Ore to Kanojo ga Geboku de Dorei de Shuujuu Keiyaku Vol 2 Chapter 2.2

Chapter 2: The Secret to Victory is Harmony? PART 1

The tag-team examination was to be held from tomorrow.

Despite that……

「eeek! My hair is frozen!」

「It’s your fault to suddenly appear in front of me」

「It can’t be helped! If you people are in front I can’t use my whip as I want!」

「Then go do rope-jumping behind us!」

「What did you say!?」

It is just as it seems like.

Sherry and Victoria always quarrel and they never act in synchronization……ah, me too.

「Don’t quarrel here~」

It was an everyday occurrence for these two to collide, so he couldn’t even put power in keeping them in control.

They are fundamentally a bad-match. They both have egoistic sides in themselves.

Nevertheless, the examinations were from tomorrow. Even he thought that it wouldn’t be a good sign if it kept on going like this……

「I can’t be dawdling at a place like this! Can you not interfere with me!?」

「That’s the same with me」

But it remained just like this……

It was situation where he couldn’t help but sigh.

Moreover, the problem was not only that……

「Haya-Hayate-san! You’re sweating a lot」

「Eh? Ah, you’re right」

「*ahem*! Then it can’t be helped. Because it can’t be helped, I will wipe it dry with my towel」

「Come again?」

「Wait a second Hayate. If you’re sweating, then let’s take a shower together. That way you will feel refreshed」

「What! Can you not interfere in our work, Scharlachrot-san? I will wipe the sweat」

「It is the role of Master to look after their manservant. Yours is the literally useless aid, so better back down」

「Wait, I’ve dried it up by myself, so just stop」

……Like that the strange approach by Victoria had been continuing, and as if oppose that Sherry’s skins.h.i.+p was getting more radical day by day……no, to be precise, more erotic.

Just take yesterday as an example……

「Hayate-san」

「Hm? What happened Victoria?」

Right after the lectures ended, Hayate was called out by Victoria, and he turned around to face her.

After fidgeting for a bit……she presented the knee-socks she had been wearing towards him.

「S-See……I will give my knee-socks to you」

「……No, but why are you doing it?」

「Why, you ask……don’t men like to sniff the scent from things that the girls had worn?」

「You have another great misunderstanding」

No, it wasn’t completely a misunderstanding, but offering her knee-socks so suddenly was wrong thing to do as a maiden.

「What are you trying to hand over to my manservant?」

At that moment Sherry restrained Victoria with her dangerous glare.

「I-It’s up to me to give whatever of mine, by myself, to Hayate-san!」

However, Victoria objected her without faltering.

What she just said, can be interpreted as something too erotic……

Like that Hayate leapt his thoughts in that escapism manner──and that very instant Sherry stood up on top of her chair, and put her hands inside her skirt all of a sudden.

「Wha!?!」

Based on the height of chair, the standing Sherry’s waist area was at a higher place. It was at a position parallel to Hayate’s face, when he was sitting. In that situation it was obvious that insides could be seen by him, after she was turning over the hem of her skirt.

「W-What are you doing!!」

「Here. Take it」

While Hayate protested by covering his face with hands……Sherry handed him something in his hands.

「Bfff!?」

He thought what it was, only to find it was a panty.

Let alone seeing the insides, he was handed that very inside in his hands. Hayate felt his body heat suddenly rising with lot of force. It is still warm……oh s.h.i.+t, *nosebleed*.

「Think of it as me and be affectionate with it」

While looking downwards on Hayate, she spoke those words whilst her hands were gripping the hem of skirt.

OOhhh! I can almost see the inside of that inside now……!

「Ho, I-I-I can, I can! Also do that!」

「Yes what!?」

Trying to oppose to Sherry, this time Victoria put her hands in her skirt.

Her thigh joint that wasn’t covered by knee-socks were exposed, but……

「Ugh, Ugh……Waaaaaaaahhh! Don’t think you won with just thiiissssssss!」

In the end Victoria lost to shame and turning over her body she escaped from the cla.s.sroom.

「……Hmph」

「No, don’t make a smug face and get down from the chair. Everyone is watching」

……Well, days like these kept on continuing.

