sed up quite some points for his bracelet just now. To be honest, it is really hard for him to take care of those two.

"Natsukawa! Take the smart one!"

"OK, Tsunemura!"

"Be careful, Yoshii-kun! They're aiming for you!"

"Stop it, Kubo-kun! This bad sympathy is more painful than anyone scolding me!"

The Toko-Natsu pair's challenging Kubo-kun.

Until now, Kubo-kun's summoned beast had the mentality of taking on anyone that stood in its way no matter what.

Kubo-kun's summoned beast swings its massive scythe as the mohican-sempai's summoned beast flies in. The enemy cleaves its sword upwards as it attacks.

And also, the other enemy, the baldy-sempai, lets his summoned beast duck low and charge in.

"Your actions are too obvious, you glasses bastard!"

The bald-sempai's summoned beast charges in ferociously with its sword pointed forward.

"Don't even think about it, you disgusting sempai!"

I let my summoned beast swing its wooden sword from the side to intercept.

"Yoshii-kun!"

"I'm fine here, Kubo-kun!"

In response to Kubo-kun's signal, I lower my summoned beast slightly.

After that, his scythe makes a loud swoosh, ripping through the winds as he slices his way through.

"..Ugh!"

"You bastard..!"

The Toko-Natsu's summoned beasts are on the defensive this time; though they used their weapons to block the attacks, they were still sent flying away.

"Let's continue."

He launches another 3 scythe attacks, and the Toko-Natsu pair could only jump back to increase the distance.

"You're not getting away!"

My summoned beast managed to regain its balance, and swings the wooden sword at the baldy-sempai's summoned beast. It's unable to dodge completely because of its posture, and the wooden sword grazes the tip of the shoulder.

Language, 3-A, Natsukawa Shunpei, 389 points.

Vs

Language, 2-F, Yoshii Akihisa, 142 points.

The points showed a slight amount of damage.

"Yoshii..! You're really getting on my nerves, you bastard..!"

"I'll take that as a compliment, sempai."

The baldy-sempai clicks his tongue furiously as he glares at me.

"Natsukawa, watch out! It's coming for you!"

"Damn it!!"

Kubo-kun didn't stop even when we're attacking each other, and he swings the scythe down without thinking of defending himself.

"It isn't good to forget about me like that, sempai."

I swing my wooden sword extremely hard at the baldy-sempai so that he can't focus completely on Kubo-kun.

The baldy-sempai's summoned beast blocks my attack in annoyance, and I leap up high in response to his movement, blocking his line of sight.

After that, Kubo-kun swings his scythe at the baldy-sempai's summoned beast.

"What..!? You're annoying!"

The baldy-sempai's sword managed to block the sword at the last moment. I let my summoned beast move quickly, while Kubo-kun continues with his attacks as we continue to hold off baldy-sempai's summoned beast.

"This is frustrating..! Yoshii! Fight me like a man!!"

"Calm down, Natsukawa! You're getting caught in their pace!!"

Right now, I shouldn't be attacking. The best way now is for Kubo-kun to exert his strength as much as possible.

"Shut up Tsunemura! I must break this wimpy attack head on!"

"Natsukawa..damn!"

As the bald-sempai charged in rashly, the mohican-sempai provides cover for him.

I continue to assist Kubo-kun as I fight the Toko-Natsu pair.

This situation continues for a little while, and I hear a familiar voice from behind.

"Leave it to us, Kubo!"

"Kinosheeta and I will take over. Go replenish your points!"

Minami and Hideyoshi came to provide support. Since Kubo-kun had used his bracelet, we can't let him continue to fight here.

"Shimada-san and Kinosheeta-kun? I'll leave it to you then."

""Summon!""

Once he saw that the pair's summoned beasts have entered, Kubo-kun escaped to the old school campus.

Language, 2-F, Shimada Minami, 94 points.

&

Language, 2-F, Kinosheeta Hideyoshi, 257 points.

"..Minami, what's with that score?"

"Shut up! That's why I came along with Kinosheeta, right?"

Though I said that, Minami's language score too has actually increased as well. If wasn't rare for her to have a combined score of 30 in modern language and classics during our first year.

"Stop looking down on us..! Your attacks are only so paltry without that bastard's attack power!"

Because of Kubo-kun's retreat, the bald-sempai continues to attack again. He attacks Minami's summoned beast without the mohican-sempai providing cover. It looks like he has abandoned the formation they used against Kubo-kun.

"Die, you bast..!"

The baldy-sempai's unable to pronounce the words correctly as he yells and attacks. My summoned beast dodges the attack, and swings the sword down hard unlike before.

"Ugh..!?"

His summoned beast could not withstand this attack, probably not expecting this full-powered attack. I then seize this opportunity to send a kick at his jaw from below.

"Y..ou.."

My summoned beast doesn't stop however, and once it slams into him, it uses the wooden sword to poke the middle of the forehead. The enemy barely managed to block this attack with its weapon.

Language, 3-A, Natsukawa Shunpei, 342 points.

Vs

Language, 2-F, Yoshii Akihisa, 142 points.

The reduced points from the attack was shown.

"Hideyoshi, Minami!"

"Righto!"

"Okay!"

Hideyoshi and Minami's summoned beast charge in, swinging their weapons. There's no way the baldy-sempai's summoned beast can avoid these attacks after being sent flying by my summoned beast.

