"We're going to be harassed, aren't we?"
"We're totally going to be harassed."
"We're dealing with some honestly harsh harassment."
Takeshi, Suzume and Suzuka all released a sigh upon hearing who had chosen the map and which map had been chosen.
A few feet away from them, Toby and Hoshi watched their teammates resign themselves to their fate.
It was really pathetic to watch.
"I get what their problem is, but this is a bit much."
"What do they mean by 'harassment'? The last time we had a match with Meishō Squad, things felt as if there was a pressure. Could that be it?"
"Nah. You can ignore those three, Hoshi. They're just high on life at the moment."
"What?! But taking such things before a match is not good! It is not good in general either, but especially right now!"
"I didn't mean that they were literally high. But it's a good thing you know it's not good to take drugs."
Toby patted her head to ease her worries.
The three idiots gave another sigh that had him rolling his eyes but ignore them otherwise.
"Whatever, it's not like we aren't use to these things. We'll keep going as we like and win this round. If it comes down to it, we use Suzume as out last ditch option."
"Then who will be our teams this time around?"
"Good question. I want to go at it from the start, so I plan on charging into whoever comes up first, but it's pretty annoying when I remember the people we have to fight." Toby held up his first, slowly raising a finger each time. "Making sure Koala and Tsuneyuki stay away from each other would make it easy to take them out. I'm pretty sure you would be able to handle someone like Koala by himself. Mr. Azuma is an issue, though, but we're gonna have Suzume keep track of the Snipers on the field. And let's see... Beyond them, Masato's gonna be a problem by himself. If I follow the same line of fighting as the new Tamakoma guy and Yūma, I could probably do it, but the damage I'd take would be annoying. Hiro's long range is also annoying. Especially since he might go for grenades for this match. As for Meishō Squad... I'd like to leave Mitsuteru to you again. I can handle Seiji and Naki fine enough, but that guy is an issue."
"Is it because of you forgetting about him in the last match?"
"That's right. None of us remembered him and both Take and myself got taken out by him because of him."
"Heh heh heh. This foolish dog sure is barking a lot before our match. Is he actually worried about this?"
Of course the first one to recover would be the most psychotic one.
Suzume swayed as she stepped closer and tried to reach out for Toby.
His reflexes went into action, making him take three steps back just before she was within reach.
Suzume gave another laugh while crossing her arms.
"If you are honestly that worried, we can just throw in Starmaker to keep track of everyone."
"Nah. By the time we can even use that, I'd have already won. It would only be good on Snipers, but hitting them is annoying as it is."
"So you honestly want me to keep tabs on them from my eyes alone while you fight everyone else."
"I'm saying that there are annoying people I need you to tell me about. Mr. Azuma, Yuzuru and Shinichi have a record for managing to hit me back-to-back. Mitsuteru got the shot in last time, but that was because of the situation. There's still a chance he can do it again, so I want to make sure everything is covered."
"If that's the case..."
Takeshi stepped forward, fixing his scarf. They all knew it was not his real scarf, but messing with him about it had to come later. Right now, they needed to focus on the matter in front of them.
And he had something to say about it.
"Let the rest of us cover that stuff."
"Takeshi-kun?"
"I am in a good mood, so I'll just come out and say it."
Everyone made sure to pay attention.
"Hoshi and I will cover for you. Feel free to run us through or use us as steps. Use whatever you can to score points, we will cover for everything that will happen because of that."
"Hey now, that sounds like you are honestly putting yourself down, Take."
"Not at all, Senpai. I just think we should focus on any points we can get here. With you keeping track of everything and Toby going in for the kills, we should be able to mange this." He turned to the next person that mattered. "Are you fine with that, Hoshi? It means we are going to be more dispensable here and likely not fight many people."
Hoshi seemed happy with the idea from the way she clapped her hands with a smile.
They were all use to these sorts of things already, but confirming it for themselves left them with space to accept it and go from there.