He didn’t know the reason why Victoria suddenly got so clingy to him, but it was obvious that it made Sherry’s mood worse and the teamwork was in the process of decline.

「sigh……stop and let’s go to the dining hall. Aria and Kiruru are waiting」

For the examinations tomorrow they didn’t go for the part-time job today. Today they had a plan to work out countermeasures of examinations along with Aria and others. Only after finished the after school training.

「That’s right. Let’s go……*yawn*」

「? It’s rare for you to yawn」

「Lack of sleep, I suppose……don’t stare at me」

Maybe she was embarra.s.sed that Sherry averted her eyesight from Hayate with a huff.

There, again, Victoria flared up at Sherry,

「Hmph! Isn’t it common sense for Hexenritters for managing their health in good state? Try to stand in the shoes of the person who is made to team up with a half-asleep person!」

「What did you just say?」

「Yes yes yes! Shut up and let’s go!」

Hayate headed towards the dining hall while pus.h.i.+ng their backs, and met up with Aria and Kiruru.

「Hey, how are you doing?」

「so-so……yeah, something below that」

In truth it was「devastatingly below」from that so-so, but still he glossed his words.

「Well then, it’s about the opponents Sherry-kun and Victoria-kun are going face against in examinations」

Just after requesting some beverage from Academy Maid, Aria immediately started to talk.

「I’m sorry, Aria-san. To make you deliberately examine it with us」

「Hm? Don’t worry. Sherry-kun and Victoria-kun might be busy with part-time job every day. And I originally liked to examine things」

「Let me thank you after the examinations end」

「Mu. Even I will give my grat.i.tude after the examinations」

「Is dat so? Well I’ll be waiting for it」

Aria smiled and replied to the two fighting.

「Miria. Show the pic」

「Kyurururu」

Upon being ordered by Aria, the mechanical owl perched on her shoulder──Miming cried once, and a transparent image was projected in the mid-air.

「What is this? It seems similar to the magic of《Clairvoyance》」

「It is the ability of Miria. It is making it easy to see by changing the examined data into a projection」

Aria explained to Victoria tilting her head. Hayate and Sherry had seen that before in the training period with each other, so they weren’t particularly surprised.

Just like she said, in the projection from Miria, the images of two girls were reflected and the data and numerical values of them were being reflected.

「The girl on you people’s left is Led Cromwell.『40th Rank』. The Servant is a Gargoyle. It is a winged beast having a tough body like steel. Her『Wand』 is the rare, Armour Type. Her power is great, but the thing that needs to be paid the most attention is that defensive power. It toughness is best even in the Academy」

Matching the rhythm with the explanation, the projected images kept on changing, and they were able to see the aforementioned Armour Type『Wand』.

The『Wand』of Led was, just like Aria said, a full-body armour. There was a gigantic s.h.i.+eld being carried on the back of armour. Her basic tactics were to defend against attacks with impregnable defense and finally crus.h.i.+ng the opponent with pure power.

「Next the one on right is Fortena Gracia. 『36th Rank』. Her Servant is a Kamaitachi. It appearance is like a weasel though, but it is a Servant that can control the wind at will. Apparently her『Wand』is a folding fan that can bring forth wind. Her speciality is long-range attacks with wind blades, and it is said that her image of using the folding fan while dancing is beautiful」

The digital data about Fortena kept on changing in accordance to Aria’s explanations, and showed the recorded,『dancing figure』, which Aria just said. Indeed, her movements seemed more like dancing rather than fighting.

The most of projections were still images, but there were some videos among them, and in that the figures of Led and Fortena fighting other tag-teams was reflected.

「Even so, how did you get all this data and images, Aria-san?」

「Most were what I sniffed out from places, but the last video is something I sneakily ripped by invading the mock battle grounds at that time. But I was found out soon and the fight was cancelled, hence I could only get this much. It would’ve been best if I could record one or two of their Magikas」

「No, it’s enough. No more than enough, to the extent that I feel sorry to let you do something like spies」

Sherry thanked Aria and started rereading the data Aria gathered. While leaving the brain work to her, Hayate started up a conversation with Aria and Kiruru.

