Her luck had been brought down to normal and it showed.
Shingai noticed right away when her luck was on longer helping her with keeping up with Yuba. Besides the sudden weight that suddenly appeared, her shots become exactly what they seemed like instead of something that would only help her in the long run. The way Yuba moved also seemed to be more refined, but she knew that was not the case.
Using her good luck so much had distorted her view on matters a bit since things would become unpredictable, but always end up well for her.
When that good luck was taken away she was able to see reality for what it was.
"…!"
And this was the byproduct of that.
It became more noticeable when that good luck was taken away. Everything could only be considering "going down" from here on out. At least until her good luck returned that is.
The issue with that was that there was on telling when exactly that would happen and what exactly would happen before that time. It was completely unknown in a way that she did not like. More so because she knew that it could cause issues for her squad later on.
And that was exactly what was happening now.
Her shots became straight shots while Yuba moved much more freely than before. The random activities that would happen in her favor were no longer there and everything became clear to those around her except herself.
Truly, this is a demerit to having a Side Effect like that. But to counter that, we have Senshi.
If there was a weight placed on her then it meant that there was a weight lifted from her captain. It was the simple duality of two luck-based Side Effects being around each other.
Everything would be "going down" for her, but they would always be "going up" for Senshi.
During those times they had always figured that it would be best for Shingai to slow down on offense and allow Senshi to continue an all-out assault on any opponents he came across. It seemed to continue to work as he had just gained a point for them from Kotowari Squad undamaged to aka the Ōji Squad captain retreat for the time being.
"That simply means I need to maintain my position here for a bit longer."
Because of the way their Side Effects worked, she would not be able to rely on her good luck for the time being. That fact caused some issues with her current situation given her current opponent was someone as skilled as Yuba.
.
There was no mistaking what was happening at this point.
The luck that Senzai Squad relied on was no longer in effect and everyone was placed on a similar ground at this point. It meant that there was nothing good and nothing bad happening to that particular squad or their surroundings.
The shots that had once been coming in strange ways were no longer able to move like that. The random appearances of obstacles was no longer an issue to deal with. And most important of all…
"I can finally go on the offensive again."
This was a change of pace that favored those in a losing or running position while those winning or chasing would be forced to change their tactics.
It was exactly what Yuba needed to begin moving how he wanted once more.
Polished Place: "Tonooka, can you see her from where you are?"
Tono: "I can."
Polished Place: "Obishima, can you manage a few moments without his help?"
Obi-nya: "I…can!"
There was no reason for him to tell her that she was doing a good job by answering. She knew the situation she was in and taking too much to her would ruin her concentration.
Nothing else needed to be said as he began to move once more.
During the time he had been running from the shots Shingai was firing he had been keeping his hands free from the two guns that hung at his sides. Keeping them close would make him too excited and bringing them out may have made him a bit trigger happy.
Now that the course of the battle was changing, it was fine for him to reach for them. To grab hold of them, get excited, and be as trigger happy as he wanted.
The reason for that was obvious.
"We will now be making a counter attack! Before we have to deal with more trouble from these guys!"
His teammates responded to his words.
The first response had come verbally from Obishima, while the second one…
"!"
The second response came in the form of a shot.
It had been directed to an area above his head, where the tall buildings met the sky. It had seemed to miss its target if looked at in a basic sense.
But that had not been the point of the shot.
"There you are…!"
Yuba could see Shingai clearly now.
She must have noticed her spot was compromised by the shot that had been fired. The tall builds could take some time to climb for someone on the ground while she had to make great leaps to move from one building to another.
Even so, he began to climb.
I was told that Awdry had been moving by using shattering Scorpion blades. That kind of thing sounds downright crazy, but I can imagine him pulling that off. Shot isn't a liar after all.
Taking a page from the Attacker's book, Yuba began to move vertically into the air by creating shields. Each one had little amounts of trion placed into them, but that negligible since they had not been created in order to block something. They were only steps for him to reach the top of the buildings.
His opponent had been chasing him around the map and had yet to take him out.
The skill she had was not something to laugh at and her Side Effect made anything she did have a good effect, yet she had not managed to take a point from them. Why had that been so?
She wants to use me.
It was a risk, but he knew that it was the exact reason he had not been taken out.
Calling it a miracle would have been idiotic considering her good luck, so this was the only option.
She had kept him in play so that he could be used for something else.
What that was was no mystery for anyone there.
He was going to be used to take out a beast.
.
Toby Awdry was no perfect fighter, everyone knew that.
He was impulsive, immature, lacked any extensive experience, chose to play around when fighting, never bothered with plans, and was overall rather green as far as the strong were concerned. It was just how things turned out while under the command of his former squad captain.
But that did not mean he was weak.
Those same people who understood those things about him also understood how much of a threat he was.
He was impulsive, but that was because it always worked out for him.
He was immature, but that immaturity had placed him in battles against many types of fighters.
He lacked any extensive experience, but that was only when it came to basics. The more intricate something was the more aptitude he showed with it.
He chose to play around when fighting, but that had always been his own way of fighting.
He never bothered with plans, but that was because there was no need for them.
He was overall rather green as far as the strong were concerned, but those same strong people saw his worth.
Among all of the members of the current Kotowari Squad, he had been the one to take the most amount of points during matches. The one the opponents had been wary of was him and his Side Effect that allowed him to react to most attacks.
Even if there was still a gap between him and the likes of the top six Attackers, he had proven himself during this match.
