Chapter 80: Kamishiro Souta (Conclusion)
Since returning to this world, this was the first time I used magic for combat other than physical enhancement in a way that could be seen. I’d decided there was no harm in showing some magic beforehand, since I was planning to reveal my true identity to Souta anyway.
"Hisuiraku—Water Spread!"
At my chant, six balls of water, about the size of baseballs, materialized in midair.
"This is where the real fight starts, Souta!"
I launched them straight at Souta’s face.
Ordinarily, this might be called a dirty trick, but in our duel, anything was allowed except blows to the face or groin. Magic wasn’t forbidden.
"Ugh! Wh-what the hell!?"
The water bullets burst against Souta’s face one after another. They were just water, so they didn’t do any damage, but they were more than enough to create an opening.
I closed in on the faltering Souta, drove a left-right one-two into his solar plexus, and followed it up with a spinning kick to his back. Every hit landed cleanly, making Souta’s body stagger.
Just as I pulled back my right hand to deliver a straight punch to finish it, Alicia’s voice rang out in my head in warning.
『Ikuto-san, no!』
I instinctively stepped back. A sharp punch from Souta tore through the space my body had occupied just a moment before.
He recovered and countered in that instant… not someone I could afford to let my guard down around.
"What kind of trick was that… water balloons? No, it looked like they were floating…"
"That was magic. My magic."
"Magic? Don’t tell me… you’re saying you’re some kind of magical girl? Then by all means, show me your transformation."
Souta looked annoyed, apparently thinking I was teasing him. Well, that was understandable.
"Hmm… I can’t transform, though."
Might as well show him something properly impressive.
『Alicia, what flashy magic can I use right now?』
『With no water around, flashy spells might be difficult… but if you want something clearly identifiable as magic that’s usable in combat, how about Ice Sword?』
『That’s perfect. It’ll help with reach too. As expected of you, Alicia!』
Her advice had saved my life countless times back in the other world. She really was my best partner.
"Heh… just as you requested, Souta, I’ll show you some real magic."
I pulled a tissue from my blazer pocket and held the contents in my right hand.
Then, pointing that hand at Souta, I chanted the spell.
"White blade, weave and form, gather in my hand—Ice Sword!"
Pale blue particles of water danced through the air and gathered in my right hand. The magically conjured water seeped into the fibers of the tissue, freezing and extending from my wrist as a solid shaft.
I shaped it into a simple straight sword about a meter long.
"W-what the hell is that!?"
"It’s an ice sword. Cool, right?"
I gave the sword a light swing to check its balance.
Not too heavy, not too light—a perfect weight. I’d have no trouble handling it with this body.
"Here I come, Souta!"
"Wh—!?"
I closed the distance in an instant and swung in a horizontal slash.
Souta dodged the first strike, but the follow-up upward slash struck him hard in the side.
"Ugh…! That hurt, damn it…!"
Clutching his side where he’d been hit, Souta staggered back.
"Since it's magically reinforced ice, it's way harder than a wooden sword."
What I was using was essentially pykrete—a material formed by freezing water mixed with pulp, known for being stronger and more resistant to melting than ordinary ice. The pulp from the pocket tissue wasn’t enough on its own, but that’s where my magic compensated.
"Fine by me…!"
Souta, now back in stance, lunged at me with a punch. I parried his attacks using my ice sword.
"Looks like the tables have turned, Souta!"
Thanks to the sword's reach, the advantage was now mine. I no longer needed to force an attack. And besides, in the other world, I’d fought using a sword—this felt more natural to my body, easier to fight with.
"Don’t think holding a weapon suddenly makes you the winner!"
Souta’s movements were impressive too. He was narrowly dodging my strikes, which I swung at a speed far beyond what normal people could follow.
But as I kept pressing my attack without pause, my effective hits gradually increased.
"Got you!"
At last, I caught Souta with a diagonal slash from shoulder to hip.
"That’s it!"
I felt the definite impact of the blow and locked eyes with Souta.
—Yet, even as pain twisted his face, Souta grinned defiantly.
"At the moment you land a strike… you can’t move!"
Before I knew it, Souta’s body was already closing in, and a moment later, a heavy impact struck me. Souta’s shoulder tackle had slammed into me, sending me flying.
He came straight after me, trying to pin me down and mount me. In midair, as my body spun, I could see Souta lunging in from below, trying to crash down on top of me.
…Like hell I’ll let you!
I twisted my body, planted my left hand on the ground, and, now upside-down, kicked my legs straight up.
With my body reinforced by magic, I sprang high into the air. My school uniform’s skirt fluttered open like a blooming flower, momentarily obscuring Souta from my view. Not that it mattered—both my legs were already aimed at him.
I clamped Souta’s head firmly between both knees and, using my whole body, threw him over. A Frankensteiner.
Souta’s body flipped cleanly through the air and crashed down onto the ground.
"Guh…!"
The air was knocked from Souta’s lungs.
He didn’t even manage to break his fall and showed no signs of moving anytime soon.
While straddling Souta with his head trapped between my knees, I pressed the white ice sword in my hand against his face.
"My win."
"…Yeah. I lose."
Souta looked up at me and spoke. Then, as if realizing something, he hurriedly averted his gaze.
"I didn’t expect to struggle this much… I’m surprised."
I never thought I’d have to fight so hard, using magic at full power against an ordinary human.
I released my magic, causing the ice sword to dissipate into mist. The white pulp powder—what remained of the pocket tissue—floated up like snow and vanished into the air.
"I’m the one who’s surprised. That was really magic… wasn’t it? Alice, just who exactly are you…?"
"Ikuto."
"...Huh?"
"I am... no, I’m Ikuto. Souta, I’m sorry for keeping it from you all this time."
I confessed everything to Souta.
…Since I won, that should be enough, right?
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