"Welcome to the fourth round of the B-Rank Wars! Tachikawa Squad's Kunichika Yuu here. With me for commentation today is the representative of the Yagura Branch and a member of Bakuto Squad. Tsukiko Yuki and Yamamoto Yorushi. Thanks for being here, Yuki-chan, Yama-san."
"Glad to be here, Kuni."
"A pleasure. But if i may ask..."
"Yes? Why are we not connected like usual?"
"Because there are two of us here and the others will eat us alive if this isn't monitored more carefully," Kunichuka and Yuki said instantly.
"I see..."
"Anyways! In this match we will be watching a fight between Katori Squad, Kotowari Squad and Nasu Squad. While Nasu Squad had lost their match against Suzunari-1 in the last match and Katori Squad has been losing a bit in their own matches, Kotowari Squad, after a terrible start this season, has started winning their matches. What's more is that we got word that they had added another member to their squad starting this match. Is there anything you two would like to add to this? I'm sure people would love to hear from Kotowari Squad's former leader and local fool."
White Fox: "Why do you do this to me, Kuni?"
Kuni: "I need to make things entertaining."
Kunichika gave a lazy smile towards the glaring boy.
Seeing that he would not be getting out of this, Yuki cleared his throat for show before starting to speak.
"Well, Gaming Girl-chan, this is an important match for both Kotowari Squad and Katori Squad. This is their chance to enter the top tier of B-Ranks again. As their former captain and friend, I am happy to see Kotowari Squad doing better, but I will be remaining neutral during this match."
"You say that, but..."
"What about you, Yamamoto!?"
Yuki had found his escape the moment the glasses man glanced towards the two of them.
"Why are you putting this on me? Oh fine. Ahem. From what we could gather, there is very little on Kotowari Squad's newest member. Even so, they seemed to have taken after their former captain and choose to fight their own fights. Each one works to battle in as solo of a battle as possible while helping their teammates. Meanwhile, Nasu Squad and Katori Squad are rather reliant on their captains and aces to take the points for their matches."
"That is rather fair given how well off they are. Nasu is one of the few people able to Viper off in real time while Katori is just a generally good All-Rounder. To rely on them during matches is not a bad choice."
"With that being said, I would like to point out that Katori Squad is the only squad here who does not have a Sniper on their squad, meaning they need to be even more care-"
Yuki and Yamamoto looked over once they noticed the pause in Kunichika's words.
Another Border member had come from the side to slip a piece of paper to her before taking their leave.
After reading the paper, Kunichika blinked a few times before humming.
"We have just gotten word that Misaki Suzumebachi of Kotowari Squad has yet to show up."
Murmurs in the crowd could be heard as Yamamoto pushed up his glasses and Kunichika's smile lowered.
As for Yuki...
"Yesterday was Valentine's Day...right?"
All attention immediately went to the faker.
"Ah~ That would explain Suzu's current absence. She is probably on her way over here right now, but I'm not sure if she will be able to make it."
"Oh, um, for anyone who does not know... Is there really anyone like that? Anyway, for those who don't know, Agent Misaki tends to...enjoy Valentine's Day. That being said, we will still be following the rules here. With this note given to us, she has five minutes to get to her squad's operating room before she is officially banned from entering this match. She will be able to join her squad in any matches after this, but she will not be allowed to be transported in once it has started."
"Nice job being professional here."
"What a rude jab at me!"
"Why don't we go over what we now know? Kunichika, which stage has Nasu Squad chosen for this round?"
"Oh, right. We have to announce that now. Thanks for reminding me, Bookkeeper-san!"
"Bookkeer-san..."
"Nasu Squad has been allowed to choose the location of the battle for this match, seeing as how they are the ones with the lowest ranking. They have decided on using one of the urban areas with a multi-layer overpass."
"How the hell is that even a thing? Are freeways usually the only place where you will find a multi-layer overpass? What would one be doing in an urban area?"
"I hear that this stage was created by Jinsoku-san from engineering. Apparently he is one of the stranger ones there and decided this would be a good idea. I try not to go there too much because of that, so this is actually coming from my captain instead."
Tera-Zō: "I would like to point out that Shūsei does not represent the rest of us and that he is a strange entity on his own. Please refrain from associating him with either the Engineers or the R&D Department in general. Thank you."
Quik Fix: "I'm really being targeted here, aren't I!?"
Yamamoto waved his hand while mouthing something along the lines of, "I don't associate with him either."
Kunichika and Yuki gave him an uncertain look before looking back at the large screen in front if them.
The murmurs below them were on full blast at this point.
"Well... I suppose we should now wait and see what happens."
