Koneko-chan and I went to the central entrance while ignoring the girls who are down on the floor. “Are you running away!? This location is supposed to be a crucial place!”
Raiser’s servants become shocked by our actions. Yeah, you are right. This certainly is a crucial place. A location that connects the old school building with the new school building. In chess, it will be the “centre”. It’s apparently very important. That’s why both sides came here! To obtain this place! That’s why there is a meaning to this! To make this place as our decoy! Koneko-chan and I leaves from the central entrance. FLASH! An instant flash. Then—. DOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! A huge lightning falls down onto the gym with a sound. When the lightning stops, the gym that is supposed to be in front of us gets wiped out. “Take.”
Akeno-san’s voice. When I turn around, I can see Akeno-san with a smiley face that is flying through the air with her black wings spread. She has her right hand raised upwards. And her hand is sparkling with electricity. [Raiser Phoenix-sama’s three [Pawns] and one [Rook] retires!] Grayfia-san’s voice who is the arbiter echoes through the battlefield. Wait, so with that attack just now, the enemies Koneko-chan and I were fighting got defeated!? Are you serious!? With that one attack!? Oh yeah, I heard this from Kiba before. “The “Priestess of Lightning”, that’s Akeno-san’s nickname. Since Buchou isn’t the age where she can play in the official matches, not many people know about Akeno-san, but she is famous among certain group of people.”
P-Priestess of Lightning…… That’s terrifying. I will definitely die if I get punished with that attack! ……Yup, I will make sure I don’t make Akeno-san angry. “We did it, Koneko-chan.”
I try to put my hand on her shoulder, but she avoids me. “……Please don’t touch me……”
She says that with a scorn voice and she’s glaring at me. Ugh, that reaction saddens me. Well, it can’t be helped for any girl to be alarmed at me if they saw a technique like that. “Hahaha, don’t worry. I won’t use it on my comrades.”
“……Even so, it is a very low technique.”
Oh my. Looks like she hates me for real now……
[Everyone, can you hear me? Akeno did a perfect attack and finished it. With this, the first phase of our plan is completed.] I can hear Buchou’s voice from the transceiver I have in my ears. She sounds really happy. Buchou’s plan. That is to destroy the gymnasium that was thought to be a crucial point. Also destroying it along with Raiser’s servants. Koneko-chan and I went through the back door of the gym to enter, but we did this act while knowing that the enemies were watching us. We needed to have them battle us by making the opponent come into the gym as well. We simply needed to flee after we fight them for a certain time. After that, Akeno-san destroyed the gym with her lightning from the sky. We were a bait to make the enemy come inside the cage. Then we, the bait, left the cage and destroyed it along with the prey. Buchou’s plan has succeeded! To throw aside the important location and use it to attack is something to be reckoned with! Defeating one [Rook] and three [Pawns] was a big plus! We still haven’t lost any of our members, so we started off with a good start! [That lightning takes time to charge it to use for the second time after she uses it. So using it continuously is impossible. Though the enemy still has a greater number than us. We will also head out as soon as Akeno’s demonic-power recovers, so I will leave the rest to each of you till then. So please move on to the next phase!] “Yes!”
So Buchou and Asia are heading out. Me and Koneko-chan’s next move is……to regroup with Kiba and defeat the enemy located at the sports court! It happens then. BANG!! A sudden explosive sound is made nearby. When I look at where the sound came from—. “……K-Koneko-chan!”
Koneko-chan is lying on the floor a bit away from me while smokes arise from her. I went to her quickly and hold her! Koneko-chan’s uniform is torn as if she was dragged into a bomb. There are parts of her uniform that are gone. Don’t tell me that explosive sound before is……
“Take.”
An unknown voice. When I look up, there is a shadow up in the air flying with its wings spread. It’s a woman dressed up as a mage and wearing her hood. It’s Raiser’s servant! So Raiser’s servant did this to Koneko-chan! I’m sure that is Raiser’s [Queen]! The sudden appearance of the strongest servant! “Fufufu. When you hunt a prey, the best time to take them down is when the prey accomplished something because that’s the time when the prey is the most vulnerable. It’s enough for us to “sacrifice” many of our pieces in order to take down one of you. Your group has a small number of members to begin with. That alone will be enough to give a huge damage to your group, right? Even if you defeat us, you cannot defeat Raiser-sama. It’s useless to resist.”
The magician woman laughs as if she finds it amusing. “……Ise-senpai…… Akeno-senpai……”
Koneko-chan speaks with a voice that is about to disappear. “……I’m sorry ……I wanted to be of more use to Buchou and everyone……”
“Y-You don’t have to apologise! We were doing our job! It’s not a problem! Just wait, once Asia arrives, she can heal you—“
Koneko-chan’s body gets enveloped with light. The body starts to fade and then it disappears from here. …………
[Rias Gremory-sama’s [Rook] retries.] A cruel announcement. Buchou explained it to me before. When we take a certain amount of damage and get into a condition where we can no longer fight, we retire and get teleported out of the battlefield by force. The destination is a place with medical equipment. That’s why it’s alright even if we're hurt badly. It’s not like we will die. So Raiser’s servants that Akeno-san defeated and Koneko-chan were teleported there. I know. I know that in my head. This is a match. But still I……I! I can feel the weight disappear from my arms. ……Damn it. Damn it! My body shakes with anger. “Come down heeeeeere! I’ll be your opponent!”
I ignored about the next plan and started provoking the enemy who defeated Koneko-chan. Even I know it’s a foolish act. But I still can’t forgive her. Koneko-chan was crying just before she disappeared. She was crying because of regrets! She was still able to fight! Shit! If I had realised it much earlier, I may have been able to save Koneko-chan! I was getting ahead of myself because the first plan succeeded! “Fufufu. What a noisy [Pawn] boy. Do you want to explode like that girl from before?”
The mage put her hands towards me! I’m going to get shot! “Ara ara. I will be your opponent. Raiser Phoenix-sama’s [Queen], Yubelluna-san. Or should I call you the “Bomb Queen”?”
Akeno-san comes between us as if she is trying to protect me. “I don’t like that name because of its bad taste, “Priestess of Lightning”. Though I was hoping I can fight you.”
“Ise-kun, meet up with Yuuto-kun.