of a teacher. It"s the signal for the reinforcement unit to start moving.
Loki says, "On my way."
Loki has two con sensors. The first is for communicating with the reinforcement unit. The other is for direct communication with Arus.
The teacher"s report informs Loki of a slight reaction by the residential detection magic. Due to it using a high rate of detection magic, it isn"t suited for detecting weak signals. That stated, it won"t ignore them completely. The detection magic merely has a difficult time picking them up compared to stronger signal. Right now, they can claim to have gotten lucky.
Loki places her hand on the other con sensor and says, "B and C rank detected 4km northwest on the map. Seventeen total."
[You snuffed them out? I"ll head there immediately.]
"Please do so."
Once the mamono are taken care of, Loki issues orders to the reinforcement units through the con sensor on her other ear. "Team thirteen, please proceed 1100m southeast to coordinates 1981/6145 to provide a.s.sistance. Teams fourteen to seventeen, please proceed 500m east to coordinates 1123/4579 and provide a.s.sistance to groups 34, 60, and 79."
[[Roger.]]
[On our way.]
[Team twelve has reached point. There are wounded. Requesting a.s.sistance.]
"Understood. Team twenty two, as of now, you"re to head north and a.s.sist team twenty."
[Roger.]
Despite the hectic developments out on the field, Loki provides precise instructions without creating any confusion. Her skill leaves the teachers dazed with admiration.
One teacher, however… one monitoring the field, cries out in fl.u.s.ter. "Group 4 has left the designated area!"
Loki isn"t someone who gets impatient. Anger, however, is a different emotion. Their headquarters is located at the center of 7km circ.u.mference. Everything beyond that is considered outside the designated area. Such has been conveyed to the students many times.
Arus has undoubtedly labored to clear the area of mamono higher than D ranked. Even if the quant.i.ty present is unknown, their quality is being controlled. The situation changes beyond the designated area. As detection magic becomes useless out there, the potential mamono cannot be accurately measured.
"Loki, what do we do!?"
"Please calm down. What is the location?"
"West by northwest. They"re 1650m outside the designated area."
"Understood. Teams seven to ten, please immediately head 1650m west by northwest to coordinates 2377/7467 and provide support to group 4. Travel together while in the designated area."
[[[[Roger.]]]]
"Teams one to six, please pull back the defensive line."
Even though Loki deals with the situation, an uncomfortable feeling stirs inside of her.
T/N: Wow, it"s been a long time since this was updated. It hasn"t been abandoned, but the releases will be slower. Now about the story, author-san really pushed the concept of living up to the responsibility of your position. It was super heavy.
Thanks for reading,
~Gandire Alea
[i] それに一体ならばそもそも苦戦はしない筈です。なので一匹を倒したら皆さんの力を貸してくださいね
[ii] だから弾かれて後ろに跳び退った一体に的を絞ってアリスは駆けた。
4.3 >
I"m just your lovely fox in a box translator.