Chapter 28: In the Very Heart of the Battlefield‚ I Count Your Name
The wasteland stretching beyond the barrier was covered in a thin haze‚ even though it was daytime.
A dry wind brushed against my cheeks‚ and grains of sand danced finely through the air.
Beyond it‚ I could see black shadows slowly writhing in the distance.
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――A horde of magical beasts.
The number was... large. Uncomfortably large.
Deep in my chest‚ my magic power trembled faintly.
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It was less a tremor of tension and more one urging me to steel myself.
"All right! My muscles are going to save the wasteland again today!"
Cross thrust his fist into the air‚ his hair fluttering in the wind.
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...No‚ I thought to myself‚ you don't even have enough hair for it to flutter.
"Cross‚ you're too loud. You're going to attract the magical beasts."
Nagi calmly warned him.
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"Then we'll just beat them when they come!"
"...Muscle-brain."
"I heard that!?"
The tension eased just a little.
Having exchanges like this helped me steady my breathing.
Linne gripped her sword tightly and repeatedly took deep breaths.
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Her shoulders were trembling slightly‚ but her eyes were fixed straight ahead.
Seeing her like that made something deep inside my chest grow a little warmer.
"Aria... Do you think I'll be able to move properly again today?"
"Don't worry. You're strong‚ Linne."
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At those words‚ Linne's cheeks turned faintly red.
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Kotone stared deep into the wasteland while operating her tablet.
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"There are more than a dozen reactions. Their movements are scattered‚ but... they're swaying in a really bad way."
"What do you mean by 'a bad way'...?"
Liam asked with a pale face.
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"Explaining it would take too long‚ so I'll put it simply. It's bad."
"That's way too simple!?"
That exchange eased the tension just a little more.
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And then――
Iris was staring intently at the wasteland where the wind had fallen completely still.
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Her eyelashes trembled‚ and a faint light dwelled deep within her eyes.
"...Aria. Those aren't ordinary magical beasts.
The layers of air... they're distorted."
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Her words made something inside my chest tighten.
Iris's senses were incredibly sharp.
If she said they weren't "ordinary‚" then they truly weren't ordinary.
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――I have to protect them.
But I can't protect them too much‚ either.
That contradictory thought swirled deep inside my chest in the middle of the battle.
The wind across the wasteland stopped‚ and the air grew taut.
A quiet tension before the battle began enveloped my entire body.
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The air of the wasteland trembled more violently than before.
The next moment‚ a black shadow burst forth‚ kicking up a cloud of sand.
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"It's coming...!"
Linne readied her sword and stepped forward.
The magical beast gouged the ground with all four legs‚ its red eyes gleaming fiercely.
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Its movements were wild‚ yet there was a strange wavering to them‚ almost as if it were "lost."
"Aria‚ the fluctuations in its emotions are strange!"
Kotone shouted.
"Strange... how are they strange!?"
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Liam's voice cracked.
"Explaining it would take too long‚ so I'll put it simply. It's bad."
"Again!?"
Even with the humor mixed in‚ the atmosphere was unquestionably tense.
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The magical beast leaped at us.
Cross stepped forward and raised his fists.
"Leave it to me! Muscle Barrier!!"
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"There's no such magic!?"
Nagi's calm retort flew across the battlefield.
But Cross's fist really did stop the magical beast's charge.
The impact sent sand flying‚ and the ground trembled.
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"Ugh...! Hey‚ Aria! Give me some support!"
"Yeah‚ yeah...!"
Aria gathered magic power at her fingertips.
The light deep within her chest pulsed in rhythm with the tension of battle.
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――Emotion Magic‚ stable.
――Incantationless‚ triple deployment.
With a deep breath‚ the magic power quietly spread outward.
A thin membrane of light formed around Cross‚ softening the impact.
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"Whoa!? I feel like something's protecting me!"
"It's not your imagination. I'm actually protecting you."
"Aria‚ you can praise me a little more‚ you know!"
"Don't ask for compliments during battle."
Beside that exchange‚ Linne slipped beneath the magical beast.
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Her sword sliced through the sand‚ grazing the beast's leg.
"Nice one‚ Linne!"
"Y-yeah...!"
Linne's movements had definitely improved.
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She was nervous‚ yet there was no hesitation in her movements.
But――
Another disturbance was beginning to stir deep within Aria's chest.
Iris was staring intently at the magical beast's movements.
The wind had stopped‚ and her hair swayed quietly.
