Two shadows ran rampant across the battlefield.

In their wake, only the wreckage of angels remained, torn apart at terrifying speed.

“Lutra, three strikes.”

“Hahahaha! You think you can catch me with swings like that!?”

Rokuhara laughed as he parried Touraku’s blade.

For an ordinary explorer, they wouldn’t even be given the chance to choose to block that godspeed slash.

But it’s exactly because he could deal with such attacks so easily—that’s what made him S-Rank.

“Light. Weak. Boring.”

“……”

Touraku’s form vanished from in front of Rokuhara, who had spat that out while looking at the caught blade.

The next moment, Touraku appeared at Rokuhara’s side—in a perfect blind spot.

“—Got you.”

His second move hadn’t been to slash at Rokuhara, but to slash the space itself.

He used conceptual severance to teleport.

The third strike—was his true blow.

“Too bad, I already got spoiled on that one.”

Yet it was caught just as easily.

Rokuhara, having predicted the move, deflected Touraku’s blade with his twin swords.

Then, using Touraku’s momentum from charging in, he pulled him into his grasp and restrained him.

“Einaaa!”

『O-Okayyy, beginning Emotion Conversion~!』

There are two ways to deal with a rampaging Demonsgear or Demonsgear user.

One: suppression via a non-rampaging Demonsgear.

If that isn’t possible, then initiate the Stellar Plan’s suspension using the Starreader’s Staff.

Thus, each Demonsgear was equipped with attacks effective against each other.

『This is the first time I’m actually using Emotion Conversion on another Demonsgear! Beating up Lutra from the right position feels amazinggg!』

“Just do it quietly.”

Due to the presence of many students on the battlefield, deploying a magic circle was out of the question.

So Rokuhara used physical contact as the trigger to initiate Emotion Conversion.

“…Ghh, aaaaaagh!”

“Yeah yeah, quit thrashing, dumbass. Just stay still for a bit and it’ll be over.”

“Lu…tra! One strike!”

“!”

Touraku forcefully drew his blade, unleashing a storm of wild slashes in all directions.

Trees were shredded into ribbons, angels turned to dust and scattered. The only blessing was that no other students were nearby.

『Ah, he got awayyy!』

“Can’t you suck up emotions more efficiently?”

Rokuhara grumbled at Eina while only cutting down slashes that would’ve been fatal to him.

『Handling this with just one unit wasn’t the plan, okayyy! At least let Sister Solfi or Sister Shieru be here! Ideally, I’d want everyone! My role is supposed to be rear support, you knowww!』

“Huh? Then why the hell are you a melee weapon?”

『Because the leader just broke me into this form on his own!』

Sighing at his noisy partner, Rokuhara looked at Touraku.

Now keeping his distance, unlike before—he was clearly wary of Emotion Conversion.

(Of course he is. Now, how do I get close again to trigger Emotion Conversion…)

Rokuhara readied Eina.

But neither side showed signs of moving.

(My invincibility can endure slashes. But that technique that severs distance is a pain. If he escapes for 12 seconds, it’s wasted. This is my trump card—I’d rather use it at a sure moment.)

Behind his feral grin, Rokuhara coolly constructed the battle logically.

What gave him the edge wasn’t just his base specs—it was that he’d already seen Star-Slash.

“Gotta thank that bitch called Nameless. Thanks to her, this is way easier.”

Compared to the chaotic scenario where Star-Slash was combined with multiple abilities, the target before him had only severance in his arsenal—his actions were simple.

Or so Rokuhara thought.

“Lutra, one strike.”

Touraku unsheathed his sword, slicing through the void.

Simultaneously, countless slashes flew at Rokuhara.

“Switched to filleting me from a distance, huh? Smart choice. But you think you can cut me with a toy like that?”

Rokuhara swung Eina down with all his might.

In that moment, a red energy wave blew everything away.

“That’s a shockwave born from your own emotions. How’s it feel to have your own feelings block your attack?”

Touraku showed no reaction to Rokuhara’s words and raised Lutra again.

There was no hesitation in his posture.

“Lutra, one strike.”

He poured all his magic into a single blow—once more sending a slash at Rokuhara.

Faced with that sight, Eina screamed.

『He knows we’re out of emotional reserves! Shouldn’t we call for backup!? We’ve got Shayku with Touka, right? She’s gotta be on standby close by, just in case!?』

“No way she can enter during a territory war, dumbass.”

Rokuhara readied Eina.

Out of emotional energy, he now planned to physically cut down the slashes.

“No one could intervene here…..unless someone tampered with the area beforehand, or-”

“—Someone like me, I suppose.”

