CH 117

Episode 117 Ogre Phalanx 1

The five of us set up in a corner of the high school courtyard.

Behind us is a hedge, and to our right is a soccer goal.

Yesterday, there must have been dead bodies lying all over the ground, but now it’s been cleaned up.

It was an easy place for the ogres to attack in formation.

That’s why we waited here.

There were more enemies than allies.

But we have Lucia.

So I decided that it would be better to wait in an open terrain where we could attack in a wide area.

Also, that fortress gun had destroyed the gymnasium in one blow.

People had gathered in the garden in front of the building, so it was probably a shot aimed to destroy them.

If we were to go on a rampage, it would be better to do it in a place where the damage would not affect the main school building.

In the event that the fortress gun is aimed at us, the problem is how we would dodge it,…….

Keiko made a suggestion.

“I think we would be okay if we reflected the attack at the right time.”

I thought, “If I could do that, I wouldn’t have any trouble!” But then I heard that Keiko can counter every single swing of an elite orc and the tail stinger of a bee.

I’m sure you’ll be able to find something that works for you.

Ah, yes.

It’s just that …… I think Keiko-san is rather abnormal.

In the event that you do not have the ability to do this, you can just run away and I will deflect the attack for you.

I’m sure you’ll be fine. You can think of it as a big boat ride!

Well, let’s hope for the best.

Incidentally, Keiko-san was carrying a white sword this time.

It was the general’s sword that we defeated last night.

Apparently, after much deliberation, they decided that she was the best one to have.

Oh well, the general’s sword was left there for a while.

Almost everyone in the Ikugeikan group was using a spear.

I guess it’s best for her to have it.

Now, a squad of thirty or so flying ogres flew over the forest and approached us straight away.

They are about 20 meters high.

When the distance between us is less than two hundred meters, I am going to …….

Shoot.

“Yes, sir. …… Firestorm.

Firestorm is a rank 7 fire magic.

The target was an ogre that attacked from the sky.

The ogres were spread out moderately.

The distance between them was about five meters.

I’m pretty sure they’re on the lookout for magical attacks.

That means.

The enemy knows that we’re not helpless here.

They didn’t just come to this mountain for some reason, they came to this mountain because of us.

The first thing I did was to test my strength against such a group of enemies. ……

The firestorm landed in the middle of a group of more than thirty ogres.

A cloud of flames swirled with a violent explosion.

How many did you kill?

My words were nothing more than a prayer that I would be able to defeat as many as possible.

It wasn’t like I was asking for confirmation from anyone in particular.

But.

“Hmm, looks like you only killed two of them.

Keiko said, holding her hand to her forehead before the bomb cloud cleared.

It is too little.

I had my shield up just before. Also, they’re trying to lower their altitude and enter the forest.

I see, so the shield prevented it.

The evasive maneuver of entering the forest was within our expectation.

I’m sure you’ll be happy to know that I’m not the only one.

I’m not sure what to do, but I’m sure I’m not the only one. We want to reduce their numbers and buy some time.

Yukino-san is currently level 8, with a rank of five in fire magic and one in water magic.

He raised his level quickly by killing the bees that appeared this morning.

Fire magic worked well against the bees.

And Yukino-san is apparently a junior member of the track and field club that Keiko-san was a member of, along with the ninja club (unofficial).

The track and field girl …… had round glasses and braids, which are symbols of a literary girl …….

I’m not sure what to make of that.

All the people in the high school have this attitude towards me.

It’s probably because they’ve seen and known about my past, when I was bullied by Shiba.

It’s okay, though.

I can’t be bothered to go around telling people not to worry about it.

I use the Summon Greater Elements to call up two Greater Wind Elementals and cast a standard granting spell on them.

When the enemy attacks from the sky, I need to have a messenger to act as my direct guard.

Mia isn’t here right now, so the other members can’t fly.

If the enemy is flying, Lucia can cast a spell without worrying about damage to the surroundings or hitting each other.

It’s not a big weakness.

“They’re coming out of the forest!

Keiko-san said.

In a couple of seconds after she said that, we could see the ogre.

Holding up their round shields, they marched in six vertical rows in an orderly fashion.

I wonder if that kind of dense formation is called a phalanx.

“That’s right. It seems that they were using those shields to block magic earlier.

