The End of War and the Start of Battle
♯♯
《SFIA》 Fourth Stage Semifinal 《DOT
DropOutTamers》 Day Three, Midpoint—.
The massive battle sparked by the quest to obtain the A-Grade Tamer 【Suzaku】
ended safely in our victory, and as participants scattered,
it was finally time to receive the rewards.
“…? Um, the winner was supposed to be Shinohara-san,
wasn’t it…?”
Though slightly puzzled by my request to entrust the 【Suzaku】 reward to Minakami Mari,
the quest guide Delta ultimately nodded, saying, “As you wish.”
The A-Grade Tamer 【Suzaku】 was handed over to Minakami.
Confirming it on her device,
Minakami shook her long black hair and turned to me.
“Thank you very much, I’ve received it. …So, I’m supposed to use
this Tamer’s unique ability on you, right, Shinohara-senpai? By defeating you
in a battle…”
“Yeah, that’s about it. I’ll throw out a random Tamer, so feel free to crush it.”
“Y-Yes. That way, 【Suzaku】’s ‘Confiscation’ will activate,
letting me steal the effect that would’ve gone to you. And by doing that,
I’ll take the effect that ‘nullifies a Unique Star’… right?”
Saying this in a serious tone,
Minakami glanced up briefly.
“I understand the plan. …But if I were to betray you,
your Unique Star would be erased, wouldn’t it?
Of course, I’d never do that… but after all the harsh things
I’ve said to you, are you sure it’s okay to trust me so easily?”
Minakami posed the question head-on, her voice tinged
with a faint trace of unease. …Well, it’s a natural reaction.
Though she ultimately sided with us and turned against 《Hexagram》,
up until then, she’d been completely opposed to me.
With her earnest personality, it’s no surprise she’d worry
about not being accepted.
That’s not exactly why, but—
“…Obviously.”
I declared it flatly, keeping my expression calm.
“From the way you tricked Akizuki earlier,
it’s clear you’re someone who can’t lie.
You’re strong, but schemes aren’t your thing. …And besides.”
“Besides?”
“I told you, didn’t I? You’re already one of Eimei’s crew.
I don’t have time to doubt my allies.”
“…I-I see.”
Minakami’s eyes welled up as she fought back tears,
managing to choke out those words.
Then, with unsteady steps, she stumbled toward me
and, almost collapsing, pressed her head lightly against my chest.
(!? W-What… huh!?)
The sudden move blanked my mind—
but I couldn’t let that show.
As her carefully maintained hair tickled my arms and cheeks,
I forced myself to keep talking.
“H-Hey… what’re you doing?”
“Haha… sorry, senpai. I got so relieved, I lost my strength…
Um, just for now, is it okay if I stay like this…?”
Clinging tightly to my arm,
Minakami said this.
Her position naturally gave her an upward glance,
and with her usual seriousness softened by relief,
there was a hint of a junior’s sweetness—
in short, she was insanely cute.
‘…Just for now, okay?’
Himeji’s voice came through my right earpiece,
carrying a mix of sulkiness and kindness,
clearly signaling the situation had settled.
And so, in the battle that followed,
Minakami defeated us as planned,
triggering 【Suzaku】’s ‘Confiscation’ ability.
But 《DOT DropOutTamers》 Day Three was only at its midpoint.
Dropping Niita would have to wait until the ‘night’ phase,
so we parted ways for now—
“Hey, Minami. You’re this team’s ‘traitor’, aren’t you?”
—A few hours later,
I brought up the topic at the same open café as yesterday.
With me were Team VI’s members.
Fujishiro wore his usual scowl,
Minami her usual sleepy expression,
but Niita’s complexion seemed noticeably better than before.
Not exactly bright, but at least she wasn’t looking down as much.
Anyway, Minami’s blue hair swayed slightly
at the sudden ‘traitor’ accusation.
“? Dunno… I’m a good girl. Betrayal? No way.”
“I don’t care if you’re good or bad—
you being the traitor is a done deal.
The 《Mind’s Eye Mastery》 you used to read command types and effects,
the 《Transmutation》 that swapped 【Leviathan】 for 【Hellhound】,
plus 《Value Control》 and 《Recycle》 from the Saiouji fight…
that’s four abilities.
Only a traitor can equip four, right?”
“…Mmph. Got me there.”
Minami feigned regret in her flat tone.
…She probably never intended to hide being the traitor.
With Niita’s strategy clear from day one,
recruiting one more person would let her target someone precisely.
As long as votes didn’t pile up against her,
being exposed as the traitor wouldn’t matter—
a pretty bold move.
But that’s irrelevant now. The real issue starts here.
“So, Minami. One question…
does your win condition need 【Suzaku】?”
