[568] The Start of War (4)
The six gathered in the corridor were silent, caught between lingering anger and a momentarily relaxed tension.
Sabina, at least, who tended to be more objective, finally spoke up.
"What do you think? About the allied team's proposal?"
"The graduation pass cards were calculated with the fact that our team includes an outsider. They joined the scramble just by dragging down the rankings. They figured that if they attached the condition of passing the graduation exam, it would definitely work."
Iruki's words drew a question from Dorothy.
"Is this a situation where I should apologize? I was the one who first said we should accept the offer."
"No. You made a reasonable request. A team that requires one person to be sacrificed has no right to exist. This contest values teamwork."
Cold.
Dorothy felt that, and Shirone spoke up.
"I don't blame Dorothy's judgment. Personally it's an unpleasant proposal, but everyone has their reasons. If you blame Dorothy, then we who pulled in an outsider are worse."
Nade got everyone's attention.
"All right — from now on, let's be ruthless. If we act on emotion there's no end to it. We'll look only at efficiency."
They all agreed, but speaking up was still difficult, so Nade, as team captain, went first.
"Honestly, I think it's a good proposal."
Shirone nodded.
"I think so too. I don't like making someone's feelings a condition, though."
He actually wanted to cancel the Scramble Royal on the spot and declare war on Kaiden.
But thinking rationally, keeping Amy out of Kaiden's demands was already half a victory.
"Sorry, Amy. But if Kaiden tries anything against you, I absolutely won't be able to fight."
Even if it meant accepting a forfeit card.
Iruki glanced at Amy and said, "As Shirone said, if we exclude emotion it might not be a serious issue. Even if Shirone confessed, Maya wouldn't accept it in a situation like this. I can tell them in advance."
"Ugh!"
Amy couldn't hold it in. Seeing her bite her lip through tears, the atmosphere fell solemn.
'Yeah, Iruki's right.'
Still, she was so furious and so proud that she couldn't change her mind easily.
Sabina, who understood her, said, "Amy, if you really hate it—"
"Two people."
Amy cut her off.
"Make it two pass. Otherwise I'm not doing it."
There was a big difference between one and two in a test where ten graduate, and no one opposed.
"All right. Two it is. Don't worry too much. You know we'll win."
Amy responded by glaring at Kaiden, who would be in the research club.
"I'll never forgive you."
When Nade finished coordinating opinions and led the women back in, Iruki, left in the corridor, asked Shirone, "Are you really okay with this?"
"Yeah. Honestly I'm relieved. If Amy had been part of the compensation or the cost, I would have—"
"No, not that."
Shirone changed his expression and looked at Iruki.
"I mean graduating two people. Amy hasn't lost her reason. If you give Dorothy and Sabina a fair shot at two passes, they'll have motive to fight with everything they've got. But remember: at the graduation exam, you and I will be competitors in the end. If both of them are under Fermi's protection, the difficulty to pass will only go up."
Only then did Shirone truly understand, and he smiled.
"Yeah. It's fine."
Then, as if nothing had happened, his face turned as cold as ice.
"I'm just waiting for that day to come as soon as possible."
Iruki watched Shirone's back as he returned to the research club and felt a chill.
'Fermi may have had things go his way so far, but—'
Iruki was the last to enter and closed the door.
'Shirone won't be easy to deal with.'
* * *
Ten hours had passed since the consultation began.
Tiredness showed on the faces of the twelve, the hollows under their eyes deepening.
Hershi, who had recorded every decided matter without fail, moved on to the final agenda item.
"Only the detailed adjustments remain. Any opinions?"
Nade spoke as if he'd been waiting.
"Even if there are fatalities, no one will be held responsible."
His voice wasn't loud, but his hostility toward the opposing team had reached a peak.
"Fine. We'll say the same, so let's discuss it now."
As Hershi wrote, she recalled what Fermi had hinted before coming to Istas.
"Armand? What is that?"
Fermi frowned. "It's Shirone's artifact. If possible, it should be banned from use in this Scramble Royal. No — it's essential."
"Essential? Is it that powerful?"
"If Fermi says it's dangerous, it really is."
"If it's such an impressive weapon, the other side won't give it up easily. Can we reach consensus?"
Fermi smiled and pointed at Hershi.
"In that case, propose it like this."
Hershi finished her thought aloud. "This time we put it forward from our side: Shirone's Armand cannot be used in the Scramble Royal."
'I know Armand.'
The moment it became clear Fermi was behind this proposal.
"That's unacceptable."
Shirone shook his head firmly.
He didn't want to show dependence on a weapon, but his desire to smash the opponents right now was stronger.
"This isn't a school activity. I will use the Armand, and if you want to use weapons, do so."
"If you insist, we have no choice. But then we'll have to use our trump card as well."
Nade snorted. "What card could you possibly have? You must've heard something from Fermi, but nothing is worth trading for the Armand."
