The air at Higashigumo Academy was frozen in the moments leading up to the match, as the stands were packed to the rafters. The prelude to the battle between the Magic Club and the Archery Club was to be fought by the newly joined magician Hakuran against one of the Archery Club's elite fighters - the renowned "Hundred-Step Piercer", Mikage Chigusa.
"Are you sure you want to send him in?" Mitou Karuma glanced sideways at the young man tightening his cloak.
Yorumi Sō remained silent, only nodding. His wounds were still healing, but his gaze was as cold as ice.
Hakuran, the newest member of the magic club, specialised in magic based on optical illusions. He excelled at mind disruption, cloning, and vision obscuration - an immensely tactical skill set. Today was his first real combat test.
[Higashigumo Academy Special Arena: Dragon Fang Grounds] A whistle blew, and the match began!
Mikage Chigusa rushed forward, her body moving in perfect sync with her bow. In an instant, she nocked an arrow, and with a metallic twang, a silver streak shot straight at Hakuran's forehead!
-But it pierced nothing but air.
"A clone?" Mikage Chigusa narrowed her eyes.
Hakuran materialised at her flank, swinging his magician's staff. Rising from the ground, several mirage-like smoke images took shape, accompanied by a series of sensory-distorting sigils that clouded her perception. Hakuran quickly repositioned himself, his hands weaving through the air, channeling energy into a spell.
"Mirror Vision: Triple Shatter."
"Damn...!" Mikage Chigusa gritted her teeth, relying on her extensive combat experience to recalibrate her focus. In the midst of five illusionary figures, she fired a piercing arrow that grazed Hakuran's left shoulder.
But in the next instant - her bowstring snapped!
"Wha... When...?" She froze, realising that the Hakuran she had hit was actually one of the 'decoy clones', concealing a curse trigger. The moment she attacked, the spell ignited, burning through her bowstring.
You've lost." Hakuran wiped a trickle of blood from his lip, his tone calm.
-Victory for the Magic Club.
The fight had left the audience in stunned silence. The Magic Club was no longer a one-man team dependent on Yorumi Sō - they had become a formidable fighting unit.
"Now this is getting interesting."
A deep, gravelly voice echoed from the stands.
All eyes turned to the upper deck where a towering figure was slowly approaching.
The clash of metal echoed as armoured boots struck the ground in rhythmic steps.
"Javelin Club Captain: Onimaru Setsura."
He carried a massive iron spear, taller than himself, with wild, untamed hair cascading over his shoulders. Draped in a beast-skin cloak, his imposing presence exuded raw dominance.
"So the Magic Club finally has some capable fighters." He smiled coldly, his gaze sweeping over Hakuran and Yorumi Sō like a blade. "But the easiest way to shatter illusions is to simply cut through them."
"I'm done waiting."
With a heavy clang, he drove his iron spear into the ground, shattering the tiled floor into a web of cracks.
"In the next battle, I will personally intervene."
-The wind howled through the Dragon Fang grounds, the victor decided, but the storm was far from over.
Hakuran stood in the centre of the arena, his uniform tattered, his shoulders still slightly shaking. Before him, the Archery Club's ace - Mikage Chigusa - had succumbed to the illusion, marking the moment the tide had turned in favour of the Magic Club.
"He... actually won?"
Kōdō Saya stood at the edge of the stands, her long hair caught in the breeze, her light blue eyes wavering slightly. She had only come to watch out of courtesy, but had not expected to witness such a fight.
It wasn't just his victory - it was the cold composure and oppressive aura he carried... It reminded me of Yorumi Sō.
She lowered her eyes and clenched the hem of her skirt. "Where exactly did you find this guy, Yorumi Sō?"
Mitou Karuma did not react immediately. His gaze remained icy cold as he watched Hakuran's retreating figure.
"Illusion type... No, a mental disruption based optical illusionist." He muttered. "A precise tempo of execution, flawless control chains, combined with decoys and forced disorientations..."
"A system like that - shouldn't be relegated to a 'support role'."
He lowered his eyes, a cold smile forming.
"Looks like... we need to rewrite our strategy."
But Hakuran's moment of victory was short-lived.
The iron gates on the western side of the Dragon Fang grounds slowly creaked open. Heavy footsteps echoed as a figure entered the arena.
"Yo, Magic Club."
"Does victory... taste good?"
Boom!
With a thunderous crash, an enormous spear plunged into the ground, cracking the stone floor beneath it.
The man holding the weapon radiated sheer, unfiltered power.
Draped in a pitch-black cloak and clad in metallic armour, his eyes were devoid of unnecessary emotion, containing only the raw dominance of a predator.
"I am Onimaru Setsura, captain of the Spear Club."
His voice was like splitting stone. "For the next match... I'll take you on personally."
Hakuran's eyes narrowed as he faced this man, a being who seemed less like a warrior and more like a living weapon. Kōdō Saya was at a loss for words, and even Mitou Karuma hesitated in his steps.
From his hospital room, Yorumi Sō heard the news and looked at the sky beyond the academy grounds.
