Chapter Text
Azuma can't help but let out a small laugh as the rank war match comes to an end, the results being displayed on the large screen in front of them. It's been a while since he saw a match so far out of the norm like this.
Sakurako clears her throat to gather herself before she starts speaking. “That's the end of the match! Tamakoma 2 wins with 6 points, if you add the survival points! Now, I ask our two commentators for their opinion on the match.”
Shun gives her a grin. “Really, I don't think we need to say much about it. Tamakoma 2 managed to lead their opponents around for the entire match. Suwa made a good choice to bail out when he was the only one left, to at least deny Tamakoma 2 that last point.”
Azuma nods in agreement. “At that point, Suwa’s retreat was definitely the right choice. Tamakoma has gained too much momentum at this point for him to catch up. And with Arafune gone, Chika would have been freed up again.”
The sniper takes another look at the screen, calling up a picture of the stage.
“Tamakoma 2 is still relatively fresh, so if they were to choose one of the commonly used maps, they would not only be behind in terms of rank war experience, but also map experience. The forest not only nullified the other teams’ greater experience, but also both hindered Arafune squad and helped out Yuma.”
Shun nods in agreement. “And the unusual weather only made it worse. I can't remember the last time I have seen a Rank war match take place with so little visibility. Usually, we at least have the lights of the houses when we fight in night settings.”
Azuma gives him a nod. “Yes, that also put a lot of pressure on the operator at the start of the fight since they aren't used to operating trion soldiers, and Tamakoma used that to get their members in position.” He lets out a fond laugh. “Though I guess we should ask Mikumo how you actually set trion soldiers up so you can turn on their night vision all at once.”
Sakurako nods with a small laugh. “That would probably be a good idea. Anyway, with the new points, here is the new ranking. With the six points Tamakoma earned, they managed to rise up by three ranks. That means that their next match will be against Suzunari 1and Nasu squad, with Nasu squad choosing the stage.”
With that and a short goodbye from the commentators, the audience begins to leave the room. Osamu and his team, who were watching Azuma’s judgement from their room, started doing the same.
Usami gives the younger members of her team a proud smile. “You did amazing out there. I don't think that could have gone any better.”
Osamu nods happily. “The map really gave us all the advantages we needed. But with Nasu squad choosing the next map, things will be a lot more difficult, since we can't make precise plans or perfectly adjust our trion soldiers to the environment.”
Usami lets out a chuckle. “Oh, don't think about that now. You deserve some rest after that. And I’m sure you can already imagine that there will be another celebration today. Konami even made her signature curry today.”
Yuma lets out a happy cheer. “Her curry is amazing! After today, I really am hungry. Let's go!”
The group quickly leaves the main base, and when they step outside, they see Reiji waiting for them, waving the group over to his car with a proud smile, and the group quickly climbs inside the man’s jeep.
The ride home doesn't take long, and they are still buzzing with happy energy when they arrive back at the Tamakoma branch, especially with the younger members still talking about the match.
Yuma still has a grin on his face. “We really should do that more often. You should have seen their faces when I jumped out of the shadows.”
Chika lets out a small laugh, but she also looks like she is a bit guilty about it. “I have a feeling they will not get this out of their heads for a while. I don't think anyone will challenge us on the forest map for a while.”
Yuma snickers a bit. “I didn't go that hard. I didn't even do anything to give them nightmares yet, right?” He says happily.
When they enter the building, the air is already filled with the delicious smell of Konami’s signature dish, so the group quickly hurries towards its source, but as soon as they enter the room, they spot something, or rather someone, new.
Well, not exactly new. Osamu knew that one of the neighbors from Aftocrator that invaded was captured by Tamakoma, and even if Osamu wouldn't have recognized Hyuse’s face from when the neighbor attacked Chika and him, the horns would be a dead giveaway.
Hyuse averts his eyes as Osamu approaches, though there is no change on his poker face.
Honestly, Osamu isn't sure how he feels about the situation.
On one hand, Hyuse was their enemy, but he was probably just following orders. On the other hand, he doesn't seem to feel the slightest bit guilty about it.
The engineer sends a look towards Jin, and even if the S rank doesn't show much of a reaction, Osamu knows him well enough to know he is planning something. ‘But when isn't he?’ Even if Osamu would really like to know what Jin intends to do with Hyuse.
Despite Hyuse’s presence, the atmosphere in the room wasn’t tense, and Rindo gave the group a grin. “Hyuse here actually watched your match too. I think he really liked what you were doing with the trion soldiers.”
The blonde lets out a huff of air. “I didn't say it was impressive. I just said that considering Meeden’s standard, it's an acceptable use of resources.” Hyuse says, before wrongly picking up his chopsticks and piercing them into a piece of meat.
Osamu sends him an uncertain look, but if Jin has decided to give him a chance, Osamu will too.