His win against a Shooter like Kurauchi was not something that his opponents could ignore.
Yuba himself understood it even better than most since he had the Shooter under his command before he had split off with Ōji.
Using me to take that boy out… I guess even she is unsure if her good luck is enough to take him out. Or maybe she just wanted to weaken me before she dealt the finishing blow.
Whatever the case, it was clear that she was going to use him to fight against that beast who had taken out Kurauchi.
It had been strange to see that he did not move from the general area of that fight, but no one had been complaining about it if it meant they did not have to go against him.
During that same time, Yuba had also thought that it was best that Awdry did not join in to help his teammates. At least until he realized what that actually meant for the rest of them.
"Tch."
These guys were trying to play us from the start.
Kotowari Squad's plan relied on Awdry winning against Kurauchi.
Depending on who won, they would change their plan accordingly.
If Kurauchi had won then they might have gone with a more reserved strategy. He would be low on trion after fighting Awdry, but he is still someone you can't just leave alone. If he were to meet up with his teammates then would have made things even more troublesome for them.
The attack that Kotowari had used against Nasu to keep her in place would have been their only reliable way of shutting down Kurauchi after that.
Since Awdry won, they went with a more aggressive strategy. Something along the lines of wear-and-tear. While Awdry saved up his remaining trion, the rest of them would try to wear the rest of us down until we would have no chance against their ace.
Was he their ace?
There was no doubt.
The former Tsukiko Squad had someone like Yuki on their squad. There had been no doubt that the captain was the ace of their squad.
With the loss of that captain that rob would likely fall to their Operator. Someone who had a great amount of experience with most of the squads fighting, had a Side Effect that could work for support or for actual fights, and who overall could fit anywhere. But since she was not even here as their Operator, the spot of ace had to go to one of their Combatants.
The only choice would have been Awdry.
They must have also decided that was the case and would leave things to him.
If they could not take out one of the stronger opponents, they would at least wear them down so their current ace could come in and take as many points as possible with little resistance.
"Are they relying on one person again?"
His anger began to boil up again when remembering how they clung to their former captain. So much so that they had shut down after he had decided to leave them for his own reasons.
After that, they had stuck together, but seemed to still be relying on Takato.
With her no longer here, are they clinging to their current ace?
No, that was not the case.
The members of Kotowari Squad were only helping each other out. They were making it easier for one of their own to score the points they needed.
It was not an uncommon thing for a squad to rely solely on their ace, many of them were reliant on them and would support them any way they could.
And it seemed that Kotowari Squad had decided to take that route as their own form of squadwork.
If that's the case… I won't be playing the way they want. Same goes to Shingai up there.
.
Shingai could feel that her opponent was coming in for a full out attack against her now. The shot that had been fired in her direction had not been a blind shot meant to take her out.
It was a way for Yuba-san to find my location.
A sniper would never stay in one place after having fired a shot, so there had been no point in firing a counter shot. The distance must have also been great since the shot was not even close enough to hither to begin with.
Even if the shot was meant to show her position, any would take a chance to at least weaken their opponent. The fact she was unharmed meant that the sniper in question could not get a good fix on her and so could not hit her.
But it had given her away.
In cases like these…
Running would only lead to a pointless chase.
The good luck from her Side Effect would help her if she had gotten it back, but it would also work against Senshi if that happened. Running out of the area close to him was out of the question.
Since I cannot run vertically, I will just have to run in a different direction.
The rooftops required great leaps to cross and she had likely been spotted when making that great leap. But what if there were no more leaps like those? How would she be found out in tat kind of situation?
The answer was that she would not be found.
With no reason to hold back, she made a quick dash across the roof of the building she was on, towards the door leading into the building itself.
.
The first thing Yuba found strange was the fact he had not seen his opponent make any great leaps to another building.
Great leaps were needed to move from these rooftops. Yet there had been no sign of one being made.
Someone who had the agility of Shingai was able to cross such distances easily, but even she would need to give herself away for a moment to do so.
Since that was not the case here, it meant only one thing.
"Inside the buildings!"
She had gone inside of the building instead of relying on a pointless chase the would only make them go in circles.
Staying within a set area was all that she could do given the situation. Since she could not move too much outside of the area, it meant that she could also be targeted much easier by other Snipers or by someone who spotted her.
That did not necessarily mean that she would get caught, but it meant that she had less options.
For someone like this it was best to either bomb them or have someone as quick as them for the chase.
The only ones that came to mind who could keep up with her were Yuba himself and Awdry, who had already shown that his speed was not something to laugh at anymore.
Ōji may also have a chance to catch up to her, but he would be the third best option for it. But he would not have as sure of a chance to hit her while involved with a chase than the two of them.
Since bombing the area was not something they could do easily, it left Yuba with the only option he had here.
He had to enter the building and find her.
I guess it would make little sense to have this chase if she was not a sniper. Still, the harassment I have to go through just to reach her is pretty damn annoying!
Turning his body on the weak shield under him, he pulled out one of his two guns and began firing at the glass that made up the large windows of the tall building he was circling.
Instead of entering through the shattered glass, he began to move around the building, firing at different spots and at places that were either higher or lower than his current location.
I should hurry up so Ite doesn't have to worry too much about losing.
Noise could be heard from two different locations, both sounding rather soft and from a great distance. The fact the sound even reached the area had been because of the echo created by the buildings that towered over everything running along the ground.
One of the sounds resembled that of shattering glass while the other one was more akin to feet running along the ground.