"...Aria. That magical beast's emotions... they're in disarray.
Anger and fear are mixed together. It's not normal."
＠24 
Her words made my chest tighten.
Iris's senses were incredibly sharp.
But the fact that she seemed to feel something "frightening" was even more frightening to Aria.
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――I want to protect her.
But I can't protect her too much‚ either.
That contradiction once again swirled deep within my chest amid the battle.
The magical beast leaped at us again.
As Aria deployed her magic power‚ she instantly assessed the positions of her companions.
North: Linne
West: Liam and Mark
Center: Cross
South: Kotone
And――right beside her‚ Iris.
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The moment she confirmed those positions‚ the light deep within her chest trembled strongly.
"...It's coming‚ Aria."
"I know."
The magical beast's roar echoed across the wasteland‚ and the battle truly began.
The roar of the magical beast echoed across the wasteland‚ and a cloud of sand covered our vision.
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Within it‚ the light deep in Aria's chest trembled irregularly.
――Calm down.
Emotion Magic goes out of control when the heart becomes unsettled.
I knew that‚ yet something deep inside my chest remained restless.
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The reason was... Iris‚ standing right beside me.
"Aria‚ it's coming from the right!"
Iris shouted.
Her voice sounded strangely close‚ and my heart leaped.
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"I-I know...!"
The magical beast leaped from the right.
Aria instinctively deployed her magic power.
――Incantationless‚ quadruple deployment.
――Emotion Magic‚ suppressed and dispersed.
A membrane of light spread out‚ knocking back the magical beast's charge.
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But the flow of magic power became slightly disturbed.
"Aria‚ your magic power is wavering!"
Kotone shouted.
"What? That much!?"
"Explaining it would take too long‚ so I'll put it simply. It's bad."
"Again!?"
Even with the humor mixed in‚ something deep inside my chest refused to settle.
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――Why am I this unsettled?
Even in the middle of battle‚ I couldn't stop thinking about Iris's voice.
The magical beast leaped again.
Aria tried to concentrate her magic power‚ but the light deep within her chest trembled.
"Aria‚ get back!"
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Iris pulled her arm.
At that instant‚ Aria's heart leaped.
Too close.
We were far too close.
Her magic power ran wild for just a moment‚ and light burst forth.
"Whoa!?"
"Aria!?"
Iris cried out in surprise.
The magical outburst was small‚ but a cold sweat ran down Aria's back.
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――This is bad.
In this state‚ I can't protect everyone.
The magical beasts approached from three directions.
Cross raised his fists‚ Mark lifted his shield‚ and Linne readied her sword.
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"Aria! Give me some support!"
"Aria‚ me too...!"
"Aria‚ the magical beast on the south side is fast!"
"Aria‚ help us over here too!"
With her name being called from four directions‚ Aria's mind went completely blank for a moment.
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"J-just wait a second...!"
At that moment‚ Iris gently took Aria's hand.
Even in the middle of battle‚ the touch was surprisingly gentle.
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"Aria. It's all right.
I'll 'steady' your magic power."
The wind stopped‚ and Iris's magic power touched Aria's.
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The light deep within her chest slowly began to settle.
――Ah‚ I see.
What had been disturbed wasn't because of the battle.
I had been too conscious of Iris‚ and my emotions had run wild.
But now‚ it was different.
Iris was touching me.
Her magic power was gently enveloping Aria's.
"...Thank you‚ Iris."
"No. As long as you've calmed down‚ that's all that matters."
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The light deep within my chest settled quietly into place.
Aria took a deep breath and deployed her magic power.
――Incantationless‚ sixfold deployment.
――Emotion Magic‚ stabilization.
――Omnidirectional support.
Light spread across the wasteland‚ and the movements of her companions became lighter all at once.
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"Whoa!? My body feels lighter!"
"Aria‚ that's amazing...!"
"Aria‚ that was perfect!"
"Aria‚ give me more!"
"Cross‚ don't ask for more during battle!"
Even with the humor mixed in‚ the course of the battle was clearly turning in our favor.
Aria's magic power was no longer wavering.
As long as Iris was beside her‚ it wouldn't waver.
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――But that itself was frightening.
I was afraid I might become too dependent on her.
Another conflict was quietly taking root deep within my chest.
The horde of magical beasts filled the wasteland‚ and clouds of sand covered the sky.
At its center‚ Aria's magic power pulsed quietly.
――I'm calm.
It's hard to believe I was so unsettled just moments ago.