Suzume did a slight twirl and gave another laugh while reaching out for Takeshi.
Without a reflex Side Effect, he was caught and held within her arms.
Toby grinned over at the two without a care.
"Then I'll be counting on the two of you! Likewise, you can count on me here! Even if you two are there to back me up, I'll make sure neither one of you is taken out before me! That's what I've decided here!"
"Ah. This dog is barking too much for my liking. Someone shut him up before I start firing."
"Hey! Don't give me that crap, you jackass!"
Everyone was lively, even if they knew how serious the situation was.
Kageura clicked his tongue from where he stood and looked over each member of the squads they would be fighting.
His gaze moved from Azuma Squad to Kotowari Squad before landing on Meishō Squad.
Oh, I guess he would be curious as to how they managed to stay in the top tier, Ema thought with a nod.
Up until two matches ago, Meishō Squad had been in mid tier, not looking like they would be moving up at all. But now they were here, in a place where they could fight their squad along with two others.
Even Ema found it interesting that it had happened.
The only difference between him and Kageura was that he understood what had happened.
Mistuteru has been harassing people lately with some shady tactics.
It had been all over the network once it was brought up and everyone seemed to gather for one reason.
To question who that even was.
Even I felt bad for him at that point. So many of them were asking "Who even is this guy?", "Are they cheating with some ghost members?", and "There's no way such a uke could pull stuff off like that".
It seemed as if Mitsuteru was already doomed to be placed into a doujinshi. And that was the worst fate Ema could think of for him.
"So besides the usual suspects, make sure to watch out for Shigenaga and Asagi-kun, right? They seem pretty dangerous, from what the logs showed."
"That's right! Those two are battle nuts, so I bet they are going to go for anyone they can find right away. Just make sure there's someone there to take the heat from those crazy shield attacks."
"Got it. Then we can deal with Toby-kun and the AzuDuo together. Or leave them up to Yuzuru."
Ema sighed into his collar. Kitazoe and Nire had the right idea, but they were skipping over something important.
That left it up to him to correct them.
But...
"Tch. Don't just ignore Ariake like that. He's the one who's been messing with the other squads the entire time."
"Oh, I actually forgot that he was fighting!"
"I didn't forget him, but I thought he wouldn't matter to you. Mittsuncchi isn't even a Master Class Sniper yet, so I figured you would be fine."
"Doesn't matter what his points are. He messed around with that airhead right away, lived through it, and went on to mess with Suzunari and the squads int he round after that. The punk's got something going for him, so make sure to remember that."
Ema blinked while looking at his captain.
Hearing him say things like that about Mitsuteru was one thing, but for him to say them with such a feral expression was not what he expected.
The only times he got like this were when he was getting ready and looking forward to fighting someone strong. Going into matches where he would easily take others out had not been fun for him and fighting strong people was what got him going.
But Mitsuteru was weak.
Ema knew from personal experience what he was like. They had both trained under the same mentor and gotten used to each others' presence to the point where they were comfortable speaking with each other.
That was all the more reason for him to know that Mitsuteru was weak, but he was not someone to mess around with carelessly.
They had seen someone like this before.
Expect this is different. Mitsuteru is more capable as a fighter than Mikumo-senpai, if only because of their trion values.
A difference like that made it so that it was harder to overlook Mitsuteru.
"Wait, I would get it if Yuzuru and Hikari-chan remembered Ariake-kun, but Kage too? I would have thought for sure that you would forget about him."
"Hah? I don't get all that stuff about forgetting him. If anything, I'm more aware of when he's around. Besides the way he was when you brought him over that first time, he's a cool guy."
"Now Kage's even praising him!? Zoe shock!"
"The hell's that supposed to mean!?"
It really was strange to see Kageura speak like that about someone who had really only gone to his family's restaurant a few times now and helped them once.
"Hey, hey, Yuzuru."
Looking over, he saw Hikari calling him over with a wave and slight whisper.
He looked to Kitazoe and Kageura before moving over to her.