Which sound was coming from where was rather difficult to tell, but that did not mean it was impossible to figure out which sound belonged to which location.
If I was Kurauchi then this would be so easy. If I was Suzaku then I could at least figure out which sound was which.
Senshi closed his eyes while tilting his head from one side to the other.
When the sounds continued to bend together at a point, he crossed his arms and began tilting his entire upper body to figure out which sound belonged to which location.
"…"
He could not figure it out.
The sounds were bending together too well for him to figure out which one belonged to which location.
With no way of figuring out which one was which, he placed a hand to his ear.
SenSen: "Hey, which side has the shattering glass and which side had the running people?"
Archer: "I have the shattering glass! Yuba-san is starting to mess with me since I entered a building instead of continuing to run!"
Tenki: "Oh? Should I tell Shinya that you have an older man chasing after you?"
What would be the reaction to that?
Senshi imagined that, without context, Shinya would question what Tekitai was saying while keeping an eye on Shingai. There would be no dramatic reaction and he would look into it if not told directly by Shinagi herself.
He is a good guy. I should probably make sure something like that doesn't happen though.
Someone that good would only get swallowed whole by the others if they found out something like that. Senshi would never hear the end of it and it would be likely that all of the younger Border members would begin building a wall to protect their protector.
Since that was not the case, he found no reason to say anything to others. It would only be when Tekitai said something that he would get involved. For the time being…
I know where to go now.
Shingai was where the shattering glass was and he knew where Shingai was. Yuba was where Shingai and the shattering glass was, so that would also be where Awdry would end up going. That made three fighters' locations relatively known.
There was no point in time when Senshi thought himself to be a strategist, but he did know that there would be no way of saving Shingai before she got taken out by either the gunslinger or the wild beast moving towards them. By the time he got there, she would have lost and his bad luck would come into effect again. That would happen if he went to the shattering glass.
What would happen if he went to the side with the running people?
That would likely be where most of the remaining fighters were.
Who did those fighters consist of again?
Kotowari's Taiyōko and Yuba's Obishima. The remaining two Snipers would have been unknowns if not for the fact that Kotowari's Misaki decided to harass the Operators.
He could clearly remember what Tekitai had said once that had started: "Screw that. I'm not focusing on someone like that, so you guys can figure out what to do with her."
Now that I think about it… Isn't it a bit irresponsible of him to just leave it to us? I mean, it makes sense and all, but still. He could try to do something from his end.
But this was just how much faith he had in them.
If he felt that they could not handle something like that by themselves then he would have surely done something to help them.
Since he did not do anything it meant that he believed they could handle this without him.
Senshi was still getting used to certain aspects of human emotions, but he understood well enough what their Operator was saying by doing this. Even from a strictly factual perspective, it made enough sense for him.
For that reason alone, he made no mistake in his next action.
He ran.
If he went towards the shattering glass then he would have to contend with the gunslinger and the wild beast with his bad luck active. Only one of them would have been enough to take him out while sustaining some injuries themselves. But it would still end in a loss for him.
There was only one place left for him to go.
"Those people."
The side with the running people.
Going to the remaining side would mean more opponents, but that was not what mattered right now. Numbers alone would not be enough to take him on as he currently was. Only those with skill could manage something like that.
As he began to run, a certain thought came to mind. It was strange to him since the person he thought of did not have anything to do with his current match, yet they were still the one that came to mind.
I wonder if Taichi is watching. If he is, doesn't that mean I need to look cool for him?
Senshi nodded as he ran. It was to no one in particular, but he felt that it was the right thing to do here.
Right, that's what I'll do. I'll score some points and look cool for Taichi.
"Whoo! Whoo! So cool, SenSen-san!"
A loud sound filled the Suzunari Branch as one of its Snipers jumped up.
The other occupants in the room looked to him in surprise since it had come from seemingly nowhere.
The first one to respond to the shout was Kon, who at the time had been boiling some water.
"What was that for, Taichi!?"
"Eh!? Oh… Um, I'm not too sure. I just felt like rooting for SenSen-san more."
"Was there a particular reason for that?"
Taichi could only look up at the ceiling in response to Kuruma's question.
Reason… Reason… Reason… Why did I do that again? Was it because I'm full of energy? But then why didn't I do that before? Because I felt like he needed it? But he can't hear me right now, so that doesn't matter. Um, uh, un…
When looking down again, he saw that Kuruma was calmly waiting for an answer while Kon was off to the side, looking ready to say something to him. Off to the side he could also see Murakami leaning on his knees with an interested grin and Yuki leaning back on the couch with an amused grin.
Even with those looks he knew he did not have a good reason for his action.
So instead of a proper reason, something else came out.
"Because SenSen-san is cool…?"
Once again, Kon was the first one to respond.
"You don't sound too sure."
"Um, I am…?"
"When you, of all people, add '…' then I know you are not sure why."
"Really? I guess that makes sense."
"I…really don't know if this is getting me more mad or not. The fact you are not sure just makes me want to end this right now."
At this point he could see Murakami lowering his head into his hands and Yuki with his hands top of his head; both completely trying to suppress their laughter.
Kuruma seemed to take pity on him as he gave a reassuring smile. It could have also been pity for Kon, who was unsure how to handle the current situation herself.
"Why don't we continue watching and see if anything comes up? Besides, there is nothing wrong with cheering for a friend you admire."
Ignoring the laughing duo, Taichi and Kon nodded their heads, taking a place where they could continue watching the current match.
The question as to why Taichi had done such a thing still hung in the air.
