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The outdoor shooting range of Aegis Academy operates year-round. In this always lively place, not just students but also external hunters undergoing training are seen engrossed in practicing with their weapons.

The space is filled with the chaotic sounds of holographic targets whirring by, the varied gunshots, and all kinds of noise.

It feels like a miniature battlefield.

“You said you lost it?”

Daphne, awkwardly loading a hefty shotgun into the chamber, turned her head in astonishment.

It was quite fascinating to see the usual composed and mature friend display a childlike complaint on her face.

“No, to be precise, it’s not that I lost it… I just got that kind of feeling. Violet is not at fault. Right? There must have been plenty of opportunities to discuss it with the Student Council President.”

Daphne exchanged glances with Kalia as Irene forced a nonchalant expression.

“She’s sulking.”

“Can’t say I blame her.”

The girls thought to themselves. If someone in front of Violet offered something nice, her instinct to rush over would surely trigger once again.

If Violet were just a child, we would have to worry about kidnapping.

“Well, it can’t be helped. Violet just trots off if someone offers her something tasty. You just have to look at the time she followed some random church.”

“Exactly. The amazing thing is that Violet shows incredible judgment during battles. But I can’t figure out why she acts like that normally, especially since she’s good at her studies.”

Kalia picked up the thread of conversation.

As her finger pulled the lever, a brass bullet charged with violent energy slid into the chamber with a click.

“I’ve been thinking while watching her every day, but it seems like that collective intelligence doesn’t operate normally. Sigh…”

Daphne shrugged at Irene’s awkward smile, her voice laced with warm consolation.

“I understand that you’re disappointed. Still, Irene, try to cheer up. I used to sulk a lot too, but now I’m trying to understand.”

“I’m okay, I’m not sulking…”

Irene tried to deny it, but Daphne merely smiled leisurely.

“And besides, it’s not like it was taken away. Violet belongs to all of us, right?”

“To all of us?”

“Yes. Violet is multiple. I spoke with the Student Council President a while back, and she mentioned that we could each share Violet one by one.”

“…?”

Irene’s golden eyes trembled slightly at the weird theory of human relationships.

Sharing a friend? It exposed the blind spot in her thinking, overlooking Violet’s unique characteristics.

“And you know too, Irene?”

Daphne continued gently.

“Violet is always around us, wherever we go. Kalia, where is Violet now?”

Kalia raised her right hand and pointed with her thumb behind her.

“She was sneaking up on us just a moment ago, right? She’s probably hiding over there now.”

She took her phone out of her pocket and quickly sent a message.

[Violet? Can you help me out?]

A few seconds later, a girl wearing a mask dashed out from behind the shooting range pillar.

“Yes! Kalia, I’m here! Everyone else is around too. What’s going on?”

“Uh, it’s nothing serious.”

Kalia pointed towards the shooting lane.

“Can you see the gun on the table? Please help me load it. It’s my first time using it today.”

Violet’s eyes sparkled.

“That’s from Helios! A Winterfield shotgun and a Type 35 automatic shotgun!”

Seeing Violet expertly handling the bullets, Kalia subtly shrugged her shoulders at Irene with an enigmatic look.

“See? Violet is multiple. So saying she was taken away by the Student Council President is quite strange.”

“Student Council President?”

Violet tilted her head in confusion.

“Why her?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

Kalia quickly shifted the topic.

“Could you get us some coffee from the cafe? Buy whatever with the remaining money.”

“Wow, okay!” Violet beamed as she headed outside.

As soon as Violet disappeared, Daphne gently spoke to Irene.

“Hey, Irene. As you know, we each have a Violet with us. You shouldn’t be too disappointed if she follows someone.”

Irene shook her head. There was a mix of complex emotions in her voice.

“That’s not it. I just… felt like I’m still lacking in abilities.”

A hint of regret passed over Irene’s face.

She suddenly realized.

What annoyed her wasn’t just that Violet left. It tormented her to think that, despite receiving countless help from her friend, she still couldn’t support Violet with even one thing she desired.

At this rate, she was no different from a foolish child who only received help from others.

“I can’t even buy a fighter jet that Violet wants…”

The expressions of the two girls morphed bizarrely for an instant.

“Um, that seems reasonable, right? A flight squadron…?”

“No, hey! Is it really that upsetting? Normal girls our age wouldn’t ask for such things anyway! Violet is the odd one. Besides, the Student Council President’s family is a wealthy household that doesn’t even compare to a large corporation.”

Kalia let out a slight chuckle, making a sharp remark.

“If you put it that way, there are only a few people among those who know Violet that could truly help. Aside from professors from Polaris or scholarship officers, who else is there?”