I see, that round shield can completely cover the upper half of the body.

I wonder if the mage is using resi fire or something.

It is well known that mage ogres use protective magic against various attributes.

Lucia said.

I’m sure you’re right.

You should be able to assume that as long as there are wizards.

This is the reason why I wanted to kill many of them in the first blow,…….

For now, just let off a normal shot.

At my command, Lucia unleashes a Firestorm and Yukino-san a Fireball.

They all hide behind their shields at once.

Did the order come from behind them?

It was a neatly coordinated action.

Immediately after, there was a violent explosion.

When the blast cleared, there was not a single fallen ogre in sight.

The three-meter giants, lined up in an orderly fashion, resumed their advance in accordance with the order.

“I see. Lucia, the dread flare.”

“Understood.”

The Dread Flare, a fire magic rank 6, is a magic that creates special flames that terrify those who see it.

We all have a clear mind.

So, how is this ……?

Let’s see.

When the ogres saw the flickering, eerie flames, their movements became very erratic.

It seems that there is no magic in the mage ogre’s arsenal that can counter the magic of the spirit.

Some of them tried to break ranks, while others just stood there in a daze.

Only a few of the ogres seemed to be affected by the dread flare.

But the confusion of those few seemed to be enough to prevent any organized action.

It was fortuitous.

However, our only remote attack method is magic.

With Mia out of the picture, we have no choice but to rely on fire magic, even if it is ineffective.

Alice and Keiko, you go in from the left and right. Cut in right after the third shot.

I gave them quick instructions.

We’ll use the wind element magic to protect us.

Alice and Keiko started to run, splitting left and right.

Unlike earlier, the ogre’s ranks were badly disrupted.

The shields could not prevent the blast, and two of the ogres were hit directly and fell down.

At this point, Yukino-san announced, “We’ve leveled up.

A moment later.

We appear in the familiar white room.

This time…

This time, the people in the white room were very different from usual.

Aside from me, Alice, and Lucia, the remaining two were Keiko-san and Yukino-san.

Yukino-san was looking at Mia Bender curiously.

“Oh, I see. Yukino-san hasn’t reached level 10 yet, right?

“Yes, I have. I’m barely level 9 at …….

Why the honorific to my juniors?

In addition, I blatantly averted her eyes.

That’s why I’m here at …….

I think I should approach er.

“I don’t mind.

I hugged Alice’s shoulders from behind.

I hug her from behind and she lets out a distracted “eh, eh, eh, eh”.

I want to take care of the future, not what happened the day before yesterday. Above all, I want to protect the people I love. If you can help me do that, I will fight for you, Yukino-san.

“Yeah, uh, …….

You and Alice are lovers, aren’t you?

“Oh, yes, we are.”

Yukino-san looks at me and Alice in turn.

She looks at us both.

You know what? You two have already done …… sex, right?

Why are you asking me this now?

I put on a poker face.

But Alice turned bright red and turned her head.

Oh no, she can’t tell a lie.

It’s okay, I’m not hiding anything from you.

No, no, no, no! It’s just that, you know, after exchanging lives and getting excited, and then spending a lot of time together in a white room or something, I thought that we would become closer!　There are so many couples in high school, it’s amazing!

In stories, especially war stories, it’s common for people to get overwhelmed after a battle.

I think it’s a good idea to get to know your friends better.

Oh, by the way, in Greece or somewhere, there was a unit that only gathered homosexual couples.

I heard that they were very strong. ……

It makes sense that they would be strong, since they would both be desperate to protect their lovers. ……

No, I’m not talking about homosexuals.

Let’s get back on topic.

For those of us fighting in the skill system, the gender barrier is not so great.

That’s why it’s quite possible for lovers to form a team, or rather, for lovers to form a team within a team.

Yes, that’s why it’s possible for me to be in love with both Alice and Tamaki.

It can’t be helped.

Both Alice and Tamaki are very important to me now.

And Mia is also very important to me, but in a different way.

So I can’t help it.

It’s not my fault.

Self-justification complete.

Well, that’s it. …….

I think I’ll take a break for a while.

I said, and took out the two bundles of wooden scrolls that Leanne had given me.

I’m sure you’ll be able to understand why I’ve been so impressed with your work.

A white room is convenient for reading, isn’t it?