「By the way, how about you do? Are you fine with the examinations?」

「Yeah? Well, not bad I say. Kiruru’s『Volcanic Gauntlets』are strong, so we might win someway or other」

「No……it’s because Aria gives a cover at back」

Looks like this pair has no problems. Okay, I’m gonna be frank, I seriously jealous.

「You two are childhood friends after all. It is natural to be in sync」

「Ah, if talking about synchronization then Led-senpai and Fortena-senpai also seemed to be on good terms」

「Is that so?」

「Yeah. Apparently they have teamed up various times before during tag-team examinations」

「Uheee……」

So their teamwork will also be good. Just leave me alone from these increases of anxious factors!

「Hey, shouldn’t we also, finally, divide the roles? At least for the vanguard and rearguard ones……」

To Hayate’s proposal, Sherry and Victoria looked at each other’s faces for just a second,

「It’s obvious, I’m the vanguard!」

「Hayate is the vanguard, Victoria-san is the rearguard. It is the normal」

And almost at the same time, the polar opposite answers came back.

The moment their opinions differed, they clashed with gaze and gaze that caused sparks to flutter. Oh not AGAIN!

「Did you not see the data of Aria-san properly? Only my『Tailworm』can deal with the long-range attacks of Fortena-senpai」

「That is our line. Led-senpai has the best defensive power even in the Academy. Unless it is Hayate’s『Leavateinn』your 『Wand』can never penetrate and destroy it」

They both glared at each and other and didn’t yield at all.

Hayate scratched his head thinking what to do now.

「Hmph! It won’t be of any help to talk with you. I will do whatever I like tomorrow」

Finally Victoria stood up from the seat and left the dining hall.

「……She went away. I’m sorry to you two, but let’s breakup for now」

Successively, Sherry also stood up.

「Aria-san. Kiruru-san. Thanks for today. I will give the grat.i.tude at a later date. Hayate you return to the room first. I need to go somewhere」

「Wait a sec Sherry. Is it fine to leave Victoria like that?」

Hayate stopped Sherry in fl.u.s.ter, but,

「Fine or not, it can’t be helped with how she looked, right? What a thing to say, we both have fundamentally bad affinity. We can’t be good cuddy friends like Aria-san and Kiruru-san」

「No, that is……」

Indeed these two were obstinate and have prideful places, and they couldn’t be said to have good affinity by any standard…….

She heaved a sigh as if fed up and left the dining hall.

「……」

Only Hayate, who was left alone there, stood at that place and thought something, and then suddenly saying「alrighty」, he headed towards the exit of dining hall.

PART 2

「……Well then」

Hayate was standing in front of Victoria’s room in dorm while folding his arms. Sherry was like that, but Hayate wanted to let her win in tomorrow’s match at all costs. And for that he had come here for persuading Victoria.

Victoria is also obstinate, it doesn’t mean my persuasion will succeed, but ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’.

*Knock Knock*

「Yes. Please wait a moment……ah」

Some seconds after knocking, Victoria came out of her room and seeing Hayate’s face she was slightly surprised.

「Oh, Hayate-san. What happened?」

「A little about tomorrow」

「I see……err, please come inside」

For the time being Hayate was invited inside the room, and sat down on the chair recommended by her.

If he remembered correctly then Sylvana must’ve also been staying in Victoria’s room. However, maybe she had gone out that she couldn’t be seen in the room.

「Then? The ‘about tomorrow’ you said, meant about the examinations, right?」

「Yeah. I think we won’t win at all unless we cooperate with Victoria. That’s why, although there might be some shortcoming in us, but can you please lend us your power? Please」

Hayate lowered his head with all sincerity.

Seeing his att.i.tude maybe her heart moved and the expression of Victoria flickered, but in the end, she face away and refused.

「If Scharlachrot-san is like that, it’s impossible. And I can’t seem to come at terms with being rearguard working behind the scenes」

「Behind the scenes, you say……no, this division of roles is because I have no merit other than close combat, right? 」

「Doing work secretly behind, it doesn’t match with my nature!」

Well, certainly Victoria is like that……

If she wasn’t like that, then at the time they were attacked by one-eyed demon, she wouldn’t had stopped while her friends ran away, and also wouldn’t have tried to attack it.