Werewolf: "Hey, Suzume, where the hell are you? They just have the official announcement that if you aren't here we'll have to start without you!"
Honest Sister: "I'm honestly so sorry! Even though yesterday was my day, that isn't actually the reason I'm honestly late! I'll tell you guys everything later, but know that I'm honestly hauling ass to get there!"
Werewolf: "Use Teleport or something to get here!"
"That actually would be a bad idea. Remember that we would have to enter the battle with the Trion we had to start with. Her using it to teleport here would lower the amount she would have going in. It would just be easier to get a point from her."
Takeshi ignored the growl coming from Toby as he looked at the map of where they would having their match.
On the top right of the map was the private chat Kotowari Squad was having.
Colors: "Senpai, please try to get here quickly, but don't use your Trigger. If you can't make it in time, we will just go in without you."
Having to fight against the likes of Nasu Squad and Katori Squad without their Sniper was not something Takeshi would have ever thought about.
The older girl was a key player in the match considering she knew the Rhythms of each agent and could get better shots in than Hiura.
If Suzume-senpai is missing during this fight then that means we have to think up a way around Hiura-san.
"Takeshi."
He turned towards Mei.
Mei had been silently watching from her computer as Toby rapidly messaged Suzume and Hoshi nervously fidgeted while eyeing the map herself.
"I know, Mei-san. I actually do want to ask you to see how we can change things at the moment. None of us can replace Suzume-senpai. Oh, and I'm not just saying that to be emotional. Myself, Hoshi and the dog literally can't do what she does. That being said, I want to figure this out myself. If I cannot come up with something in the next three minutes then I will ask for you help. Is that okay?"
"No need to ask that, Takeshi. I will always be here for you all, so feel free to do as you like. Just remember that we are all backing each other up."
"Right. Now then... How to go about this."
Kotowari Squad may have to go into battle without a Sniper. They may have to fight without a strong Side Effect for an outside view.
Suzume-senpai always kept the other squads in check by keeping out of sight until she needed to show off. Most people did not want to be caught by her so they were always careful. The combination of her Side Effect at long distance and Toby's Side Effect at close range are always what others seem to focus on with my own attacks being a secondary thought.
He gave a bitter glare down.
I should stop.
Thinking that others found him less dangerous than his teammates was not something that should have been viewed as bad. It had always given him a good chance to attack since others were focused on the Attacker-Sniper combination.
That combination was now gone for the moment with Suzume seeming to be unable to make it in time for their match.
Takeshi fixed his scarf with a sigh.
"Hm..."
Hearing the the sound of a nervous hum, he turned his head to look towards their newest member.
Nasu Squad and Katori Squad shouldn't know what Hoshi can do, so there is still an element of surprise there. She can't do as much as Senpai, but this should still work out well enough. We just need to be sure that Hiura-san can just go around trying to snipe us.
Looking back down at the map, Takeshi narrowed his eyes.
Just from the view they had at the moment, it was clear where some good sniping spot could be. The area was also perfect for someone like Nasu to fire Viper and for Kumagai to fight head-on or retreat if needed. That meant that other Attackers and All-Rounders were also a bit well off when it came to one-on-one fights.
But...
"This is to counter me and Wakamura-san."
"Takeshi-kun?"
"Nasu Squad chose this location since it gives someone like Nasu-san more than enough room to do as she likes while also giving their Attacker her own space to fight. They seemed to have decided that Toby is who they will let roam free and that I should be the one put at a disadvantage."
"My apologies, but I still do not fully understand. Should you not have the better advantage here since the attacks you use are more versatile?"
"That would be true under other circumstances. This time is different since Take would have to destroy basically the center of the battlefield or get in the danger zone to properly fight."
Takeshi looked over at Toby.
He was one of the few non-Shooters who understood his firing style best.
"Rei's control of Viper can move around the different levels of the battlefield while close-range fighters, like the two of us, can move on those same levels. From the looks of things here... I would say they were already planning on limiting Suzume's movement too. The best smiling spots are kind of obvious. Them now knowing that Suzume most likely won't be fighting just helps them out more. Is that about right, Mei?"
"Yes. You did a good job understanding that, Toby."
At times it was hard to remember that, even with how excitable he was, Toby was still considered a genius when compared to most people. It seemed like he had not been the only one to forget as Hoshi seemed to gave a face as well.
Taking back the conversation for himself, Takeshi looked back down while fixing his scarf.
"Our squad is now put at the worst disadvantage since Suzume-senpai will not be joining us."
"So are we at a loss?"
He shook his head.
"Not really. It just makes us play more cautiously. Or rather... That is what they will probably think."
Takeshi furrowed his brows at his own words.