"How are you feeling about Kage remembering Mittsuncchi? You aren't one of those special people anymore~"
"You remember him fine enough. I don't have any particular thoughts about it."
"Yeah, but I'm not a Combatant. It really isn't that hard to remember him. Especially since I messed with him during class. But you, on the other hand, are one of his buddies. Meanwhile, Kage is new to him, but he remembered him with any problems."
"It's like I said already. There really isn't anything to think about with it."
He watched her cross her arms with a pout.
Apparently this was something she was really looking forward to talking about.
The two of them had been classmates, so it made sense that she was interested in what her squad thought of her friend, but he had not been lying.
There had been nothing to say since he had not been viewing them as friends.
Mitsuteru is...he is just another student. That's all.
It was the simple fact that they had the same mentor that gave them any sort of connection. Nothing else was built into their relationship beyond that.
No matter what Mitsuteru had tried.
"Ah, well, at lest this means we have two aces against Meishō Squad and to deal with Mittsuncchi's harassment."
"Has Meishō Squad decided that this is their go-to map from now on?"
Okudera found it hard to argue with that question.
Meishō Squad had only used this map twice now, but it was against strong squads who tended to not do too well within narrow spaces. The first time even had strong winds blowing and all light had been cut off for everyone there.
"This time the setting can be different. If they pick another annoying setting, we should be mindful of how they move."
"It doesn't help that Kotowari Squad has fought on this map already either. They are probably aware of what the area is like, so they also have a bit of an advantage here."
"Do you think that was on purpose?"
"Hm... I doubt it. Especially since those guys can cover distances like crazy, so the close buildings would only be helping them out as much as it would Meishō Squad."
Koarai did have a point there. Last time the winds had made it difficult for anyone to cross those areas without a problem, but being cautious made it easier to do.
If they chose to not use that same wind here then it would make things easier to deal with when moving up above.
Still...
"Those tall buildings are perfect for a Sniper. Every squad here has at least one, so you would think that they would choose something to lessen the usage of Snipers instead of helping them out."
"That's right. They have two Snipers, but Ema and Azuma-san are pretty dangerous. Suzume-chan can work however she wants, so I guess it wouldn't matter if they were tall buildings or small buildings."
"Maybe they wanted to see the narrow spaces against the ones who need space to attack? Kageura Squad and Kotowari Squad both have fighters who like to move around or attack wide areas. I wouldn't doubt that they were going for something like that."
"Doesn't Shigeko also need space to move?" Hitomi asked. "So maybe she will have to move in the open spaces again. That means the Snipers will have to cover the narrow spaces, like they used in the previous match."
Using the same tactic here would gain them an advantage, but it did not mean it would work for long. Anyone who had seen that previous match would understand what was coming and prepare for it.
When going into battle like these, it was always best to figure out what the situation was like right away and fix any strategies accordingly. Even fi it meant taking some time or losing some ground, the end result was what mattered and reaching it was only part of the process.
That was how they would do things.
So with that being the case, there's something else we need to focus on here.
It was something they would be able to control and not shy away from.
"Pushing aside why they chose this map again... We can at least go over what we plan to do, right?"
"Good thinking, Okudera."
He had gotten approval to move on.
"Compared to the other squads, we can move around in narrow spaces, so bringing in others there would not be a bad thing. The main thing to keep in mind would be that Taiyōko's Triggers and Takkun's lasers are as good in those situations as they are bad."
So.
"I think we should be mindful of them, but not shy away from fighting them like that. If there is nothing like wind as a factor, those narrow spaces can be what we use to fight them."
"And if they are prepared for that?"
"We have been practicing with Shooter Triggers. There are ways around getting dragged out into the open. We just need to be wary of Snipers from the tall buildings. But with that being said..."
"Yes?"
"Right," he nodded.
There was something he noticed when looking over the map, the fighters, and what they would need to do in order to win points here.
What he found felt like the correct answer to him.
