Sanctification
♯
“W-What… what the hell’s going on!?”
《DOT (DropOutTamers)》 Day One, our first quest.
Having “lost” it in a flash, we were now facing off tensely at the park’s edge.
Can’t blame us, really—not after what just went down. Nitta Sana’s self-sabotage, plain as day. She slapped a debuff on her own Tamer, buffed the enemy’s, and went down without dealing a single point of damage, losing our 【Mithril Golem】 in one fell swoop. The ultimate team-disrupting move, no question.
“What was that battle!? And traitor!? Did you just call her a traitor!?”
“…Dunno. Doesn’t matter, does it?”
“Tch…! So that’s it—we’ve been played! Not by Shinohara, but by you from the start…!”
Yuikawa, fuming, stormed toward Nitta. As for her, the intense look from before was gone, replaced by a cold, detached stare. …But then, a blue-haired girl with sleepy eyes stepped between them, her hair swaying lightly.
“Stop. …Scaring girls is bad. Fine: five million.”
“Huh!? Don’t screw with me—you’re a victim too! Why’re you defending her!?”
“Nitta-chan’s cute, and you’re not… obvious conclusion. Traitor or not, same difference. No debate needed…”
Minami shook her short bob slightly, dismissing him. Yuikawa tried to snap back with a “But—!” but Minami cut him off, continuing flatly.
“Also… if Nitta-chan is the traitor, figuring it out now isn’t bad, right…?”
“W-What?”
Yuikawa’s voice cracked, caught off guard, before he nodded reluctantly.
“Well… sure, that’s one way to look at it. We know there’s one traitor per team, so losing a C-Grade Tamer for confirmation? Not a bad trade.”
“Exactly… so it’s a good thing. Good deed means Nitta-chan’s a good person. So, apologize to her already… go on, dogeza.”
“Uh, right, my bad for jumping the gun and upsetting you—wait, hold up, that’s too far! I didn’t do anything wrong! She’s the one who messed up!”
“…”
“At least say something!”
Yuikawa danced on Minami’s palm while Nitta just gave him a chilly glance. He still looked pissed, but eventually muttered “Tch…” and dropped the pursuit. Not some change of heart, though—odds are, in Yuikawa’s mind, Nitta Sana’s now marked for “execution.”
(Well… yeah, Nitta’s move was blatantly bad for the team. If she’s not the traitor, what’s the point?)
I mulled it over quietly. …Straight-up, a player screwing over teammates screams traitor. But pinning it on Nitta with just that feels risky somehow.
(If she’s really the traitor, would she announce it like that…? Sneakier sabotage—like Akizuki’s schemes—would be way more efficient. Yet Nitta went for a loud, obvious “betrayal” and basically confessed. So, is there some deeper meaning…?)
Maybe I’m overthinking, but it feels like the most logical take. 《DOT》’s got a complex setup. Looks like a team battle, but with players from different districts, even non-traitors could act against the group’s interests. In a chaotic, large-scale 《Duel》 like this, jumping to conclusions about traitors is premature.
“Hm…”
No clue if Minami was on the same wavelength, but she stayed neutral on Nitta and Fujishiro for now. Basically, “too murky, let’s keep watching.” Problem is, leaving Nitta unchecked risks more damage like before… but Yuikawa had a fix.
“《Seal》 ability—the ultimate, elegant skill fit for me, the top dog. It temporarily boots a player from 《Duels》. Apply it, and she’s locked out of main player picks and command phases.”
“…Huh? Real convenient ability there, Yuikawa. Bet you meant to use it on an enemy team, though.”
“Ugh… sharp as ever, 7-Star.”
Yuikawa nodded, wincing but smug. …Anyway, his ability sidelined Nitta from quests or battles for a bit. Using it on a teammate’s irregular, but it’s not not about restraining a traitor.
With Nitta’s free rein cut off, we returned to Sigma and tackled the same quest again. This time, Ouka’s secret weapon, Fujishiro Keiya, was our main player. Flawless commands tore through Sigma’s 【Great Eagle】, clinching victory in two turns.
Watching it through, Sigma flashed a soft smile.
“…Alright, my loss. You guys are a strong team.”
“Heh, kinda embarrassing to hear… ahem!”
“Embarrassed where? You didn’t do jack!”
“Don’t wanna hear that from you… Anyway, quest lady, one thing I wanna ask. That ‘second thing’—what was it?”
Brushing off Yuikawa, Minami spoke flatly. Sigma tilted her head at the vague question, but Minami pressed on unfazed.
“Basic commands’ advantage… you said the ‘first’ is their effects lasting forever. If there’s only one, you wouldn’t phrase it like that… What’s the second?”
“…Well noticed.”
Sigma nodded quietly at Minami’s follow-up. She then explained a hidden 《DOT》 mechanic—“linked commands.” It was crucial info for us, so we huddled around a bench with Fujishiro and Yuikawa to discuss. “…”
Meanwhile, Nitta, hood pulled low, bit her lip and stared at the ground silently.
♯
“If we’re following S-Grade quests, next up’s a battle.”
—After wrapping up with Sigma.
On the way to the station, Fujishiro projected his terminal screen and kicked things off.
“Specifically, ‘win a battle against another team.’ …Guess it’s this 《Duel》’s tutorial substitute. Chase S-Grade Tamers, and the rules sink in naturally.”
“Yeah. But… we got a C-Grade Tamer from that quest, sure, but losing an hour means it’s too soon to attack. Gotta beef up our forces first.”
“Weak talk for you. But fair call. Even optimistically, our team’s strength is near the bottom.”
Fujishiro nodded, his tone rough but sharp—Ouka’s shadow ace, coolly sizing things up.
“So, next we hit a slightly tougher quest… hm?”
But—as we reached the station rotary, plotting, everyone’s terminals blared a sharp beep-beep warning. A projection popped up: “Enemy team approaching!” No sign of them, but another team was closing in.
I touched my right ear for intel, and Shirayuki’s voice came through quick.
‘Team XII… started from District 2. Players hail from District 7 Shinra, District 9 Kagurazuki, District 10 Oumi, District 14 St. Rosalia, and District 19 Souken. None are your acquaintances, Master, but their average rank is 4.8.’
(Crazy high…)
Not shocking, maybe, but that’s basically a full 5-Star lineup. Semifinal’s level is no joke.
“Tch… majority vote, you lot.”
A split second after the alert, Fujishiro switched gears, voice low.
“They’re definitely coming for us. No clue why yet, but if they challenge us, 《Duel》 rules mean we can’t refuse. You can only apply for a battle within ten meters. We can still bail now.”
“No way. Running’s the least ‘me’ thing ever. …But just to check, how exactly do we escape? If they want a fight, outrunning them sounds tough.”
“Idiot, you think I’d suggest a marathon with this crew? Listen, in 《DOT》, a team needs at least two players—some exceptions based on numbers, but we can flip that rule.”
“? …Uh, meaning?”
“Tch, come on—”
“—Split into five. If we all scatter, we’re not a ‘team,’ so they can’t apply for a battle no matter what.”
I picked up Fujishiro’s explanation, laying it out. …Yeah, that’s the best move. Break up the team, ditch the approaching squad, then regroup. Probably 《DOT》’s go-to dodge tactic.
—But,
“Sorry, that’s a no-go…”
As the escape plan solidified, Minami shot it down flatly. I glanced her way—and saw something bizarre.
“…”
Nitta gripped Minami’s hand silently, and Minami, not minding, held it back. My brain stalled at the weird scene, but it clicked fast. Nitta’s trying to stop Minami—to tank our five-way split and keep us from dodging Team XII.
“Hehe… Nitta-chan’s mine. Mutual love…”
Minami’s not clueless to the ploy, but she’s clearly not shaking free. Seeing this, Yuikawa’s face went pale.
“W-What’s this nonsense!? It’s a traitor’s trick! You two sticking together means we can’t avoid a fight! I wanna get outta here!!”
“? Running’s a hassle… Just win. Easy, right?”
“! …Tch, not wrong!”
“Then shut it… I’m busy enjoying Nitta-chan.”
Minami half-debated Yuikawa into silence, then started intertwining her fingers with Nitta’s. Fujishiro, meanwhile, had given up escaping mid-argument, rubbing his forehead with a sigh.
So, yeah—
“—Yo, you’re Team VI, right?”
Less than a minute later, we ran into them.
The guy leading the talk had longish brown hair, giving off a cocky vibe. Maybe the leader, since the others hung back, watching. One was a girl in a St. Rosalia uniform—Minami’s “ah” and her little bow suggested they’d met, maybe at a strategy meeting like Eimei’s.
Anyway, the brown-haired guy kept going, all swagger.
“Komaba Toshimitsu, Kagurazuki Academy third-year, 5-Star. Kinda the shot-caller for Team XII. You… guessing the 7-Star’s the leader?”
“Not exactly, but I’ll humor you. Semifinal’s barely started—hours in. What’s the rush?”
“Heh, yeah, maybe I’m a bit eager. But crushing a big shot like you? Huge chance, gets the blood pumping. Plus… if I take you down here, maybe I’ll join 《Hexagram》 as a ‘hero of justice,’ huh?”
Komaba flashed a nasty grin.
He held up two fingers, smirking wider.
“Two options. First: trade. Hand over what we want, and we’re good. We want all your Tamers; we’ll toss you one C-Grade 【Slime】. Not a bad deal, right?”
“Dunno. If you’re serious, you should check into a hospital.”
“Haha! Dead serious, man! Listen, Shinohara—we’ve cleared four quests, won two team battles. Our Tamers outclass yours in quality and quantity. No running allowed… I’ll drain you dry and lock in your loss! That’s option two.”
Komaba barked boldly, all aggression. I brushed it off coolly, but inwardly winced.
(Tch… if the terms were halfway decent, I’d consider trading.)
In 《DOT》, trading Tamers to let someone off is valid—if both sides agree. But all our Tamers for one C-Grade? That’s absurd. Option one’s not even worth a thought.
‘Still, they’ve got resources to burn—no lie. They hold triple the Tamer types your team does. Plus, Komaba’s likely using a B-Grade… so, Master, you can’t be the main player.’
(…Yeah, figured!)
Shirayuki’s voice in my earpiece made me clutch my head inwardly. …She’s right. In this 《Duel》, attackers pick Tamers freely, but defenders are stuck with same-or-higher rarity. If you don’t have one, the attacker can even choose your Tamer.
So, yeah, with only two C-Grades, I can’t face Komaba. Only Yuikawa and Minami have B-Grades on Team VI. One of them’s gotta take him… but,
(If Nitta’s not the traitor, odds are high one of those two is legit…)
That possibility nagged me. …Probably the worst-case scenario. For a traitor, this battle’s a “no big deal if we lose” chance to burn a high-rarity Tamer and tank our win. Sure, their own victory takes a hit, but relatively, it’s a solid edge.
Still—guess I’ll roll the dice.
“Minami.”
“Hah… w-why do you know my name? Stalker…?”
“Gonna do that every time? …Anyway, can I leave this battle to you?”
“Hey, hold up, Shinohara! I’ve got a B-Grade too! You saying this shrimp’s more reliable than me!?”
“Shrimp’s uncalled for… I’m amazing under this, you know…”
“Don’t know, don’t care. …Yuikawa, your B-Grade 【Hellhound】 ties to our win condition. We can’t risk losing it, yeah?”
Convinced, Yuikawa backed off with a grudging “Fine…” All eyes—minus Nitta, still hand-in-hand—turned to Minami. District 14 St. Rosalia Girls’ Academy second-year, the “sleeping lion” who hid her strength forever. She met my gaze, flicked her hair, and nodded blankly.
“Got it. Should be quick… don’t hate me if it’s not exciting, ’kay?”
—District 1 Central Station Rotary.
Team XII’s Komaba vs. Team VI’s Minami drew a massive crowd.
Typical for 《SFIA》’s summer fest vibe. 《Libra》 streams 《Duels》, so spectating live’s no big deal. Some players even have hardcore fans chasing them.
“…Peace.”
