Chapter 24 – ２４ – Thoughts After Watching the Duel

Entrance Ceremony Arc

“—————~~~~~!!”

“!? “

“What a roar.”

“Fooooo!! Oh, you’re not going to ride the wave, are you?”

“I do not think there is any problem with riding it.”

The great hall erupted in cheers, the sound echoing throughout the space. It happened so suddenly that it was a bit jarring to my ears, and it took me by surprise.

“…”

“Naru, what’s wrong?”

While the excitement continued, Ms. Maruta and the Student Council President—having deactivated their Masquerades—exchanged handshakes on stage. After bowing to the audience, they split and descended from the stage.

Their presence was commanding.

However, one look at Ms. Maruta’s tightly clenched fist made it clear how she felt about losing. Still, perhaps the proper way for a Duelist to behave is to remain composed until they are out of the public eye, even in defeat.

“…”

“Naruuu? Oh, he’s in one of those moods. You two, don’t bother him.”

“Understood.”

“Understood-u.”

I turned my gaze toward the other first-year A-Rank Evaluated students in the audience.

The four from Kou-U Dormitory… Ms. Morikuni, the short-haired girl, the delinquent, and the fluffy-type girl were all watching Ms. Maruta with serious expressions. The fluffy girl had pulled out a large smartphone and seemed to be cross-referencing something with the others. They were likely reviewing the duel and seriously considering how they would have handled it themselves.

The three from Shin-Yu Dormitory… Tokuto and his group were cheering honestly for the Student Council President, appearing genuinely happy. According to Suzu, the President belongs to Shin-Yu Dormitory, so that likely explains the connection. Or perhaps they were just simply not thinking about anything at all.

The remaining two from Koushi Dormitory… were a contrast.

The pink-haired girl seemed to be in a serious discussion with the surrounding classmates and seniors.

As for Fuchibeni… I saw something unpleasant: a look of contempt. I’d seen that kind of face a few times in middle school—the kind of person who is only good at studying or only good at sports. However, he quickly erased the expression and shifted his gaze elsewhere, appearing to begin some sort of calculation.

Regardless.

Everyone here was desperate to grasp something from the fierce duel that had just unfolded before their eyes.

As for me… personally…

“Sigh…”

“It looks like Naru has concluded. So?”

“Being the center of attention is a pain. It’s already guaranteed that more eyes will be on me during the debut match, right? When I think about whether I can put on a fight worth watching, my stomach starts to hurt.”

To be honest, it was pressure.

This duel had been conducted in a situation where only insiders were watching. Even so, it caused this much of a stir; I can only imagine what would happen if I put on a sloppy performance. Just thinking about it made my stomach ache slightly.

“Naru. You love looking at your own body, but you don’t like showing it off because the aftermath is a hassle, right?”

“Yeah. Whether the reason is jealousy, righteous indignation, or common sense… regardless, it’s still a hassle.”

“Ah, so you don’t actually hate the act of showing off itself,” Ichi noted.

“Well, people who say troublesome things always pop up,” I added.

While I’m using the Masquerade, that mental stopper seems to vanish, so I don’t think anything of it. But when I’m sane like this and think about what happens after the reveal, the feeling that it’s a hassle inevitably returns.

“We shall now proceed to the next duel!”

Now, what should I do…

Given my position, escaping isn’t an option, and I have no intention of running away anyway. As for the appearance of my Masked Form, if I may praise myself, there are no issues there.

However, regarding the fighting style… as I am now, my only options are to punch with my bare hands or kick with my bare feet. If you ask me if that’s something fit for public viewing, I’d say it’s highly doubtful.

To put it bluntly, it looks tacky.

“Naru. Are you worried about the aesthetics of your fighting style?”

“Pretty much.”

Below me, the next duel had begun. A Dual-Sword Style swordsman and a Single-Sword Style swordsman were clashing; their movements and the flash of their blades were flashy and visually impressive. At times, the blades would extend or be clad in flames, sending the crowd into a frenzy each time.

Hmm. If I could do things like that, my appearance would be more than enough to stand out. Assuming I can produce weapons the same way I do my clothes…

“I know it’s late to ask, but how do those swords extend or burn? What’s the trick?”

“That’s… a Skill,” Suzu answered.

“Skill?”

Apparently, there are techniques in Masquerade combat that I’m unaware of.

“I think we’ll cover the details in the class before the debut match, but…”

“Just give me a rough overview, please.”

“Alright, I’ll explain.”

According to Suzu, the Masquerade is fundamentally a technology that uses a Device to convert magical power and form a Masked Form. Skills are an application of that technology. In exchange for consuming a large amount of magical power, they allow the user to do things a standard Masked Form cannot, such as temporarily transforming the body or converting magical power into something else to fire it as a projectile.

It seemed various skills had been used in the duel between Ms. Maruta and the Student Council President as well.

“However, it might be difficult for you to rely on Skills, Naru.”

“Ah, because my magical power properties are special?”

“Yeah. Probably. I think if you wanted to use a Skill, you’d have to develop a new one from scratch. Even if that were possible, many existing Skills change the user’s appearance. I can’t imagine you’d tolerate Naru’s appearance being distorted, so… you wouldn’t be able to use them, right?”

“Well, yeah. I definitely wouldn’t tolerate my looks changing. It’s me, after all.”

So, such skills weren’t the solution to my problem. Indeed, I could not tolerate my appearance being ruined. Yes, definitely.

“By the way,” Ichi added, “Skills performed using only the individual’s technique without being registered in a Device are called Unique Skills. When Public Morals Committee Chairman Maruta caught Naru during the Unveiling Ceremony, she produced a cage without deploying her Masked Form; that was likely a type of Unique Skill.”

“Huh.”

“If we’re talking about that, I think it would be better to mention that if Mr. Naru’s magical power properties can be utilized for something, it would be treated as a Unique Skill,” Suzu remarked.

“Oh, is that so? Wait, huh?”

Wait. Did I tell Ichi about my magical power properties? Or did Suzu just let it slip?

Whatever, it’s not a big deal.

“For now, I will think about the direction of my weaponry. If I push myself, the rider suit should be usable in about a week. If I have at least one weapon, I will have a minimum level of visual appeal, yes?”

“Good luck, Naru. I’ll help you however I can.”

“I’m counting on you. Today’s duel made it very clear how much knowledge I’m lacking.”

I don’t know if this was the direction the teachers intended, but today’s Masquerade class provided a lot of insight.

For now, my goal is the so-called debut match. Until then, I’ll make sure I have something presentable to show. Even if I can’t fight like Ms. Maruta, if I can put on a fight that pleases the audience in its own way… I’m sure I’ll be able to shine more beautifully.

By the way, the “fluffy-type” girl, Hitsujiuta Moe, is actually in Koushi Dormitory, but she was watching from the Kou-U Dormitory seats due to her close friendship with the others.