「And I want to win in the next examination no matter what……like that if Onee-sama accepted me, she would surely reconsider about that talk……」

Hayate raised a question mark to the sudden mutterings of Victoria. Her vocal sound was unusually down.

「……In short, you want to show your good points during the examinations to your elder sister?」

「That’s right」

「Then it will work out somehow」

To the words of Hayate, Victoria raised her face that had been facing downwards.

「What did you just say?」

「Hm? ……didn’t I say before that we won’t win at all unless we cooperate with you, but changing the perspective it means that if you lend us power we can win」

「……! W-What are you saying? Th-That flattery, hearing it from you, who has already won against me, it only sounds like sarcasm to me」

「Won? Do you mean about the practical skill cla.s.s? That was only something like surprise attack. The scores were also a tie. And」

「And?」

Victoria fixedly stared at Hayate’s face.

「At the time that Cyclops appeared, I wouldn’t have been able to fight without my comrades, but Victoria face against it without running, right. ……I think the thing most important when fighting is feelings, so I think Victoria’s obstinacy as a n.o.ble is truly strong」

「……！」

「That’s why, if that Victoria lends us power we can win tomorrow, and you can even be accepted by your elder sister……」

Before Hayate was able to say anything else, Victoria looked away in a huff.

He seemed to have felt that her cheeks were faintly red, but before he was able to confirm that,

「You work is done now, right? Onee-sama will also soon come back」

「Ah, Yeah」

But having that said right at his face, it was now difficult to persuade her.

「Then, let’s give our best in examination tomorrow」

「……Yea」

Hayate said that, but Victoria never face him again even at the time of sending him off.

PART 3

After returning to Sherry’s room, while resting his chin in hands, he was waiting for Sherry’s return.

「……Sherry, she is late」

Nearly 3 hours had pa.s.sed since breaking up in the dining hall. It was almost the time for dinner.

While Hayate was grumbling, the worms in his stomach started to protests, at that time, Sherry finally returned.

「You were quite late」

「Is that so?」

Sherry replied Hayate’s complaining words with an answer seeming feigning ignorance.

「Well whatever. Let’s go to dining hall at once」

「Yea……」

Sherry nodded.

Let’s go!, saying that Hayate stood up and the time he reached out to the door where Sherry was standing, her body sunk down while shaking violently.

「Sherry!」

Hayate, at once, supported her in his hands.

「Are you fine?」

「Yea. It’s just a little dizziness」

……She’s cold?

He abruptly noticed the fact that her hands were strangely cold. As if she had been in a bathtub filled with ice.

Ah, she said lack of sleep during the training……

There, Hayate, conjectured a certain possibility.

「Were you practising magic?」

The magic Sherry mostly used was of Ice attribute. If she was practising that, then he could understand the reason for her low body temperature.

And if it was about her, she wouldn’t have abruptly started training from today when the examinations were just a day ahead…….!

「You……don’t tell me, after part-time job you sneaked out of room every day ?」

Then it even established the reason for her lack of sleep. Even so this is just reckless……!

「……Yes, that’s right」

Seeing the blaming eyes of Hayate, Sherry accepted the reality as if she was prepared for it.

「I won’t say training is bad, but to train for you to become this cold, ain’t it going too far! And you even reduced the sleeping hours while working at part-time jobs, why!」

Because of overwhelming worry his tone of speaking turned hard.

「……But, it is needed」

「I’m weak. That’s why, whenever you fight I always hold you back. I hate that」

「……！」

To those words, Hayate wasn’t able to speak another word.

Just how much……of a hard-worker is this girl. Even without a『Wand』she is trying to increase the things she can do.

And after being told that she is doing for not holding me back……I can’t help but want to make her win at all cost, no matter what!

「Sherry」

But, even so there was a thing that he needed to tell her.

「I plan to do anything if it means to grant your wishes. But if you want to win tomorrow……can you stop being strangely obstinate against Victoria?」

「……」

「That itself is u.n.u.s.u.a.l for you. Isn’t winning in these examinations an important thing for your dream? I know the strength of your will. I don’t know a Sherry that tried to hinder that will with some ridiculous emotions」

And……Hayate wished without speaking it out.