Minami Shizuku’s spotlight was unreal. A rare Semifinalist from low-key St. Rosalia, she’d climbed to 5-Stars fast, her hidden talent now bursting out. Island buzz had skyrocketed her rep. Her sleepy, languid beauty didn’t hurt either.
Komaba, eyeing the crowd irritably, threw a jab at her.
“Yo, Minami Shizuku, right? Quite the fanbase. Almost feel bad—everyone watching you crash and burn.”
“Hm… no need to be that jealous. With this crowd, you’ve probably got fans too. Like, 2% of ’em… fight on.”
“…Tch. Annoying.”
Komaba grimaced at Minami’s taunt, pulling out his terminal and declaring:
“That smug face pisses me off—we’re winning, no question. I’ll make you cry pathetic tears, 【Leviathan】!!”
Instantly—GOOOOOH!—a sleek water dragon burst from the rotary’s center with a bone-rattling roar. 【Turbid Stream II: Leviathan】, Komaba’s B-Grade Tamer. Its massive frame swirled with torrents of water.
“Hm…”
Minami, unfazed, didn’t twitch a muscle. With a lazy swipe of her right hand, a faint tap sounded, and a sultry woman with wings and a long tail appeared beside her. …B-Grade 【Lush VI: Succubus】. Her provocative figure sparked cheers and gasps from the crowd.
“Hehe… FYI, this is what I’d look like stripped down. Fun fact…”
Minami glanced back, saying something I pretended not to hear.
Anyway—Tamers set, all nine players (minus sealed Nitta) picked commands. New Tamers from the last quest upped our options, but Minami had a specific command request—she wanted to test something.
(That thing from the quest guide, right…? If it lands, we win easy. …Might as well prep.)
Hand on my pocketed terminal, I thought it over. Minami’s plan was a basic command twist—no special commands needed, so a loss would cost us little. Even if we flub, we could counter-challenge and claw back a win.
【Team XII: Komaba Toshimitsu. Tamer: B-Grade “Turbid Stream II: Leviathan”】
【Tamer Stats: ATK 5, DEF 3, SPD 4, LP 4】
【Set Commands: Attack+/Attack+/Void Cannon/Constrict/Charge】
【Team VI: Minami Shizuku. Tamer: B-Grade “Lush VI: Succubus”】
【Set Commands: Speed+/Vitality+/Defend+/Defend+】
【Tamer Stats: ATK 3, DEF 4, SPD 5, LP 5】
“…Hm. Lots of new stuff.”
Minami muttered, eyeing Komaba’s command list. Yuikawa, tossing his hair smugly, jumped in.
“My time to shine. Special ability 《Quick Scan》—let’s see… First, 【Void Cannon】 is a C-Grade 【Lich】 skill command. Skips normal attacks for a guaranteed preemptive 3-damage hit, ignoring DEF. 【Constrict】 is 【Leviathan】’s own skill—skips attacks to set a trap dealing 1 damage per turn. And 【Charge】, from C-Grade 【Minotaur】, doubles Tamer ATK for one turn. …Well? How’s my intel game? Clearly I’m leader material!”
‘More supporter than leader, if anything… Also, I’d rather you not steal my job.’
Shirayuki’s faintly miffed voice leaked through my earpiece, but 《The Company》’s hush-hush, so it’s whatever. No need to bug her for stuff abilities can handle.
Back to it—knowing the commands, I compared stats. Both B-Grades, but 【Leviathan】 leans combat-heavy. High SPD shines with strong skills, but for now, ATK and DEF rule. Their skill commands are nasty too.
(We’ve got _【Attack+__】, so it’s not like we’re blanked, but 1 damage per turn max. Four turns to chip_ _【Leviathan__】’s LP… no way we last that long. This okay…?_)
The more I looked, the worse it felt.
Yet Minami, barely reacting, locked in her first turn’s order without a fuss. Yuikawa piped up, rattled.
“H-Hey, don’t you need to think more!? That quick… if you lose, you’re taking the fall, right!?”
“? Fall for what… I won’t lose to this guy, no matter how many tries. It’s fine.”
“W-What… oh, right, sure. I mean, I wouldn’t lose, but I was just worried for others. Don’t get it twisted!”
“…? Okay… if you say so.”
Minami tilted her head, nodding vaguely. She flicked her gaze to me, lips curling slightly, then faced Komaba again. He must’ve overheard—his face was pure irritation.
And so—the battle kicked off.
“First, cut incoming damage… 【Defend+】 command. Boosts 【Succubus】’s DEF by +1. Normal attacks won’t touch her now.”
“Pointless tricks! I’m going 【Constrict】! Skip this turn’s attack, but you get a water trap dealing 1 damage every turn-end!”
‘GUOOOOH!!’
At Komaba’s call, 【Leviathan】 writhed midair. Instantly, a massive whirlpool—SPLASH!—engulfed 【Succubus】, coiling her seductive limbs.
‘N… ahh!’
“Whoa… kinky attack style. Your fetish? Or viewer service…?”
“S-Shut it! You’re the one using a 【Succubus】!”
Minami tilted her head blankly; Komaba snapped back, flustered.
Anyway, Turn 1’s order phase wrapped. In the battle phase, 【Succubus】 moved first due to SPD, but her ATK matched 【Leviathan】’s DEF—no damage. 【Leviathan】 skipped its attack via skill, and the water trap hit 【Succubus】 for 1 damage.
Turn 2—Komaba picked 【Attack+】, Minami another 【Defend+】. Boosts applied, 【Leviathan】’s ATK hit 6, 【Succubus】’s DEF 6. Both attacks flopped at 0 damage. But 【Constrict】 ticked—【Succubus】, swallowed by currents, groaned and took 1 damage, LP down to 3.
Komaba looked down, cackling gleefully.
“Too easy—my team’s unstoppable! Feel that power gap!? Told ya, surrender would’ve been smarter!”
“…? Don’t get it. Fight’s not over…”
“What, you didn’t notice? I’ve got 【Void Cannon】—skips attacks for a preemptive 3-damage hit, no DEF! With that, LP 3 or less is game over!”
“Hmm…? But 【Succubus】 is probably a demon, not human… so, no need for ‘rights,’ right…?”
“It’s a figure of speech, you damn beast!!”
Minami’s deadpan threw Komaba off, and he blew up. From the sidelines, she was totally playing him—but he wasn’t wrong. Keep this up, and Minami Shizuku loses next turn. …But,
“It’s fine…”
Minami murmured softly. To us, the crowd, or herself—no clue—but her words were clear.
“No need to worry… I’m done throwing fights on purpose.”
“—”
Her flat voice carried simple resolve, and even clueless spectators roared. Once a near-equal to 《Empress》, scouted by Yuzu-nee—a real talent. St. Rosalia’s ice blade bared its fangs, quiet but sharp.
“Tch… enough yapping! Hotshot or not, your run ends here—【Void Cannon】!!”
Turn 3, fate’s moment—Komaba went for 【Void Cannon】, as promised. A brutal skill skipping attacks for a preemptive 3-damage hit, ignoring DEF. If it lands, 【Succubus】’s LP gets wiped.
“Hm… then, this.”
Minami picked 【Vitality+】—a basic command boosting Tamer LP by +1. Komaba laughed like it was a joke.
“Hahaha! What’s that, LP boost? Sure, it dodges 【Void Cannon】’s kill zone, but forgot 【Constrict】!? Three plus one—dead even! Finish it, 【Leviathan】—!”
‘GUOOOOOH!!’
Komaba’s victory yell spurred 【Leviathan】 to coil sharply. Water sprayed as it soared, charging a pale-blue energy orb in its maw. Preemptive strike—normally, 【Succubus】, slower in SPD, eats a merciless DEF-ignoring hit first.
The crowd braced for Minami’s loss… that instant.
“…《Mutate》 ability, activate.”
A faint whisper brushed my eardrums.
Static-like effects swarmed 【Vitality+】 on Minami’s display. Before Komaba could react, it cleared, revealing a new command in our sights—【Attack+】.
“《Mutate》 is my custom ability… swaps one thing for something similar. Used it to turn 【Vitality+】 into 【Attack+】.”
“W-What’s that supposed to do!? More ATK just gets you 1 damage. LP boost would’ve made more sense—!”
“No… it wouldn’t.”
With that, Minami glanced at her display.
And—something was shifting. Turn 1, Turn 2, now Turn 3. Her chosen commands glowed white, merging into one—into something entirely new.
“Basic commands have two advantages—”
As everyone watched, breathless, Minami murmured on.
“The quest guide lady told us. First advantage: their effects last forever. Skill commands are one-shots, but basics are permanent.”
“…? Duh. Even so, skill commands are—”
“That’s not all. The big one—second advantage—is linkage. ‘Command’ means orders, but like fighting game combos, they trigger moves. Same here… three or more basic commands combine into a linked command. No public info on how or what they do—nobody knows yet. But I’ve got 《Mind’s Eye》 ability, so…”
As her calm explanation ended, the three glowing commands behind her unveiled a new “linked command.” 【Defend(D)-Defend(D)-Attack(A)】—named:
“【Spiral Hate】… reflects enemy attacks.”
“What!?”
Komaba’s scream matched the moment. A magic-circle shield flickered before the near-dead 【Succubus】, swallowing the incoming energy orb whole. Then, like a rewound film, it fired back. DEF-ignoring 3-damage—【Leviathan】 had no dodge, its soaring frame lurching hard.
Minami, blank-faced, flicked her hair.
“My win…”
“Hah!? What’re you on!? My 【Leviathan】’s still up!”
“LP’s at 1. No SPD boosts left, so 【Succubus】 strikes first next turn. With 【Attack+】, 1 damage goes through. That’s game. …Objections?”
“…Ah… a… AAAAAHH!”
Komaba, stunned, collapsed to his knees.
He declared “surrender,” and the crowd erupted in cheers.
♯
We kept pushing through the 《Duel》, and the first day of 《DOT (DropOutTamers)》 wrapped up as scheduled.
Results for the day: two battle wins and six quest clears. Beating Komaba’s Team XII already checked off the S-Grade quest’s second directive, “win a battle.” The next directive—“own at least twenty Tamers as a team”—got cleared passively while grinding normal quests.
Quick sidenote: 《DOT》’s technically a “team battle,” but since all teammates are from different districts, Tamers—our resources—are managed as “personal property.” That means every time we crush a strong enemy team with juicy Tamers, we hit the same snag: who gets what?
But we’d already gotten the rundown on that during yesterday’s strategy meeting, courtesy of Shirayuki.
‘To avoid such conflicts, we have the “Contribution System”—’
‘In this 《Duel》, command choices during battles are hidden to prevent traitor identification. But internally, they’re tracked, and based on that, a “contribution score” is calculated for each player’s impact in the fight.’
‘Rewards from battles or quests are distributed by contribution rank—first pick goes to the top contributor, then second, third, and so on. The reward selection screen only pops up when it’s your turn, so you don’t see others’ ranks or choices.’
‘Naturally, if there are fewer Tamers than team members, only the highest contributors get anything. …Which means even a traitor can’t just sabotage every time without consequences.’
…And that’s the deal.
So, by that system’s judgment, Minami snagged the B-Grade 【Leviathan】 from the Komaba fight. Main players tend to rack up the most contribution, so it’s a fair outcome.
Other notable gains: in our second battle, I got dragged out as main player and scored a 【Hellhound】, same as Yuikawa’s. Plus, Fujishiro nabbed 【Thunder IX: Anzu】 from our last high-difficulty quest. 【Leviathan】 aside, 【Anzu】’s a key Tamer for our win condition. All in all, not a bad haul for early game.
But if you thought Day 1 ended there, you’d be wrong—this next phase is basically 《DOT》’s main event.
“—Alright. Now we move into ‘night’ time.”
《SFIA》 Semifinal, 《DOT (DropOutTamers)》 Day 1, 5:15 PM.
As we finished checking resources, Yuikawa kicked things off with his usual dramatic flair.
“What’s coming is the dropout vote—everyone picks the shadiest team member, and the one with the most votes gets kicked from the 《Duel》. Brutal system, right? Normally, you’d get messy guilt-tripping and mind games, but for us, it’s simple. We know who the traitor is.”
Yuikawa shot a pointed look at Nitta, who kept her head down, his tone absolute.