So this is what was happening over here…
Ōji looked through the reflection of one of the tall buildings. He stood in the shade of a pillar while making sure that his own reflection would not come out unless seen from a certain angle.
Even with the extra effort, he doubted that he would even be spotted by the two fighting each other within that reflection he saw.
I'm not too sure what exactly I was expecting to see, but…
But even this stood out to him.
The two closing blades with each other were Kotowari's Taiyōko and Yuba's Obishima. Both seemed to be giving it their all with the sounds of their steps seeming to synch up with each other to make a single sound.
He had seen others do this as well, especially with opponents they were compatible with, but that was why he could easily point out the times their steps had broken. The single sound would become two or three sounds instead and the one who messed up had to right herself so that she could keep pace.
All of that was fine from his perspective. It was a bit below what he had come to see in this match, but it was still not low enough to call amateurish.
No, what was strange was everything around them.
The flashes moving towards them, the sound following them, and the shields that appeared to stop those flashes. The next set of flashes would then come from a completely different location, but still close enough to the first ones that it was hard to believe that they were coming from snipers.
Snipers would normally take their shot and move away afterwards, that much even he knew. But this was different.
The snipers he had seen before would not fire so close to where they had run from. They would find the next optimal position to fire from, not move a few meters before firing.
It had been because of these flashes and their destructions that had caught his attention instantly.
All of the Snipers are still in play here. But if it was a battle between Itai and Tono-kun then those two would not survive this long. And with the way those shields are appearing…
There would be only a handful of people who would create them in such a way. And the one who was currently in the match was…
Looks like it's Queen and Tono-kun. The harassment had been coming from over here, but…
It had stopped some time ago.
Suzume had been visible to Radar for some time now and yet no one had gone after her.
This fight may have been the reason.
Each shield shattered upon impact as the flashes tore through the air. Those flashes had been meant to take out the two girls who danced on this strange stage for far too long.
That had been his reason for being here now.
This fight would end here one way or another.
But this did bring a question to mind.
Why?
Why was this fight still going on?
Why had no one gone after the queen?
Why had neither side moved away yet?
Who was currently winning?
These questions continued to run through Ōji's head as he leaned forward in preparation for an attack.
Once he was ready for his own offense, he saw it.
An action foreign to this fight and one that had played a part in stopping it.
It was also an action that had made Ōji feel the need to rush his attack.
The moment Senshi saw Tonooka jumping from one rooftop to another, he had locked onto him as his next target.
Taking out a Sniper would play a major part in fishing this match.
It sucks that our own Sniper will be taken out, but that's just how things go. Sorry Ite. This is my fault for needing your Side Effect to be turned off so that I can score some proper points.
He had made a mental note to get her a lemon pie later on. It would be something she could share with others while watching a monster movie.
She tended to invite some of the younger agents to things like that, so he would make sure to buy enough pies so that everyone could enjoy them.
I think I'll have Kazuki and Taichi come with me though. I want to make sure that the pies actually reach their destination. Besides, it can also be a treat for them as well.
That would be what he does after this match.
He would treat his friends to something nice. Even when it is supposed to be meant as an apology for his teammate.
That was just the kind of guy he was.
But that would be for after this match.
And during this match he would score points as a way of showing how worth on the battlefield.
.
Looking up at where Tonooka had made his jump, Senshi saw that the Sniper had made yet another jump across buildings.
It was strange to see a Sniper like him do that after so little time.
Even so, that did not deter him from his objective.
Senshi fixed his Bagworm as he moved towards a nearby building.
Each building, while being different heights, all had the same thing in common: You could see the top of every other building on each roof. It had been for this reason that he started to climb to the top of the building.
I don't need to get to the very top. I just need to see the rooftops. From there…
It would be easy enough to catch up to anyone he saw from there. Be it Tonooka or Misaki, who at the moment would likely be running along a similar path as the former.
Of course, this did not mean he would actually take out whichever one it was, but the point was to lock down one of the Snipers while applying pressure to them. If they were in this area then it stands to reason that other opponents would be her as well. Those would be the targets for the Snipers.
Since he had not gotten word of Sthénos fighting anyone, it meant that everyone else in the area was an enemy that he could feel free to take out without any reservation.
Fighting against the Kotowari Squad captain had been an interesting fight, but he had noticed a lot of holes within the offense and defense of the Laser Shooter. Those holes had been what he used for his own offense and offensive-defense. These were different opponents from him with their own ways of fighting, so that same tactic may not be the best for this situation. In turn, it could also be best that he does such things in case the situation is similar to that fight.
Against a Sniper, he would've the advantage when it came to offense, but if he could not cover the distance then all of that offense would be pointless. Even his offensive-defense was nothing if he could not get the timing right.
It had been the reason for why his squad had been fluctuating between the middle tier and top tier of B-Ranks.
A bad luck Side Effect was nothing good or something to be praised for. It was just a thing that wanted others to keep their distance.
Senshi knew this all too well.
He was a walking, talking, bad omen for those around him. A catastrophe that could go anywhere his legs took him. That had been what others had seen when looking at him.
Anything that had a sense of danger understood that staying near him would bring nothing good and everything bad. Only things that could be viewed as negative would follow him and stick to him, be it misfortune, accidents, or even plain disasters. They were all drawn to him like a magnet with a strong charge.
It was something he was used to.
Even when he was connately told about the views others had on him, he said nothing.
Even when something happened and others instantly flinched away from him, he said nothing.