“? Why ask that…?”
“It’s important. Do you need it or not?”
“…Don’t need it.”
Tilting her head in confusion,
Minami gave a straightforward denial.
Hearing that, I let out a relieved sigh.
…The thing is,
“Actually, Minakami—that Eimei junior I battled earlier—
she’s set to release 【Suzaku】 later.
See, if Saeki’s ‘Fictional Storage’ comes back online now,
it’d include Minakami’s 【Suzaku】,
completing all B-Grade-and-above Tamers.
That’d let all the 《Hexagram》 members
who didn’t advance via yesterday’s ‘Sanctification’
clear the Fourth Stage Semifinal.
So, we can’t let 【Suzaku】 stay.”
“…So what? Our team only needs A-Grades 【Genbu】 and 【Byakko】.
With your 《Degraded Copy》,
we can duplicate the key—
no need for 【Suzaku】.”
“Yeah, that’s true… but there’s a slight problem.”
I muttered with a small sigh.
The problem, in short, is capacity.
《Degraded Copy》’s usage limit varies by target,
but duplicating the ‘key’ made by a Unique Star
takes a way heavier toll than expected.
It’s a whole different beast from multiplying basic commands.
“That’s why I’ve got a proposal for you, Minami.
Can you use your 《Recycle》 and 《Value Control》
to restore 《Degraded Copy》’s usage limit as much as possible?
It’s not free labor—
if you pull it off,
I’ll duplicate a ‘key’ for you too.
That ‘Sanctification’ thing doesn’t care
if you’re a traitor or not,
as long as you meet the win condition.”
“…Not a bad deal.
Heh, guess the poor delinquent’s gotta hustle alone…?”
“Huh? Shut it—
I don’t need your pity, not one bit.”
Fujishiro snapped in a low growl at Minami’s taunt,
calmly opening his device.
The main screen listed his Tamers—
and somehow, there was a ‘key’.
“What…? Hold up, how’d you get that?”
“Stole it from Akizuki.
…Right after that battle,
when she was kneeling, looking pathetic.
This morning, when you laid out the plan,
I had a hunch it’d go this way.
Used my 《Magician’s Skill》 ability
to swap all her resources at the right moment.”
“Whoa… nice one, yankee.
A pro at strong-arming…”
“…Leave me alone, shrimp.”
Fujishiro brushed off Minami’s blank-faced applause with a single word.
…I get it now—that’s why he’s been so cooperative.
Calm, bold, and sharp.
Both he and Minami will be tough opponents
in the Final.
“Uh, um… Shinohara-senpai?”
As I scratched my cheek, lost in thought,
a timid voice called from behind.
Turning, I saw Minakami Mari.
So, with her joining us,
we handled a few key tasks…
and at 5 PM, as 《DOT DropOutTamers》 Day Three’s ‘night’ phase began,
me, Fujishiro, Minami, and Niita
placed our devices on the table.
Each screen showed the ‘dropout vote’.
Niita’s vote was for me;
the other three were for Niita.
“Ngh…”
Niita’s expression, despite being set to drop,
was calm.
…No surprise there.
For her, dropping meant freedom from her role.
To pull that off without hurting anyone—
there’s no better ending.
“…Thank you, everyone.”
Watching herself become the dropout,
Niita said this with a tearful smile.
And so, the next day—
《DOT DropOutTamers》 Day Four,
where votes take effect,
kicked off with a flurry of events.
First, Niita Sana’s dropout
triggered Saeki’s 《Mutual Ruin》 ability,
activating an effect to erase my Unique Star.
But 【Suzaku】’s ‘Confiscation’
snatched it mid-activation,
redirecting the effect to Minakami’s ‘key’.
That key—used to access the locked 《Limited Sharing》—
took the hit from 《Mutual Ruin》,
reverting the prison-like state
back to the original ‘Fictional Storage’.
At the same time, to block 《Hexagram》 members’ advancement,
Minakami released 【Suzaku】
instead of adding it to ‘Fictional Storage’.
In that moment,
several players met their win conditions simultaneously.
Those holding a key for 《Limited Sharing》
and not needing 【Suzaku】.
The conditions matched the first ‘Sanctification’,
but the winners were a totally different crew.
Me, Minami,
and Fujishiro.
《Libra》’s official channel
declared the three of us victorious.
“…Wait, huh?”
Watching the broadcast in Eimei Academy’s student council room,
I furrowed my brow slightly.
…Something’s off.
Asamiya’s team needed 【Suzaku】 for their win condition,
so even if they had a key,
they couldn’t advance at this stage.
But Minakami Mari should have met her conditions this time.
Yet her name’s not on the winners’ list.