Yup—dropout voting. That’s the Semifinal’s defining feature. Every “night,” a “vote” command pops up on our terminals. By midnight, each player has to pick someone to boot from the team. Deals and talks are fair game, but like we’ve hammered home, in 《DOT》, everyone’s a rival. Trust’s shaky, so we decided to vote privately.
“Heh… well then, Nitta-san. Have a lovely night.”
Yuikawa tossed that parting shot and sashayed off. Watching Nitta’s silent retreat behind him, I crossed my arms quietly.
(Yeah… like Yuikawa said, straight-up, Nitta’s the traitor. Could be he’s overreacting to pin it on her, but that’s a stretch. Minami and Fujishiro? Not a hint of suspicion.)
I churned through it silently. …Honestly, tough call. Nitta’s moves scream obvious trap, but losing Minami or Fujishiro would sting bad. Resource-wise, we’d be crawling.
“…Hey, Minami. You already locked in your vote for today?”
So—I tossed the question at Minami Shizuku, who, for some reason, hadn’t budged and was fiddling with her terminal right beside me. Sure, she might lie or dodge, but it’s still a data point. Fujishiro, lingering nearby, perked up too, curious about the sleeping lion’s answer.
“Hm… pretty much decided.”
With both our eyes on her, Minami flicked her hair and nodded slightly.
“I’m voting for the wannabe leader… ’cause he was picking on Nitta-chan. Believe it or not, up to you… but yeah.”
I nodded, “Got it,” at her flat murmur.
Her naming Yuikawa Kanade carries some weight. If she’d said Nitta, it’d likely be a lie to save her, but picking Yuikawa and voting elsewhere gains her nothing.
That leaves Fujishiro’s vote—
“…Sorry to disappoint, but I ain’t talkin’.”
Hands in pockets, leaning against a wall, he growled low.
“I respect your style, Minami. That’s a valid play. But I’m zipped. Ain’t about trust—this 《Duel》 don’t got pure allies. I trust my own answers, period.”
“…Fair enough. I wasn’t gonna spill either.”
“Huh… so I’m the only one who talked? If you won’t share, I’ll scream you harassed me… cheating scandal, now harassment. Tomorrow’s LNN, can’t wait…”
“Hold up… I haven’t picked yet. Name something else for the trade.”
“Something else… then escort me home. I’m lost here… keep this up, I’m sleeping outside. If I catch a cold, it’s on you guys…”
“Nah, I ain’t your babysitter. Shinohara, you deal.”
“? Ditching us solo this late… got a girlfriend or what?”
“…Tch. Ain’t official yet.”
“Whoa… nailed it. Delinquent with guts…”
Minami clapped softly at the unexpected hit; Fujishiro looked away, conflicted. Guess things with Mano Yuka—the girl who confessed via 《Diascript》—are going decently. If so, that urban legend about Café de Chocolat’s magic might be legit.
Anyway, we finally headed back…
“Hm? …Oh, Shinohara. You’re back.”
By the time I swung by Minami’s District 14 and got to District 4, it was past 7 PM. I linked up with Shirayuki at the station gate and headed straight to Eimei Academy.
The student council room held two 《DOT》 players—minus Minakami—plus Enomoto, buried in monitors, analyzing something. He barely greeted us before grilling me on our team’s status, then shoved a fat report summarizing the day.
“Hm…”
Per the report—Day 1 of 《DOT》 saw every team steadily powering up. C-Grade Tamers with strong skill commands kept popping up, and most win-condition B-Grades were already claimed. A-Grades are spread out, so no immediate winners, but tomorrow could see teams hit their goals. Also, Minami’s big “linkage effect” reveal is now seen as a key strategy piece.
“Given all that, tomorrow’s probably gonna be a free-for-all.”
Enomoto moved to our table with a canned coffee, speaking quietly as Shirayuki and I looked up from the report.
“Your team’s on S-Grade quests, so you know the next directive: ‘win seven battles against other teams.’ Clear that, and you unlock a battle-quest with the S-Grade 【Daitenshi】. How fast you stack wins ties directly to grabbing S-Grades. Every team’ll go battle-heavy.”
“Yup. Comes down to who racked up the most resources on Day 1, right?”
“Exactly. For your crew… sounds like if you handle that 1-Star, you’re set.”
“Pretty much. Depends on tonight’s vote, but even if Nitta sticks around, Yuikawa’s 《Seal》 keeps things under control. What about other teams…”
I glanced left—and there was Akizuki, usually all smug charm, slumped over the table, cheeks squished, eyes misty as she gazed up wistfully.
“Ugh, Hiroto-kun… Noa’s kinda wiped out. Hey, hey, a big hug from you’d totally recharge me—”
“Understood, Akizuki-sama. Shall I give you a tight squeeze?”
“Whoa, no way! Geez… hehe, Shirayuki-chan’s so possessive♡”
“…I don’t follow.”
Shirayuki and Akizuki bickered around me—a routine by now. Once it settled, I turned to Akizuki.
“Anyway… you’re a traitor, right? In a nightmare team with Saiouji, Kururugi, and 《Hexagram》 bigwigs. Gotta be draining.”
“Mmm, a bit. If I don’t act weird, no one suspects me, and with all those powerhouses, the 《Duel》’s a breeze, but…”
“But?”
“…《Empress》 is just too much. I planned to wreck the team as a traitor, but she hit me with 《Harmony EX》, neutralizing most of my sabotage. She just smiles cutely, but I feel totally seen through… Kururugi-chan and Akutsu-chan are strong, but 《Empress》’s scariness is on another level.”
“Hm… yeah, figures. 《Empress》’s title ain’t for show.”
“Yup. So all I managed was charming a guy teammate to do my bidding and framing him to let another team snag a B-Grade with a strong skill command♪”
“…You’re a menace, little devil.”
“Ehehe~♡ Hiroto-kun praised me♡”
Akizuki beamed from right beside me. She kicked her feet happily for a bit before continuing, like she’d remembered something.
“That’s how our Day 1 went! We voted together, so no dropouts today. …But it’s too smooth, which is kinda bad for traitor-me. 《Empress》’s starter 【Suzaku】 has a handy ability, so we’re swimming in resources. Plus, it fits our win condition, so one more A-Grade and we’re basically done… I’ll do what I can, though♪”
“…Yeah, good luck.”
I nodded slightly. Her tone sounds like slim odds, but guess it’s just bad luck.
“So, how’s Asamiya doing?”
“…Huh? Oh, me?”
Done with Akizuki, I called out to Asamiya, who was poring over that thick report next to Enomoto. She blinked, missing my voice at first, then flicked her golden hair up brightly.
“We’re super solid! Phoenix-kun—District 8’s Kugasaki-kun—took charge, and he’s got this… charisma? His face, cape, and laugh are scary, but he’s actually kinda nice. We’re pretty united!”
“Hmph… awful reliant, Nanase. Phoenix wasn’t fed up with you?”
“No way! I was obviously the team’s MVP!”
“Wrong. That was thanks to my support. Don’t get cocky.”
“Nuh-uh! I could’ve fought solo! Also, Shinji, your whispering in my ear is intense—ease up! My brain’s frying!”
“Frying…? What’re you on about? What do you want me to do?”
“Like… use a voice changer or something… pfft, wait, no way!”
“Don’t ramble and imagine crap on your own.”
Enomoto crossed his arms, scowling. …A voice changer’d be surreal, yeah, but not the point.
(Still, sounds like they’re fine. Guess the _《Duel__》 really kicks off on Day 2…_)
Taking stock, I brushed my hand near my mouth, lost in thought.
Today was all about team drama—mostly Nitta—but with S-Grade quests in play, tomorrow’s different. Time to move with victory in sight.
(Wait… speaking of, where’s—)
“—Oh, and Shinohara.”
As my mind drifted to a missing girl, Enomoto cut in like he’d been waiting, lowering his voice after glancing at the door.
“I mentioned before—alongside 《Duel》 analysis, I’m digging into 《Hexagram》. Official channels yield nothing, so I’ve been contacting ex-Academy Island students who left for various reasons. Got some leads… and they’re shadier than we thought. Way shadier.”
“…Huh? What’s that mean? Aren’t they supposed to be heroes of justice?”
“Wrong. We covered this with Eimei’s ex-ace. …That’s partly sentiment, but it’s not all. Get this—《Hexagram》 supposedly has a system where members’ ranks climb automatically.”
“What…? Auto-ranking? No way that’s—”
“Normally, impossible. But Saeki Kaoru’s no normal star. She’s got two Unique Stars. One’s Rust Star—‘Undertake,’ letting her steal stars via 《Duels》 even from lower ranks. With that, she could take stars and pass them to others, creating an ‘auto-rank-up’ setup. There’s a cap since 5-Star and up have limits, but still.”
“…But that’d mean—”
“I know, it’s incomplete. For that to work, Saeki’d have to lose to others, risking her Unique Stars. There’s probably more I don’t know. …But the circumstantial evidence is piling up. Here’s a story—《Hexagram》 holds irregular private events, rewarding winners heavily. They target mostly 1-Star low-rankers, especially those drowning in debt from 《Duel》 losses. It’s framed as ‘salvation,’ but winners mean losers. You know what happens to them, Shinohara.”
I clammed up under Enomoto’s stare. …“Salvation” failures. They don’t get saved—they rack up more debt. No way it’s repayable. So what’s next? The answer’s clear.
“《Hexagram》—Saeki—takes their stars. …Right, normally a 1-Star losing doesn’t cost their star, but Undertake ignores that…”
“Bingo. Fail salvation, and you either lose your star or end up enslaved to 《Hexagram》. Usually the latter—lose your star, and you’re exiled. Dangle ruin, and they obey.”
“…That’s grim.”
I swallowed hard; Enomoto nodded gravely, “No doubt.”
Then, like a gut punch, a voice crackled through my earpiece.
‘Sorry for the wait, Hiro-kun! Bit late, but perfect timing to crash in. District 20 Asumi-no-Tai Academy, first-year Nitta Sana… finally got some dirt!’
Kagaya-san’s voice, excited—panicked, even—drew my focus. She barreled on with a bombshell.
‘She’s exactly that! One of 《Hexagram》’s slaves President-kun just described! Lost a 《Duel》 right after enrolling, spiraled into debt, and clung to 《Hexagram》’s salvation… but it flopped. Looks rigged, honestly…’
‘No, worse—last year’s cheating scandal might’ve been 《Hexagram》’s staged play. Not justice—pure evil. They’ve been cozying up to high-rankers across districts before 《SFIA》 kicked off. Super bad vibes.’
‘Oh, and Hiro-kun, you haven’t voted yet, right? Don’t vote for Nitta-chan! Her weird moves on your team? Gotta be 《Hexagram》’s orders. They crushed Eimei’s ace like that last year. Dropping her now’d trigger something awful…!’
Kagaya’s info rattled me, but I kept cool outwardly, thinking fast. …Yeah, makes sense. If Nitta Sana’s a 《Hexagram》 pawn, her being in 《DOT》 is their doing. Dropping her would play right into their hands.
Sorting that out, I looked up, easing Shirayuki’s worried glance with a slight smirk before continuing.
“Anyway… even if 《Hexagram》’s dirty, we can’t do much now. I’ll stay alert, but nothing special—”
“—Hold it, Shinohara-senpai.”
The council room door creaked open, and a girl stepped in. Fierce eyes, flowing black hair down to her thighs, lips pursed in obvious irritation—Minakami Mari, my junior.
“What’s that supposed to mean? 《Hexagram》 being dirty…? That’s impossible. Smearing them to cover your own cheating’s low!”
“…You were listening, Minakami? I wasn’t badmouthing you. It’s just suspicion about 《Hexagram》 as a whole.”
“That’s what I’m mad about! I’ll take flak as a newbie, but I won’t stand for you trashing what my seniors built…!”
Minakami stormed up, shoving her angry face close. Then—
“Apologize. …《Hexagram》’s justice saved me. Without them, I wouldn’t be here. You’re denying that too, senpai!?”
“Not at all. If I hurt you, I’ll apologize for that. But sorry, I’m not backing down or apologizing for the rest.”