"Sorry. I shouldn't say something like that when I hardly understand people right now. Oh, um, but I guess I should say that to Nasu Squad and Katori Squad later, not to you guys."
"So what should we do here then?"
He was grateful for quick transition back to their conversation.
Even so, the question sounded far too relaxed to be a real question.
Hoshi is new to this squad, so it's understandable that she would not get it right away. But from the way Toby and Mei are looking at me, it seems they got what I was implying.
"That is easy. We let the two of you go on a rampage."
"It would seem that the time limit has been reached and that Agent Misaki will not be joining her squad in this match."
"That could be tricky for them. It was clear that Nasu Squad was finding a way to lock down Kotowari Squad's two distance fighters and Katori Squad's Gunner. This just means they have less to worry about now."
"But that also means Katori Squad and Kotowari Squad will be moving differently than what Nasu Squad had originally planned."
"You sure sound confident in that statement."
"That's because I understand instantaneous changes when it comes to battles. And I also know the Kotowari Squad boys well enough."
"Well we can see if that's true right now then. It looks like all the squads are now being transported in. With a map like this, where you end up being transported in can really make a difference."
.
"Oh my. Never thought I would see you pouting."
"I am not pouting. I am just mad."
Kōchō Kashi lightly glared at the screen in front of her.
Even as the seat next to her was taken up, she gave no thought as three squads were transported into their match.
That comment came from an older boy wearing the Ōji Squad uniform.
That was Kurauchi and he gave the Songstress Shooter a sidelong glance with his eyes.
"It would seem you came to watch Awdry after the fiasco in the chat recently."
"Heh. You would think that, given my lack of response at the end. ...But thanks to that, I was able to make some good lyrics. It really makes me wonder how Misaki-san isn't churning out song after song with a squad like that."
"Maybe she is just too use to it?"
"That is true. She is just as relaxed as the rest of her squad. That makes sense."
Kōchō puffed her chest out with a sigh before it retracted.
She was looking all around the screen as some of the agents not wearing Bagworm were visible.
One of them was Toby.
The was the boy who had managed to help her when she needed it and created a nice feeling for her, so she was seeing that boy who had changed from then.
"The opposing squads are looking beyond just one squad or any specific members of each squad. Kurauchi-san, what is your opinion of that? For example, what will things be like for this match?"
"Well." Kurauchi took a sat back on the seat to be further away from the screen and look around. "Kōchō, do you think these squads will give this their all?"
"They will take this very seriously. And they intend to turn this into their proof of where they stand. A squad like mine does not care too much about ranks and that's why we never join the B-Rank Wars, but they are not the same by any means."
"Why?"
"Right." The Songstress Shooter nodded. "Katori Squad and Kotowari Squad have been dropped from the top tier of B-Rank squads. That means they will be trying to get back up there. Nasu Squad, while never being there, will take this chance to show that they can fight with people who have been up there."
"What does that matter?"
"Because it is that, Kurauchi-san." Kōchō laughed quietly and did not bother turning toward Kurauchi. "Heh. Think of it in reverse, Kurauchi-san. You are on a squad who was originally part of Yuba Squad but, after separating from him, is constantly defying that same squad. ...When you went with Ōji, didn't you think that you had a lot to go through to gain a better ranking after just separating from a squad you had gotten so use to being with?"
"Well..."
Kurauchi seemed to realize something because he looked to the screen.
He faced the same direction as the Songstress Shooter to view the currently visible combatants.
The setting had been placed near midday and made everything clear to see, but Kurauchi spoke quietly as he stared at it.
"Are you suggesting they have a reason to not give anything up in this fight?"
"They probably do." Kōchō did not make a definite statement, but she did cross her arms over her chest. "All three squads have been constantly demonstrating that they are 'strong'. And what is it they gain from that?"
"Notice from people in a higher position." Kurauchi answered immediately, but he did not stop there. "If they can demonstrate that they have 'power' in their squads..."
That would mean...
"Everything they are doing would gain the attention of those who wish to test that power."
"Exactly." Kōchō nodded and took a breath. "Kurauchi-san, you have been an agent far longer than me. Since you have been on two squads now while I have been on only one that doesn't care for ranking, you have a better view. I will show my respect on that front."
"What about the fact that I am a well off Shooter?"
"If you are a well off Shooter, then I am a cared for Shooter." The Songstress Shooter glanced to the side. "If you insist on saying something like that, I too will insist on stating where I stand."
"I appreciate your thoughtfulness."
"And I am glad we have something in common. Besides, I am actually here as a 'fan' of Kotowari Squad. Besides Toby, I am actually interested in the girl he insulted and his captain who looks like he needs us Shooters backing him up."