"The Snipers need to use Lighting if they want a chance at hitting here."
"Why do you say that?" Hitomi asked, getting a second nod from him.
"It's because of the size of these buildings. We saw during the previous match that it was easy enough to react to Ibis and Egret shots due to the height of the buildings. Asagi and Ariake-senpai had used double shots to counter this, but Lightning lessens the time and trion usage of that. And if they aren't using the wind, it will be even more important for them to use Lightning."
"So they have to trade off the power for speed since it's easier to react to the slow shots? But if you notice the shot with Lightning, it won't matter if it's a double shot or not."
Koarai understood that much, but it was still only a rough understanding of what this meant.
That was fine.
"Okudera is on the right track for this. This also puts me in the same position as everyone else."
"Exactly."
Every squad that had a Sniper would have to deal with this. What mattered here were those Snipers and what they were capable of in this kind of setting.
But this was where they had an advantage.
Even if Asagi was a high ranked Sniper, Azuma had the experience and patience that was perfect for these kinds of situations. Even more so when the other Snipers were ones like Ariake and Suzume, people who were either not at the right level or liked to move around too much.
Ema is someone else who can take advantage of this, but in terms of longevity and prolonging the fight with Snipers, we have the advantage.
That was what this match would be about. Each squad seemed to have some sort of advantage in different places with some of them overlapping with each other. Using those advantages would be what decides who would win the match and who would be scoring points.
Responding to those advantages was also an important factor here. We need to make sure to be aware of our surrounds.
From what they had seen in the logs, the map was more like a forest of buildings than a city. The narrows pathways had been used to control the wind and situation during the previous match, but they could also be used to counter any strategies already set up.
The amount of things to consider here gives every squad a lot of breathing room when it comes to planning. The execution of those plans and the immediate responses afterwards will be the hard part, so we need to make sure not to fall behind any of the others.
Their opponents would also be used to these sorts of things and respond accordingly.
It was something they had dealt with already.
We just need to keep pace with them all.
Kanji watched it from his seat by his computer. The same one he used to keep track of his squad, edit their mistakes, fix their problems, and overall have the time of his life.
Everyone on his squad enjoyed themselves and found themselves enjoying it with others. Even the straight-laced Shigenaga tends to enjoy herself with us.
It was the definition of Feeling Alive.
That motto was something he would stick to whenever things seemed to be at their lowest. Building something up from that took time, but it made everything to much more fun and bearable, especially during rough times.
So with the fresh smile on his face, he spoke up over his teammates with a loud voice.
"So! Yes, so! What's the game plan here? I need to keep you all going, so don't worry about that! Just make sure you know what I need to do!"
"It's fine to, Kanji-kun. We know what you need to do. This time there isn't anything particularly straining for you."
"But that's where the fun is! I might not be as good as other Operators, but working through all of those issues is what it means to feel alive!"
"Even if that were true, there won't be much of anything for you to do this time. At least not anything like last time."
The settings for the match this time were not as bad as last time, they were saying. In a way, he appreciated that since it gave him more time to analyze the situation instead of focusing on changing settings for his squad.
They might have done it on a whim or to be courteous to him, but he chose to think that they were just finding new ways to enjoy themselves here. After all...
I kind of suck as an Operator, but they still let me stay on with them all.
Seiji was not the best captain and Mitsuteru was working towards a goal, so they were the closest ones to him when it came to abilities. Shigenaga and Shinichi felt worlds away from him, but that was fine.
It was fine.
Kanji continued to smile as they all spoke.
Enjoying these moments was what mattered and made everything else fine.
"Captain, I would like to hear what you have to say before we go over anything."
"Hey now, Shigeko, that's a lot of pressure to put on me here. Besides, you know that I'm not one for strategy here."
"That's why I want to know what you have to say based on any sort of gut feelings you have."
"If that's the case, I can give my input without a problem."
That was just how things were. Strategizing and fighting had been left up to Shigenaga while their captain would do the formal work or give his input with his own feelings.