“Wha—”
“Also, Minakami. Different topic… you know Nitta Sana?”
Cutting off her reaction, I threw a curveball question. She looked pissed at my attitude but answered dutifully, still glaring.
“Of course. She’s on your team, right? …What about her?”
I went silent as she asked back, clueless. …Maybe Minakami really doesn’t know. She’s part of 《Hexagram》, but she’s too detached from the “shady” stuff Enomoto mentioned. If she genuinely idolizes their justice, aspiring to it, and is being used for it… that’s almost too cruel.
“…?”
Minakami tilted her head, puzzled, as I mulled it over.
♯
“—Alright then.”
After wrapping up with the Eimei crew, Shirayuki and I headed home, grabbing dinner around 10 PM. Tomorrow’s early, so I’d rather not stay up, but there’s still stuff to do.
“Hey, hey, big bro!”
Plopped next to me on the wide sofa, eyes sparkling, is Shiina Tsumugi, practically vibrating. Same gothic lolita dress, black-and-crimson odd eyes, silky black hair, and shampoo scent crowding me.
Yup—while Kagaya-san dug into Nitta, I had Shiina analyze 《Duel》 mechanics. Now’s for tweaking strategy based on that.
“Look at this! Your team’s Tamers and skill commands! This one’s like a Tamer I tamed in the demon world!”
“Huh… really? How’d you bag something that huge?”
“Ehehe~ Easy! My magic eyes have a 《Charm》 effect!”
“…Nice, that’s handy.”
I vaguely recall her mentioning a different power, but I’ll let it slide.
Anyway, I peered at Shiina’s data—team Tamers and their skill commands. Even non-battle Tamers have solid skills, so I wanted to check now.
For example—
【Demon’s Pact】… B-Grade 【Succubus】 skill command. Lower DEF, SPD, or LP as desired, adding double the total to ATK.
【Abyssal Inferno】… B-Grade 【Hellhound】 skill command. Hits all battling Tamers with ATK×2 AoE damage. If any miss, the damage cancels, hitting your own Tamer instead.
【Constrict】… B-Grade 【Leviathan】 skill command. Skips normal attacks to set a trap dealing 1 damage at turn’s end.
—And so on, a lineup of familiar Tamers and skills.
“B-Grades’ skills are top-tier… lots of drawbacks, but they’re flashy and crazy strong.”
“Yup! But tons of C-Grades are strong too! 【Lich】’s 【Void Cannon】 is C-Grade, and I love your 【Fairy】!”
“【Fairy】? Why?”
“’Cause it’s suuuuper fast!”
Shiina chirped gleefully. …True, my starter 【Fairy】 is SPD-focused, as she said. Near-guaranteed first strike against anything. Its other stats are all 1, so I’ve skipped it, but in the right setup, it might shine.
Anyway, that’s the Tamer rundown for now.
“Next up, ability-based strategies…”
I flicked my terminal screen.
Displayed were my Semifinal 《DOT》 abilities—first, 《Degraded Copy》, a purple-star skill duplicating any data, like Tamers or commands. A no-brainer pick.
But the issue… or what I need to think about, is the other ability. The screen showed 《Action Prediction》 and a cryptic 《****》.
This 《****》 was Shiina’s idea, shaped by Kagaya-san. A bold tweak of the green-star 《Action Prediction》—it reads not just enemy moves but the 《Duel》’s flow, reflecting that into another ability. In short, an ability I can “define after the 《Duel》 starts.” It eats both ability slots since 《Action Prediction》 is required, but its flexibility is unmatched.
Ideally, I’d set something to flip battles hard—
“—Right. Preferably an ability tied to linked commands.”
Shirayuki spoke up, bringing in tea. She neatly set the table, glanced at Shiina clinging to my left, then sat on my right, mulling slightly.
She flicked her hair, sitting a tad closer than usual.
“A hidden mechanic unmentioned in basic rules—‘linkage.’ From today’s 《Duel》, its effects seem far stronger than single skill commands. We’ve only seen 【Spiral Hate】’s damage reflection, but others like ‘DEF-ignoring mega damage’ or ‘guaranteed dodge’ are potent if triggered. 《The Company》’s analyzing now, and we should have a list with activation methods by tomorrow.”
“Nice… that’s huge.”
I nodded at Shirayuki’s words. If we can trigger linked commands at will, mastering them’s the battle meta. That clarifies what abilities work best. The blank 《****》 via 《Action Prediction》—I’ll flesh it out later, but it’ll shine in tomorrow’s fights.
“By the way…”
As I mulled, Shirayuki spoke softly.
“Master, it’s past 11 PM. Have you decided your vote?”
“…Oh, that.”
She brought up the topic from our team’s parting talk—dropout voting. Pick the teammate you most want gone; highest votes drops from 《DOT》. Gotta vote by midnight, so no time to dawdle.
“Fwa…”
Shiina yawned, leaning on me, as Shirayuki whispered on.
“As Kagaya-san said, we can’t let Nitta-sama drop. But with no other clear picks, we’d likely aim for ‘no dropouts.’”
“Yeah. 《DOT》’s vote rules—if two or more tie for top votes, they both stay. ‘One vote each’ or ‘two votes for two’ keeps everyone safe.”
“Right. But to pull that off, we’d need to perfectly predict everyone’s votes. We know Yuikawa-sama’s voting 【Nitta Sana】, Minami-sama’s voting 【Yuikawa Kanade】…”
“Hm… can’t we narrow Nitta’s vote too? If she’s 《Hexagram》’s pawn aiming to drop herself, she’d avoid voting for someone likely to draw votes. Given today’s 《Duel》, Yuikawa’s the next suspect—so not him. She can’t self-vote, so 【Nitta Sana】 and 【Yuikawa Kanade】 are locked at one vote each.”
“…Yes, that tracks.”
Shirayuki nodded, gloved hand to her lips.
Now, Fujishiro’s perspective—he’s likely caught Nitta’s sketchiness and knows dropping her’s bad. With no clear traitor, he’d want ‘no dropouts’ too… meaning we can sync up.
“Nitta’s vote’s unknown, so ‘one vote each’ is a long shot. But ‘two votes for two’ isn’t hard. If Fujishiro and I vote 【Nitta Sana】 and 【Yuikawa Kanade】, it’s a 2-2-1 draw, no matter Nitta’s pick.”
“True. The question is Fujishiro-sama’s vote… likely Yuikawa-sama. Dropping Nitta-sama risks more, resource-wise. Yuikawa-sama’s key, but since you have 【Hellhound】, his loss isn’t fatal.”
“Yeah. So, breaking Kagaya-san’s rule, but…”
I tapped my terminal. …If Fujishiro picks 【Yuikawa Kanade】, I go 【Nitta Sana】. To keep everyone, I vote for the one we can’t lose.
Thus, the long werewolf night deepened—
“Never thought I’d see your face again today…”
—Next day, 9 AM.
Unlike yesterday, Nitta Sana showed up right at 《Duel》 start time. Yuikawa sighed at her.
《SFIA》 Semifinal 《DOT (DropOutTamers)》 Day 2—last night’s vote results dropped hours ago. I skimmed them en route: of twenty teams, six kept full rosters with no dropouts, nine lost legit members to misreads or traitor ploys, four nailed their traitor, and one was an outlier.
Team VI was among the six with no dropouts. Vote breakdowns aren’t public, but it likely went as planned.
“…Whatever. Doesn’t matter.”
Nitta, hood low, shot back a cold stare at Yuikawa’s jab—but she looked worse than yesterday. Surviving must’ve thrown her off. She clutched her left arm, head slightly bowed.
Yuikawa, maybe noticing, maybe not, shrugged dramatically.
“Hmph… no, I’m not blaming you. The issue’s everyone else. A self-confessed traitor, and they didn’t vote her out?”
“…Huh? Then let me ask—how’d you peg her as the traitor off that alone? Not even a hint it’s a trap?”
“!? A t-trap… I considered it, obviously. But no one else seems—”
“Suspicious? You’re plenty shady yourself… Plus, we’ve got a stalker and a delinquent…”
“Ugh… fine, I’ll let it slide today. But tomorrow, you’re out of this 《Duel》!”
Sensing the tide turn, Yuikawa snapped, looking away.
“Alright… let’s recap the situation.”
Seeing the talk die down, I pulled my terminal, speaking up. Yuikawa preened smugly, Fujishiro turned silently, and Minami swayed boredly next to me, staring at her screen—each showing agreement in their way.
Anyway—
“From yesterday, A-Grades are split across four teams. Holders are Saiouji, Kirigaya, Saeki, Yumeno. Everyone’s after them, but no moves yet.”
“Tough nuts… If those budge, we’ll get breakthroughs fast. Meeting an S-Grade ain’t far off either.”
“Yeah. So our first goal’s grabbing A-Grades tied to our win condition. S-Grades matter too, but we can steal those if needed. A-Grades are key—and that brings up something to consider.”
“Something to consider? …Like, hero interview lines?”
“You’re already planning victory speeches…? No, it’s bigger—how do we even take down stronger teams?”
I sidestepped Minami’s quip, diving in. She pouted briefly but tilted her head, unbothered, and continued.
“Take them down… fancy way to say strategy, right?”
“Fancy or not, yeah. To snag A-Grades and hold them, we can’t just fight blindly. Think about it—we didn’t drop our traitor on Day 1. If Nitta’s not it, at least two teammates could act against us.”
“True… but ‘at least’?”
“Exactly. S-Grade quests show 《DOT》’s hitting a turning point today. Teams will hit win conditions, and traitors might cash in. As Final spots shrink, some’ll prioritize their district over the team—sacrificing themselves to boost allies. So, the best move here’s a strategy that wins despite rogue elements.”
I raised my terminal, and the same ability flashed across everyone’s screens.
“《Brittle Oath》 ability…?”
—Yup.
This is what I set last night with 《The Company》. A green-star 《Action Prediction》 spin-off—a blank ability (《****》) turned freeform trump card.
“Listen—this flips 《DOT》’s core: ‘every team has a traitor.’ It goes: 【Team VI can’t use skill commands. While upheld, basic commands Team VI uses boost by +2, not +1.】”
“…Long, can’t memorize. Five words or less, again…”
“That’s brutal compression… Can’t do five, but it’s ‘no skill commands, stronger basics.’ You can pick skill commands, but you get 《Sealed》. If three or more do it at once, 《Brittle Oath》 breaks instead.”
“Hmm, nice. Saves my 《Seal》 for later.”
“Yup. Skill commands have risky drawbacks—traitors could tank us in one move. But basics only? No such threat. Buff your Tamer, debuff the enemy’s—simple.”
“…Not bad. Not bad, but locking our hard-earned skill commands feels like a team nerf. If you’re the traitor, it’s pure risk. And winning with just basics—guaranteed?”
“It is. Like yesterday, 《DOT》 has linked commands—special effects from specific three-plus basic command combos. They’re basic commands, so 《Brittle Oath》 boosts them. Minami’s got 《Mind’s Eye》, and I’ve got scouting abilities, so we can trigger links freely. Stats grow twice as fast, so it’s no handicap. No skill commands means minimal loss on defeat too.”
“Got it… Alright, I’m in.”
Fujishiro, 6-Star, bought in first, crossing his arms and shutting his eyes like it’s our call now. His lead swayed Yuikawa and Minami to agree quickly. Nitta stayed silent but nodded, making it unanimous—our “oath” kicked in.
“Prep’s done. Now, which Tamers to target…”
I muttered, eyeing the team info screen.
To recap, Team VI needs S-Grade 【Daitenshi】, A-Grades 【Byakko】 and 【Genbu】, and B-Grades 【Hellhound】, 【Hanuman】, and 【Anzu】—six total. We’ve got two B-Grades, so today’s focus is A-Grades and S-Grades.
Let’s check A-Grade holders—【Genbu】’s with Kirigaya Toya. No Eimei teammates, and his moves are a mystery. But Kirigaya with an A-Grade? He’s a beast, no question.
The other, 【Byakko】, belongs to Yumeno Misaki, a first-year from District 17 Amanezaka Academy. She dominated Second Stage wins and topped Third Stage, making waves. But in 《DOT》, she pulled off something insane.