"I see." Kurauchi nodded with a thoughtful look. "Ōji Squad has not joined any branches, but Akasora-san had said to watch one of Kotowari Squad's matches as an outsider to understand what the Yagura Branch will be like."
"Is that so? Then that means Ōji Squad and Kotowari Squad are under consideration by that 'Mr. Akasora' Toby told me about. I guess that means we - Motojime Squad - can't join."
"Sorry about that."
Kōchō smiled at him while looking back at the screen.
"No need for that. Now let's enjoy the show."
The first thing that came to mind once being transported in was to gather one's bearings and analyze where the placements were.
Hoshi followed this rule by looking around her while moving to start a run.
"Hoshi, you good?"
Toby was the first voice that came to her.
"Um, what exactly do you mean by that, Awdry-kun?"
"Oh, uh, just asking if you got transported anywhere weird. That's all. Sometimes stuff like that happens."
How often did it happen that he was worried about it?
Hoshi pushed the question to the side as she lowered her body.
"Ah, yes, I was safely transported. I believe I am on the overpass actually."
"Yeah. Mei sent us the exact locations of each other right now. Well, as accurate as she could with how things are set up. I still don't know which level you are on right now. From my position it looks like there are five levels to the overpass."
As he spoke through to her, Hoshi saw the map she had. There were two markers for her teammates and other ones for the opposing squads who were not wearing Bagworm. One of the dots coming from her squad was moving towards her at a fast pace.
That just be Toby-kun. He must have been placed rather far away.
The speed at which he was moving would mean he would reach the overpass in two minutes.
If she did not know how fast he could be, she would have thought that he was using a Trigger to rush towards her.
He has always been at the top during Sports Day and class. This is no surprise.
"Hoshi, sorry I'm taking so long, but can you get ready for a fight? It doesn't matter what level you are on right now since Rei and her squad planned for this sort of fight."
"This sort of fight?"
"Yeah. Take didn't go into as much detail as he should have, but this kind of setting prevents him from firing however he likes, exposes Snipers like Suzume and drags close-range fighters into a certain position. It's like placing the enemy where it would be a major disadvantage while placing allies in places where they would have the best advantages."
"That is thoroughly thought out. I am sure I would not have thought of such a thing."
"Nah. Once you get use to tactical things it's really nothing."
She remembered hearing that Toby had learned to play shōgi against a Shooter from a top tier B-Rank squad as well as chess against yet another B-Rank squad.
It was no wonder why he could make such a comment as if it was natural.
Even with those thoughts, Hoshi continued to be cautious of her surrounds as she conversed with her teammate.
"Then if I may... What would I be able to do exactly? Takeshi-kun has only said we may 'rampage' and that he had something planned out. Other than that, I am not so sure as to what I should be doing."
"Right. Since you're new to this whole scene, I think the other guys will either want to take you out quickly or gauge how well you fight. Either one will be great for this fight. If you get into any fights before I get there, try to do as minimal as possible why surviving. Once I get there, that's when we will be working together. When that happens, I will really need you to back me up. Back me up as much as possible. And don't worry, I'll make sure to protect you too. I will take full responsibility for you."
If her trion body had not been set to prevent blushing and the like, Hoshi was sure that she would be completely red.
She understand that it was just another case of Toby using the incorrect phrasing, but it was hard for her to think that it was nothing but a confession.
Thankfully she was not the only one listening.
"Idiot, that should be my line as captain."
But the other boy seemed to be just as bad.
"Hoshi, like the dog-boy said, you two will be doing the fighting. At least for the start. I am going to be setting something up and need any attention moved away from me. Sorry to ask this of you."
She wanted to respond, but there were two reason why she could not.
The first was because she knew that accepting the apology or denying it would make it seem as if what he was decided on really was something to apologize for. As if it was wrong to even ask that of her and Toby.
After interacting even more with the boy after his change, it was clear that she needed to be a bit more careful on how to respond to him. It would do not good at helping him if she gave a wrong answer.
And the second reason was...
.
Hoshi moved back as multiple lights came down from above.
That is...!
As she steadied herself on more, lights could be seen traveling across imaginary lines in the sky. All of them were in her direction.
The distance from where she was compared to where they seemingly originated was farther than her distance from Toby.
Each shot seemed to be set just a bit differently as there was the smallest amount of lag between one shot and another. This made for a difficult time at dodging as moving from a first shot meant running into a second shot.
Toby-kun would be able to dodge these attacks with his Side Effect and Takeshi-kun is currently using Bagworm. Of course I would be the best target at the moment.
With that bitter thought, Hoshi pushed herself as hard as she could to the side of the multi-layer overpass. This sent her into a free fall as the shots hit the road hard enough to crack them.