"Onimaru Setsura... So that name has finally surfaced."
Casually, he flicked a playing card between his fingers and murmured:
"Strength-based, short-range suppression, spear-staff combos, illusion-breaking abilities."
"He is 'a hunter born to shatter illusions'."
"Our true nemesis... has arrived."
疾影对决,重枪现身
东云学园的空气凝滞在战斗的前夕,四周看台座无虚席.魔术部与弓箭部的前哨战,将由新晋魔术师白蓝迎战弓箭部实战组成员——"百步穿心"的御影千草.
"你确定让他上?"御堂狩真侧过头,望着正系紧斗篷的少年.
夜见苍没有说话,只是点了点头.他的伤势尚未痊愈,但眼神冷静如冰.
白蓝,魔术部最新成员,障眼法系魔术师.擅长精神干扰,制造分身与视野遮蔽,是极具战术潜力的选手.而今天,是他正式面对实战的第一场战斗.
「东云学园特别对战场·龙牙场」
一声哨响,战斗正式开始!
御影千草箭步冲出,身影与弓箭几乎融为一体,瞬间拉弓,"锵"的一声银光闪过,直取白蓝眉心!
——但却贯穿了空气.
"分身?"御影千草眉头一挑.
白蓝悄然现身于她身侧,魔术棒一挥,地面升腾出数道虚像烟雾,同时伴随一连串感官扰乱的符文,令她一时间错乱方向.白蓝再度以高速位移拉远距离,双手翻动魔术棒,聚能于术式.
"[镜像视界·三重破]."
"可恶——!"御影千草咬牙,凭借极高的实战经验强行调整视线,在五重影像中一箭贯穿其中一体,白蓝左肩被擦伤.
但下一瞬,她的弓弦突然崩断!
"什...时候..."她怔在原地,才发现刚才命中的那个白蓝,其实是"干扰分身"中隐藏着的咒弹装置,箭弦被咒力灼烧,在她出击时引爆.
"你输了."白蓝擦了擦嘴角血迹,语气平淡.
——魔术部,胜.
这一战彻底震惊全场.魔术部不再是"只有夜见苍能打"的部队,而是逐步成型的战斗集体.
"有点意思了啊."一声低沉嗓音传来.
所有人目光看向观战台上方,一个魁梧的身影缓缓站起.
金属交击的声音在场边响起,那是重装战靴撞击地面的节奏.
"标枪部部长·鬼丸刹罗."
他背负着比人还高的巨型铁枪,长发如野狼般披散,肩膀裹着兽皮般的战甲.
"魔术部终于有点能打的了."他冷笑,目光如刀般扫过白蓝与夜见苍,"不过要撕裂幻术,最简单的方式就是一枪穿透."
"我等不及了."他说着,将铁枪重重插入观战席的地板,碎裂出蜘蛛网般的裂痕.
"下一战,就由我亲自出手."
——龙牙场侧翼,风猎未止,胜败已定.
白蓝站在龙牙场的中央,身上的制服残破不堪,肩膀还在轻微颤抖.他的眼前,弓箭部的精锐——御影千草,已然失去了战斗能力,被幻象所迷惑的那一刻,战局就已倒向魔术部.
"他...赢了?"
凰堂纱夜站在观众席边缘,长发被风掀起,水蓝色的眼眸略显动摇.她原本只是出于礼貌来观战,却没想到会看到白蓝这一战.
不是因为他赢了,而是——那份冷静与压迫感,竟让我想起了夜见苍...
她低头,手指握紧裙边."你到底从哪里找来的人,夜见苍?"
御堂狩真并未立刻回头,他的目光冷静如冰,注视着白蓝退场的背影.
"幻术系...不,是精神干扰型的障眼法系统."他喃喃自语,"精准的输出节奏,完美的控制链,再加上分身诱敌,强制驱散..."
"这样的系统,不该只是'辅助位'."
他垂下眼,嘴角浮现冷笑.
"看来...我们要重新写战略了."
但白蓝胜利的光辉,并未持续太久.
在龙牙场西侧的铁石门缓缓开启,重重的脚步声踏入演武的界限.
"哟,魔术部."
"胜利的滋味...好喝吗?"
咚——!
随着那声音,一根巨大的棍枪插在地面,直接震裂地砖.持枪而立的身影,如狂雷踏破虚空而来.
他肩披漆黑披风,金属护腕缠绕,眼中没有一丝多余感情,只有赤裸裸的——武力威慑.
"我是标枪部部长,鬼丸刹罗."
他嗓音如裂石而出,"下一场战斗...我亲自来."
白蓝望着这名如同兵器化身般的男人,眉头微蹙.凰堂纱夜一时语塞,连御堂狩真都停住脚步.
夜见苍听闻此事后,在病房窗前望向校外的天空.
"鬼丸刹罗...这个名字,终于出来了."
他轻轻甩了下手中卡牌,低声道:
"力量型,近战压制,枪棍连击,可破幻象."
"他是'为击碎幻术而生的猎人'...我们真正的宿敌,终于出场了."