This morning, Shirayuki and I checked team dropout stats—
‘Lastly, Team X—Yumeno Misaki-sama’s team—is the outlier. She’s the sole survivor; all teammates dropped.’
‘Yes, all four. …Likely, Yumeno-sama used a 《Diffusion》-type ability, spreading a player’s “status” to others. She pinpointed the top vote-getter, applied 《Diffusion》 to spread “dropout status,” guarding herself with 《Interference Null》.’
‘Total dark horse. What a first-year.’
—And there you go.
(Both are nuts… but A-Grades are win-or-bust. Teams with A-Grades are tough to crack, and they’ll only get stronger later. Gotta hit early—especially Yumeno.)
I shook my head slightly. Yumeno’s stunt is wild, but it burns two ability slots on 《Diffusion》 and 《Interference Null》. She’s outnumbered, so we’ve got a shot.
We set our sights on Yumeno’s 【Byakko】 and moved out. But plans love to crumble—we got ambushed by another team right away. After fending them off, we tried tracking Yumeno via island tube’s live feed… then it happened.
“—Oh?”
A short voice hit my ears as I stared at my terminal. Just two syllables, dripping with cocky confidence. No need to turn—I could picture luxe red hair swaying in the breeze, the fake heiress’s signature line.
“Why chase another team, Shinohara? I’ve got an A-Grade too… hehe, scared? That’d be a new side of you.”
Saiouji Sarasa—Ouka’s 《Empress》, unbeaten ex-7-Star. Smirking smugly, she crossed her arms loosely, ruby eyes locked on me.
“…”
Before answering her taunt, I glanced behind her—four teammates. Two I know: Akizuki Noa, waving her twintails excitedly, and Kururugi Senri, 《Oni Shrine Maiden》 mode, eyes sharp with a wooden sword at her hip.
She caught my look and softened her lips slightly.
“We meet again, kid. Seems we’re fated.”
(Ugh, not thrilled…)
Her battle rep screams “run if you see her,” and her warlike vibe made me wince inwardly. To cover, I checked the other two—one I’d seen in footage: Akutsu Miyabi, District 2 Suisei’s 6-Star and 《Hexagram》 exec. She studied us silently, no words.
“H-Hi… haha.”
At the edge, a nervous guy in Shinra High’s uniform—same as Kirigaya’s—smiled awkwardly, dwarfed by the powerhouse women. No deep info on him, but the other four alone are overkill.
“Hmph…”
Still, I stuffed my hand in my pocket, clacked my shoes, and stepped up to Saiouji. Close enough to reach out, our usual banter range—smirking faintly, I fired first.
“Who’s scared of who? Never lost to you, so no reason to start now. Simple—our target’s 【Genbu】 and 【Byakko】, not your 【Suzaku】. Plus, you’ve got Akizuki—Eimei’s ally. No point attacking.”
“Hehe, 【Genbu】, huh? Sounds like a reason to fight… Besides, you’ve got Fujishiro-kun. I’m not hesitating—I trust Fujishiro’ll climb back up even if I take your Tamers now. …So, you don’t trust Akizuki-san?”
“What, resorting to sophistry…? Akizuki’s strong—top-tier 6-Star. But 《DOT》 ain’t won by raw strength alone.”
“W-Wow… ehehe, you praised me♪ Thanks, Hiroto-kun♡”
“…Hmph. You barely praise me like that… Fine, whatever you say, I’m not letting you slip away—!”
Saiouji pouted for some reason, and her team slammed us with a battle request. No dodge—it locked in fast.
(!? Oi, she actually went for it…!)
I’d hoped for a trade to settle things, but keeping cool, I panicked inside. It’s just one 《Duel》 fight—won’t break our “lie”—but us clashing is taboo. Either dropping spells doom for both, so I gotta play smart.
Yet Saiouji flicked her red hair, smirking boldly.
“Hehe… fair warning, I’m fielding A-Grade 【Suzaku】. Its ability’s stellar, and since you don’t have A-Grades, I pick your Tamer too. I choose B-Grade 【Hellhound】—grab that, and my last piece slots in. Plus, ‘seven wins’ unlocks the S-Grade quest’s final directive.”
“…Wait, you’ve got a second A-Grade already?”
“Yup. I said there’s reason to fight. Not mine, but we just traded with Kirigaya for A-Grade 【Genbu】. Though, that trade let him hit his ‘traitor condition’ first… Oh, he had a message: ‘Beating you now’d be dull. Clean up nice and hit the Final.’ …His words.”
“Tch…”
Saiouji’s bombshell left me speechless; I touched my earpiece. After a beat, a whisper replied.
‘Confirmed… Rina’s right. Moments ago, Kirigaya-sama briefly held A-Grade 【Suzaku】, clearing his win condition. 《DOT》’s first victor.’
Shirayuki’s add-on ruled out lies, making Saiouji’s intent murkier. She seemed dead-set on taking our Tamers—
(Wait… is that what’s going on?)
—Then, a reverse thought hit, my eyes widening slightly.
Big picture—in this 《Duel》, multiple teams can’t win together. For us and Saiouji’s crew, S-Grade 【Daitenshi】, A-Grade 【Genbu】, and B-Grade 【Hellhound】 overlap as must-haves. B-Grades exist in multiples, but A-Grades and up don’t mesh. For both of us to hit the Final, one clears first, releasing those Tamers. Order doesn’t matter—just not simultaneous.
(…Got it. Then no grudges, whoever wins.)
I nodded slightly at Saiouji, her hand poised elegantly on her hip, reading my intent.
Finally, the battle hit prep—Team III, attackers, fielded 【Suzaku】. Main player: Saiouji, obviously. A-Grade’s a huge risk if lost, but her face showed zero doubt.
As promised, she picked 【Hellhound】. Since Yuikawa and I both have it, we needed to choose a main player.
Yuikawa, cocky as hell, tried to jump in—
“—Let me handle it.”
“Huh?”
“The battle… I wanna face 《Empress》. My 《Mutate》 can swap 【Leviathan】 for 【Hellhound】… cool?”
Minami stepped up out of nowhere, third main player candidate. Yuikawa almost argued but froze, yielding fast. …Probably caught the eerie vibe she gave off. That glimpse of raw intent from past 《Duels》—sharp, chilling talent that raises goosebumps.
“Mutating Tamers, not just commands…? Handy ability—I’d rather save it, but fine, do your thing this once.”
I wasn’t swayed by her stare—but nodded anyway. Minami mumbled “…Thanks” and stepped forward.
Saiouji tilted her head curiously at her.
“…Hmm? Thought Shinohara’d step up, but it’s you, Shizuku?”
“Yup, me. …Always wanted to fight you. ’Cause you’re totally my type… If I win, I wanna make you do this and that.”
“My, aren’t you quite passionate? I’m flattered by the sentiment, but there’s no way I’d lose, so that promise won’t hold.”
“Flattered, huh? Well… if I lose, I’ll let you make me do this or that instead. That makes us even…”
“…Heh. You sure know how to twist things, as always. Fine—bring it on, Shizuku.”
With a refined chuckle, Saiouji gracefully extended her right hand. At that moment, her terminal’s AR function activated, summoning the legendary divine beast 【Suzaku】 above her head. Simultaneously—perhaps exclusive to A-Grade Tamers—a divine glow enveloped 【Suzaku】’s form. Its hues and stately demeanor were, without a doubt, perfectly suited to Saiouji.
“Then, I’ll take you up on that… Here I come.”
A beat later, Minami summoned her own Tamer. The B-Grade 【Hellhound】. A black dog spewing flames with each breath roared at the sky-soaring 【Suzaku】.
A fleeting resonance—that was the signal for the battle to begin.
“Tch…”
Early on, Minami held the advantage. Her strategy was dead simple: stack buff upon buff to supercharge her Tamer. That’s it in a nutshell. The effect of 《Brittle Oath》, boosting all base commands, amplified this further, and her two chosen abilities meshed perfectly.
“Simple… is best…”
Right—while 《Mutate》 was a bit of a wild card, she wasn’t relying on flashy abilities. She used the universal 《Stat Control》 and 《Recycle》, which restores ability uses. By fine-tuning their output, Minami created a near-infinite engine. 《Stat Control》 enhanced base commands, 《Recycle》 refreshed 《Stat Control》, then 《Stat Control》 boosted 《Recycle》—a loop generating massive effects. She didn’t use either against Komaba, so she clearly wasn’t serious then.
(…Wait a sec. Speaking of…)
Minami’s moves made me realize something jaw-dropping, but for now, here’s the status of both Tamers at the end of Turn 2:
【Team III: Saiouji Sarasa. Tamer: A-Grade “Southern Guardian, Suzaku”】
【Tamer Stats: ATK 7, DEF 6, SPD 9, LP 8 (+1)】
【Unused Set Commands: Attack+/Void Cannon/Self-Destruct】
【Team VI: Minami Shizuku. Tamer: B-Grade “First Inferno, Hellhound”】
【Tamer Stats: ATK 4 (+27), DEF 5, SPD 5, LP 5 (+22)】
【Unused Set Commands: Defend/Stamina+/Speed+】
…It’s almost laughably overpowered. Even a normal attack would deal 25 damage to 【Suzaku】. If Saiouji hadn’t picked the damage-nullifying 【Iron Wall】 on Turn 2, this fight would’ve ended already. Plus, base command effects are permanent, not one-offs. With 【Iron Wall】 gone, Saiouji has no commands left to withstand 【Hellhound】’s firepower. Worse, likely thanks to Akizuki’s meddling, a drawback command reducing her DEF to 0 is rearing its head.
“Heh…”
Yet, facing Minami, Saiouji still wore her usual fearless, confident smirk. No mistake—she’s hiding something.
“Turn 3… I’ll end it here. I’m winning this…”
“Oh, what a coincidence, Shizuku? I feel exactly the same.”
Minami declared victory with a blank face; Saiouji met it with a bold grin.
And so, Turn 3’s order phase began—Minami, as promised, moved to close the fight. She applied 【Speed+】, compound-boosted by her two abilities, to 【Hellhound】, easily outpacing even the A-Grade 【Suzaku】’s SPD. Plus, picking three base commands in a row triggered a linkage effect. The 【Stamina(L)-Attack(A)-Speed(S)】 combo unlocked 【Kamikaze Strike】, a powerful command that halves her Tamer’s LP to deal massive ATK-based damage, ignoring all defenses.
But—
“《Swap》 ability activated. This turn, I’ll forcibly exchange one of my commands with the one you chose.”
Brushing back her luxurious red hair, Saiouji murmured calmly. …An ability letting her change commands after seeing her opponent’s choice. Unlike my 《Brittle Oath》, it’s a different beast but insanely strong in battle. Swapping commands at will can nullify a traitor’s schemes effortlessly.
“With this, I’ll swap my 【Self-Destruct】 for another command—let’s say 【Suzaku】’s skill command, 【Purifying Flame】. Its effect? ‘Negates all buffs and debuffs on the target Tamer.’ I’m resetting all of 【Hellhound】’s stats to their base values.”
“! What… I raised such a strong pup, and now this…”
“Heh, indeed. But that’s not all, Shizuku. Notice anything? With all buffs gone, 【Hellhound】’s LP drops back to its base—5. Then, your linkage 【Kamikaze Strike】 halves that, leaving 3 LP. And I still have 【Void Cannon】, which ignores DEF for a guaranteed first-strike 3 damage.”
“Ah… b-but…”
“No, there’s no comeback. I planned for this from the start.”
“…!”
Her overwhelming advantage flipped in a single move, Minami’s blue eyes widened in shock. Eventually, she bit her lip in frustration and turned silently from Saiouji. …Acknowledging defeat, I guess. In this state, she’s got no moves left.
“…Too frustrating.”
Thus, the clash between the former strongest and the ever-victorious 《Empress》 ended with Saiouji Sarasa’s win.
♯
“Muu…”
About an hour and a half after the clash with Team III.
Minami, beaten by Saiouji, was still sulking silently. …Well, her expression barely changed, but her vibe was unmistakably heavy. We’d fought other teams a few times in that hour and a half, but she stayed like this the whole time. Getting outplayed must’ve hit her hard.
