Awakening to a Special-Grade Explorer

"Come at once, you two."

Ashuka said in a calm tone.

Demilia and Georg's eyes narrowed when they heard his confident remark. In fact, neither of them ever doubted his prowess. After all, it was not a child's play to enter into this school. But he also should have known the value of time spent in this school—the longer they spent here, the more they got stronger.

So, it was normal for there to be a difference in battle power between the students who had been in this school for long and the students who had just transferred here.

"Huh? Are you sane?"

"Didn't you hear me? I don't like to repeat things."

Ashuka's word surprised even Schultz-sensei. Demilia wedges himself between him and Ashuka.

"It seems like your stock value is at the rock bottom in the mind of the new transferee, huh, Georg."

"Get out of my way, Demilia."

"Don't be like that. It's a good chance to show him a glimpse of America's true power, and that why everyone back at home dreaded our coordination. Besides...we must let him know why he shouldn't make light of the time we spent here."

"Shut up. I don't need anyone's help."

"You think you can say that after your failure in the exam? Like I said, we must do it together. Your petty pride isn't even worth a penny, throw it."

"......"

Georg couldn't put any rebuttal at the sound argument.

Schultz-sensei, the referee in this match, asked the three.

"The name is Damon, right...Are you serious? Both of them are top students in the first years. Demilia, in particular, scored first in the test last time, while Georg was ranked 4th."

"I don't mind. This just makes them perfect."

"Great, you have quite a backbone for real, Ashuka. I like your self-confidence, unlike the yellow. Well, I just hope you don't turn out a swordsman, though!"

Demilia flashed a mocking smile as he turned his gaze toward Tenji, who was staring at the scene among other onlookers.

Pyne, standing next to Tenji, huffed seeing that mocking gaze. Ashuka, too, sent an annoyed Demilia's way for some reason.

"It's not something for american to stick their nose in."

"What?"

"Do you think there are people who take pleasure in seeing their fellow countrymen being belittled?"

"............"

"............I guess Yellow didn't tell you, huh?"

"Quite standing there and come at me."

Ashuka gave Demilia a glacial glare before turning to look at Schultz-sensei, urging him to announce the starting.

The air was filled with slight gunpowder, though that didn't perturbed Schultz-sensei as he quietly raised his hand.

"All three of you, get ready! You are allowed to act however you want except underhanded means. The matter might involve President Limey later if you did so, do remember that. Got it?"

" " "Yes." " "

The air tensed the instant they replied.

Demilia and Georg took their own stance while holding their respective weapon, showing how serious they were this time. Ashuka slid his leg half-step forward, though didn't show any sign of taking off his weapon.

'I am ready,' Schultz-sensei sensed that kind of conviction from the unarmed Ashuka and sucked in a breath.

"Then—Begannn!"

Schultz-sensei extended his one hand towards the ceiling simultaneously as he shouted and took a big leap backward, distancing himself from getting into their way.

Demilia and Georg confirmed it at the end of their periphery and simultaneously turned their weapon toward Ashuka.

"Georg, let's go."

"Let's go."

Georg bolted forward at the signal of Demilia, closing the gap between him and Ashuka at once. At the same time, Demilia fired his emerald magic bullet that rapidly advanced as they sneakily made their path from the blind spot of Georg— his armpit, between the leg and beside the face.

Demilia's forte lies in his ability to perform high-speed shots with pinpoint precision, threading through the gaps. He capitalises on this very ability of his through the coordination with Georg as the shot he fired aimed at Ashuka. In tandem was Georg making a beeline toward him.

"Pay for your conceitedness, you Japanese!"

Demilia's triumphant voice echoed within the training ground.

However, Ashuka didn't take even a single step back as he calmly analysed the movement of these two. And then——

"Slow, «Grid Quickness»!"

At the same time as magic bullets draw bear Ashuka, Georg released an ultra-fast drop kick. The coordination both of them had honed in America left everyone here involuntarily awestruck. Everyone was almost sure the game was about to be over with this move. But——

"It's the same thing......here as well."

Ashuka's figure disappeared before anyone could catch wind of it. Demilia's magic bullet and Georg's drop kick cut through the empty air.

"Wha---!?

"The hell?"

Demilia let out an exclamation at the happening but before he could take any further action, a shadow appeared behind him.

"......«Heavenly White Snake»."

And out of nowhere, he found a pure white blade resting on his throat. Perhaps to urge a quick surrender, the scant edge of the blade was slightly pressed against his throat, causing the trickle of red blood to accompany the blade's edge.

The shadow behind Demilia, needless to say, belonged to Ashuka, who showed not a hint of fatigue. Only when his long black hairs flutter on his vision that Demilia finally realised what actually happened.

"W......when did you......"

The shock in the heart of Demilia was already beyond critical point, now replaced by the fear toward Ashuka's snake-like eyes.

He hadn't taken her eyes off him for even a moment. While Ashuka seemed to be observing here, Demilia, who had launched an attack from behind, was observing the entire training ground in George's place to be able to respond to attacks from any direction, not just Ashuka's.

However he didn't get the hint of when Ashuka arrived behind him, much less about the sword resting against his throat.

"......How did you do?

"I don't have any obligation to tell you."

Georg also realised Ashuka's whereabouts only then. He hurriedly shifted the direction of his body and put himself on maximum vigilance against Ashuka.

"That's just......completely disappeared in an instant."

"Georg, was it?"

"Yes?"

"You lack enough vigilance."

Ashuka said, glancing at Georg's feet mockingly. That instant, a part of the floor began to glow in a circular pattern and a countless white thread-like something wound around Georg to entrap him.

Georg panicked and immediately tried out his skill to make a breakthrough, however his body had already become the prisoner of those things. Soon, even his legs were binded as he collapsed to the floor, his entire body coiled up by the white thread-like thing.

"That's enough!"

Schultz-sensei's signal for the end echoed within the training ground.