With her front now towards the sky, she was able to see that she had been on the fourth level of the overpass.
Her vision moved from the two levels above her to the next set of shots that were moving towards her.
With this sort of accuracy it was clear that the Nasu Squad Sniper had managed to find her and inform her captain.
Still...
Forcing her body into a spin, Hoshi created a shield a bit below her.
Once her body was parallel to the newly created shield, she placed her feet on it before pushing herself off.
She tucked her body on as she started to roll on the next level of the overpass.
No movement was wasted when she turned her roll into a running start.
Her feet managed to hit the ground five times before she realized that the shots had not continued.
It was at the seventh and eighth step that she came to understand why that was.
"!"
Bringing up her Kōgetsu as quickly as she could, Hoshi made it just in time to stop an attack from Katori.
There was no room to breath as the older girl pulled out her gun to fire at blank range.
I need to put up a shield! But what if Nasu-san fires at me again!?
The moment of hesitation was all that was needed for her time to defend was up.
She tried to move back to gain some distance, but there was no longer any movement she could make to stop this attack.
"You did a good job, Hoshi!"
.
Toby grinned towards the two girls that had separated from each other.
Seeing that there were only two steps away from Katori, he took the initiative by pushing himself to the side while twisting his body.
After the previous match, Toby had learned that when someone moved at a fast pace most of the time they tend to notice even the slightest loss of speed.
That was the case here.
Again!?
To someone like Hoshi it was have seemed as if Toby and Katori were moving fast, but for Toby it felt like an eternity to just make the first step.
Once his foot had touched the ground for his first step, Katori was another two steps away.
The second step felt even slower than the first and Katori was now four steps away.
I'm so slow! What the hell is going on with me!?
There was no chance at catching her for a close-ranged battle at the moment. Toby knew that and so moved back to stand in front of his teammate.
He shifted his feet to feel the road under him. If felt no different than any other time he was standing on solid ground.
So then why was he slow?
"Sorry about that, Hoshi. I wasted the chance you gave me."
He frowned at his own words.
There should not have been any reason to say something like that, but they had come out.
What else could he do but apologize when he knew that he was now the one holding his squad back?
"A-ah! No, no! That was amazing!"
Yet this girl rejected his apology in favor of complimenting him.
"But..."
She had more to say.
"Toby-kun, is there a reason to pulled back in the last moments?"
Toby went wide eyed when hearing this.
It was not something he ever thought he would hear be said towards him. Especially from someone like Hoshi.
There was no anger or bitterness towards the girl since she only said what was on her mind. The comment was meant as a genuine question.
I pulled back? No. I got slower. I never pull back and never hold back. That would be rude to whoever I'm fighting. But she was right behind me, so she had a good view of what just happened.
Neither option made any sense.
Toby knew that he would never go easy on someone like Katori. His body may move on its own when using his Side Effect, but he would still use that movement to attack. He never moved away from a fight or backed down.
But he could not get slower.
There had been no factor that would make him slow down more than once.
He noticed it in his fight against Noah and Shana.
The speed he was reliant on had gone down for some reason during that fight. It was mystery to him as to why he had lost speed during that match and allowed the other two to catch up to him the way they did.
After that match had finished, he had gone to do multiple solo matches. In those matches, he felt that his speed really had lowered from before he was in that match against Noah and Shana, but it never went lower than that.
Yet here he was.
His speed had dropped again and he had been told that he pulled back from this fight.
None of it made any sense to him.
I don't have time to think about it! Get with it, Toby! Even if you've slowed down or pulled back, you still need to focus! The best way to make up for this right now is to work with Hoshi!
He straightened his posture. Two Scorpion blades were created, each being held in one of his hands.
Without turning back to her, he spoke directly to Hoshi.
"Alright Hoshi, I was late and I messed up here... But we're going to win this before Take even has a chance to do anything!"
"Right!"
"He is doing it again."
Kōchō stared at the screen with pursed lips.
Next to her was Kurauchi who had just been watching the screen as an outsider.
"What do you mean?"
"Toby is lowering himself again."
The words were followed by a low and irritated hum from the girl.
She had not expected to see this happen during a match. Even more so when one of the boy's teammates was not there.
This may be troublesome.
"I have only seen a glimpse of it before, but Midorikawa and Inukai have told me about it." Kōchō glanced up at where the commentators were, focusing solely on Yuki. "But I'm sure that Tsukiko has seen it before as well."
"If that's the case, shouldn't Kotowari and Takato-san also know about whatever this is?"
"Not necessarily... The only times this seemed to come up were very specific. And apparently they did not last this long. Oh, and I mean during two matches back-to-back."