“No. Not just frustrating… Resource-wise, it’s a huge loss.”
Minami muttered softly.
Right—as the rules stated, A-Grade Tamers have unique abilities beyond skill commands. 【Suzaku】’s is “Collection.” Winning a battle with A-Grade 【Suzaku】 lets you claim resources, benefits, and more that the loser would’ve gained for a set time—a downright brutal ability. Under its effect, Minami alone couldn’t secure any Tamers in our last fight.
“…”
But that “Collection” was no longer a concern—just five minutes ago, we got word that Saiouji’s team secured an S-Grade Tamer and cleared the fourth stage’s win condition. Following Kirigaya, who met the traitor condition first, they were the first to reach the Final via standard victory. …This means Team III’s traitor, Akizuki, is out for good. Can’t be helped. If Akizuki hadn’t sabotaged, their team might’ve cleared the 《Duel》 on Day 1.
Anyway, that means both A-Grade Tamers and others held by Saiouji’s team have respawned as quest rewards. Naturally, the S-Grade quest reward 【Daitenshi】 is up for grabs again. Since we only lost Minami’s 【Hellhound】 in that fight, we’ve still got plenty of chances.
“Mmm… No cutting ahead…”
…But for Minami, Saiouji clearing first seems to rub her the wrong way. She probably wanted a rematch right now.
And then—
‘Pardon, Master. A 《DOT (DropOutTamers)》 player is rapidly approaching—about one person. Their ID… District 17?’
(District 17… Wait, Amanezaka!?)
Himeji’s slightly tense voice made my eyes widen. …A lone player from Amanezaka can only be her. The first-year with the A-Grade 【Byakko】. The dark horse who wiped out her teammates on Day 1—Yumeno Misaki.
(Tch… What now? Fighting a player with 【Byakko】 is exactly what we want. But if she’s coming to us, she’s got some kind of “plan”—)
‘No, it’s fine, Master. No need to worry—she’s already here.’
“Huh?”
The instant Himeji’s whisper brushed my ear, a rapid tatatatata of footsteps echoed from afar. Before I could brace myself, she slid to a stop before us with a scrape. Light peach-colored short hair, petite frame. Her skirt fluttered with inertia as she struck a pose, covering half her face with her right hand, and declared:
“I’ve arrived!!”
“…”
“Here we are, face-to-face with the final boss, Shinohara Hiroto-san! His belligerent gaze scans my whole body like he’s sizing me up! I dodge it with a confident smirk! Shing! I draw my weapon!”
“…Your weapon? Looks like a terminal to me.”
“That’s fine—my terminal is my weapon! A honed blade! So—fight me, Shinohara-san! I point dramatically!”
Overwhelmed by her sheer energy—or rather, left behind by her sky-high intensity—I went quiet for a moment. Steadying my breath inwardly, I spoke slowly.
“Geez… I’m fine with fighting, but how about introducing yourself first? You’re coming on way too strong.”
“Ha! Oh no, my mistake… My story’s all about me as the protagonist, so I thought intros were pointless! My bad—I’m Yumeno Misaki! First-year at Amanezaka Academy! Hobbies: daydreaming. Talent: dreaming whatever I want!”
The peach-haired dark horse, Yumeno Misaki, belted out her intro with gusto.
Her quirky demeanor made it clear she was fixated on me alone. Twisting her annoyingly cute face into a smug grin, she doubled down.
“Anyway, fight me, Shinohara-san! You’re the only final boss standing in the way of my conquest, my story!”
“Protagonist, final boss—what are you even talking about? Do you get the situation? You’re alone, and we’re five. In 《DOT》 battles, each member picks a command, so bluntly, we’ve got a massive advantage.”
“I saw that coming pages ago! No problem—my third ability is 《Overboost》! The worse the odds, the stronger my buffs! With my team wiped out, I’m in a crisis, so setting five commands solo is a breeze! Plus, A-Grade Tamers have unique abilities—【Byakko】’s ‘Roar’ supercharges skill commands! I’m totally fine!”
“…Huh. So you planned to go solo from the start.”
“Obviously! Shinohara-san, don’t tell me you don’t even know werewolf rules? When villagers equal werewolves, werewolves win; wipe out the werewolves, villagers win. So, as the protagonist and villager, I just need to ‘beat everyone to win’! No need for petty details! Cue dazzling halo behind me!”
Yumeno spouted off with a warlike expression. …She’s not wrong, technically. Killing off your team eliminates traitor risks, so it’s a legit strategy in a way. But thinking it up and acting on it are worlds apart. You’d need a few screws loose to try.
Still, 《DOT》 players are all top 100 out of 250,000. “Normal” players don’t exist here.
“…Alright, fine.”
I pulled out my terminal in front of Yumeno, flashing a bold smirk—
“Hold on a second.”
—And then.
A painfully familiar male voice cut in, calm and gentle. Yet my brain’s alarms blared as I swallowed hard and slowly turned around.
Four figures entered my view—no, that’s not right. One man and three others. The clear leader stepped forward, smiling warmly with narrowed eyes. A guy plastered across 《Libra》’s broadcasts for the past ten days, synonymous with “justice.”
“…Saeki Kaoru.”
I muttered his name. He seemed to notice but said nothing, deepening his smile and continuing softly with narrowed eyes.
“《No Game》 ability activated. I’m forcibly canceling the battle between Team X and Team VI. For the next hour, you can’t challenge each other.”
“Wha… What’s that!? Your kind smile almost makes me buy it, but I’m standing firm! Glare!”
“Sorry, but resisting changes nothing. …It’d be troublesome if he got your 【Byakko】. That alone would derail our plans significantly.”
Shaking his head slowly, the man turned his gaze from Yumeno.
Facing us—no, me—he spread his arms theatrically, smiling warmly and saying:
“First time meeting face-to-face, Shinohara Hiroto-kun. I’m Saeki Kaoru, a 6-Star from Suisei Academy. …Or perhaps this is clearer: I’m with 《Hexagram》, the organization here to judge your cheating.”
♯
Mere seconds after Saeki Kaoru, Suisei’s top dog and 《Hexagram》 leader, appeared.
The air was already crackling with tension.
Yumeno Misaki was the most openly hostile, leaning forward like a predator, peach hair swaying as she glared at Saeki.
“Mrr…! Don’t ignore me and keep talking—I’m the protagonist here! What’s this 《No Game》 nonsense!? I have to beat Shinohara-san! If you’re butting in, I won’t hold back! Grrrr!”
“I apologize for interrupting, but saying I’m irrelevant stings. I’m a 《DOT (DropOutTamers)》 player like you. And I’m worried about the century’s greatest villain, Shinohara-kun, getting 【Byakko】. You’d probably lose to him.”
“What… How dare you!”
“That’s our line, Yumeno-san. Helping Shinohara-kun advance is outright ‘evil,’ you know? We 《Hexagram》 judge all evil—so we’ll be managing that.”
With that, Saeki flicked his arm slightly. Instantly, a burly man stepped forward from the three behind him—Tsuzuki Koto, a 5-Star 《Hexagram》 exec from Oumi Academy. As he raised his terminal, a smoky effect billowed, engulfing Yumeno’s terminal. Her white holy beast, 【Byakko】, materialized despite no battle and was sucked into Tsuzuki’s terminal like prey caught in smoke.
“…《Capture》 complete. Good work, Koto.”
Watching it unfold, Saeki smiled gracefully and continued.
“That’s our second A-Grade after 【Seiryuu】. We’ve already tracked 【Genbu】’s respawn, so three should be easy. I’d love to collect them all, but… 【Suzaku】 might be tricky.”
“All the A-Grades…? That’s my thing as the protagonist! And 《Capture》—that’s cheating—!”
“There’s no rule saying you must defeat an opponent in battle to take their Tamer. I’d rather you not imply we’re cheating. Besides… Yumeno-san, I’m giving you a chance. You nearly committed the sin of handing an A-Grade to Shinohara-kun, and as punishment, we’re holding 【Byakko】. You’ve atoned. Now, just reform and keep playing the 《Duel》. But if you keep complaining, we’ll have to rethink things—”
“—Run, Yumeno.”
“H-Huh!? But—!”
“Just go!!”
My harsh shout made Yumeno flinch, but she spat, “《Hexagram》 jerks! Some justice you are!!” and bolted. …That’s good enough for her. I don’t know what Saeki was planning, but it wasn’t anything good.
Watching her vanish, Saeki shrugged lightly.
“Oh, she’s gone… I wanted to hear her remorse. Well, her sin was only an attempt, so we’ll judge her later. Now…”
Pausing, Saeki turned to us, eyes narrowed, with that warm yet unfathomable smile.
“Tch…!!”
I caught Nitta, standing a bit away, stifling a scream. Her hood hid her face, but she was unconsciously backing away, radiating fear, awe, rejection, and submission all at once.
Ignoring her, Saeki continued in his soft tone.
“Now we can talk calmly, Shinohara-kun. How’s the 《Duel》 going for you?”
“Dunno. Just had an A-Grade Tamer snatched by someone.”
“Haha. But that’s not the only reason things aren’t clicking, right? This time, we—and everyone watching 《Libra》’s broadcasts—are your overseers. You can’t pull your ‘usual tricks,’ so your results are lackluster. It’s no surprise. Five players have already reached the Final. …Is that okay? A 7-Star lingering here?”
“Trying to rile me up? The fourth stage doesn’t give advantages for clearing early. First or sixteenth, it’s the same value.”
“Heh… True, of course. If you can actually make it.”
Smirking, Saeki glanced at Nitta, who flinched again.
As Kagaya-san said—Nitta Sana’s an assassin sent by 《Hexagram》 to take me down. Dropping her would trigger something catastrophic, and if I fumble the 《Duel》 because of it, they’ll claim it’s proof I relied on cheating. A vile tactic nothing like justice… but to outsiders, it’d look like justice served.
The self-righteous 《Hexagram》 leader kept talking with a faint smile.
“So, we don’t even need to lift a finger against you. By the time this 《Duel》 ends, it’ll be clear who was right.”
“That so? Pretty hands-off for a justice advocate.”
“I’d prefer ‘efficient.’ And of course, I’m not just leaving. I have a proposal for you.”
Saying that, Saeki pulled his terminal from his chest pocket, glancing at the screen briefly before shaking his head in mock resignation and looking up.
“Hey, Shinohara-kun. You have two B-Grade 【Hellhound】s, right?”
“If that’s a question, I’ve got no guarantee my answer’s true. If it’s a statement, your words are pointless.”
“Haha, cold as ice. It’s the latter—I just wanted to chat a bit. Anyway, those 【Hellhound】s—there are three in the 《Duel》 since they’re B-Grade. Two are with you, and the third was with that girl… Yumeno Misaki. If the 【Hellhound】 Minami-san generated with 《Mutate》 had respawned, we’d have gone for it, but it seems Team III’s clear erased it.”
Waving his terminal lightly, Saeki continued. …So that’s what he was checking. They want a 【Hellhound】, and right now, only we and Yumeno have them. A pseudo-monopoly.
“So, hand over that Tamer. Not for free, of course. We’ve got duplicate B-Grades—pick any you like. If you agree, unlike Yumeno-san, your sins won’t be erased, but we’ll let you off here. Not a bad deal.”
“…”
Facing Saeki’s condescending offer with his gentle smile, I narrowed my eyes and went silent. Suddenly, someone grabbed my shoulder from behind.
“W-W-W-What do we do, Shinohara!? I’m not crossing 《Hexagram》! If they’ll let us go for one B-Grade, shouldn’t we just comply!?”
“No way… What’re you saying? Are you stupid?”
“Wha—!”
“…Not saying you’re dumb, but Minami’s right. Think about it, Yuikawa. They’ve got two A-Grades and enough B-Grades to spare, yet they’re coming to us? I don’t know their plan’s details, but 【Hellhound】 is critical to it. Flip that—if they don’t get it, their scheme stalls.”
“Damn right. Handing over 【Hellhound】 ain’t an option. If you keep whining, Yuikawa, you’re the traitor.”