Even if I become the last one I will remain Sherry’s ally, but it is too sad that only I can be besides you. I want you to feel happiness.

If she lost everything ten years ago, then I want to give her happiness that can surpa.s.s that everything she lost. For that, not just me, but friends and comrades are also important. That’s why don’t seclude yourself in the cage of ice, and open your heart to others too.

「……But」

All of a sudden, Sherry showed a rare──extremely rare──pouting expression.

「Victoria-san’s b.r.e.a.s.t.s are bigger than mine」

「……Yes what?」

What is she saying suddenly? Sherry continued her words.

「That’s why if I let her come near, you might be seduced by her……」

Don’t tell me that was the greatest reason for opposing Victoria?

Hayate truly thought that the reason they were not in sync during training was because of their sense of rivalry among Hexenritters……but after knowing the reason of her strange stubbornness, Hayate smiled bitterly.

「I~diot」

「……Who is one」

「Aren’t I your manservant? Don’t worry about me getting being taken by others」

When Hayate said that Sherry face slowly let out power──when it seemed like that, she suddenly buried her face in the nape of his neck, and kissed there.

「Wha! What are you doing suddenly!?」

Moreover she terribly strongly sucked and kissed there. Marks might be left there……

「Hide the marks with the collar」

Saying that, Sherry separated from Hayate, and moved towards the door.

「We got late, let’s go to dining hall, shall we?」

「……Yeah, yeah」

Hayate followed behind Sherry while sighing……and immediately thought.

What does a kiss on the nape of neck means?

PART 4

The day of the tag-team examination came.

The place examinations were being held was the Second Training Grounds that were located at a slightly far place from the main school building.

The Second Training Grounds was in the shape of a dome without any roof, and the surroundings already had stands prepared ahead of time. Naturally here too, in the underground, was Mithril buried, and the『Divine Protection of Valhalla』was casted on this ground, which helped in nullifying the injuries.

Hayate and others reached the Second Training Grounds after being called by the examiner Lela. There, their opponents Led and Fortena, were already waiting.

「So you’re the rumoured male Servant and you’re Victoria Verde, huh」

It was Led who called out to Hayate and others. Just as they had seen in the data before, she had a wild-air flowing around her, and her tanned skin along with the dangerous wild glint in the eyes, only spurred the impression. Her Servant, the Gargoyle, was waiting behind her while flapping it’s wings in the air.

She looked towards Hayate and Victoria, and laughed scornfully.

「I had heard there was some extremely excellent first-year student so I thought what she might look like, but you don’t look that much, at least you won’t even become my enemy」

「Led. Carelessness. Not good」

Fortena rebuked Led, who was laughing loudly. She was a calm girl that made one think of a still lake in winter; she was quite contrastive to Led. She had long black hair braided and suspended down to her waist, while her Servant, the Kamaitachi, was placed on her shoulders.

「Eee, isn’t it fine Forl? I’m speaking the truth」(TN: Fortena’s nickname is For, but that is like English word for, so I’m writing it off as Forl)

Having been scolded by Fortena, Led pouted her lips.

She’s a rare-type of person in this Academy……

There were only n.o.ble ladies as students in the Academy, so it was rare to see a girl with so frank att.i.tude.

「You seem to be looking down us, but no matter what I’ve got no intention of going easy on you」

Sherry, who had been silent till now, threw a sharp glare at the seniors.

There, as if she noticed her for the first time, Led tilted her head.

「Hm? Who’re you?」

「Opponent. Led. Idiot?」

「I-I knew about it! I’m not an idiot!」

These people sure makes others softened.

Hayate held that impression, but Sherry, who had been getting ignored all the time, bent her lips in the shape of character ’へ’.

「Fufu, don’t be so depressed that you don’t stand out as much as me」

「……I’m not worried about it at all」

Sherry averted her gaze from Victoria, who was trying to contain her laugh.

Hmm, will it be fine?

Seeing the appearance of two again quarrelling, the anxious feeling again spread in Hayate’s heart.

Hayate tried his best to persuade these two yesterday, but it wasn’t known if it worked out fine. Victoria didn’t come to the dining hall last night, so Sherry and Victoria hadn’t even talked out with each other till now……

「We’re starting now」

From just the words of Lela, both tag-teams moved to the east side and west side of the ground.