"So what exactly is going on then?"
There was where the issue was.
Kōchō herself was unsure how to properly answer that question.
What was happening was something hard to explain since the boy himself seemed to hardly know what was going on. That gave reasoning as to why it was happening a long time.
Still, she tried to find the best words to explain it.
It seemed that her explanation was unnecessary as a voice filled the room.
It had come from the boy's former captain.
.
"So Toby is comparing himself again, huh..."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not too sure."
Yuki did not need to turn his head to know what kind of looks he was getting.
"I'm not sure what exactly goes on with Toby during times like these, but he always seems to be comparing himself to others. That's why it seems as if he is pulling himself back or intentionally slowing down. From my perspective, it seems like he compares himself to others and then gets disheartened after doing so."
"You were Agent Awdry's former captain, so there is hardly anyone better to answer than you. If you are not that sure then the rest of us are kind of out of options."
Seeing the younger boy in such a state brought back some memories for Yuki. They flashed briefly, reminding him of their first meeting.
I need to put those thoughts away for the moment. I need to act as a neutral party right now.
"Even knowing that something is going on... He needs to focus on what is currently in front of him."
"That is true. Katori is currently at a good range to fire at both Awdry and Taiyōko while Nasu knows where they are and can fire whenever she feels like. There is no time to compare people when in the middle of a match."
Hoshi watched Toby move to a proper position.
She feared that she had said something wrong and wanted nothing more than to apology for it. There was no room to do such a thing when Katori was already moving to the side and Toby looked ready to push off the ground.
With something going on concerning Toby and Takeshi getting some things set up, she could only think of doing everything she could to gain some points.
Even if it meant taking on Katori by herself.
Werewolf: "Hoshi, we're going to draw out Rei. As things are, she can't hit us if we cover each other. That means either she will have to come to us directly or have Yūko come at us. So we just need to stick with each other for the moment."
Prototype Star: "Understood."
.
The two moved forward with Toby taking the right and Hoshi the left.
Toby moved first by pushing off the ground again. This time he used Teleport to get closer instead of his feet.
From her position Hoshi saw Katori start to raise her gun while holding back Toby with a blade.
Reacting to the sight, she created a shield to block the hand from moving the gun any further.
Toby had taken the opportunity to balance himself on the opposing arm to flip over Katori.
The moment his feet landed on the ground, he moved forward.
With the shield still in place, there was no room for Katori to turn.
"Tch!"
Instead of turning her body to move backwards into the attack, Katori had taken a different option by turning the gun in her hand and firing behind her.
The reflexive Side Effect of Toby's went into action by forcing his body to swerve to the side in order to dodge.
He went in for another attack once he saw that Hoshi had reached the right distance to assist him.
It would have been easy enough to take the older girl's head if not for the new shower of Viper shots coming down on them.
There had been no warning and there was no mercy in the attack that came from multiple directions.
There seemed to be no one target as Katori also had to protect herself from the attacks.
"Hoshi! Don't back down!"
Listening to his own words, Toby moved forward still, not focusing on the shots coming at them and instead on the girl inches away from him.
He had made the right choice as multiple shields appeared above him, taking the hits that could have reached him.
On the opposite side of Katori, Hoshi though nothing if the multiple shield that appeared above her to protect her from the Viper shots coming from above.
The two moved in at the same time, each with a blade in hand.
Their blades clashed against each other as a feeling of something tearing came back to them as feedback. It was strange since it should have taken longer for their blades to reach each other.
The tearing feeling had apparently been only a part of Katori's arm.
They both turned in time to see the same girl already firing shots at them from the side, now being protect from the Viper shots herself.
With his Side Effect already going into action, Toby gave up his blade in favor of creating another shield in front of Hoshi to protect her even more from the front as well as above.
Under normal circumstances his body would continue moving without his mind wanting to, either creating a contradiction or allowing his body to move how it wanted. That had always been how opponents managed to put enough pressure on him.
But right now...
"!"
His body and his thoughts aligned well enough to allow him to move forward without worrying about anything else.
The speed was still lower than what people had been use to, but the distance and narrow space between Viper shots made it difficult for anyone to completely move away from him.
Something caught his eye from the side. There had been nothing in his body telling him to move away from it and so his reflexes decided on another action for what it was.
"Catch," it said.
So he did just so.
With both his right and left being using to shield Hoshi from attacks, he could not bring out a Scorpion blade to attack. Even cracking a makeshift blade from a shield would do nothing.
That was why when he felt the weight of a Kōgetsu blade he thought about what a great teammate he had.
Pulling the blade out of its holder, he drew it as quickly as he could.
.
Katori bit back a curse as he tried to move back and away from the oncoming beast.