What’s going on—
I exchanged a glance with Himeji beside me, puzzled,
when my device pinged with a call.
Seeing the name on the screen,
I answered immediately.
“—Hello, Minakami?”
‘Ah, yes, it’s me. Sorry, senpai, calling so early.’
“Nah, that’s fine… but what’s up?
Why didn’t you advance?”
‘Um, yes. That’s actually what I wanted to talk about…’
At my question, Minakami paused briefly.
Her breath carried a mix of hesitation
and quiet excitement.
Then, she declared clearly:
*’I threw it away—the 《Limited Sharing》 key.
…It’s my way of taking responsibility.
After everything you’ve done for me,
winning through 《Hexagram》’s power
would feel wrong.
So… I just did it!’*
“Whoa… but there are still other 《Hexagram》 members, right?
If they snag 【Suzaku】,
it’s game over in a flash, isn’t it?”
*’Oh, no. 《Limited Sharing》 has a usage limit—
it breaks after two special clears,
the so-called ‘Sanctification’.
Kaoru-san already used it once,
so when you guys won, it was gone.
From here, everyone’s on equal footing.’*
“…I see. But doesn’t that leave your team
at a huge disadvantage?”
*’Well, um, it’s not just a disadvantage…
During yesterday’s dropout vote,
my two teammates tried hacking my device
to funnel votes to Kouji and you, senpai.
But I had the 《Iron Justice》 ability,
so their cheating was caught instantly,
and both got dropped.
So, it’s just two of us now.
And since I’m a regular member,
Kouji-senpai’s definitely the traitor.’*
“Oof…”
*’B-But even with these numbers,
I can still issue battle challenges solo!’*
Minakami said with forced cheer.
…Well, as a fresh start, it’s not bad, I guess?
Her team’s a mess,
but with 《Limited Sharing》 gone,
all Tamers—
A-Grades, S-Grades, everything—
are free from 《Hexagram》’s grip.
Four slots remain for the Final—
anyone could claim them now.
‘So… wait for me, senpai.’
Minakami’s voice over the device
carried a sense of resolve.
*’I threw away the key, but I haven’t given up.
I’ll follow my justice…
and prove I’m truly your ally
by clearing this 《Duel Game》 on my own.’*
“Got it. …Man, you’re so damn stubborn.
You could lean on us a bit more, you know.”
*’I hear that a lot.
But… don’t worry, senpai.
Even if you’re concerned,
I’ll rely on you plenty later.
There are people I want to pay back—
people I need to lecture—
waiting in the Final.’*
Her tone was half-joking,
but her voice clearly aimed at the ‘next stage’.
Hearing that bold declaration…
I flashed a fearless grin.
“Yeah. Climb up here, Minakami.
It’s not just you—
all of us at Eimei are pissed.
Those filthy hypocrites hiding behind ‘justice’—
let’s make them pay back everything they owe,
a thousand times over.”
♭♭
—Thud, a dull sound echoed in the room.
“I never imagined Kouji would lose…”
Following it, a soft voice, utterly different.
Swinging the fist that had roughly struck the nearby wall,
Saeki Kaoru turned her usual gentle smile
toward the girl standing beside her.
“Hey, Miyabi.
Do you think I miscalculated somewhere?”
“…No way.
You, making a mistake?
Impossible.”
The girl answered without hesitation,
shaking her head firmly.
“It’s not your loss—it’s Kouji’s fault.
Just a fake, not even a 6-Star,
not even fit to serve you.
We don’t need him.”
“But he was a capable asset.”
“Half-baked talent’s worthless if it can’t achieve the goal.
Losing to Shinohara Hiroto
just shows Kouji was that kind of pawn.
It doesn’t affect our—your—path to domination.”
“…I see. Well, that’s a relief then.”
Smiling again at the unwavering words
of the girl—Aku Miyabi—
Saeki lowered her gaze to her device.
Displayed was the list of Fourth Stage Semifinal passers.
“Hmm… still, it’s quite scattered.
A Final with districts this spread out—
isn’t that rare?”
“Rare? It’s a first in history, they say.
Even the biggest district,
Shinra, only has three.”
“Shinra High School…
Kirigaya Touya’s district.
They’ve been oddly quiet so far,
but it’s about time, right?”
“Don’t care.
With districts this scattered,
our advantage holds… right, Kaoru?
Honestly, numbers don’t even matter…”
Miyabi said, eyeing the Final’s contender list.
Things didn’t go perfectly to plan,
but for her,
Saeki Kaoru’s presence was enough.
And likely, for him too.
《Hexagram》 exists for him, after all.
“Yeah—the Final’s gonna be fun.”
And with that,
he flashed a chilling, brutal smile.