「Start!」

Along with the voice of Lela, who seemed to not be excited, all the girls confronting each other shouted.

「「「Cast!」」」

Hayate also stretched out his hand to Sherry’s chest, and shouted.

「Cast!」

「AAannnhh!」

Sherry’s immodest voice leaked out.

At the same time the hilt of a sword was produced from the Contract Mark on her breast, and that verse also was poured into the head of Hayate.

The sword that kills the Kings──

The sword that a.s.sa.s.sinates the G.o.ds──

The sword that perishes the World──

「──Embererathem Sword『Laevateinn』」

Red hot light begin to overflow from the Contract Mark, and a longsword with gigantic blade made its appearance.

「O those who dance in the wind, bestow thy blessing unto me which doth releases my link with the earth—FLIEGEN VOGE」

(TN: Changing it from HIMMELSSCHRITT. G.o.d knows where Guhehe got that name from!)

Some blinks later, Sherry hovered above from the ground due to magic.

「『Tailworm』!」

Victoria also prepared for battle with her『Wand』in hand.

「『Majestic Armour』」

「『Gale Maker』」

On the other hand the opponents, Led and Fortena, also Casted the『Wand』, which were shown in the data of Aria, and took on battle stance.

「Let’s go Hayate」

「Ah, Y-y-yeah!」

Reacting to Sherry’s voice, he appeared in front of her.

In the end we didn’t made any plan with Victoria. Is it truly impossible to coordinate perfectly overnight?

「You’re an idiot to come attacking alone~!」

Led ridiculed from inside the face-guard of the armour.

「Fuujin(Wind Blade)」

Fortena danced along with a calm voice. She waved her folding fan and a sharp blade of wind was created.

「Kuh!」

Hayate cut and blew away the Fuujin that came flying in with his Flame Sword.

His rus.h.i.+ng power was reduced for a second.

「Excuse me. Next attack」

Fortena danced and waved her folding fan consecutively.

It won’t be good if I keep on getting nailed down here……!

「O Flame!」

Flames gushed from『Laevateinn』and engulfed all the wind blades in one go.

「GOOO!」

Hayate grasped the sword tightly and threw the flame as they were towards Fortena.

However──those flames were blocked by a s.h.i.+eld that appeared in front of Fortena.

「Hmph! Those flames won’t work on my s.h.i.+eld!」

Led, while in a stance with s.h.i.+eld, laughed proudly.

So, long-range distance is a no-go……!

『Laevateinn』was able to produce flames, but compared to direct hits, its power was low.

Hence it was needed to go near for breaking through the s.h.i.+eld.

However,

「Magika──」

Fortena again danced the dance of wind.

「──Shredding Storm」

A magic square with her in the centre spread out, and countless wind blades perfectly obstructed the path of Hayate.

I alone can ram through it, but this attack is aiming for our whole side……!?

Victoria can somehow make through it, but Sherry can’t do anything without a『Wand』.

At any rate, I need to intercept that thing──the moment Hayate put on his guard thinking that,

「Hayate. Lower your head」

「Huh? Wawaaah!」

Sherry pushed down his head from behind, and forcibly stooped his body.

I can’t swing the sword like this……Hayate fl.u.s.tered, but above his head a tremendous wind cutting sound *whoosh* reverberated and pa.s.sed away.

Immediately after,

Pow!! Pow!! Pow!! Pow!! Pow!! Pow!! Pow!! Pow!! Pow!!

A whip came flying in from behind Hayate── the『Tailworm』knocked down the Magika of Fortena.

「V-Victoria?」

「It will trouble me if you forget about me」

Hayate turned around and in his eyes the figure of Victoria puffing her chest was reflected. She glanced at Sherry,

「Oh, I was thinking that it couldn’t be helped if one would hit you, but looks like you’re fine」

「I have come to greatly understand the intrusiveness of Victoria-san within the past two weeks. I was thinking to deal with that attack all by myself」

And Sherry also sent back a daring stare to Victoria.

If she was the usual Sherry, she would’ve let Hayate block off all the wind blades.