Each person had their part here.
"Let's see... Kotowari Squad has their Attacker and Sniper, so watch out for them. Azuma Squad should be fine if their Attacker duo is separated. Kageura Squad is pretty troublesome overall. That's pretty much all I have to say."
"Seiji-san, that's a bit..."
"Hm? Something wrong, Teru-kun?"
Kanji gave a laugh at Shigenaga's sigh and their captain's response.
It was clear what was wrong with that kind of answer, and they were all sure he knew what it was.
Likely feeling bad for his captain, and not wanting his friend to get agitated, Mistuteru spoke up by raising his right arm.
"From what I've heard: Toby has something new for himself. I think we saw it during their last match. But besides him, I think we should probably keep a distance from him since I probably won't be able to shoot him and Shinichi-kun might end up getting too much agro drawn to him. Besides that, I'm pretty sure we can handle the rest of their squad."
"Didn't you lose to Taiyōko last time?"
"Really have to bring that up, Shigeko..."
Mitsuteru knew she would already, so he probably prepared for that comeback.
"But moving away from them, I think there isn't much to say about Azuma Squad. It's really like Seiji-san said."
"I suppose that's true. In which case, we can leave it up to him to deal with one of them."
"Oh? You want me to fight either Okkun or Koala? Any particular reason for that?"
"There is," she said with a nod. "You can use your Lead Bullets to hinder them. Their selling point is working together and the speed they can get from that. If one of them is held back, it will only en dup dragging the other one down."
Do you get it?
"It would be nice if you could hit Tsune with some of those bullets, since he's the more composed one. But I guess that's a reason as to why it would be hard to hit him."
Even if he was not fighting with the rest of them, analyzing data was one of his strong suites. Giving his own thoughts on the matter could provide some outside views on these sorts of matters.
Shigenaga had always seen it that way with the way she nodded her head and pushed up her glasses.
"If it comes down to it, I will take on the two of them myself with some backup."
"Won't we need you for the others, though?" he asked.
Kanji turned to see that Mitsuteru was thinking the same thing.
Shinichi was always their distance powerhouse while Shigenaga covered close to mid range fights. Supporting them was left up to their captain and Mitsuteru, so sending one of them off to fight Azuma Squad's duo seemed a bit off.
Especially when there was another squad to worry about.
"Shigeko, we need you for Kageura Squad."
It was Mistuteru who brought it up.
"Out of our entire squad, you're the only one who can keep up with him enough to put up a fight. Even if it's better to not fight him, there can end up being a situation where that's applicable. Having you around means we have a better chance at getting some points."
"Relying on me like that can be bad, so don't go putting that on me. Besides, I'm only going to be as good as my support in this match. You will need to keep up with me. Can you do that?"
That was a pretty harsh question, Shigenaga.
But it also showed the faith she had in Mitsuteru.
Her words had not been frivolous or directed at everyone in general. They were sent directly to Mitsuteru with the idea that he would be there to support her if she needed it.
That's pretty good of her to even admit. I guess this is their way of living.
Mitsuteru must have seen it that way too.
He smiled at Shigenaga and lowered his arm.
"I'm not the only one you can rely on, but I'll be there whenever you need me. But I want to make sure we have things covered here. So try not to push yourself too hard, okay?"
"I should be saying the same to you."
"I guess so." He laughed.
Kanji smiled a she continued to hear his squad speak about what they would do.
This was what he viewed as Feeling Alive.
And it felt great.
Mom: "With the fives minutes over, all the Combatants are being sent in. The timer has been set as well. This will be the final match for these squads this season."
Rampage Dress: "Let's see just what they have all learned after everything."
Myth: "I am looking forward to the abilities and strategies they have built up over time."
Rampage Dress: "From what we have seen so far, each squad has seen their fair share of strangeness both in and out of these matches. I am sure they will put everything to use here."
Kiyome: "Have you reached the conclusion through your calculations?"