“Wha… No, it’s not me! I’d rather not give it up either!”
“Then it’s settled.”
Fujishiro barked bluntly.
Nitta, still looking down, neither agreed nor disagreed—too terrified to stand without clinging to Minami. Even if she objected, majority rules. Team VI’s decision: resist.
“So—heard that, Saeki? Hate to do it, but we’ll take you on.”
“…I see. Fine, let’s settle it with a battle. But I won’t be the main player. I’m entrusting this to a promising first-year on my team—a 《Hexagram》 comrade.”
“A 《Hexagram》 first-year…?”
Those familiar words hit me, and I finally noticed her absence. As if confirming my gut, Saeki narrowed his eyes, snapped his fingers theatrically, and a hard clack of footsteps approached from behind.
Turning with near-certainty, I saw her.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Shinohara-senpai—as promised, I’m here.”
Minakami Mari stood there, her long black hair swaying.
—《SFIA》 Fourth Stage 《DOT (DropOutTamers)》, Day 2, mid-afternoon.
I faced off directly with Minakami Mari, my junior from the same district.
“I’ll leave the rest to you, Mari-san. I have high hopes for you. Don’t shame 《Hexagram》—fulfill your unique role.”
“Yes…! Understood, I’ll meet Kaoru-san’s expectations no matter what!”
Saeki gave an elegant smile; Minakami replied with heartfelt joy, bowing deeply. Saeki nodded, satisfied, flicked his eyes at me briefly, and left—likely to secure another A-Grade. His two teammates followed.
Left behind were Minakami and one other guy. A burly, athletic type—Tsuzuki Koto, the 《Hexagram》 exec from the emergency broadcast. …He’s probably just a watchdog, arms crossed at a distance, not engaging. The one before us is undeniably Eimei’s first-year, Minakami Mari.
In other words,
(A civil war tactic, huh… Damn it. Was this Saeki’s plan all along?)
Realizing it now was too late. Shaking my head to refocus, I addressed Minakami.
“Yo, Minakami. I knew you disliked me, but I didn’t expect we’d end up fighting. You know battling a same-district player’s a bad move, right?”
“Obviously. But I have a vital mission to reform you, senpai. It’s a critical task Kaoru-san entrusted me with—to achieve it, I’ll overcome any disadvantage!”
“Even if it screws Eimei? Not just me—Asamiya’s still in the 《Duel》. Challenging me means betraying her too. …We thought of you as an Eimei ally.”
“Tch… Even so! I believe in my justice!”
Mentioning Asamiya made her hesitate for a split second, but she shook her flowing black hair, cutting off doubt. She’s either utterly convinced I’m “evil” or been brainwashed into it. Her conviction’s unshakable, with zero room for compromise.
“Fine, let’s fight. …But how exactly? You’ve got one guy back there, but your other teammates left. Got an ability like Yumeno’s to offset the numbers disadvantage?”
“No, nothing like that. I came to settle things with you alone, senpai—so I propose a variant rule. One-on-one battle. One Tamer each, one command each. We fight for one turn, and whoever deals more damage to the opponent’s Tamer wins. Reward: pick one Tamer from the loser’s hand. How’s that?”
“…I see.”
Hearing Minakami’s proposal, I brought my right hand to my mouth.
《DOT》 battles have strict base rules, but with mutual consent, they’re fairly flexible. Minakami’s suggestion is a “minimal rule” of sorts—players, Tamers, commands all at their bare minimum, competing purely on damage dealt. A lightning-fast showdown decided in one turn.
‘—Looks safe enough, Master.’
At the same time, a soft whisper came through my right earpiece.
‘One turn means no linkages, which might be Minakami-sama’s aim, but with no other players involved, 《The Company》 can cheat undetected. Whatever she picks, we can swap commands to counter.’
(Yeah, true… but.)
Glancing at Minakami as Himeji spoke. …She’s been so vocal about exposing my cheating. It wouldn’t be surprising if she’s got an ability that punishes rule-breaking with some drawback. If I’m wary of that, I’d need to win this fight clean, no tricks.
Thinking that far, I checked my terminal. My Tamer count’s grown, but B-Grade’s still just 【Hellhound】. As Himeji said, one base command won’t trigger linkages, and using skill commands would break 《Brittle Oath》—a bad fit for our strategy.
(One-on-one means no traitor can meddle, even without 《Brittle Oath》. But I’d rather keep it for later… Wait a sec.)
My gaze, wandering the terminal screen, froze on a certain Tamer. …Right, this one. It came up briefly in yesterday’s strategy meeting—a C-Grade Tamer too niche to consider before. But in this variant rule, it might be the perfect pick. It could dominate.
“Your vibe’s changed. …Done prepping your cheats, senpai?”
“Hm? …Yeah, I guess. Cheating or not, I’m ready to beat you—let’s start, Minakami.”
As I finalized my choices at her provocative jab, our Tamers materialized via AR beside us. The usual awe-inspiring sight drew gasps… but they soon turned to confusion and unease. Our picks were far from standard.
【Team IX: Minakami Mari. Tamer: A-Grade “Western Guardian, Byakko”】
【Tamer Stats: ATK 6, DEF 8, SPD 7, LP 7】
【Team VI: Shinohara Hiroto. Tamer: C-Grade “Fairy”】
【Tamer Stats: ATK 1, DEF 1, SPD 15, LP 1】
“!? H-Hold on, hold on, hold on…!”
A raging white tiger appeared beside Minakami; a tiny fairy fluttered above my head. Pointing at them, Yuikawa freaked out like he’d lost it.
“【Byakko】!? 【Byakko】!? That’s not right—this is supposed to be a personal fight! Why can you use a Tamer that guy 《Captured》!?”
“Why? It’s part of our strategy. I can say we’re using an ability, but I’ll keep the rest silent.”
“Guh… Fine, whatever! Shinohara, what’s your deal!? It’s a super-short battle with no linkage, so why pick such a weak Tamer!?”
“Weak, huh? …If that’s how you see it, just watch, Yuikawa. You’ll see something fun.”
Without turning—still facing Minakami—I replied coolly.
Between us, our chosen commands were already lined up, hidden. A one-turn minimal rule leaves no room for mind games. The moment they’re revealed, the battle’s decided.
Then, swaying her flowing black hair as if probing, Minakami spoke quietly.
“Pretty confident, senpai. …Sure you’re okay? You’ll lose if you don’t cheat soon. If you do, I’ll make you confess all your lies.”
“Fine by me. I haven’t lied, and I’m not losing here. …That kinda talk means you did pick an ability that reacts to cheating, huh? It’s not triggering, so you’re panicking because I’m still chill, right?”
“Tch… No, I’m not panicking. You’re a liar, senpai. A bad guy who rose through deceit. There’s no way our justice would lose to someone like that!!”
A fierce shout—simultaneously, our commands were revealed with flashy effects.
First, Minakami’s pick: skill command 【Demon’s Pact】, a signature move of B-Grade 【Succubus】. It lets you reduce your Tamer’s LP, DEF, or SPD by any amount, adding triple the total to ATK—a buff with a cost. Thanks to 【Byakko】’s unique ability, it’s stronger than our intel suggested. Since reduced LP isn’t counted as damage, it’s ideal for this rule.
And my choice?
“【Speed+】 command…?”
Yup—I applied 【Speed+】, a base command, to my Tamer. With 《Brittle Oath》, it’s boosted to +2, but compared to 【Demon’s Pact】, it’s underwhelming. It doesn’t even raise ATK.
Comparing our commands, Minakami asked, confused.
“What’s this? Boosting speed now…? A base command without linkage? That’s not like you, senpai!”
“Not like me? What’s that supposed to mean? It’s a straightforward choice, isn’t it?”
“Mrr… Fine, I’ll say it. I’m using 《Iron of Justice》—an ability that instantly boots a player from the 《Duel》 if they break the rules. If you’re trying to lull me into a trap and cheat, it’s all pointless!”
“You keep saying ‘cheat,’ but sorry, I’ve never done that. Think about it—if some cheat-ridden guy could sit comfortably at 7-Star, wouldn’t the star-taking system itself be too fragile?”
“That’s why we, 《Hexagram》, an Academy Island-sanctioned group, keep a sharp eye—don’t change the subject, senpai!”
Shaking her long black hair, Minakami shot me a challenging glare.
“Enough… I’m winning this! With 【Demon’s Pact】, I sacrifice 6 LP and SPD from 【Byakko】, tripling that for ATK. Total ATK: 42—41 damage to your Tamer!”
“Sure, that’s the math. But… before that.”
Smirking slightly, I pointed overhead. My Tamer 【Fairy】’s stats were displayed, one of them blinking slowly.
“Tamer stats—SPD. It’s rarely discussed unless it’s a razor-close fight, but it’s key. Beyond deciding turn order, it affects hit rate. In this 《Duel》, hit rate is calculated as [Your SPD ÷ Opponent’s SPD]. Higher SPD means better accuracy; lower means worse.”
“I know that… Wait, huh?”
“You caught on. You knew, but that’s it. SPD gaps are usually minor, so you rarely experience ‘dodging.’ Plus, commands like 【Void Cannon】 or 【Constrict】 skip hit checks, so maxing SPD is pointless. But in a damage race like this, those commands are off the table. Look close—my 【Fairy】 is C-Grade, but its SPD is insane. With 【Speed+】, it’s 17—way above A-Grades. And 【Demon’s Pact】 dropped 【Byakko】’s SPD to 1. What’s 【Byakko】’s hit rate here?”
“1/17… about 6%!? 6%!?”
Answering instantly, Minakami’s eyes widened at her own calculation. …Yup. The SPD gap tanks 【Byakko】’s hit rate below 10%. A hit would hurt, but a miss is meaningless.
“Tch… But!”
Biting her lip in frustration at the situation, she snapped her head up, pointing at 【Fairy】’s stats.
“Sure, my attack might miss. But 【Fairy】’s ATK is still lower than 【Byakko】’s DEF! Your attack does zero damage!”
“Yeah, true. So what happens then? A draw ends the fight?”
“A draw…? Was that your plan? Sorry, senpai—this rule’s sudden-death! We keep applying our initial commands each turn until someone wins. My victory’s basically guaranteed. Mine’s a chance, but yours can’t deal damage!”
“…Is that so?”
Facing her triumphant declaration, I smirked confidently.
“Minimal rule, one command. But sudden-death means Turn 2, Turn 3 happen. That means linkages can trigger, right?”
“! So using 【Fairy】 was… to drag out turns!?”
“Exactly. And 【Speed(S)-Speed(S)-Speed(S)】’s linkage is 【Swallow’s Return】—move faster than wind, dodge attacks, and deal DEF-ignoring piercing damage. If 【Byakko】 lands a hit first, you win, but each 【Speed+】 stacks lowers your hit rate… Go ahead, test your luck.”
Spouting boldly, I picked 【Speed+】 again for Turn 2’s order. Minakami reactivated 【Demon’s Pact】, entering the battle phase. 【Fairy】 struck first with overwhelming SPD, but its ATK 1 couldn’t scratch 【Byakko】. The widened SPD gap ensured 【Byakko】’s counterattack whiffed predictably.
Then, Turn 3—as declared, three consecutive 【Speed+】 triggered the linkage 【Swallow’s Return】. With a distinct effect, 【Fairy】 darted into 【Byakko】’s guard, landing a blade-like slash. 【Byakko】’s attack… missed again.
“…Tch…”
Seeing it, Minakami staggered, collapsing to her knees. Her long black hair flared, reflecting her shock. …Probably, she truly believed—egged on by Saeki Kaoru—that I was an “evil cheat.” So, losing when 《Iron of Justice》 didn’t trigger left her stunned, unable to process the impossible.
As I moved to speak to her—
‘—Well done, Mari-san.’
“! K-Kaoru-san…!?”
A terminal projection popped up between us, Saeki Kaoru’s gentle smile peeking through. Likely Tsuzuki—the 《Hexagram》 exec still watching from afar—set up the video call. Seeing her revered leader, Minakami sprang up, bowing deeply.
“I’m so sorry…! I… I lost to Shinohara-senpai.”
