Chapter 206

After being shown the armour of the hero by Inugami-senpai and Kazuki, I was asked by senpai to show me the state in which I was assimilated with Ferrum.

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I knew that senpai would be interested in me in that form, but …….

“But you know……”

“It’s …….”

I glanced at Ferrum and got a jittery look back.

Ferrum doesn’t seem to like being in that state, and I don’t want to force her.

Ah, right.

“Ferrum, can I have just my arm?”

“What about ……? What do you mean, just my arm?”

She tilts her head, and I raise my left arm.

“Well, it’s like, you can partially attach your magic to my arm.”

“If only in the form of …….”

“Okay, then, please.”

“……”

Ferrum, who somehow became miffed, extends dark-system black magic from his palm to my left arm, and it turns into a sharply shaped gauntlet, similar to the one at the time of the war, covering me up to my elbow.

“Yes!”

A sharp black gauntlet, reminiscent of the black knights of old, contrasting with the silver gauntlet on my right.

When senpai saw the change in my left arm, she tilted her head with a smile on his face.

“Hmm? Hmm?”

“Whoa, Usato! What’s going on with that!”

“Will we now be borrowing the magic of Ferrum’s dark magic? The rest can be done …… this way ……”

The black gauntlet covering my left arm is transformed into a sword that seems to extend from my forearm.

The sword is shown to the two heroes, extended with a light shuffling sound.

“It can change its shape like a sword.”

“You can do that too? That’s cool!”

Feeling better about Kazuki, who nodded in admiration, I decided to explain the techniques that could be activated in this state.

“‘Hmph, by the way, the technique to be unleashed with this is the Darkne–‘

“Healing Burst Slash. Isn’t that right, Usato?”

“Eh bu—-.”

“Isn’t that right?”

“…… Yes.”

Nea corrected me with a bite.

Stared at by her cold eyes, I had no choice but to nod meekly, my shoulders drooping.

I knew I should have used ‘Dark Sword, Healing Raging Wave’. ……

“For now, it’s like this.”

“Wa- wa- wa- wait a — ……

In the event that you’ve got a lot more than one, you’ll be able to get a lot more.

“Usato-kun! What is the meaning of this?”

“Yeah, no, so it’s like I’m borrowing Ferrum’s magic.”

“You can’t normally borrow someone else’s magic, can you?

“That’s a fair question.”

Nea nod on my shoulder.

You’re right, I didn’t explain it well enough.

“As Ferrum lived here, her dark magic trait changed from ‘reversal’ to the ability to ‘assimilate’. And by “assimilation”, I mean merging with others?　Assimilation? That’s how I was able to borrow Ferrum’s power.”

“Yugou? Robot? Henkei?”

The first thing that comes out of that phrase is the genre of anime that senpai was watching in the original world.

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“No, it’s not a robot or anything like that, it’s just that Ferrum assimilates with me so that I can use my abilities.”

“…… No, wait, I know. I know that’s the case but, it’s more like an instinct, or a refusal of the brain to understand. ……!”

“……Hmmm, how should I put it ……?”

As I was twisting my head around senpai holding her head, Ferrum walked up to me, perhaps unable to watch.

When I looked at her face, I saw that her eyes were glazed over and her mouth was in a heap, and she looked unhappy as I could tell.

“Ferrum?”

“Wouldn’t it be quicker if I showed you in person?”

“Yeah, but I thought you didn’t want to…”

“Forget it! Just be quiet!”

Ferrum told me, taking a small deep breath and closing her eyes.

Then her body was sucked into the shadow at her feet, and a black-coloured magic overflowed from where the shadow had been.

Senpai and Kazuki are surprised when Ferrum disappears before their eyes.

“”Eh!””

The shadow in which Ferrum disappeared moves on the ground like a living thing, and when it enters my shadow, it travels down my legs and covers my body.

As I am not wearing a team uniform, my entire body is transformed into a black racing suit, except for the gauntlet on my left arm and the armor on my legs.

Assimilation” with Ferrum.

This is a way of fighting that is made possible by her altered characteristics.

It is also a state in which the power of Ferrume and I can be fully demonstrated.

But…

“You’d be surprised what comes out of nowhere. …….”

“If you look closely, you can see that they are clothed rather than assimilated…….”

For me too, it’s heartbreaking to be assimilated out of the blue.

There’s nothing unpleasant about the sensation, but you have to be prepared.

“It’s quicker this way.”

“Not at all, I can’t help it……”

Ferrum’s voice echoes from inside me.

“U-U-U-U-Usato-kun and Ferrum, they’ve combined!”

“Wow, what’s going on ……?”

For now, I should explain to the two surprised people about my current state.

I explain Ferrum’s ‘assimilation’ dark magic and the benefits of it to senpai and Kazuki briefly.

“Oh, I see, so that means that the figure is clothed in Ferrum’s dark magic. ……”

Senpai mutters this and looks at me with a stern gaze.

I think her gaze is fixed, if not for her mind.

“W-what is it?”