Rampage Dress: "You can just call it a gut feeling."
Mom: "With that being said, everyone has been sent in. The map is Cityscape E. The setting Meishō Squad has chosen is clear weather and daytime."
Myth: "Very different from the last time they had fought here."
Mom: "And so, the daytime match begins."
"Looks like we made it just in time. That's good."
Kimura turned at hearing a voice appear behind the closed door to the observation room.
A moment later it opened to show Inukai smiling into the room. Yuki gave a quick greeting before narrowing his eyes.
Looks like he already knows.
There was no doubt that Yuki would be aware of what was to come with a reaction like that.
It left her and the two squad captains to simply wait without bothering to interfere here.
"Tch. You could have said you were being an idiot with you."
"I tried to tell you that I wouldn't be alone..."
"But to bring that guy here... Do you want me to throw you out this window? I don't dislike you, Inu, and you're Shiro's boyfriend, so don't go making me act out like this."
"Hm. To see someone as pathetic as you lift him. That would be the day."
A new voice spoke from behind the wall as Inukai walked in and made his way toward her.
The expression he wore made her feel sorry for him.
But this is his own fault for not correcting Yuki earlier.
Maybe I should call someone in to deal with these people, though. Even fi it's Inukai's fault, this can still be a problem.
Even with two squad captains in the room, it would mean nothing when it came to enemies who would pick petty fights with each other whenever they had the chance.
Kimura knew too well just how annoying everything was about to get.
And it all started when the Ninomiya Squad Captain walked into the room with a scowl.
"I don't want to hear that from an idiotic airhead who... Heh. Nah. I don't need to even say anything."
"What was that?"
"I said I don't even need to say anything. It's better if I keep it to myself and watch you eat crap, like the bottom feeder you are. Oh wait, from what I've heard, you're the one who gets his bottom eaten out.""
"Wai-! Wha-! You!"
Kimura raised a brow at the current fight. This is new.
These two would normally go for the throat, but the way Yuki showed his confidence in stopping himself was not something they had seen before.
She could hear the Hikigane Squad Captain let out a sigh and a "irritating" under his breath, but that was pretty common around here. Even the Bakuto Squad Captain moving in to grope the two fighting was pretty common, from what she knew.
"What does Yuki know here...?"
That was a good question that she did not have the answer to.
"I don't know if he's in a good mood because of the match or because he knows something, but he's pretty confident in something."
"It's pretty weird, but I guess it's fine if it means they end this quickly. I want to watch the match."
"Hah. If it comes down to it, we can throw those three out."
"Three?"
"Denji is added in it."
Of course he would say that.
Kimura felt herself start to start while Inukai was finishing his own sigh.
I know this guy's sigh is contagious, but still!
It was irritating to deal with.
The first thing Toby did when entering the field was run.
He chose not to fall in order to save trion, so he simply ran.
He ran across the tall buildings, saw his reflection in the glass, and made a quick turn to hide behind a pillar.
Damn. We couldn't see too well last time, but now we know.
The tall buildings were used to spot an opponent. The glass covering them could be used to reflect where an opponent was and how they would be moving. Getting away from that would not be easy and the Snipers would have the advantage once they got onto higher ground.
Meanwhile, someone like him needed to be cautious the entire time.
My reflexes will kick in if I'm attacked and I can use the extra mental time to notice where an attack is coming from, but then I need to put in extra work to change where they could be because of the reflection.
It would only matter if the attack came from seemingly nowhere. Otherwise, he only had to see where the attack originated.
But any smart person would make sure they would not be found so easily.
This put him in a weird situation where he would need to be in the open to attack and find his opponent, but it would give his opponent all they needed to attack him.
So he made a choice.
"Headfirst Fall."
He fell.
.
A dog moved through the forest of glass with sign frames appearing and shattering at his knees and toes. Each one pushed aside anything that would obstruct his speed and allowed him passage through the area without worry.