Even when others would have lost all hope in themselves and given up on themselves, he said nothing.
Even when other Side Effect holders would complain about their abilities, he said nothing.
There was never anything to say about his own situation. A miserable situation that brought nothing good and everything bad. It was something he lived with and found nothing in. No comfort, no anger, no regret, no resentment. There was nothing to it all.
"I would rather this sort of thing be stuck to me than someone else. I mean, shouldn't it be fine for others if I'm the one who ends up like this instead of them?"
He had spoken those words before when asked about it all.
The time and place had been hazy at best, but he could remember it enough to know that he had said those words. In fact, he could remember that he had said it two times in his entire life. Both of those times may have been in a single moment, or they may have been during separate occasions.
One of those times he was certain that he had received a harsh hit from his friend.
The usually calm and collected boy had tightened his fist, reeled it back, and threw it directly into Senshi's face. Before another one could come, someone had come in to hold him back as Senshi had stabilized himself.
Senshi had been rather muscular even then, so the hit did not feel like much when it came to pain, but that had not been what hurt.
The fact that his own friend had done such a thing due to his own words had been what struck him the hardest.
He had not been sure why exactly his words had gotten his friend mad at him in the first place. They had been simple words to state how he felt about his own misfortune. Nothing bad should have come from simply saying them, yet something bad did come.
After that his relationship with his friend had become rather strained. Neither one had been able to see the viewpoint of the other no matter how hard they tried. It was just a matter of understanding and not understanding.
It was not until just recently that the two of them had finally come to an understanding. It had not been that they could see the other's viewpoint but rather that they understood that they could not do such a thing. A point had to be made that they were just too different for such a thing to happen.
The other time he had said those words he was certain that he had made someone cry.
Who had that someone been?
He was certain that it had not been one of his teammates since they had come to that understanding already. While they did not share the same view as he did, they respected his views enough to not fight him over them. They were just that ice to him after all.
So then who had it been exactly?
It felt like the answer was obvious, but Senshi could only remember that they had been small when compared to him. They wore a hat and made sure to cling to his neck while telling him something.
While the person in question was a bit of a mystery to his memory, he knew that they had cried and told him multiple times that they did not want anything bad to happen to Senshi. Their words came out muffled, but they were understandable enough that he knew what they were saying.
He had not been sure why exactly his words had made that person cry in the first place. They had been simple words to state how he felt about his own misfortune. Nothing bad should have come from simply saying them, yet something bad did come.
He was not sure how that entire interaction had turned out. Had that person accepted his views or had they rejected them? Were they still around to say anything to him or had they given up on him and left?
He wanted to know answers to many questions he had on that person, but the answers would not come easily to him if he couldn't even remember who it was that he had made cry like that.
Had both of those incidents been because of his Side Effect or because of his own actions?
A bad luck Side Effect did bring only bad things to the person who had it. The things around them were also affected by it, but they could get away from it unlike him. It was a major difference that had made him feel the need to live outside of Mikado City, where his Side Effect would be kept away from others.
But that did not seem to be enough for others.
"Hey SenSen, just come live over here. We have enough food that it won't be a problem at all!"
"Senshi, I would really prefer if you were nearby so I can make sure you are fine."
"Captain, Captain! Move in with me! I live over there! Over there! I promise not to strip near you too much! Oh, but Tora does come by at times, so there's that!"
"SenSen, you can move in with me and Shiro, if you want. It would be no problem."
They could not just leave him by himself, outside of Mikado City.
He had rejected each invitation sent his way, thinking that would e for the best. That had not stopped them though as some of them usually made the long trek to his house so that they could just hang around or do something they had planned with him.
At times his schoolmates would take him to the city before hashed a chance to go back home. Those times had always ended up in some kind of mess, but none of them had said much about it and only helped however they could.
If his bad luck Side Effect could only bring bad things to him then why was he surrounded by great people?
It made no sense and made his view on the matter waver slightly each time they had appeared to help him.
That was why he would not let them down.
His squad was counting on him here.
Those great people were kind enough to let I'm live a normal enough life where he could be on this battlefield.
The Side Effect of bad luck clung to him most of the time.
It was not here at the moment.
Since that was what was going on…
"I need to show off a bit for all of them."
Tonooka was getting tired of this situation.
No, that was not right. He had long been tired of this situation.
It was a situation that should not have come up. Since it had indeed come up, it should have turned into a situation that was already over.
That was not what was happening here.
The situation was still here and could only escalate as time went on.
And since time went on, the situation only got worse.
Obishima could handle the Kotowari support girl just fine, but that meant the Kotowari support girl could also handle Obishima just fine. The two of them were inexperienced when compared to others, but they were a perfect match when fighting each other.
The same could not be said for his own opponent.
While not fighting her directly, he was still fighting her in his own way.
Damn you, Misaki.
He had fallen into the strange girl's trap the moment he did not tell Obishima to fall back and regroup.
The stage had been set, the performers were in place, and the music had begun to play the moment the two on the round moved.
What words came with this performance exactly?
What kind of song was being played in front of him?
He could not figure out the simple things to this performance since he was a sane person looking at this fight like an actual fight instead of a performance.
But she was different.
Suzume was not particularly sane when compared to most people and she had an edge on everyone else when it comes to seeing performances for what they were.
There was on doubt that she had already thought up lyrics for this performance.
Normally he would be one of the first to go to her once one of her songs had come out. The Border Chat would be filled with congratulations or praise for whatever song she had recently come up with. It was only beaten out when she would work with two other girls that made up the semi-band known as the Rock Girls Trio. Those times were always filled with something interesting to see.
