“I’m coming, Koneko-san!”
“Mmm, come!”
Ravel spread open her fiery wings and let loose powerful bullets of fire while Koneko-chan entered her Shirone mode and used white flames to make a myriad of Kasha in order to nullify Ravel’s bullets of fire. Koneko-chan also appeared to be rather enthusiastic about the practise match, most likely because she really wanted to win against her sister. In order to respond to Koneko-chan’s feelings, Ravel reacted with sincerity, and they continued to practise until the two of them were completely exhausted. It wasn’t just this once either. So long as Koneko-chan asked Ravel for it, Ravel would respond to her with sincerity each time. Since Ravel was both a friend and classmate of hers, I guess Koneko-chan felt as though Ravel was both easy and reliable to depend upon. Ravel was also quite aware that Koneko-chan could only ask her because they were of the same age, so she continued to respond positively to all of her requests. …Ravel, when she was being considerate of our team, she always had a train of thought that followed the principles of supremacy, but when she faced her friend Koneko-chan — she did so with feelings of kingship. “Koneko-san, your tail seems a bit burnt.”
“…It’s all because of you, Ravel. You’re throwing flames at me so mercilessly.”
“I’d be scolded by you if I went easy, so I’m working hard as well, okay?”
“Muu…. Both my ears and tail are burnt, and now it’s going to be embarrassing when I show up at the game.”
“Fufufufu, allow me to help you brush your fur later.”
When she laughed together with Koneko-chan, Ravel didn’t act strong-willed and determined as she did in front of us, but instead she revealed a cheerful and lively smile that was fitting for a girl of her age. …Ravel desires to stay by my side as my manager, but I want her to grow in the truest sense of the word, like when she’s together with her friend Koneko-chan. That’s why having more contact like this is good. The next thing I noted was — the battle between the golden humanoid dragon and the large dark beast. The humanoid dragon Nakiri and Gasper in his Balor state; the two boys who were in the same grade began a fierce melee battle. Nakiri’s touki-coated fist was thrust at Gasper’s body, while Gasper also used his dark fists to retaliate, causing Nakiri to be pushed back. Nakiri shouted
“Damn it! I already knew you were strong, but…you’re pretty good, Vladi!”
Nakiri fired off a vast number of spherical bullets that were mixed with his touki and aura. Gasper used his hands to deflect them one after the other as he slowly stretched out their distance. <<…But you, are you really a human? You’re actually able to keep up with the melee techniques that Ise-senpai taught me!>>
Nakiri moved across the ground at high speed and rapidly continued his assault! Gasper summoned a countless number of dark beasts from the shadows. Nakiri kicked them, punched them, and even took out a vast number of spell talismans from his pocket and casted them to return all of the dark beasts back to the nothingness from whence they came. “I am a human, though I use a few spells as well.”
After the two of them used their own techniques to hold each other back for a round, they resumed their melee battle again! The two of them showed fearless smiles to each other. “…I can’t lose to a classmate, and especially not in front of Hyoudou-senpai.”
<<That’s my line. I can’t shamefully lose in front of Ise-senpai and Rias-oneechan.>>
Like this, the mock battle of the two male classmates continued as they fought happily in earnest. I watched all of our team members train together from the sidelines as Rias stood beside me. “It looks like those two will make good rivals for each other.”
She was talking about Gasper and Nakiri. “Yeah. After all, they’re both boys of the same age who don’t feel like they can lose to each other.”
I said. Indeed, it was natural that they would be concerned about other males of the same age. Just as I thought so — the male who was of the same age as me — Kiba approached me. “Have you finished with your lunch box? It’s about time that I’d like to have a mock battle with you. It’s been a long time since we last fought, so how about it?”
Just as Kiba said, before our training session began, the girls + Kiba prepared bento boxes for us, and I had already polished mine up. Today’s bento was Akeno-san’s handmade ‘Seaweed Bento’, while Kiba’s was a ‘Character Bento’. Kiba’s bento used ‘my face in my armour’ as the character prototype…it was almost like the real thing, so I had some complicated feelings about it! But regardless of whether it was Akeno-san’s bento or Kiba’s bento, both of them were delicious! I energised myself as I stepped forward and stood upright as I said to Kiba
“You’re right, it has been a long time since—”
Just when I was halfway through my sentence, the training space suddenly began to distort! [—What!?] All of us stopped what we were doing as we were astounded by the scene before our eyes. In response to this, Bennia stood up and revealed an alarmed expression. <<As expected, they’re here.>>
Just after she said that, the distortion enlarged, and cracks eventually appeared. As the cracks splintered and spread, a hole had been dug out in the air! What appeared from there were Grim Reapers who readily held scythes in their hands! The training space that was located in its own special area and was protected by a defensive barrier had been attacked. This unexpected state of affairs caused Rias to cry out
“T-This can’t be! Even this space is under attack! ?”
The Grim Reapers charged out one after the other from the hole that they had pierced in space, and they surrounded us! Close to a hundred Grim Reapers encircled us! All of us remained vigilant as we entered stances to prepare for battle! The opposing side had clear hostility and the intent to kill, and the very fact that they were standing here was proof that a battle was inevitable! “Ise! Since the enemy has decided to attack us, kill them all without any further ado! They deserve that much for invading us here without permission!”
“Of course!”
Rias and I agreed, so I instantly equipped my armour! These Grim Reapers, I don’t know how they had entered Kuoh Town and this training space, but if they stood in front of us with hostile intentions, then we had no choice but to repel them. Moreover, all of them were staring at Koneko-chan! The Grim Reaper with a decorated cloak was likely their captain, and he pointed at Koneko-chan as he said
<<Hand over the cat.>>
“What are you guys going to do with Koneko-chan?”
I immediately asked. <<It is something that has nothing to do with you. Well, you’ll find out about it eventually.>>
Such remarks caused Rias to fly off the handle. Her precious and adorable Koneko-chan had been targeted by the Grim Reapers, and because of that, this group of Grim Reapers ‘deserved to die’. Of course, it was also the same for me!