Kawasaki Frost Tournament, elementary division, team battle, after the third match of round two ended.

Second waiting room for players.

In a wide room whose population density had dropped dramatically because most participants had already been eliminated, hair as red as autumn trees fluttered and bounced lightly.

“Looks like kids our age are in the next match, Sophia-chan.”

When I spoke to Sophia-chan beside me with my heart dancing, Sophia-chan, who had been combing her beautiful long golden hair, smiled and nodded.

“That’s right. It seems they’re C and D rank, so we want to conserve our magic power as much as possible.”

“Yeah but they were really fast, that kid wearing the Ebisu mask.”

When I looked up at Sophia-chan worriedly, Sophia-chan patted my head.

“It’s fine. I won’t lose if it’s a speed contest. More importantly, that kid in the red mask is dangerous. She didn’t hesitate to injure her opponents.”

“Yeah but I don’t think she can break through my defense, right? Then after that, it’s the bear boy.”

“Yes. He doesn’t seem to have any standout offensive methods, but I think it’s better to take him down as quickly as possible, for the sake of conserving magic power too.”

A B-rank’s magic power is enormous and if you use it all up, it takes close to four hours for it to recover again.

With the number of matches shrinking now, the gap between matches is only about an hour.

If you spend more than thirty percent in one match, managing your magic power gets tough from the next match onward.

So it’s best to win quickly with as few moves as possible.

Nodding at Sophia-chan’s words, I lowered my eyes to the matchup sheet in my hands.

“If we can win this third round then it’s already the semifinals, huh.”

“That’s right. Round two was all upper-tier types with three B-ranks so I thought our magic power wouldn’t hold out, but round three is all C and D, lower abilities. Round four also only has one B-rank. With this, as long as there aren’t two or more A-ranks in the finals…”

“Could it be that we might win?”

When I asked with a bounce, Sophia-chan nodded big when she saw it.

“It’s early to say but we might be able to see it.”

Sophia-chan, who was always calm, was unusually painting an optimistic future.

That meant this tournament had a high chance of victory.

I was so happy that I took her hand and hopped.

“Let’s do our best, Sophia-chan!”

“Right, Momiji. Combining our strength.”

Just then, an announcement came into the waiting room calling for us.

It seemed the preparations for the match were ready.

Sophia-chan and I held hands closely and headed for the arena.

When we entered the field, the opposing team was already there.

A bear mask, an Ebisu mask and one kid wearing a hero squad mask, the three of them, a combination that had been increasing recently.

I’d never seen it in the Special Zone where we lived so I thought it was a fashion trend outside the Special Zone.

Especially since the Ebisu person was called a dragon, I even had a friend who liked it enough to do impressions.

“I am a dragon!” I think it was.

“(High pitch) I’m Ebisu. Please forgive the rudeness of wearing a mask, today, thank you in advance.”

While I was thinking about my friend from class, the opposing team came over to greet us.

It was the person wearing the Ebisu mask.

Because they were wearing a weird mask I thought they might be a weird person, but they seemed pretty normal.

“Ah, I’m Asukai, Momiji.”

It came out like I was speaking in broken fragments.

Because I was surprised.

“I’m Bear, Bear! Nice to bear you.”

Bear-san raised a hand and greeted us.

It was really cute and it warmed my heart.

In the Special Zone, boys never compete in matches, so is it normal outside the Special Zone?

No. I’d heard outside the Special Zone was even more passive so this Bear-san must be an amazing kid. I need to be careful.

“I’m Sophia Fallleaf. Nice to meet you.”

Sophia-chan really was impressive, she greeted properly.

Could I get a redo too?

While I was fidgeting like that, the last one stepped in close.

“I’m Red. I’ll make a bloodbath out of you, be ready.”

Red-san threatened us.

What should I do? I think she’s probably a girl, but she’s not the type I have around me so I don’t know how I’m supposed to respond.

Should I say something strong back? Like, you scoundrel!

While I was panicking over how to deal with Red-san, Ebisu-san beside Red-san restrained her.

“(High pitch) What’s the point of fighting with words? If you’re going to do it, show it in the match.”

After saying that, Ebisu-san bowed their head to us.

“(High pitch) I’m sorry. Red just has a foul mouth. The truth is, she’s so happy she can’t stand it, getting to fight amazing people like you.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Sophia-chan accepted Ebisu-san’s apology.