This was different.
There was no casual setting around.
There was no actual music being made.
There was not even a way for everyone to communicate with each other for praise.
This was a battlefield and they were both Snipers.
He had gone through training to mark up his Special Tactics points as a way to guarantee hits. Others were great, but he was no slouch either. Once had set his sights on his target, he would do everything a sniper would to perfection so that he could take them out without even noticing that he had been there.
But this strange girl? She was not to be considered a sniper.
Among the Snipers in Border, there was a sort of slip when talking about this strange girl.
One side consisted of those who thought that she was fine as a Sniper and could function perfectly fine, even with her quirks and Scorpion blade at the ready. There was no problem with it since there had been people like Arafune and Kizaki who worked well as a Sniper or offensive Attacker.
The other side consisted of those who thought that she should not be a Sniper due to the fact that she did things that a Sniper should not do. There should have been no flair or performance when it came to sniping a target, yet she did so without any hesitation.
Harassing Operators the way she did is fine and all, that much we do at times. But this is too much.
Tonooka was part of the latter.
He thought that she should not be a Sniper and this situation was the perfect example as to why.
Narasaka started training her, didn't he? Then what exactly has he been teaching her when she still does things like this?
It was getting to be too much. This performance involving dancers, music, and a large stage was not something he was fine with as a Sniper who took pride in his abilities.
Obishima seemed to be enjoying himself, but that may have been because she did not know this kind of pride yet and had found an opponent who was perfect for her.
He felt a bit jealous over that.
Tono: "Obishima, can you start moving back now? This quickly became a fight relying on who has more trion. It's better if we fall back and regroup. Instead of continuing this we should take them out one at a time."
Obi-nya: "U-uh? Eh? Oh! R-right! My bad! I will try my best to fall back!"
She had been so invested in this perfect opponent that she must have only heard a bit of what he had said to her.
It was fine as long as she understood what to do though.
"I should start falling back too… — !?"
As he began to turn around for his own retreat; he saw it.
"It looks like you noticed me. That is completely on me right now though."
Senshi was coming right at him.
"Thruster."
.
Senshi could feel his Raygust cut through Tonooka easily.
The younger boy had no time to even raise up a defense as he moved at an amazing speed. It was artificial speed that he had gotten by using Thruster, but it was enough to accomplish what he wanted.
Tonooka's top high flew through the air as his bottom half fell to the ground. Lines of green ran along both parts of his body.
"!"
Feeling that something was coming, Senshi turned around in one quick motion.
The sound of something striking his Raygust could be heard as Tonooka's top half hit the ground.
Tonooka had fired a final shot to try and get a hit on him while his back was turned.
"Sorry about that. I need to make the most of not having my bad luck, so I cannot have you getting a hit on me here."
Tonooka could only let out a sigh as his body began to shine bright before turning into only light. That light flew off into the distance.
Bail Out
It was a point for Senzai Squad.
A point that he had gotten for his teammates and while he did not have his bad luck active.
"Now then… Oh. Looks like Ōji is also making his move here."
True to his words, Senshi could see the two performers down below the building.
They must have noticed that there was less sniper fire than before since Kotowari's Taiyōko was pushing forward while Obishima was moving back.
"It looks like Obishima was already moving back though, so Tonooka must have already told her to do so."
It meant nothing now that she had lost her support and was facing a forward pushing Taiyōko.
Even with this being the new situation, it did not mean much.
The situation was about to change again after all.
.
Ōji saw his chance the moment a light flew through the sky.
One of the Snipers had been taken out and that left one of these two girls without someone to back them up. They would need to contend with both Ōji himself and the remaining tag squad. All that needed to be done was get that point first.
This one point became more apparent when he thought about who could have taken out the Sniper.
If I had to guess, I would say it was Tono-kun who got taken out. And the one who took him out was…
Senzai Senshi.
Kurauchi had warned him already to keep a distance from the boy as long as his Side Effect was turned off and he was starting to see why that was the case.
While neither one had been particularly strong, both Tonooka and Kotowari - a Sniper and Shooter respectively - had been taken out by an Attacker. One who was known for his offensive-defense.
That offensive-defense usually meant little since his Side Effect of bad luck would mess him up, but now it was showing just what it was capable of.
An offense so strong that he doesn't need to defend… No, it's better to say that all of his offense becomes his defense. He has great recovery because of it and can switch positions easily enough. The fact he uses Teleport is also something to note. That damn fox has probably taught him a few things about it, so it is even more troublesome.
While the fox boy had little in the way of offensive and focused more on tricks when attacking, Senshi was completely offensive to the point that it became a defense. If that kind of thing combined with the instant appearances of the fox boy then it meant whoever his opponent was would have to contend with an amazing offense that needed little time to begin its next action. Or at the least move away to fill in that time of switching attacks.
This was what Kurauchi had warned him about.
I'll admit to not thinking too much about SenSen since I hardly thought to turn off his bad luck. Kurauchi always said not to do that, so I never planned on it. But now that I am realizing the reason behind it, I see that it really is a bad idea to do that. Let him be unpredictable with his bad luck. It affects him just as much after all. It's a much better option than fighting this offensive monster who can move around like that damn fox.
Taking points before having to fight Senshi was the best option he had at the moment.
The two who had been fighting each other were good targets to hit. One more so than the other due to having lost her only support.