"Is that so? If I've heard from Fermi, you must have heard from Shirone too, right?"
"What are you talking about?"
Hershi raised a finger. "If Shirone won't use the Armand, then we won't use Fermi's chips either."
Shirone bit his lip. 'Ah — that method.'
"You'll understand quickly. Currently Fermi holds magic worth about ten billion gold. For reference, the most expensive magic Fermi has used so far cost at most a few million gold. If you use the Armand, tell them Fermi is prepared to give every chip to the allied team even if he has to spend his own funds."
Shirone pushed back. "Hmph! Even so—"
"Yes, it's said to be an incredible weapon. But even so you can't single-handedly control the match. Meanwhile, we all get strengthened."
Hershi's point had merit. Force was necessary, but this wasn't a contest where force outranked teamwork.
If they lost to a Kang, rules that fundamentally nullified brute force could come into play.
And if he brought out the Armand, he'd be fighting an allied team capable of wielding magic worth ten billion gold.
"Let's start coordinating opinions. Everyone, come out."
Shirone took his team and held the eleventh secret meeting.
"As you heard, we need to revise the initial strategy. I didn't expect Fermi to be this interested in Istas…"
Nade touched his chin. "We expected the allied team to taboo Iruki's Cancellation. It's the natural counter to Eden's defensive magic. But the Armand…"
"If it's worth ten billion gold, we'll be pulled into that game. What's more efficient?"
Only Shirone, who knew Armand's functions perfectly, could judge.
"Accept it. Magic worth ten billion is tempting. But not under these conditions."
Iruki pressed the point. "So you'd consider Armand more efficient? If it's for our safety, I don't care."
"No. As Hershi said, the balance seems right. But let's probe further. I don't remember, but if Fermi saw Armand's ability in the Under Corder—"
Shirone intuited unknown probabilities. "Even if it costs us a bit more, we should choose to ban the Armand. That's the kind of move Fermi would make."
Nade agreed. "So the ceiling is higher. Got it. Then how about banning Eden's bare form?"
Sabina offered.
"But that's just one way to realize magic, right? It's like banning Dorothy's Hickory. If someone objects on principle, we'd open ourselves to attack."
"There's something more important," Amy said. "If Iruki's Cancellation isn't taboo, we already have a way to check Eden's defensive magic. What would actually help is sealing Anchal's Magic Eye."
Sabina asked, "But Anchal didn't take off her blindfold even during the graduation exam, right? Would she really unseal it during the Scramble Royal?"
"It's not a matter of probability. If there's even a one percent chance, there'll be confusion at a decisive moment. So it's better to seal it now. Especially since the Magic Eye has many secrets."
Anchal's origins were the Jincheon Empire across the sea, a culture completely different from Shirone's group.
If Kashan occupies the western and central continents and Gustav the eastern, Jincheon lies to the east — the three emperors of these empires currently dominate the world.
"Anchal's specialty is mental magic, in the illusion category. But unlike Arin, Eastern techniques are integrated, so it's unfamiliar."
If Arin intrudes at the source of the mind, Anchal applies shocks from the outside with illusions close to reality.
According to a scout during the graduation exam, the intensity was comparable to the survival test's stage 4 near-death state. If she formed an illusionary blade and stabbed, the mental shock would be roughly the strength of the stage 4 "Severing" that Shirone had passed.
"Anchal's illusion magic leans closer to omnipotence than omniscience. If the seal on the Magic Eye is lifted, the intensity won't be just stage 4."
They would have to withstand such illusions for seven days.
Given how few students passed the stage 4 "Severing" during the survival test, it was better to block it.
"All right. Seal Anchal's Magic Eye."
They agreed, and Shirone returned to the research club and proposed it to Hershi.
"I'll accept it. But only if you maintain the seal on Anchal until the end. If you accept that, I'll also prohibit the use of the Armand."
Anchal, who had shown no change in expression until then, frowned.
'She was going to lift the seal.'
Iruki was certain as Hershi turned to Anchal and asked, "What will you do?"
Anchal quickly changed her expression and nodded. "Fine. I wasn't going to lift it anyway."
Relief settled in.
'The Scramble Royal isn't everything. Even if we win here, we still have to fight the Golden Wheel again.'
At that moment the bell for midnight rang.
"This completes the consultation. If there's anything to add, say it now. I'll input it into the Judge."
Hershi took out paper and pen. "Nothing. Now it's only a matter of execution."
After twelve fierce hours of negotiation, there was nothing more to say.
There were regrets, but also gains, so most were satisfied.
As Hershi recorded the items on the Judge's sheets, forty-eight note pages stacked up.
"All right. Let's begin."
Hershi fed the papers into the Judge in order, entered the final record, and pressed a lens that looked like a buzzer.
With a click the lens flashed blue, and Ruru's voice, converted into an electrical signal, was injected into everyone's heads in an instant.
Scramble Royal commencement.
Standby time: 10 hours 58 minutes 32 seconds.