288 It’s No Use

Coco was the instructor in charge of defensive magic at the Noblesse Magic Academy, and true to her position, her spells were specialized for protection.

In the Original Story, she eventually played a vital role in protecting Allen and the nation. However, since she wasn’t the type to fixate on others, she never really got close to anyone.

Standing out in the courtyard was apparently a bad idea, so we moved to the gymnasium where she’d taught me defensive magic before. As her white lab coat swayed, I could feel a faint hum of mana.

Damn it. I can’t get that flash of pure white out of my head.

"Boy, if you beat me, I’ll let you see my underwear again," Coco said, turning back to me with a playful grin.

Wait, if I go all out now, isn’t it going to look like I’m desperate to see her panties?

No, focus. There would be no point to this unless I gave it at least a little effort.

As I began to knead my mana, Luna’s mournful voice drifted over from beside me. "Ugh... So you prefer older women, Vai-kun... Fine. I’ll buy some pure white underwear too... a whole dozen of them."

"What are you even talking about...?" I muttered.

I was glad she hadn’t turned into a stray, but man, this girl was weird.

At that moment, Coco deployed her Shield with a surge of power. Noticing the shift, Luna’s expression immediately sharpened. Ha. I guess she didn’t earn that eleventh-place rank for nothing.

"Keep that face on, Luna," I said.

"Huh? Is that... a confession?" she asked.

"...Not even close."

"Keep flirting and I’ll tell Cynthia on you~!" Coco chimed in.

Her words sent a chill down my spine—the kind that could freeze a man's very soul—so I snapped my attention back to the fight. We’d start with a light coordination attack. Gathering information was the priority.

I shifted my mindset and fired a Mana Cannon. Naturally, it was deflected.

"I didn't realize you could use an Inviolable Domain (Barrier)," I noted.

"I just performed a little Formula Optimization," she replied nonchalantly. "Unlike yours, mine is a hassle and not exactly easy to pull off."

She made it sound like nothing, but that was an incredible feat of magic. It definitely wasn't "easy."

I signaled to Luna with my eyes. She manipulated her Black Lumps, sending two of them flying through the air like drones. Coco didn't seem to know what the trick was, but she looked delighted. With her hands shoved in her pockets, she let out a chirp of excitement, like a child looking at a new toy.

"Heh. That looks like fun magic."

I charged her head-on and swung my sword down. I activated my Magic Eye, but the result left me stunned. The sheer density of her Shield resonated with a sharp crack.

She had absolutely no intention of moving even a single inch.

"Hmm, those eyes really are something. You're predicting my movements based on the stagnation of my mana, aren't you?"

Her analytical skills were terrifying—she'd seen through it in an instant. That's Coco for you.

But—this is getting interesting.