The world of speed had opened up to him once again.
It felt much more like watching a blur cross the space instead of a person running or falling.
But that's why he's so dangerous, someone thought.
It was Shigenaga.
The match had only just begun and she had already found one of her opponents.
The problem was that it was the one she should have lost to the last time they had fought.
Holding Kōgetsu to her side, she stopped herself from moving forward and attacking.
Since that dog had already begun his fall, stopping it would be too difficult. Attacking an opponent who had already picked up momentum meant you would need to stop or slow down that momentum, find your own, make sure it could keep pace, and continue from there.
Could she do that?
Most of those things are fine enough, but keeping pace with that guy takes time to build up.
She had to make a choice here.
Shige-ko: "Kotowari Squad's Attacker is to the east. He has already begun using Kiyome, so I won't be engaging."
2Truths1Lie: "That's fine. Having him gather attention like that is better than fighting him head-on."
Daybreak: "I'm on my way towards you, Shigeko. Just make sure you aren't found before that."
Who do you think I am?
He meant well, so she let that comment slide for now.
What mattered right now was following through and locating as many people as they could. From there, they would pick and choose their fights in order to gain as many points as they could before they could be backed into a corner.
Last time, they had been focused on helping Mitsuteru through his issues and had gone with his plans. That helped them immensely, but it had also put a burden on him that had only left once the match was over and he had spoken with his first captain.
Things were different this time and he held no grudges with the people on this battlefield.
So then why did she suddenly hear the sound of a gun firing.
Shige-ko: "Who the hell is firing now!? Our squad is the only one who uses guns and the other Snipers are too cautious to actually do anything! Which one of you was it!?"
One: "Wasn't me!"
2Truths1Lie: "My gun doesn't make that kind of noise."
Feeling Alive: "So that just leaves..."
Daybreak: "I'm sorry! It was an impulse! I wanted to see if a theory of mine was right or not!"
Shige-ko: "Why would you try that here, you idiot!?"
Daybreak: "I'm sorry!"
One: "It was Tsu's Harassment Impulse!"
Shigenaga covered her mouth to groan into it as loudly as she could.
Sometimes she wondered why she was friends with an idiot like him.
Kage: "Someone really just shot at me! And it almost hit! What the hell was that!?"
Zoe: "Is Azuma-san wanting to get a head start? Should we be worried about him getting a headshot?"
Kage: "You're starting to sound like Kimura with that one."
Zoe: "I'm not that bad!"
Yuzu: "Kage-san, did you feel anything with that attack?"
Kage: "You're damn right I did! I felt a fatass wave hit me at once before it came at me! That's why it almost hit me! I thought it was a cluster shot or something!"
Yuzu: "So it was Mitsuteru then. He's started to harass Kage-san."
Bright Child: "Hahaha! He really doesn't waste any time with that!"
.
Kageura clicked his tongue as he felt another wave of emotions crash into him from somewhere.
Trying his best to pinpoint it, he moved to the side.
The sound of a gun being fired rang out, but...
What the hell?
There was nothing.
Any sign of an attack seemed to be gone.
That's not it!
It had never been there to begin with.
The sound of the gun rang out, but the shot had been a blank used to distract him.
This same tactic had been used on Ninomiya during his match on this map. Blanks were fired on him, distracting him, before the real shot came in.
"..."
But those never came.
The emotions hitting him also stopped immediately, throwing him for a loop.
What the hell is with this guy!
No one could shift between being emotion to having no emotions so quickly.
It was confusing him with the way blanks were being used and his opponent seemed to target him before leaving him behind.
Kage: "This guy is annoying!"
Yuzu: "Welcome to my life."
The way they thought he was annoying was different, but the two of them were likely in the same thought process for this.
Kage: "Hey, where was that guy? Someone had to have gotten his location, right?"
Zoe: "Huh? But didn't he attack you? Shouldn't you know where he is?"
Kage: "That guy ran away when-"
Another wave crashed into him.