“I’m jealous! Usato-kun!”

“Uh-huh…….”

In a way, it’s what I expected, but it’s not out of jealousy, it’s out of tension and I take a step backwards.

“So you’re saying that by merging with Ferrum, you’ve become able to handle its power!”

“Yeah, yeah, well, it’s assimilation to be exact ……”

“What happens when you put a messenger Nea-chan on your shoulders, and even the demon Ferrum is clothed as magic! I have mixed feelings about equipping a girl, but I envy you more than that!

She spoke so fast that all I could reply was “What? Huh?”

I knew the tension, but even I couldn’t cope with it.

Kazuki was watching from the back with a cheery smile on his face, but I couldn’t rely on him.

“So, Ferrum! Fusion with me!”

I’m not sure what she means by that, but she pulls away from me and spreads her arms wide, her eyes full of anticipation.

Is it a streamlined attempt to assimilate with Ferrum?

…… Well, we all know that senpai is stronger with dark magic than me, so let’s have Ferrum try it.

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“I can’t.”

“Why!”

She was rejected in a quick attack.

While looking at the severely upset senpai, I ask Ferrum the question.

“Ferrum, why can’t you?”

“Because my magical power refuses. Also, Suzune is usually annoying, so it’s impossible.”

“What?”

“S-senpai!”

Senpai falls backwards as if blown away by something invisible.

I’m sure you’ve jumped yourself.

Or rather, why are you so eager to do the gag-callum move?

When I quickly ran over to her and hugged her up, senpai smiled and stood up, her legs shaking.

“Fu- Fu fu fu this won’t break my heart ……! So I’m just going to have to break the walls of Ferrum’s mind ……!”

“No, let me open my heart in a normal way: ……”

“The nickname of the indomitable Suzune is not justified ……!”

When did you get called that ……?

Ferrum, who is assimilated with me, and Nea, who is on my shoulder, are both pulling away.

“Suzune, you’re not a hero, you’re just a disappointing person……”

“What the hell is this guy ……?”

Senpai was undaunted by these two words.

Her eyes lit up when she saw the gauntlet on my left arm and the leg armour on both feet as she crowded towards me.

“Your legs and your left arm! It looks just like the Black Knight’s!”

“Yes, it does. …… Oh, by the way, Ferrum. Did you decide on this shape?”

When I ask Ferrum inside, she replies without seeming particularly lost.

“No, it just came about on its own. Maybe the black knight’s form made a strong impression on me? It’s nothing personal.”

I see. Certainly, the period of time they were clothed seems to be longer in the form of black knights.

Does it mean that maybe, over the course of her life in the rescue squad, this form of armour might gradually change?

That’s something I’d like to see.

“She wears the armour of a black knight who was once an enemy of ……!　That’s a truly fiery development ……!”

“Usato. I don’t understand a word he’s saying. ……”

Hmmm, I get it.

And then I realised, “If you ask me, ……”.

In any case, in order to reduce his tension, I explained to him that my current appearance was not intentional, but an accident.

“No, you see, even for me and Ferrum, we did not expect this appearance. We were in the middle of a fight with Koga, and we had to fight in this state of mind ……, so it was like an accident.”

“So it’s not intentional, but an unexpected appearance ……?”

“……”

No! The more you explain, the more romantic attributes you add to me!

I want to deny it, but I’m embarrassed that I’m the one who has to convince ……!

“A-anyway! I’ll tell you what we can do now!”

Let’s move on to explaining our capabilities before we are exposed to any more shame.

In order to avoid any danger, I move away from senpai and Kazuki.

“First of all, the main ability is the ability to change the shape of the magic power of dark magic, right?”

“When it comes to the shape of magic, that is, like the Black Knight?”

“Yes. For example, …… Ferrum.”

“Okay.”

When I call out to Ferrum, my left arm, which is covered by a dark magic cage, transforms.

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She transforms it into a weapon several times, including becoming a sword and a shield, and then turns to senpai and Kazuki.

“It’s like this. On the battlefield, you can ride on Bluerin’s back and make his armour. Well, to some extent, if you recognize that it’s an ability that can be flexible in form, you’ll be fine.”

“Transformation …… that can be used in all aspects. It’s different from mine and Kazuki’s. It’s your ……, or rather your own, way of fighting.”

“It’s not that big of a deal. Most of the time, you can’t handle it well, so it ends up being a fist.”

Rather, I think it would be more convenient for me to transform it into a shield, a hammer or a club, rather than a sword or something.

It would be somewhat easier on me.

“Oh, and I can now perform magic outbursts with my whole body.”

“…… whole body?”

Oh, I’d better add this.

They’ll think I’m doing something reckless again.

“The state of being assimilated by dark magic is the same as when you are wearing this gauntlet, so no matter how much magic power you unleash, I myself will not be hurt.”

As a test, I aim at a nearby tree and unleash a healing flying fist with his left arm.

A fist-sized shockwave is released from the black Kagote with a popping sound, striking the tree.