But the current Sherry was convinced that「Victoria would do something like that」, and Victoria also didn’t let a single attack graze her while saying「it couldn’t be helped if one hit you」. No if Sherry didn’t lower my head, I would’ve been hit bad, that means she also knew that Sherry would try to evade and make me evade that attack. Thinking nicely, it was always and only Hayate who ate the attacks and was involved in their attacks during the training, never them two.

Is this……also some sort of combination?

「Remain down like that!」

Victoria greatly raised『Tailworm』above head, raised its tip to who knows what extent and──swung it down at once with all her power.

「Haaaaa!」

All Range All-Rounder attack. (TN: AOE attack. Sheesh what a name author has given it)

The storm of whip blanketing over the whole ground a.s.saulted Led and Fortena.

Although Led might have best defence in the Academy, she obviously couldn’t be able to protect her partner and Servants with just that single s.h.i.+led……or the three thought.

「Magika Twilight Aegis!」

The magic square engraved on Led’s s.h.i.+eld radiated, and the s.h.i.+eld divided into ten-odd s.h.i.+elds.

No, the thing that looked like it divided was apparently the copy of s.h.i.+ed made up from magical energy. However, even the copy had the defensive power equalling to that of the original s.h.i.+eld──moreover, the s.h.i.+elds left Led’s hands, and independently blocked against the nearing whip.

「Auto-defence, eh……!」

Victoria saw that it had no effect and suddenly stopped her hand.

「I thought it would be able to defeat at least the Gargoyle if not the main person」

Victoria gnashed her teeth.

Certainly that All Range All-Rounder attack gave an impression that blocking against it would be the most a single person can do and not protect their Servant, but

As expected of Top Ranker……they’re naïve I see

「Humph! Your attacks all are useless in front of my s.h.i.+eld!」

Led laughed off our attack while speaking in a childish way that one just can’t help but not hate.

Then Fortena, standing beside her, deployed another Magika.

「Magika Vanishment Gale」

In an instant, their figures along with their Servants disappeared.

「Transparency!?」

「Seems like that……」

Sherry nodded to Hayate’s words.

「This is troublesome」

Seeing the opponent vanis.h.i.+ng, Victoria ran up to Hayate’s side.

「──!? Tch!」

「You!」

Abruptly, Hayate blocked a wind blade that came flying in from their blind spot, and Victoria swung her whip in that side but it only hit vacant air.

If it became a war of attrition, it will be us on the disadvantage. Victoria’s attack from before can attack even without seeing the enemy, but it will be blocked against as long as Led has Twilight Aegis. What should I do……?

Hayate rotated his thoughts and suddenly Sherry called out to Victoria.

「Victoria-san」

「……What is it?」

「I have said this before, but, I can immediately give out at least 10 reasons for not forming a team with you」

「Even I can say almost 100 about you!」

「Then looks like we cannot become close friends」

「It’s obvious!」

What is Sherry speaking all of a sudden?

Hayate was surprised to see that Sherry was again starting a quarrel, but……Sherry didn’t change her expression,

「But, I have a reason to win this examination」

「……Even I have that」

「I see. In that case──」

And spoke those words.

「──Then let’s join up our hands for at least today. Neither as friend nor as comrade, but as rivals」

Sherry said those words and Victoria blinked her eyes for some seconds seeing her face and then……curved the end of her lips.

「Something like that is perfect for us. I also need to repay the debt by defeating you in future」

「I will waiting for it. But it would you who would lose. Then, let’s match up our powers and defeat those seniors. Hayate」

「Y-Yeah!」

「Stab the『Laevateinn』at your feet area」

In accordance to Sherry’s order, Hayate stabbed the flame sword in the ground near his feet.

In that case, he didn’t have any means to attack and──in no time, countless wind blades came flying at them.

「Haaaaaaaa!」

Victoria repelled down all of them with her『Tailworm』.

While being protected by her, Sherry put her hands on the ground and started chanting some incantation.

「O that who protects the cold mausoleum, by thy freezing arms, grant thy restraints of avidya to the captured ones── Náströnd」

(TN: If you have suggestions about this chant, then comment below. Oh avidya is a Buddhist word meaning ignorance. I’ve not exactly learnt Buddhist words, or have done their practices so I don’t know if what google said is right nor not)

「……？」

The time Sherry’s magic was deployed, at first he thought it was a misfire.