This time was not like the others.
When the first shot and the blank had been fired he had felt nothing but a wave of pricks against his skin. Each one of them told him that he had been viewed as an enemy and a target, making it easy to decide how he would go about this fight.
But this time was different.
Instead of pricks hitting him all over, it was a different kind of sensation. One he was familiar with, but found that it came relatively rarely, and by specific people. For him to feel it here meant that this person was someone who viewed his as something other than a fighter or opponent.
All across his body, a wave of light and feathery touches could be felt. Each one was similar to someone dusting his skin with feathers before pulling away and doing it again.
It was admiration.
That admiration also came with another attack.
Getting over the feather-like touches, he jumped away and put up a shield to block the next attack aimed for his head.
Knowing that more attacks were likely coming from the way he was getting hit by another wave of emotion, he made a snap decision and jumped to the side. A pillar holding up one of the buildings was there and bulky enough to hide his entire body with problem. The shadow cast by the building blended well with his clothes and hair, making it hard to see for anyone who was only passing the area.
That was not what he was focused on.
Kage: "What's this guy's problem!?"
Yuzu: "I have been wondering that for too long."
Zoe: "Yuzuru really isn't holding back here..."
Bright Child: "You have to get out of Mittsuncchi's Harassment Range! Anything caught in it is forced to be harassed in ways they could never expect! Trust me, I know what that's like!"
Yuzu: "Have you gotten that virus out of your phone yet?"
Bright Child: "I had to get a new phone!"
Zoe: "Um, so, about this situation..."
Yuzu: "Hah. I'll head over and see what I can do about it. Try to hold out, Kage-san. ...I mean with the harassment, of course."
At times it was hard to tell what side Ema was on.
But he does know this guy better than the rest of us.
If he could counter these sorts of things then it mean they would have a better chance at taking him out and not deal with harassment anyone.
Still...
Those guys must be losing their minds right now.
"That guy..."
The repeated sound of someone tapping the ground could be heard in the hall.
The source of it?
"You really don't need to get so mad, Arafune."
"Of course I do! That guy is ignoring everything we taught him and even the basics of being a Sniper!"
"He's just having his own fun with harassing Kage, that's all. I don't see a reason to blame him."
Arafune made a quick jab to the side, only to miss as the idiot ducked under his arm.
Clicking his tongue, Arafune looked back at the screen to see where everyone currently was.
Next to him, Tōma chuckled darkly.
"Don't worry. You aren't the only one who is going to have some words with him."
"Who should I feel bad for here...?"
Minoru's rhetorical question got a few head shakes from the people around him.
Arafune gave a sigh before crossing his arms and leaning back into his seat.
White Fox: "I can see Tetsu fuming from here. Someone, get me a picture of his face right now."
Life: "On it!"
He made a quick grab at the idiot's open and shoved the device into his pocket.
"Hey! Give that back! I need it!"
"Anyway," he said.
Everyone around ignored the idiot to look at the screen.
"It looks like Shigenaga decided not to fight. Kind of surprising for someone like her."
"The match has only just begun, she might not want to waste anything right now."
"Besides, catching Toby right now is pretty rough. It's better for him to be someone else's problem while she focuses on something else."
"Looks like most of them have decided to either regroup or to take thing slow. Ariake harassing Kage must be keeping them from going all out form the start."
Finding the right footing at the start of a match was good, but they knew that what was happening was because of the quick move into a fight. Holding Kageura back from fighting others meant that they knew where to look for a fight, but rushing into it would only mean defeat.
Seeing that here was proof enough that they all understood.
"Tch. This leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, but he's actually doing something good by going for it from the start."
White Fox: "Now if only that were true."
Manager: "Yeah. Seeing this is kind of painful..."
Inu: "What do you mean?"
That was something they all wanted to know now.
And they got their answer soon enough.
White Fox: "Mitsuteru isn't doing this to maintain pace in this fight. He's just...kind of like that."
It was a terrible answer.