There was still one Sniper within the area, but she meant little when compared to Tonooka. Her current partner was also too inexperienced to make full use of the support provided to her.
It really was the best time to strike.
So he did.
Tachikawa let out a whistle from his spot next to the unmoving Minoru.
Being the #1 Attacker in Border, he could see how Senshi was moving compared to the times they had fought. It was rather amazing to him.
Unlike those times when Senshi was held back because of his bad luck, he was now moving in a way that befitted someone who belonged to the top ten Attackers of Border. The placement he had was not within those ten, but that could also be because of his bad luck.
Spear Idiot: "With Tonooka out, that gives a point to SenSen-san. Hm, hm. He really is a beast, isn't he?"
Torimaru: "Have you not fought him in solo matches before, Yoneya-senpai?"
Spear Idiot: "I have. A few times actually. He's pretty chill when it comes to accepting challenges. But those times it always feels…wrong? Probably because of his bad luck, he always seems like he's hiding back. From this match it looks like that is what is happening."
Grumpy Cat: "I have seen some of his solo matches with Minoru-nii. In comparison to those times, he really does look like he is fighting much better here. His movements look more refined and much more decisive than before. Was he always holding back because of his Side Effect? Would it not be better to use that skill alongside his Side Effect? His opponents would likely not know what to do in that case."
Spear Idiot: "I guess it depends on how you look at it."
Tachikawa felt himself nodding along with Yoneya's statement.
The bad luck that came from Senshi was something that already hindered both himself as well as everything around him. If he started moving like this while his Side Effect was working then it would indeed put a lot of pressure on his opponents, but he would have to be much more careful.
Any attack he would make would have to be loose in order to change depending on how his bad luck came in. Anything that would require him to remain steadfast and have a solid hold could easily be messed up if his Side Effect made the situation nonoptimal for that.
Only so many people could manage a style like that while others had to cancel out their attacks right away. It would give the opponent time to counter attack or move away. There would be no point in trying anything that required more than weak attack that would do little damage. Also…
Spear Idiot: "Look at the way he is moving. You can tell how he fights even with his Side Effect coming up, but this is an even better way to see it."
Tachikawa nodded his head at the comment.
There were those who were very offensive in the way they fought. Especially for those who were under the category of "Attacker". Unlike "Shooter", "Gunner" and "Sniper", they were meant to be as offensive as possible. Their blades were supposed to cut through the opposition and make way for their comrades.
Shooters and Gunners could also play that role, but in a different way. Their offensive capabilities were from a distance most times and each Shooter had the possibility to play the role of support. They had more choices to pick from than Attackers did.
Snipers were mainly for support with some exceptions. They could fire as a form of offense, but they usually showed their worth in squad battles where they would not gain much attention. In a sense, they were the opposites to Attackers.
Other positions such as Trappers and Operators fell under more supportive categories as well. Operator being the clear supports for their squads since they could not go onto the battlefield themselves.
That was not to say that Attackers could not support though.
Yuki's sister is proof of that.
Although it still felt wrong to call her a true support for Kotowari Squad.
Unlike other Attackers, she tried to back up her teammates as much as possible for her. Even with Suzume, it was still more supportive. Suzume would fire while Hoshi took the attention of their opponents.
Others who used Raygust along with their blades like Murakami were also a bit different, but it still meant little. They still used very offensive strategies instead of supporting ones. They were the ones others support instead of the other way around. It was why they used both offense and defense instead of just one or the other.
But Senshi on the other hand…
Torimaru: "It can be a bit hard under normal circumstances, but we get a clear view of how Senzai-senpai truly fights. Unlike others who use offense only or those who use both offense and defense, he uses so much offense that it becomes his of blocking or dodging, he attacks what comes to him and that seems to be enough to push through."
Gumpy Cat: "Compared to our top Attackers, this is pretty different. Kei and Kirie are all about offense. While they know how to defend, they usually go for their quick wins by cutting through their targets. Sōya-san uses Chameleon for stealth attacks and compliments that with Scorpion - a Trigger that can be created and destroyed at a moment's notice. The mutt showed just that in his fight against Kazuki. Kō has both Kōgetsu and Raygust for a solid offense and a hard defense."
Spear Idiot: "Yeah, those guys, while not doing solo matches much, make themselves known for the fact that they have their own offensive ways. Others are similar to them in a sense, but even they can only do so much when it comes to defense."
Grumpy Cat: "I cannot say I know too much about the others, or really much about the Attacker Triggers in general considering how Minoru-nii is. Even so, I know what you mean. If we take Tatsuhito and Shizuka-san into consideration - seeing as they are on relatively equal footing - we can see that they are the ones closest to those extremely offensive top Attackers. Their respective uses of Senkū do some amazing damage, but their defenses are not much."
Spear Idiot: "In their case it is more like, 'Who needs defense when I cut them quickly?' That may or not be a quote from one of them..."
Tachikawa understood that phrase all too well.
Any continuous attack he tried would likely apply enough pressure that defenses meant nothing.
Karasuma going to those two felt more surprising than his actual comments at this point. Even so, Tachikawa continued to listen in.
Grumpy Cat: "But Senshi seems to have taken that up and gone even further. Forging the extended slashes of Senkū, he is favoring Raygust and Thruster as his way of showing off that offense. But since that's the case, his moves are much faster when it comes to basic movements. Tatsuhito and Shizuka-san have the advantage when it comes to pulling out their blades, but Senshi had the advantage when it comes to mobility and general movements."
"Hm?" both Combatants said.