Just having Iris beside me was enough to steady the flow of my magic power.
That made me happy‚ but it also frightened me.
Those contradictory emotions trembled deep within my chest.
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"Aria‚ the magical beast on the left is starting to move!"
"Yeah‚ leave it to me."
Aria lightly waved her fingers and deployed her magic power.
A trail of light traced an arc‚ slowing the movement of the magical beast on the left.
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"Whoa!? What was that!?"
Liam cried out in surprise.
"It's Aria's new technique. The name is... um..."
Cross folded his arms and thought hard.
"You don't have to give it a name!"
"What!? A technique name is all about romance!"
"Prioritize practicality over romance!"
Beside that exchange‚ Linne slipped behind the magical beast.
Her sword reflected the light as it sliced through the beast's leg.
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"Nice one‚ Linne!"
"Y-yeah...!"
Linne's movements had unquestionably improved.
She was nervous‚ yet there was no hesitation.
Seeing her like that made Aria's chest grow a little warmer.
But the battle situation was still difficult.
The number of magical beasts was decreasing‚ yet the distortion in the air was only growing stronger.
"Aria‚ the magical beasts on the south side... something's strange about them."
Kotone frowned as she looked at her tablet.
"Strange... you mean it's bad again?"
"Explaining it would take too long‚ so I'll put it simply. It's bad."
"Let's ban that explanation already!?"
The magical beast on the south side suddenly leaped forward at an abnormal speed.
Mark raised his shield and took the impact head-on.
"Ugh...! Aria‚ support!"
"Got it!"
Aria concentrated her magic power.
The light deep within her chest quietly settled as it touched Iris's magic power.
――Incantationless‚ sevenfold deployment.
――Emotion Magic‚ stabilization.
――Impact absorption + speed enhancement.
Light enveloped Mark's shield‚ softening the impact.
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At the same time‚ Linne and Cross suddenly accelerated.
"Whoa!? Did I just get faster!?"
"Aria‚ that's amazing...!"
"Aria‚ give me more!"
"Cross‚ don't ask for more during battle!"
Our companions' movements fell perfectly into sync‚ and the battle shifted decisively in our favor.
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Aria took a deep breath and expanded her magic power even farther.
The light deep within her chest was no longer disturbed.
As long as Iris was beside her‚ it wouldn't waver.
But――
That stability was frightening in its own way.
If I became too dependent on her‚ I might not be able to fight.
If my magic power began to become unstable whenever Iris wasn't there...
"Aria."
Iris called softly.
Her voice gently touched something deep within my chest.
"It's all right. You are strong just as you are."
At those words‚ the light deep within my chest suddenly felt lighter.
――That's right.
I'm not strong because Iris is beside me.
Iris is the one who makes me want to become stronger.
Aria deployed her magic power and released a beam of light toward the final magical beast.
The roars echoing across the wasteland gradually grew weaker.
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The last magical beast collapsed amid the cloud of sand‚ and silence returned to the wasteland.
The wind slowly began to flow again‚ and the sand that had been swirling through the air fell back to the ground.
"...Is it over?"
Liam sank to the ground‚ breathing heavily.
"It's over. Because Aria worked so hard."
Kotone smiled as she closed her tablet.
"No‚ no! My muscles were a huge help too!"
Cross puffed out his chest proudly.
"Cross‚ you were pretty much just shouting toward the end..."
"Liam‚ we agreed not to mention that!?"
Those exchanges gradually released the tension that had been gripping Aria.
The light deep within her chest was already calm and quiet.
The magic power that had become disturbed during the battle was now flowing peacefully.
――But surely‚ that was because...
"Aria."
Iris quietly stood beside her.
Her hair swaying in the wind glowed faintly in the evening sunlight.
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"Thank you... for helping me earlier.
Your magic power was incredibly beautiful."
Those words made something deep within my chest grow gently warm.
"...It was because you steadied it‚ Iris.
I couldn't have kept it that stable on my own."
"No. You were strong to begin with‚ Aria.
You're just a little... too easily swayed by your feelings."
Iris smiled.
That smile was far more dangerous to my heart than the battle had been.
――That's right.
I'm more afraid of Iris than I am of battle.
Because she matters to me so much that it scares me.
But even while carrying that "fear" with me‚ I felt as though I could keep moving forward.
The light deep within my chest burned quietly‚ surely‚ and warmly.
And that light was also the light that would guide us toward the next battle.
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