At last, our final match of the Qualifiers was drawing to a close. We had won every single match leading up to this point. It seemed Team Hartnett had indeed been our greatest obstacle, as the remaining rounds had proceeded without a hitch.
Rather than putting on a show like we did in the first match, we focused strictly on securing solid, reliable victories. Even a lead of a single point was still a win, and a win was all that mattered.
Maintaining a comfortable safety margin, we fought through our final match of the Qualifiers.
"Ariane! I’ll cover you!"
"Understood!"
We were in the middle of the final struggle for the fifth base. If we secured the points here, the match would be over.
Our opponents seemed to realize this as well, launching a desperate assault. It was an attack that bordered on suicidal. They were casting magic without restraint, giving no thought to the consequences or what might come next.
Our team had already guaranteed a top-two finish in the block. Therefore, even if we were to lose this particular match, it wouldn't be a problem. On the other hand, if the opposing team lost here, their elimination from the Qualifiers was certain. It was only natural that the victory right in front of them mattered more than anything that followed.
I worked alongside Ariane on the front line to parry their onslaught. Our opponents were a magic-focused team, so we bought time by using the trees to effectively break their lines of sight.
Amelia provided support with magic from the base, but even so, the two of us were still facing three opponents head-on.
"...You've really grown."
The words slipped out in a murmur in the heat of the fight.
I was supporting Ariane from the rear. For this match, we had decided from the start to fight with Ariane as our core. Part of that was to give her experience, but it was also a way to conceal my own combat capabilities.
For better or worse, it seemed our team was being heavily scouted. Since our advancement to the Main Tournament was guaranteed, it was only to be expected, but Team Algren had distinguished itself enough to be considered a favorite to win.
Team Forst and Team Algren.
I had overheard whispers that those two teams were likely the top contenders for the title.
After a while, the loud blare of a siren echoed through the forest.
"Winners: Team Algren."
Hearing the announcement, Ariane's face lit up. She ran toward me and threw her arms around me in a tight hug. As I caught her firmly, she raised her voice in delight.
"We did it! We did it, Ray! We won!"
"Yeah. We did."
"And we're undefeated! We are truly amazing!"
"Our teamwork has reached a very high level. This is a natural result."
"Ray! We really did it!"
As the two of us celebrated the result, Amelia approached from behind.
"...Ariane. I know you're happy, but aren't you hugging Ray a bit too much?"
Her dignified voice reached our ears. Ariane's face instantly turned bright red, and she scrambled to pull away from me.
"Ah...! M-My apologies. I simply got caught up in the moment..."
"...Hmm. Well, I suppose I understand the feeling."
With that, the three of us bumped fists.
"We did it, Ray."
"Just as we planned. A perfect record."
"Yes. I had my anxieties before we started, but we managed to achieve our goal."
"Yeah. By the way, Amelia, your magic precision has improved significantly."
"You think so?"
"I'm certain of it."
"Ehehe. Hearing you say that makes me pretty happy..."
Amelia smiled bashfully, but my words were by no means flattery. Most likely, her overall magical skill had been elevated through her mastery of the Butterfly Effect.
The Butterfly Effect required the construction of precise code within a vast magic area. She possessed a naturally immense magic area, and now she had acquired the technique for precise code construction to match it. Until now, she probably hadn't been able to fully utilize that capacity. But now, she was casting magic while properly drawing out its potential.
Amelia herself didn't seem to quite realize it, but her growth was remarkable.
"Ariane, your coordination has improved too. Our compatibility is perfect."
"Our compatibility is perfect!!?"
"? At least, that's what I felt throughout the matches."
"Ah... you mean in the matches. Of course it is!"
Ariane puffed out her chest and raised her voice proudly. She had also achieved great growth through these matches. Above all, she had become able to view the battlefield from a bird's-eye perspective. She could grasp my and Amelia's positions and determine how she should move accordingly. Furthermore, her basic magical skills had improved.
It seemed the experience of fighting alongside me on the front lines was paying off, which was truly good to see.
"The Main Tournament is finally next."
"It is."
"The Main Tournament... It's a Siege Battle, right? Plus, there's very little time to rest, so it looks like it'll be a grueling series of fights."
"That's right. We'll have a two-day break, but after that, the matches will go non-stop all the way to the Finals. Let's make sure to get plenty of rest while we can."
"Understood!"
"Right."
And so, our run in the Qualifiers came to a close with a perfect undefeated record.
◇
"S-Something about this makes me nervous..."
"? Is something wrong?"
"N-No! It's nothing at all!"
We were currently at a restaurant in the Central District. Originally, I had intended for the three of us to have a meal and a meeting about the next match, but it seemed Amelia had urgent business to attend to. As a daughter of the Three Great Noble Families, her schedule was quite demanding.
Since Ariane had no other plans, the two of us had come alone. Now, as we enjoyed our steaks, we looked back on our performance.
"Even so, everything went exactly as you predicted, Ray."
"Broad predictions can be made based on the overall strength of the opposing team."
"Is that also from your past experience?"
"I suppose. During my time as a soldier, I mainly fought on the front lines, but Carol, Abby-san, and Master told me that precisely because I fight on the front, I should possess at least a minimum level of knowledge regarding strategy."
"...I feel like your knowledge is far beyond 'minimum.' Well, I suppose it's too late to point that out now."
Ariane let out a soft sigh. I had grown somewhat used to this reaction of hers. Apparently, because I have some eccentric tendencies, she had once boasted, "I shall be the one to teach you properly!"
Thinking about it, as Tiana's older sister, Ariane was quite the caretaker. She had put in a lot of effort to keep the team together, such as persuading a sulking Amelia. It was still fresh in my memory how she'd said, "Honestly, Ray, you're hopeless without me!"
"I wonder what the Main Tournament will be like."
"It will likely be much tougher than the Qualifiers. The strength of the opposing teams will be on a different level, but more than anything, the matches will take place on an intense schedule. Furthermore, Siege Battles last a long time. Unlike the combat in Kafka Forest, we'll need to adapt to fighting in an Ancient Castle."
"Do you have experience with that, Ray?"
"No, I haven't fought in a castle before. Most of my experience was in magical guerrilla warfare. But there are ways to handle it."
I grinned. It was a natural expression that surfaced as various strategies swirled through my mind. Seeing that, Ariane brought her hand to her mouth and laughed lightly.
"Fufu. Honestly, Ray, that smile of yours is amusing no matter how many times I see it."
"Is it?"
"Yes. You're usually so calm and composed, but right now you have the strangest look on your face."
"A strange look, huh? That might be an apt description."
"But—"
After a brief pause, she spoke while gazing steadily into my eyes.
"When you're smiling like that, Ray, you're very attractive."
The tone of her voice felt slightly different from anything I had heard before. Ariane's expression, too, was different from her usual one.
I thought the sight was truly beautiful. I meant that from the bottom of my heart.
"I see. I'm flattered. But you are also an attractive woman, Ariane."
"Goodness! Please don't say things like that so casually!"
She raised her voice in protest, but she seemed secretly pleased. And so, the two of us spent a quiet, pleasant moment together.