"As if I'll let you."

Of course, the mohican-sempai won't let this happen; his summoned beast chases after us.

"Double!"

I summon the second beast to obstruct the mohican-sempai's attack.

"You're annoying!!"

His summoned beast swings its weapon, the halberd at my second beast, trying to shake me off.

My second beast ducks to dodge, and follows up with a sweeping kick.

"You bastard..!"

Though his summoned beast did not take any damage, it stopped in its tracks.

Language, 3-A, Natsukawa Shunpei, 201 points.

Vs

Language, 2-F, Shimada Minami, 94 points.

&

Language, 2-F, Kinosheeta Hideyoshi, 257 points.

The additional damage done by Minami and Hideyoshi's attacks on the baldy-sempai was shown. He managed to defend himself, but we're successful in reducing his points.

"Damn you! You're using numbers now that Kubo isn't here!?"

The baldy-sempai was trembling in rage, his face completely red.

"Calm down and pull yourself together, Natsukawa!"

"Shut up!"

The baldy-sempai's so angry he can no longer see what's around him.

"Listen, Natsukawa!"

The mohican-sempai grabs the other by the shoulder, and emphasizes strongly.

"We can't beast Yoshii in such a situation. Let's fall back and replenish our points."

"Tch..!"

The baldy-sempai bit his lips as he saw his indicated score.

And then, he gritted his teeth.

"Yoshii, whatever I owed you till now, I'll pay it all back in this war!"

Once he said this, he swapped places with another person, and went to the new school building.

The enemies taking over cautiously kept their distance from us, allowing us to heave a sigh of relief.

"Phew..managed to chase them away."

"Looks that way."

It seems the Toko-Natsu pair is an important fighting strength to them; having chased them away, the enemy's attacks have eased up.

"Anyway, Aki, Sakamoto has given you some new instructions. Do you have some time?"

"Ah, yeah."

Minami deliberately hushed her voice, seemingly fearful of others hearing her as she looks around.

Having seen her do this, Hideyoshi suggests.

"Well then, Akihisa, there's no time for you to replenish your points, but how about you go take a rest with Shimada?"

Hideyoshi's meaning is that it'll be troublesome if the opponent is to overhear us, and that we have to be careful. I'm a little tired after focusing so much effort on controlling the summoned beast, so I'm really grateful for this suggestion.

"I'll do as you say then."

"Sorry for leaving you so quickly after arriving, Kinosheeta."

"Well, don't mind about that. You'd have to continue working hard after this."

D class, which was on standby, takes over from us, so Minami and I retreat from here.

☆

"So Minami, what's the plan?"

We left the frontlines, and started to chat near the corridor of the old school building. There's no worry that the 3rd years can overhear us here.

"Erm, you know the plan for Mizuki and Kubo to use the bracelets?"

"Yeah."

"When they use the bracelet again, Sakamoto will also be on the frontlines. Just follow them from behind without calling out your summoned beast, and get ready to go."

Right now, the situation has more or less stabilized, so we're proceeding with the next plan? I don't know what he wants to do, and it's definitely not going to be pretty. I better be careful from now on and not use too many of my points.

"Got it Minami."

"I told you all these already, so don't think too much about winning that you forget about the plan, okay?"

"I'm alright."

I'll get scary thoughts if those bracelet attacks happen again anyway.

"Anyway, now that I heard of the plan, I'll go back to where Hideyoshi is--"

"Wait, Aki."

The instant I try to return from this corridor to the battlefield, Minami grabs me by the hand. What now?

"Anything else you had to tell me?"

"Ah, erm, it's not about the strategy."

"? What is it then?"

"Erm, well, that, I guess, huh?"

Minami's attitude changes completely as she starts to panic. What's going on? This isn't like her.

"Argh seriously..! I already decided that I want to say it now. Why am I being so flustered..?"

This time, she turns her back on me and mumbles to herself. Is this really something that difficult to talk about?"

"Erm, Minami, I'm not sure what's going on, but it's fine that you calm down and tell me later if you're anxious about it."

"Y-Yeah, I did think of this before. I'm scared that you'll be distracted if I say something strange in this important battle, Aki."

Since she's thinking about whether she wants to say it now, I guess it's something that puts her in a dilemma or something?

"But if someone else is going to spill it out, I better make a promise before I regret it.."

Minami seems to be whispering something, and she turns around, looking like she made up her mind as she looks at me shyly.

"Erm, Aki."

"Ah, yeah, what is it?"

"I got something important to say to you once this summoning war is over."

"..Oho."

Why? Why is it that I feel that either Minami or I will die in this war when I hear this line?"

"Erm, Minami? In movies, those--"

Those are basically death flags. The moment I was about to say this.

".."

I'm stumped by Minami's ridiculously serious look, and can only swallow my words.

"Erm..what's that important thing about?"

"Very important..more important than anything else to me."

These words don't seem to be a lie, and Minami's expression conveys these words as well.

In this situation, I can only answer seriously.

"Got it. It's a promise. I definitely won't forget about that."

"Yeah. Please."

Minami's showing an expression more serious than anything else I have seen. Is it really that important? I guess it is that important if she's worried that I'll falter in this summoning war if I hear it.

"Sorry about it, Aki. How about we return to the war?"

"Sure."

After making a promise about something, Minami and I again return to the frontlines.