Grumpy Cat: "Huh? What? What are those looks for?"
Yoneya and Karasuma turned their heads away from Lukas at the same moment, neither uttering a word.
Tachikawa raised an amused eyebrow in their direction. Below him he could hear some whispering and looked down to see a strange trio speaking in hushed tones while glancing at the commentators box.
"It's strange for Lukas to lose focus like that."
The words this time came from the boy next to him.
The whole time the match had been going on, Minoru had stayed eerily quiet. It was only now that he had decided to speak up.
Not letting the chance go to waste, Tachikawa spoke up in response to those words.
"Really? He seems like the type to do that constantly to me."
"Akashi is worse."
"Ah, I can definitely see that. Suzaku has complained before. Took a few drinks in him to do it, but it worked out well enough."
"…"
"Don't go quiet on me again!"
Any other person would have sighed at his antics, but this was different. The way Minoru was acting was different to what he had seen before.
Well not completely different… There have been times-
His thoughts were cut off by a new set of words from Minoru.
"They are missing a point though."
"Oh?"
Minoru glanced over to Tachikawa with a dull look in his eyes. It was strange to see those kinds of eyes on the young boy, but he did not say anything about it.
"Sensei's footing is also perfect for this kind of thing." Minoru fixed his position so that he was leaning a bit on the railing. "You should know well enough that your footing needs to be good to really put up a good offense. Loose footing or uneven footing can make or break an attack."
"True enough. I can do some nice midair things myself, but when compared to someone like Yuki, it really isn't much. His footwork is something else and he has the ability to work without proper footing, to an extent."
Something that Tachikawa noticed immediately was the reaction to the name he had mentioned.
Immediately upon hearing the name, Minoru tensed up. His shoulders lifted, his hands curled harshly around the railing, and his jaw clenched for a moment.
Due to their shared past together he was rather fond of the Yagura Branch Representative, so he was not too sure how he should take a reaction like that. It was a known fact to those who knew him that Yuki's decision making with things not concerning battles were not the best. There were multiple occasions where Tachikawa himself had to do something because of one of Yuki's choices.
Even so, I need to look out for him. I should probably ask him what happens between the two. For Minoru of all people to react like that means he really screwed up this time.
Leaving those thoughts for later, he tried to lighten the mood by turning back to the screen.
With the match still going on and Minoru's words left hanging, he was interested in where this would all go.
The current situation was a bad one.
There was no other way Ōji thought he could describe it. It was just how things turned out to reach this point.
There were two relatively easy targets for him to attack, but the trouble came from the fact that one of them had someone supporting them while a different monster was looming just above them.
Senshi taking out Tonooka made a major turn in the current fight that they could not ignore.
A Sniper had been taken out and the one who took him out was where he had been.
The distance between that building and where they currently were was hard to tell just from the Bail Out light that had gone through the sky. If it was close by then he would have little time to attack Kotowari's Taiyōko or Yuba's Obishima. If it was a bit away then it meant Senshi could reach them just as he took the points. The latter option would mean he had to fight Senshi with some likely injuries and less trion.
Ōji: "Kurauchi, you know him better than the rest of us. What do you have to say about this situation?"
Kura-uchi: "…"
Ōji: "Well?"
No voice came through from his teammate, but some general noise did. It was hard to make out what exactly it was and the volume of it did nothing to help.
It was only a few seconds after that noise that he finally got his response.
Unlike what he had expected, it came from Kashio. His voice was a bit low and he seemed to be out of breath at the moment.
What are they doing over there exactly…?
Pushing the thoughts aside for the moment, he listened to what his teammate had to say.
Kasio: "U-um… Sorry, hold on for a moment. Hey, wait! Wait just for the rest of the match!"
The noise came back. This time it was followed by what sounded like a body hitting the coms.
Ōji winced upon hearing the sudden noise coming through to him.
Instead of Kashio, it was Kurauchi who began speaking.
Kura-uchi: "That was… No, it was nothing. Sorry about that. You wanted to know what to do against Senshi, right? Right? I didn't mishear you, did I?"
Like his younger teammate, Kurauchi seemed to be catching his breath while speaking. The difference was that he was actively trying to bring the subject to something else.
Ōji: "No, no, you are right. So tell me about the current situation before I really start worrying about what you guys are doing over there."
Kura-uchi: "Right, yeah, of course."
Ōji really wished his teammate would finally tell him what he wanted.
Kura-uchi: "Right now… Hold off until Shingai is taken out. I recommend working with Taiyōko and Obishima to make sure Senshi does not take you three out. At the same time, try to target them. Keeping point away from him is also something to keep in mind."
Ōji: "Queen is still a problem though. I don't doubt that she will be helping her teammate, but I am still a target for her."
Kura-uchi: "Can you not do that then?"
Ōji: "Don't give me that attitude. I was only saying that she is a problem. I just need to stay close to the princess so that the queen can't touch me. Although she can really be a pain if I am not careful."
Kura-uchi: "Then be careful."
Ōji: "You are really cheeky right now, aren't you? What really is going on over there?"
The noise seemed to come back in response to his words.
Whatever it was that was making noise seemed to only bother Kurauchi and Kashio as he was still receiving good support from Kittaka while this was going on.
There would be no way for him to get anything else out of his teammate at the moment. Knowing that, he could only sigh while fixing his position.
I suppose stalling for a bit should be fine.
He nodded to himself.
His opponents were a bad luck boy and two inexperienced girls.
That would be all he would see for now.