A voice echoed.

A magic circle suddenly appeared in front of Touraku and Rokuhara.

All the slashes were shot down by cannon fire, enveloping the area in black smoke.

『Th-This reaction is…!』

“Well, well, now that’s a flashy entrance!”

Rokuhara raised a joyful shout.

“Hehe, I wasn’t planning to step onto the stage, but…”

The black smoke dissipated in a gust of magic wind—revealing a girl.

Clad in black, silver-blue hair flowing, wielding a massive scythe—she was the reaper.

Her name was—

“I’ve been waiting to see ya, Sorciera!”

“I haven’t been waiting for you.”

The Star of Judgement—has now descended.

■

I really didn’t want to see her…

If we’re not careful, she’ll get fired up and attack us too.

『Even if it’s two-on-one, we wouldn’t lose, right? Eina and Lutra together would be enough, right?』

I’m talking about her being a monster, you dummy!

So, let’s get Rokuhara-san off the stage! Seriously!

“I understand the situation. You need to leave.”

Turning your back to Rokuhara-san is like turning your back to a raging grizzly bear—but there’s no choice.

All I can do is bet on this person’s rational side.

“Huh? You telling me to leave? Don’t screw with—”

“Touraku… I’ll stop him. Please.”

I begged him seriously.

Come on, Rokuhara-san. You’re a sucker for this kind of heartfelt stuff!

“…Tch, do what you want.”

See? Look at that!

Starreader’s Staff-kun, this is persuasion! People are just pawns in a mysterious beauty’s hand!

“In exchange, play with me in a duel later.”

“…Of course.”

『Getting played too, huh?』

Yeah, that was not in the plan.

Rokuhara-san got totally baited.

What a pain☆

But it can’t be helped anymore.

Because this next battle is one that’ll shine brighter if I’m alone.

『Uoooooh! A tragic beauty fighting at great cost! What a scene!』

What kind of perspective are you speaking from?

Do you even realize you’re the reason for this cost?

“One more thing. I want you to handle the destruction of the angels. Is that alright?”

“Of course it is. Killing angels means bonus rewards.”

Wait, seriously?

Then that deer guy earlier was a huge bonus!?

Nice going, Fectom Integrated Academy crew!

Tonight’s dinner is a deluxe yakiniku feast~＾＾

We’ll celebrate our victory in the angel battle and the territory war with a happy party!

『Clam’s probably gonna be sulking the whole time though』

No idea why though.

“Have Eina trace my magic. I’ve already imbued it into the collaborators. Get the details from them.”

“Ugh, you’re too damn thorough… Fine.”

Rokuhara-san seemed convinced and started detecting nearby magic with Eina-chan.

Those “collaborators” with her magic were none other than the emotionally heavy duo—Rinka-chan and Clam-chan.

Rokuhara-san’s headed their way now.

All three of them can go kill angels together, what a nice team.

“…There.”

Fast detection.

That Demonsgear really isn’t someone I’d want as an enemy.

“If you found them, go quickly. We don’t have time.”

“Don’t order me around. …Tch, Eina, let’s go.”

The next moment, Rokuhara-san vanished.

Wait, did he just disappear with his raw leg power?

He doesn’t need glass slippers to move that fast?

Is he even stronger now?

『We better not lose next time~』

Next time he’ll combine 12 seconds of invincibility and Eina. That’s on a whole other level.

…Yeah, let’s not think about that right now.

“…Did I keep you waiting?”

I finally called out to today’s main gloom candidate.

Originally, he was the pure, refreshing protagonist type—Touraku-kun.

“It’s fine. Waiting for you seems to have more meaning than slashing that thing.”

Now he looks like a blood-drenched killer—what the hell happened?

Where’s Mihaya-chan, his guardian and main heroine!?

Your boyfriend’s about to get emotionally wrecked by a mysterious beauty!

Are you okay with this!?

“I gained this power to help you—to end all this tragedy.”

With those words, Touraku-kun pointed Lutra at me.

…Lutra-chan’s color is one I’ve never seen before.

“I see… Then I’ll respond with everything I’ve got.”

I twirled my scythe for flair before assuming my stance.

Style points go to me.

『Sorciera’s corrupted version, fully constructed! Ready anytime!』

My partner says she’s ready.

All that’s left is to debut my new form mid-battle.

““—HAAH!””

Touraku-kun and I dashed at each other in sync.

Let’s go, Starreader’s Staff-kun!

Time for the event scene where ‘two people who should be precious to each other end up hurting one another’ to begin!

『Is this Toa×Sol or Sol×Toa? Let’s decide right here.』

Don’t decide! Take this seriously!