Senpai and Kazuki return their gaze from the small swaying tree to Senpai and Kazuki.

“After that, you can now activate it with the sole of your foot to increase your jumping power or use it for acceleration.”

“…… That means you can do boosting moves, right?”

“I don’t know, but please don’t compare me to a robot: ……”

I know I move like I’m supposed to, but I’m too sick to be called a monster, a monster, and then treated like a weapon. ……

“That second corps commander …… Koga used a similar technique, but that was memorised from watching Usato’s moves …….”

“What? Kazuki, did you say something?”

I put my hand on my chin and nodded my head at Kazuki, who muttered something like that.

I only heard the name Koga, but anything related to that guy is like trouble for me, so I asked him in passing, and Kazuki smiled and waved his hand to the side as if it was nothing.

“Nah, it’s nothing. You don’t have to worry about it.”

“Oh, yeah?　If it’s Koga-related, just tell me. Next time I see him, I’ll punch him in the face.”

“Oh, yeah?”

I said with a smile, and Kazuki nodded with a shudder.

I’ve heard that Koga has retreated from the battle, but that’s just him. I’m sure he’ll stand in front of us again.

Maybe he’ll be stronger than when he fought me and bare his fangs. I don’t know for sure, but after two fights I have a vague idea of what he’s like.

“That idiot army commander. He’s the kind of guy you can punch and he’ll punch you back while laughing.”

“Then I’ll hit him back, too.”

“I think that’s one of the reasons why they target you, because you hit each other ……?”

…… That’s true.

I’m sure you’re right. You can’t avoid a fight when you’re on the radar of Koga…….

Whatever role I play, whatever the circumstances, it doesn’t matter to him, he’ll just smile and threaten everyone around him.

“Maybe I should be looking for a new way to fight the next battle …….”

What I need now is not a means of attack, but defence.

The fight with Nero Argents made me realise that, completely and completely.

At the very least, I would have died at least once if not for Nea’s resistance spell back then.

“Don’t just prevent it ……”

A defence that relies on the hardness of the cage would be useful, but it would not get through to a superior opponent.

If Nero had wanted to, I would have been cut down in an instant.

If that is the case, my task from now on will be to search for a means of defence that can be connected to the next move, rather than just catching or playing it off.

“Magic, with the image of weaving.”

I raise my right arm, covered by a silver basket hand, and look at my open palm.

I continue to focus my consciousness and knead magic in a different way than before.

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“….Can’t huh.”

The magic bullet that covered my hand showed a slight shimmer, but that’s all.

It was far from the elasticity of Kazuki’s magic bullet.

“…… Usato, what are you doing?”

“I was wondering if we could make the magic as elastic as Kazuki’s.”

Show Nea, who has noticed my actions, the magic of the healing magic that surrounds the basket hand.

She looks at it for a few seconds, then looks at me with a frown.

“What are you going to do with it, make it elastic?”

“I don’t have a particular idea, but …… you could cover the gauntlets when defending to soften the impact, or …… you could also use a healing counterattack palm to make the opponent cower… I’m sure you’ll be able to find something that works for you.

“Can you …… do that?”

To these words, I looked at my own gauntlet once and nodded firmly.

“It’s not impossible.”

“Yes. I’ll help you with that. I’m sure I’m better at handling magic than you are.”

“Thanks.”

All I can do is keep practising steadily so that I can eventually do this with my whole arm.

After removing the magic from the gauntlet, I clench my open palm.

If I can master this technique, I should be able to make a difference in my own movements.

“I think we’ve decided what we’re going to do.”

I still can’t predict what will happen next.

But I do know that I can’t live in peace and quiet forever.

Then I have to find out what I can do now and prepare for it.

“Hmmm.”

“? Senpai, what’s wrong?”

I don’t know why senpai is groaning nearby.

Senpai who looked up at my voice had an extremely serious expression.

“What is your name in that form, Usato-kun?”

“…… By the way, you didn’t decide on a name.”

“Yes. Then let’s decide now. It’s inconvenient not to have a name.”

It’s true, it’s inconvenient without a name.

I nodded at senpai’s words, put my hand on my chin, and tried to think of a name for my current appearance.

Black knight …… dark magic …… black, group uniform …… white …… white black …….

“How about White and Black mode?”

“Oh, I like that!”

I put polar bears and black bears together to make a bear connection, which is pretty good, right?

Senpai nodded her head in admiration.

I’m going to use that name from now on…

“”No!””

“Why not?”

“No. It’s too fluffy.”

“If you’re going to do that, I’d rather be in black knight mode.”

I couldn’t help but shout at the strong denial coming from my shoulders and inside.

Due to the opposition of Nea and Ferrum, who strongly refused, and Kazuki, who softly uttered “I don’t think that’s ……”, the name Shirokuro Mode was rejected without a name.

Kazuki’s sober rejection of the name left me and my senpai almost heartbroken.

Author’s Note:

The first thing that comes to mind is the white and black mode.

I thought it was tacky myself.

This is the end of this update.