There was no change to the extent. For. Him. Alone, to think like that.

「Cold!? What is it!?」

「Please be quiet」

Victoria raised up a scream suddenly, thinking what it was he turned around only to find her leg frozen to the area of calf. Sherry was also the same, but she was calm compared to Victoria.

「《Náströnd》is a trap-type magic. It freezes everyone standing on the ground without exception」

「So, what do you plan to do by freezing my legs!? Can’t you see I can’t move now!?」

「……！」

Hearing the line shouted out by Victoria, Hayate understood.

《Náströnd》freezes everyone standing on the ground without exception. That meant,

「Uwah! What the h.e.l.l is this!?」

「Led. Improper words」

Whether or not they could be seen, unless they could fly, Led and Gargoyle were inevitably caught in the trap.

Hayate turned around in the direction of voice. There was four small ice pillars rising up in the shape of human legs……it meant the two seniors couldn’t move now!

Even if they kept quiet or didn’t keep quiet, with that ice protruding, their location was oh-so-obvious.

And thanks to the heat of『Laevateinn』that had been stabbed in the ground, Hayate was able to block against《Náströnd》and could move freely.

「I leave Sherry to you!」

Saying that to Victoria, Hayate dashed while shouldering『Laevateinn』.

Every time he stepped the ground tried to freeze his leg, but thanks to the enhanced leg strength from his『Seele』, he was able to break that ice and covered the distance between his opponents in one go!

「Forl! Our location is exposed! Dispel the Magika and aim the one behind!」

「Release」

Led’s shout and Fortena’s voice reached his ears, while their figures appeared, having dispelled Vanishment Gale.

Hayate wasn’t besides Sherry right now. If she were to be defeated, his『Laevateinn』would also disappear.

「Magika Shredding Storm」

However.

「Aah geez! It’s difficult to swing the whip!」

Right now Victoria, who joined up hands with Sherry, was protecting her.

Rival, eh……! So there is a relations.h.i.+p other than friends and comrades, I see.

Although this was different from what Hayate wished yesterday, but this was also a form of relations.h.i.+p bonds between a person and person.

If this could untangle Sherry’s obstinate parts, then no matter what it is, I’m fine with it! If that bond has been created in this fight, I will decorate it with victory! That is my role as her manservant!

「Your attack can’t break through my s.h.i.+eld!」

Led bellowed from inside her face guard towards Hayate, who was nearing them.

She must’ve been thinking that if she were to block all attacks with her impregnable defence, it would be them who won.

However, she didn’t know──the true power of『Laevateinn』!

「OoooooooooOOOOOoooOOoOOOooo!」

One slash.

The red hot blade bisected the s.h.i.+eld of magical energy.

「Wha!?」

Two, three, four, five slashes──

It doesn’t matter if it’s auto-defence or whatever!

Eight, nine, ten, eleven slashes──

No matter what wall, I will break through it with my sword!

Destroying the last main s.h.i.+eld, Hayate placed the blade that was drawing an arc with sparks, near his waist.

「Magika……!」

「It’s over!」

Fortena tried to deploy Magika as a last struggle, but before she could Hayate’s『Laevateinn』captured their bodies at once.

「Uguh!」

「……. Unfortunate」

Thanks to『Divine Protection of Valhalla』they didn’t suffer any injury, but because the burden of damage was too much that Led and Fortena fainted while lying on each other.

「Winner, Scharlachrot and Verde Team」

Lela announced the victory of Hayate and others with a voice that seemed to never change.

PART 5

At the same time.

There was a single person watching the victory of Hayate and others from the watch stands.

It was Victoria’s elder sister, Sylvana.

「……」

Folding her arms, from the corner of stands she had been fixedly staring Victoria and Sherry and also Hayate with a sour look.

The reason she was watching this tag-team examination was only for making sure that the quest from Verde family, as she had told Victoria, should reach Sherry.

And, she saw the result with her own eyes.

With this. The. Things. Would. Proceed. As she had expected at first.

After making that decision, Sylvana……

「So. You. Won. After. All……」

Muttered that and left behind the Second Training Grounds.