The engineer sits down beside the horned boy and gives him a smile. “Well, for someone coming from an advanced civilization like Aftokrator, it probably isn't a lot. Any tips you are willing to give?”
Hyuse lets out a huff of air. “Even if I were willing to give them to you, it's not that needed considering how much you have already advanced under Meeden’s pitiful progress in trion engineering. There is a reason Hyrein attempted to capture you.”
Beside him, Konami gives the blonde a wide-eyed look. “Wait, was that a compliment? Did our grumpy squatter actually say something nice?”
“That was not a compliment. And I would not be staying here if I had a choice!” Hyuse complains angrily, taking a bite of the meat, and just for a moment, a happy expression appears on his face at the taste of the food, but he quickly schools it over with another scowl.
But it seems Konami doesn't feel like letting up yet. “Not a freeloader, huh? Do you want us to throw you out on the street or something? Remember, we are giving you somewhere to stay after your nation threw you away.”
Hyuse barely reacts to the jab, but sitting this close to him, Osamu sees how the blond’s eyes fill with pain, clenching his teeth.
And even if Osamu doesn't exactly like the neighbor, that doesn't mean he wants to see him like this, so the engineer sends Konami a chiding look.
“Konami.” He simply says, voice filled with disappointment, and it seems she understands the meaning, averting her eyes with an uncertain expression.
Beside Hyuse, Yotaro climbs onto the chair, piling some more food on the neighbor’s plate. “You will like these. Better try them out before Yuma eats them all again.” He says.
Hyuse gives the boy a nod, but he doesn't end up saying anything for the rest of the meal, ignoring anybody who tries to talk to him, with the exception of Yotaro.
The neighbor is the first to leave the table, and while the atmosphere is a bit tense, Osamu and his team won't let it ruin their evening, and the rest of Tamakoma seems to think the same, the room quickly filling up with happy sounds again.
Still, even as the evening goes on, Osamu can't quite forget the hurt in Hyuse’s eyes.
________
With the next match in the rank wars being only two days away, Osamu has his hands full with planning, even if his mind can't help but jump back to Hyuse now and then.
Still, he has work to do and a team that relies on him, so he will do his best not to get distracted.
He already continued his work with adjusting Chika’s trigger, reinforcing the circuits, and making sure they are able to properly transfer larger amounts of trion.
Border’s triggers aren't really optimized for high trion amounts like Chika’s, so her trion isn't able to reach its full potential, increasing both the attacking power of her bullets as well as the hardness of her shields.
Osmu would love to make some more custom trigger designs for her, but not only does she not have any ideas for what she would want to add to her arsenal, but her high Trion also makes the designing process more difficult.
Even without it, her firepower is enormous, but it also helps her accuracy even at a larger distance, making her Ibis even better than it was before. Without the changes, shooting out of the sky during a storm like she did during the last match would be a lot harder.
He already has a general idea for the skills and specialties of the opposing teams, as well as their usual battle strategies, but Osamu has decided to deepen his understanding of them a bit more before he can start strategizing.
The biggest dangers are, of course, Nasu and Ko, top fighters in their respective skills.
The Trion soldier loadout from their last matches was more on the simple side, just like it is for most teams at the moment.
Nasu squad has been using some mobility-focused combat units, with Suzunari 1 taking a relatively similar response, but focusing on scouting instead of mobility.
The first of those models was fully designed by Osamu, while the second was designed together with Raizo, since Osamu isn't the best when it comes to radars, yet.
The boy hears a click from the door and when he turns around, he sees Yuma enter the lab, still in his trion body.
Osamu gives him a happy smile. “How is training going? Any idea how you want to face Ko yet?”
“I have some ideas, but none of them are reliable enough yet that I’m satisfied. I’m thinking about going to HQ a bit to clear out my mind with a bit of solo Rank war matches. Wanna come along?”
Osamu gives him a wry smile. “You are not going to leave me a choice with this, even if I say no, right?”
“Nope, I’m not.” Yuma says with a grin. “You are starting to overwork yourself again, and it will be better if you get a bit of change. So, are you coming or do I have to carry you?”
“Don't worry, you won't have to.” Osamu ensures him, because his friend is absolutely both strong enough and willing to. He quickly sends a text to Chika, who is currently training with Reiji, so she knows where her teammates are, before he and Yuma leave the building.
The two quickly leave the bridge to Tamakoma’s base and change into their trion bodies, Yuma creating a large Grasshopper under their feet and launching them in the direction of the HQ.
It's still a fainter color and glow than normal, the adjustments Osamu made for the last match sticking since they barely made any difference in its trion consumption, and like this, it's more convenient for setting up traps using them.
But they changed back the Scorpion, since in that case there was a very notable difference in the trion consumption for creating the blade.
The two fly through the air, and even if Yuma manages to soften their fall by using his Mantis to swing off the building, Osamu is really glad for the fact that Trion bodies are basically undamaged by terminal velocity.