His speed had been much slower than she remembered and he had been completely focused on protecting the girl who could barely move through the rain of Viper shots and the shots she herself fired.
Kōgetsu was much heavier than any Scorpion blade, so his speed fell ever so slightly once more as he moved slower to her.
"Yōko, jump down! You won't make it otherwise!"
I don't want to run from these two! But...
There had been no choice for her at the moment.
She knew that one if her teammates had managed to make it in time to protect her a bit, but this was different. Neither Wakamura or Miura could protect her without giving themselves away right now.
The only thing she could do to make sure she would not get hit by the heavy blade was to move as far back as possible and do what she had seen the girl do. Jump off the side of the overpass and land on the level under them.
It would put her on the second level of the overpass. It meant running from the beast in front of her and the girl who knew nothing, but it also protected her from any Viper shots from above.
The three levels would protect from direct fire from above and even Nasu would need to get closer to pinpoint exactly where she was before firing. Even sniper fire and sight would be useless with the extra levels above her.
So instead of salvaging her pride, she took a leap back as the Kōgetsu was drawn.
It had managed to nick her foot, but otherwise left no mark on her.
There was always going to be a moment for someone to attack when leaping from one of the levels, but she knew that one of her teammates was close by and could defend her from any shots fired at her.
Indeed, a shot did come for her.
It was not a Viper shot but rather a sniper shot.
A shield formed before the shot could connect with her.
"You guys saw that too?"
"We can't go after it. By the time we reach Hiura she will have already moved."
"Useless megane."
She let out a sigh at the same time she landed on the second level of the overpass.
"Those two will follow me down here or go after Nasu. They don't look like they will split up any time soon since the little girl is too new to fight any of us."
"Be mindful of Kotowari too."
"He hasn't done anything this whole time. Maybe he just doesn't care about them anymore."
She knew that if anyone had actually heard her that she would be attacked immediately. Beside Kotowari Squad, Nasu Squad had also taken a liking to the boy, that meant they would, not hesitate to attack her for that comment.
There was no reason to care about a boy who was unsure of himself even after receiving so much help. Attracting attacks was not her plan, but that may have been the byproduct of her words.
Yet nothing came.
No shots came to the second level of the overpass and bodies did not land on the second level of the overpass.
What the hell is going on? Even if they did go after Nasu, there should be more sound than this. There's nothing going on right now.
It could have been that the other two squads were planning their next move. It would only be natural given the situation.
But that felt wrong.
It was not that they would not do it. It was that Kotowari Squad would not be quiet when regrouping.
"Then what-"
Katori's answer came soon after.
"They found Yūta."
The sound of Somei's voice was followed by multiple lights flying through the air. Each one seemed to be directed at a single location.
If those shots were going towards Toby and Hoshi, who had apparently found Miura, then they would certainly crash into their opponent as well. Losing a member of her squad was not something she wanted so early on in the match.
Even so, there was very little that could be done at the moment.
Nasu's Vipers became more deadly as one went up the overpass. If Miura was at the top, there would be no chance of assisting.
Or that was how it should have been.
"Now what!?"
"Waaaaahh~ So pretty~ Leave it to Yuki-chan's former squad to do something like that!"
"Hey, hey, Kuni, that sounds very unprofessional. Oh, and I don't teach them anything like that. Please don't assume everything bad concerning them is because of me."
The three commentators looked towards the screen as a laser-like beam rose up to cut through the rain of Viper shots that came from above.
"Disregarding the imagery. Kotowari just gave himself away to protect his two teammates. They seemed to have found Miura after he protected Katori twice. That means two of the hiding agents have appeared."
"Oh, no, that's not right. Take isn't stupid. He's a great kid when he wants to be."
Yuki ignored the slightly offended look coming from the glasses-man.
"If he was taking this long to protect them from Nasu, that means he had something planned. I have no doubt that this might actually be what Kotowari Squad needed to move forward with the fight."
"Now that you mention it... They didn't go after Captain Katori when she jumped down to a lower level. That must be because they knew what they were doing and decided to ascend the overpass instead of descend it."
"Exactly. Don't forget that they have Mei as an Operator and that Toby is considered a genius. Take is also really good at finding things out during a fight. While that doesn't mean that someone like Nasu won't be able to notice this stuff, I think that it will be too late once she does."
Toby grinned as he rushed towards the defending Miura.
Instead of chasing after Katori, it had been decided that he and Hoshi would climb up the multi-layer overpass instead of jump down a level. It had been where a new target was.
The thought of Nasu's Viper shots hitting them was a bit off putting at first. It had even happened like originally thought, but reassuring words from their captain had been enough for them. It became even more reassuring as those Viper shots were cut down by the long beam of light from the side of the overpass.