Just then, an announcement played telling us to return to our starting positions.

“However, we will go all out in the match.”

As she left, Sophia-chan said that with a stern face.

“(High Pitch) Yes, by all means.”

This time, Ebisu-san received it.

“The match between Team Omenjers and Team Starlight will begin shortly!”

* * *

The match commentary began.

In time with it, the heat of the venue reached us.

“While many sixth-grade groups remain, this is a rare match where teams led mainly by younger kids will face off! Despite Omenjers having two C-ranks and one D-rank and being in no way blessed in raw strength, they have taken down stronger teams one after another. Truly the legendary giant-killing worthy of the name Omenjers. On the other side, Team Starlight is these two whom nobody in the Special Zone doesn’t know. At an individual level they’re B-rank prefectural champion caliber and in team battles they’re top class even at the national tournament, the genius girls, Momiji and Sophia!”

““Waaaah!””

Even while the commentator was still talking, the venue erupted.

Even though we were outside the Special Zone, everyone knowing about us left me unable to hide my surprise and joy.

“In a situation where if Unison is used, victory is almost impossible, how Omenjers responds is the key to this match. Can Omenjers pierce the strong like those Omenjers? Will Starlight’s splendid strike land? The match to watch begins, now…”

The venue quieted a little there.

The head referee lowered their hand.

“It’s started!!”

Right at the start, I spread a curtain of flames around myself.

This was my impregnable defense.

Raging hellfire would burn everything except me to ash and keep anyone from approaching.

Three claws stabbed into those flames.

“Hah hah! You read it, huh.”

Red-san closed the distance to me all at once and landed a strike.

Trying to pry open the veil of flames, Red-san pressed her claws in harder and harder.

But the wall of fire was thick and my defense still seemed fine.

The moment I thought that, the defense on my side wavered.

When I looked, Red-san’s claws, after moving, were trying to tear open the side wall.

Fast.

She circled from the front to the side in an instant and fired off a sharp strike.

If I let my guard down even a little, she could cut through from a thinned section of the flame wall.

As I thought that, another impact from the front, Red-san’s claws had broken through the curtain and were closing in on me.

Bad. It’s already been pierced.

I raised my hand to repair it.

“Huh?”

But it wouldn’t rise.

When I looked, a huge amount of soil was stuck to my hand, hardened solid.

Bad, it’s Bear-san.

“Burst!”

I blasted a stream of flame all at once toward the breached direction.

That flame was easily avoided by Red-san.

But that was fine.

That flame was propulsion, an afterburner to get me out of there.

With that thrust, I left the spot in one burst and shot up into the air at the center of the field.

There, I fired flames from my feet and arms to hover at about three meters up.

In our read of the match, we expected that rather than me with defense, Sophia-chan, who focused on speed, would be targeted first.

That they’d come in two on one or three on one and then the one being targeted less would take down Bear-san first, that was the plan.

But since two of them came for me, Sophia-chan should be almost free, yet she wasn’t coming to target Bear-san.

Did something happen to Sophia-chan?

Where was Sophia-chan now?

Thinking that, I fired a barrage of flame shots at Red-san and the others while searching around and…

There.

Sophia-chan was fighting someone whose whole body was glittering.

Sophia-chan’s high-speed slashes and lightning strikes, even among B-ranks it was hard to even take those attacks properly and there were plenty of people who fell without even realizing they’d been attacked.

Yet that glittering person was receiving those attacks on their arms one after another and knocking them down with something.

That’s impossible!

The instant I almost shouted that, Sophia-chan’s body bent into a < shape from the glittering person’s kick.

My eyes went wide.

“Sophia-cha—”

“D-Dragon Scales!”

““Wooooo!””

My scream was swallowed by a huge roar of cheers that felt like the venue exploded.

“Dragon Scales, real Dragon Scales! These are the real Omenjers!”

“Draaaagon scaaales! I’ve been waiting for you!”

“Three years! I waited three years for you to come!”

“Ebisu-saaama!”

As if pushed by that cheering, Ebisu-san, glittering, closed in on Sophia-chan.

At this rate, Sophia-chan was in danger.

Sensing that by instinct, I whipped up another burst of flames to block Red-san and the others from pursuing, then fired jets from both hands, both feet and my back and rocketed toward Sophia-chan at top speed.

“Sophia-chan!”

My hand reached toward her suffering body.