Like this, it doesn't take them long to arrive at the base, even if that way of traveling always makes Osamu consider that there has to be a better way to do this. But for now, he hasn't come around to designing anything.
The base is fuller than it usually is with all the B rank squads preparing for their matches and the C ranks trying to learn from them, but Osamu doesn't mind the busy atmosphere. Quite the opposite, actually, even if he is sure that wouldn't be the case for him if it were more than a year ago.
Though as the boys cross into the Solo rank wars room, they come across a couple of familiar faces, Yuma giving them a wide grin.
“Ko, Yoneya!” He calls over happily. “And Arafune and Shun are here too! Is something going on?”
The sniper gives them a small grin. “No, we just happened to think training was a good idea. Though I can't help but think that after yesterday’s performance, it really isn't that necessary for you.” He says jokingly.
Yuma gives him a smile. “Thanks! But in a fair fight, it would have been harder for me to win.”
“But you would have still won, huh? Cheeky brat. But I can't exactly deny it. You are good. I should have kept up with my sword training better, even while focusing on sniping.” Arafune admits. “So I guess you are here to prepare for your next match?”
Yuma gives him a nod, making the sniper let out a huff of air. “Well, then you are doing the same as Ko here.” He says, pointing to his student.
The swordsman in question gives Yuma a nod. “This will be the first time we are fighting under more serious conditions. Even if it is only a rank war fight, the idea sits quite differently than our usual matches.”
“I think the same.” Yuma says. “So no spying on each other till the match like we agreed on, right?”
“Yes. Like we said we would. Let us see who comes out on top.” He says, and with a small grin the two hurry to take adjacent booths, even if they don't plan on fighting each other, with Shun following after them a moment later.
Yoneya lets out a whistle. “It's rare to see them this enthusiastic. Don't get me wrong, they are always eager to fight, but usually they are pretty relaxed about it. Once Kage comes back from his patrol, he will no doubt want to fight them. Yuma is a completely different beast once he gets serious.”
Osamu sends a fond look towards his teammate’s booth. “He really is. Which means I can't let him down with my strategies.”
The engineer sends a hopeful look towards Arafune. “How high are the chances you would tell me some tricks on how to counter Ko?”
But just like expected, the sniper just gives him a laugh in response. “Sorry, not gonna spill on my student like that, even if you ask so kindly.”
“What if I throw in a promise for a trigger improvement? Or maybe some custom trion soldiers?” Osamu offers, and while Arafune visibly considers it for a moment, he doesn't let himself be swayed by the offer, shaking his head.
“No matter how tempting, I can't do that. Besides, a big part of climbing up the ranks is learning how to strategize by yourself, and you will not always have reliable sources of information.”
Osamu agrees to that with a small nod. “But I still don't like the idea of going in blind against people as skilled as Ko and Nasu.” He says, Yoneya nodding in agreement.
“Those two really are strong. On individual power alone, they absolutely wouldn't be out of place in A rank.”
Osamu lets his eyes travel over the various screens displaying all kinds of different fights, everything from trainees to higher-ranked fighters.
‘I am pretty sure that Ko will be able to counter all the styles displayed here. With all the time he spends in the solo rank war area, he has probably already faced every standard fighting style found in Border.’
With no immediate answer coming to mind, Mikumo shifted his focus to Nasu for now.
The biggest weakness for Nasu that Osamu has found for now is her general mobility. Since the condition of her physical body isn't very healthy, some of the bad habits from that still stick even if she is in her Trion body.
Osamu would feel bad about targeting something like that, so he will search for another weak point, but if he doesn't find anything else, he will use it.
‘Still, I should focus on Ko first.’
The easiest way to win against Ko is either heavy fire or fighting dirty.
The former could be done with Chika’s help, but with Nasu around, even firing a single shot is risky. The Shooter has a history of trapping snipers in her bird cage after all.
‘And even if Chika were to shoot Ko, he has already fought high firepower opponents like Izumi and Ninomiya, so it's not reliable.’
Osamu looks up from his notepad to see Arafune and Yoneya looking at him with amused expressions, and immediately, Osamu feels his face heat up with embarrassment.
“I-I’m sorry. I got lost in thought.” He says, but Yoneya just lets out a good-natured laugh.
“Don't worry, Kodera gets like that sometimes, too. Especially against Ko, it's more than reasonable. I only have an acceptable win rate against him since my weapon doesn't show what I’m actually doing until it's already happening, so Ko isn't as good at reading me.”
“It is one of the most reliable ways of slipping through his guard, after all.” Osamu agrees when an idea starts to form in his mind.
He sends a look up to one of the matches on the screen, or more specifically, where Ninomiya is sending a wave of his trion shard-like meteor projectiles at an opponent, ripping them into pieces.
A wide smile appears on Osamu’s face as his mind begins to race, and he quickly starts writing things down in his notebook.
‘This might actually work.’