‘I know. Koto told me. He’s not one to go down easily, it seems.’
“I’m ashamed… But next time, I won’t lose! This afternoon, a rematch—”
‘A rematch? Hmm… No, no need for that.’
“…Huh?”
‘No need. Your role is already done.’
Saying that, Saeki raised his terminal on-screen. It showed team—not personal—holdings, including a B-Grade 【Hellhound】 for some reason.
Confused, Minakami froze as Saeki continued calmly.
‘《Capture》 complete. …See, while you and Shinohara-kun fought, Koto moved quietly. The target wasn’t Shinohara-kun—but Yuikawa-kun. We knew he had a 【Hellhound】, so we took it when he wasn’t looking.’
“Wha!? W-When…!?”
As Saeki spoke, Yuikawa’s panicked voice rang behind me. …Not a bluff—it’s really gone. The critical B-Grade for their “plan”—stolen so easily.
But then,
“W-Wait, Kaoru-san.”
Stumbling forward, Minakami faced Saeki’s screen with a vague mix of fear and pleading.
“Um… I fought to expose senpai’s lies—to beat him. For 《Hexagram》’s justice, I meant to win. But my ‘role’… wasn’t that? It was… to be a decoy for stalling?”
‘? Odd question, Mari-san.’
Her desperate plea begged for denial. Saeki chuckled, narrowing his eyes with a warm smile, and spoke in his usual tone.
‘Obviously. Me, Koto, the others—we never expected you to win. Your role as Eimei’s junior was to bait Shinohara-kun and stall them. You did that perfectly—so you’re done. You’ve no further use.’
“…Use…?”
‘Haha. What, you didn’t realize? When you asked to join 《Hexagram》, we accepted because you were Minakami Mayu’s sister. Eimei’s hidden genius, Mayu—she was worth recruiting, and you were a bridge. But Mayu didn’t budge, so we gave up on her. That left you with only “Shinohara Hiroto’s junior” as your value. You fulfilled that, helping us snag 【Hellhound】. Stellar work. …Oh, if you’re worried about Shinohara-kun taking 【Byakko】, don’t be. Your “key” is temporarily disabled. No resource access for hours, so bear with it.’
“—…!”
Saeki’s worst-possible response left Minakami collapsing, speechless. Her emotional capacity was clearly maxed—no rebuttals, no screams, not even despair.
‘…Despicable.’
Seeing her, a chilling voice came through my earpiece—Himeji’s, laced with unmistakable anger like I’d never heard. Hearing it absently, I clenched my fist tight. …This is too much. I’m no justice crusader, and Minakami’s technically my foe, but this treatment’s beyond cruel. To her, Saeki Kaoru was the symbol of justice who saved her, someone she revered. Anyone could guess what such brutal words from him would do to her heart.
(No… He knew exactly what he was doing. He crushed her deliberately to break her… That bastard…!!)
Feeling utterly sickened by that point, I stomped forward with a sharp thud. It wasn’t exactly standing in front of Minakami to shield her, but it worked—Saeki’s gaze shifted to me.
And then—keeping my emotions as hidden as possible—I lowered my voice slightly and said one thing.
“Yo, Saeki. So that filthy side’s your true colors, huh?”
‘Tch, it’s just that crushing a villain like you requires some sacrifices. A true bearer of “justice” like her would surely understand, don’t you think?’
“Is that so? All I see is someone betrayed and despairing after trusting you.”
‘Haha, you’re surprisingly soft, Shinohara-kun. If we weren’t enemies, I’d have loved to grab tea sometime—but don’t give me that scary look. I’m kidding.’
As I sharpened my glare at Saeki’s attempt to dodge the issue, he broke into a grin and shook his head. Then, as if switching gears, he muttered, ‘Well then.’
‘Anyway, preparations are complete. Let’s give everyone a show—Koto, can you patch this video call to an island tube stream?’
“Yeah.”
Nodding once at Saeki’s order, the burly man tapped his terminal. Nothing changed visibly for us, but the screen before us was likely now broadcasting island-wide.
Checking it on his terminal, Saeki continued with his usual gentle smile.
’Hello, everyone. Saeki Kaoru from _《Hexagram__》 here. Sorry to interrupt_ _《SFIA__》 and_ _《DOT (DropOutTamers)__》, but please give us a moment._’
’We brought a special ability to this _《Duel__》—called_ _《Restricted Sharing__》. It’s an ability I crafted using my Unique Star. The effect’s a bit complex, but… simply put, it creates a virtual storage accessible only to specific people, like a cloud vault? Any player with a “key” I’ve made can access this shared storage, depositing or withdrawing Tamers. If someone gets a powerful Tamer, everyone with a key can use it, and naturally, it counts toward victory conditions._’
’Right now, we’ve secured three A-Grade Tamers and ten B-Grade ones in _《Restricted Sharing__》. Sadly, we couldn’t locate_ _【Suzaku__】, but it’s no big deal. Once the final piece—S-Grade_ _【Daitenshi__】—is in place, everyone with a key who doesn’t need_ _【Suzaku__】 for their win condition will advance to the Final. By the way, we call this process “Sanctification.”_’
‘Oh, this “clear” isn’t tied to standard team brackets. It’s as a virtual team of keyholders. Even if a traitor bails, it doesn’t affect the rest, so no worries there.’
Saeki spouted outrageous words with a serene smile.
I wasn’t thinking straight, partly due to how he treated Minakami, but… his plan’s insane. The 《Restricted Sharing》 ability lets him form a virtual team with any players. All their resources—Tamers—are pooled in a “vault.” That’s why Minakami could use 【Byakko】. That’s why their Tamer collection is so efficient. Beyond Saeki and his two execs, 《Hexagram》 probably has members scattered across teams. And through Sanctification, they’ll all storm the Final.
Ignoring my rising panic, Saeki continued elegantly on-screen.
’But—of course, _《Hexagram__》’s goal isn’t just winning the event. It’s exposing Shinohara-kun’s cheating. Let’s touch on that._’
’After we clear, _《Restricted Sharing__》’s virtual storage becomes a sort of “prison,” locking all Tamers inside, unable to be withdrawn. Naturally, they won’t respawn as quest rewards either. B-Grades have multiples, so that’s fine, but the three A-Grades—minus_ _【Suzaku__】—and S-Grade_ _【Daitenshi__】 will be unobtainable._’
‘Sure, a true 7-Star should breeze through such a flimsy trap… but if you’d like, consider it our challenge to you.’
Saying that, Saeki narrowed his eyes with a bright smile.
Then, he quietly extended a hand, slightly tilting the camera. Instantly, the screen showed a beautiful angel, still divine despite being crucified.
’Now, for the finishing touch—see it? This is S-Grade Tamer _【Daitenshi__】. Many of you saw the_ _《Empress__》’s stunning battle earlier, but just to recap._’
’Actually, we’ve already completed the S-Grade quest’s final order—defeating _【Daitenshi__】. We were waiting because other pieces weren’t ready. The final push had to be_ _【Daitenshi__】 for style, you know?_’
‘Haha. Time for the angel’s “Sanctification.” Players entrusted with keys are invited to the Final, no strings attached. For the rest… hmm, maybe bet on the slim chance Shinohara-kun’s a real 7-Star and cheer him on.’
With that, Saeki raised his terminal toward 【Daitenshi】. A pale blue light spread, enveloping the angel, and seconds later, it was sucked back into his terminal. …S-Grade quest complete. The last piece for Saeki’s 《Restricted Sharing》 was now in place.
‘So—Shinohara-kun, struggle all you want, okay?’
With that provocative line, the video call cut off—simultaneously, I heard a flurry of noise through my right earpiece. Probably Himeji checking who cleared the 《Duel》 via their “Sanctification.” Surely the Final’s slots aren’t all filled yet…
“—Huh? O-Oh…?”
Just then, Yuikawa, staring blankly at his terminal, let out an odd sound. He gaped at the screen for a moment before his face slowly lit up with glee.
“…What’s up, Yuikawa?”
“Heh… Haha! I see, it hasn’t reached you, Shinohara! No, it couldn’t—looks like I’ve been “chosen”!”
“Chosen? …You don’t mean—”
“Exactly! My Tamer page has the key Saeki mentioned! S-Grade, A-Grade, B-Grade—everything but 【Suzaku】! My win condition’s met too!”
“Tch… You’re going along with it? Didn’t you turn down 《Hexagram》’s invite?”
“Sure, but when they beg like this, what can I do? I’ll lend them my strength—!!”
Tuning out Yuikawa mid-sentence, I sank into thought. …Figures. Sanctification or not, it’s rigged so only 《Hexagram》’s allies—or at least their pawns—can advance. I don’t know how firmly Yuikawa rejected them, but in this spot, he’d jump at it.
Right then, Himeji’s voice—stiffer than usual, like she was holding back emotion—hit my ear.
’Sorry for the wait, Master. Regarding the “Sanctification” just now—the players who met the victory condition, meaning those with a “key” to Saeki Kaoru’s _《Restricted Sharing__》 and not needing_ _【Suzaku__】, number four, including Saeki Kaoru himself._’
’Saeki Kaoru, Yuikawa Kanade, Ishizaki Ako, Yanagi Soma… all from different teams and tied to _《Hexagram__》. The two teammates with Saeki earlier weren’t wearing badges, so they likely weren’t told about “Sanctification” or the “key.” …Honestly, thank goodness_ _【Suzaku__】 wasn’t captured. If they had every Tamer,_ _《DOT__》 might’ve ended right here._’
’Also… among those meeting the conditions, two players remain in the _《Duel__》. They definitely have a “key” and probably don’t need_ _【Suzaku__】—yet haven’t cleared._’
’One is Tsuzuki Koto-sama—District 10’s Oumi Academy, a 5-Star _《Hexagram__》 exec. If he’s a “traitor,” his win condition might differ from Saeki Kaoru’s, but he’s still in_ _《DOT__》._’
‘And the other… is Minakami Mari-sama.’
“Tch…!”
Grasping Himeji’s point fully, I bit my lip and fell silent. …By those conditions, Minakami should have cleared. But then Saeki’s earlier words came back: Your key is disabled. Now I get what he meant.
(So, Minakami—)
—was completely abandoned by 《Hexagram》, that’s what it means.
“…”
Staring at her, slumped dejectedly on the ground, I clenched my right fist tight.
【《SFIA》 Fourth Stage (Semifinal) 《Drop Out Tamers》—Progress Report】
【Final Advancement List: Kirigaya Toya / Saiouji Sarasa / Kururugi Senri / Akutsu Miyabi / Fuwa Mitsuru
Saeki Kaoru / Yuikawa Kanade / Ishizaki Ako / Yanagi Soma】
【Remaining Slots Available: Seven】
STOC Timeline / island tube Comments Section Reactions to the Results of the 《Duel》 So Far
11:37 “Oh! Finally broke through! First clear!”
11:37 “As expected, Kiri-tani takes 1st place, he’s amazing!” 11:38 “Kiri-tani = Traitor is disbanded—!”
14:22 “Saionji-san won!”
14:22 “Oh, she can win too… 【Diane】 was super strong, though.”
14:22 “But losing to Team Yama’s lineup? Can’t even imagine it? It’s a team, a team—!”
14:22 “No, team doesn’t matter. My goddess wouldn’t lose in a place like this.”
14:22 “So cocky, Kuga-saki.”
14:22 “So cocky, Kuga-saki.”
14:23 “Kururugi was strong. And that Akutsu guy? Pretty impressive too. As expected of Seishin.”
15:11 “Oh, what’s this? Saeki?”
15:14 “Wait, whaaat?! What the heck is that!?” 15:14 “As I thought! 《Hexagram》 is legit!?”
15:14 “About 《Hexagram》 going all-out as a soap player.”
15:14 “Seishin is on another level… Thought they’d been gone for a while, but they’re back and overpowered, too strong.”
15:14 “That’s insane!”
15:14 “Wait, isn’t this a dead end? Isn’t Stage 4 over already?”
15:15 “The shock of ‘Sanctification’ is so intense I can only sleep at night for a while.”
15:15 “Yukawa quietly winning is hilarious. But, this means Shinohara’s done for…”