With no more worrying about the long-range attacks, Toby moved forward to cut down Miura while the chance was there.
Takeshi could only watch at the moment as this went on.
From his position near the overpass he could see the battle between his teammates and the lone Miura. Under that was a confused Katori. Near them all was Nasu, who seemed to be trying to find out where the beam of trion came from.
I still haven't seen Kumagai-senpai or Wakamura-san and Hiura-san should be hiding out right now.
His attack-turned-protection had worked well enough.
A single orb of trion lazily floated around him as if guarding him. Unlike the one he had used in previous matches this one seemed much smaller and more faint, as if it would disappear at any moment.
Takeshi took not notice of the orb as he continued to watch out for any Viper shots. While he could not do much to protect his squad from close-range attacks or sniper shots, he would undoubtedly take out any long-range attacks that came from Nasu.
This should be good. Now that they know I can take down her shots, Nasu-san will need to get in close to fire without my intervention. The distance she would have to have against Toby should be enough for him to attack.
He fixed his scarf as he analyzed the positions of the people he could see.
Attacking Nasu with his own laser like beams would continue to make her think she knew where he was, but that would also give him away in a different way. Getting her close to Toby was the best course of action.
She knew what he was capable of after having helped him out before.
To fight her right now would mean a loss no matter how he fought.
But...
"Take, you cheeky jerk! So that was what you were planning!"
Hoshi did not respond due to being in a fight. Toby on the other hand knew that he could fight while communicating due to his Side Effect.
"I was planning on holding off from using this until we fought either Ninomiya Squad or Kageura Squad. With Suzume-senpai not here to back us up I thought I would do something to cover that."
Was it too arrogant to assume they would win this match and return to the top tier of B-Rank squads?
Should I have asked if it was fine?
No. There was no point in asking if it was fine when they were in the middle of a match.
Nasu or Miura might have been nice enough answer after the match, but they would not converse with him during said match.
"Um, may I ask what it is that you did, Takeshi-kun? Ah, and I may not be able to understand it all right away, so Fu... Mei-san, may I please also get it typed out to read once there is a moment of break?"
There was no holding back this girl from asking about something during a match. If Miura knew about it, she would have likely asked him as well.
Takeshi was unsure of what to do until Mei responded kindly to the girl. That meant it was fine for him to explain.
If she did not understand what was happening then it may mess her up at some point.
I should not say it out loud. Just in case there really is someone nearby.
Maybe I should have explained it sooner... But Even j was unsure if I was going to use it in this match since it was still an uncertain thing.
He noticed that Mei was had already changed things so that his words were also typed out under his chat name of "Colors".
That may have been so that Suzume could view his explanation later on in their private chat.
Colors: "Instead of keeping my, um... Orbs? Balls? Uh, my Trigger of choice... Instead of keeping them near me, I placed them around the battlefield. Right by the overpass, if I'm going to be accurate. After practicing a bit more with the Laser Shooter Trigger I had found out that I can control them remotely with an amazing amount of distance. It's just that the more distance between me and them means the harder it is to move them. Firing them is no problem though. The amount of trion it takes is the same, so they are just as strong as ever."
Maybe it was because no one every used the chat during a match, mostly because it was inefficient and possibly not allowed, but seeing the words displayed next to his chat name was odd now.
Once going over his own explanation again he realized why he wanted to use it against the top two B-Rank squads.
Kageura's Side Effect would be relatively useless when using this sort of attack. Takeshi would still give himself away due to his feelings reaching Kageura, but nothing would be felt from where the remote lasers were placed. Kitazoe and Ema would have also been great targets seeing as they did not have wild Side Effects.
Ninomiya Squad may have noticed the tactic, but they would likely have to be hit first before that would happen. The attacks would be effective until they were found out and destroyed. If hidden well then it would take a rain of Hound from Ninomiya to actually take it out.
Thinking about it had made Takeshi lift his scarf to cover his face.
While he would not blush in his current body, he still felt embarrassed at figuring something out agains squads that he was unsure he would fight.
Maybe... It's because I know us. Not as well as I would like, but I know us. Hoshi is still new, but she seems to fit in just fine. We are classmates, but Suzume-senpai barely knows her and yet they seem to work well off each other.
There was no point in thinking about something so relaxed, he decided. They were still in a match and these relaxed thoughts were meant for after the fight was over.
Silently nodding to himself, Takeshi turned back to the fights going on.
With things set in place, there were a handful of outcomes he could think of. They would pale in comparison to what Mei would be able to find out, but he did not want to put a burden on her.
That meant only one thing.
I need to keep this battle going until we win.