Beep-beep—a sharp, short alarm sounded, causing the holographic targets outside the shooting lane to perk up.

Kalia hoisted a large-caliber lever-action rifle and aimed it with fierce eyes at the target.

Flames erupted each time she pulled the trigger, and with every new bullet entering the chamber, the rifle rotated in her arm as if it were part of her body.

“So, what’s the big deal? I’ll do what I can!”

Once the shooting ended, a brilliant crimson blaze clung to the target, persistently nibbling away at the goal. Watching this, Kalia let out a puff, blowing away the smoke rising from the muzzle.

In her sight, Irene’s face softened, as if she had realized something.

“You’re right, what you said makes sense. I was overthinking it.”

Irene smiled. Right, why did she get so serious about something trivial?

Perhaps she had become fixated on minor details due to her recent workload.

For now, she should just do what she can. Support her other friends or something.

“By the way, how’s the equipment we received for our clan?”

“It’s amazing, it fits perfectly in my hands. The power is beyond imagination. I never expected to benefit from my wealthy friends—”

-BOOM!

“YAHHH!”

The two, who had just been laughing happily, quickly turned their heads at the scream that echoed from behind.

An automatic shotgun was frantically unleashing empty shells and shot pellets.

Daphne almost fell backward, unable to control the recoil.

“Ahh… I’m sorry! I didn’t know it would have such a strong kick!”

“Didn’t I tell you last time? The firepower is high, but it’s too much for your strength to handle. It’s a 1-gauge. Even the hunters find it too big and burdensome to use.”

Daphne struggled to lift the gun awkwardly, and seeing this, Irene picked it up effortlessly to organize everything.

“It seems now that with your current physical enhancement level, it’s unmanageable. We’ll have to find something else.”

“Ugh, got it. I was being too greedy…”

Feeling embarrassed, Daphne understood her limits. She had made excessive demands, hoping to increase her combat power.

“I’m a bit curious. No matter how much an Awakened One’s strength surpasses that of normal people, what kind of physique does someone who can wield something like this possess?”

“Probably someone like that.”

Irene pointed to one side of the shooting range. Standing on the shooting lane was a girl with twin braids wielding a ballista, which was at least twice as large as her body.

As light poured down, the targets in the shooting range suddenly met with their demise from the backlash.

“AHH! Don’t shoot! That’s my target!”

“That girl! It’s her! The crazy first-year who wrecked the indoor shooting range last time!”

-THUD!

“HA HA HA HA! HEE HEE HEE! Humans are trash! HA HA!”

The shooting range descended into chaos in an instant.

With manic light flashing in her eyes, Levi firing the ballista was soon scolded by the safety personnel.

“Heh heh heh… UAAAH! I-I’m sorry, sorry…!”

“Is it you again? Did you forget what the professors said about doing your shooting at the magic exam site? Are you planning to destroy the entire shooting range?”

“I’m so sorry…! B-but that place is too cramped, it’s small… The shooting course is longer here…!”

“Levi Schneider, you’re banned from entering for a while. Get out!”

“Ah, no…! I’m so sorry…”

As they watched Levi being kicked out for turning the shooting range into a wreck, the three of them were left speechless.

Daphne, with a pouting expression, whispered in a small voice.

“Seeing Levi makes me lose my confidence. I think I’ll practice using different firearms or crossbows…”

“…I’ll check into exoskeletons.”

**

Recently, our Violet’s life had become quite leisurely.

With important exams or assignments finished and the pirate subjugation operation completed, there was nothing left to do.

Still, there were things to handle at the academy.

After finishing studies and assignments, they often engaged in duels with friends.

“Let’s maximize efficiency! I told you! Try to attack me like you intend to kill me! Disable the safety device too!”

“W-well, isn’t it okay just like now?”

Kalia grimaced, frowning in disgust.

I recommended sparring with rubber bullets stripped of magical power, claiming it lacked real combat feel, but Kalia’s face twisted as if she were about to be sick.

“What’s the problem? Irene is already doing that.”

“W-what?”

“I’m saying we should spar as if it were real! It’s gentle, but losing an arm or a leg is just routine.”

“Ah…”

Kalia mumbled in a bewildered voice upon hearing my words.

“…Has she also been tainted by Violet?”

If ‘tainted’ implies that Irene has embraced our spirit of armed liberation, then that should be the understanding. Isn’t it a good expression?

“Anyway, let’s start!”

“Wait a second, okay. I need to mentally prepare… Hey!”

Besides that, I also helped Daphne, who had been focusing on combat training lately.

-CRASH!

A heavy maces slamming down, the iron ore imbued with green magical energy collided with the shield suffused with red magical power and bounced off.

“What do you think? I consulted Professor Masus and other close-combat arts professors, and it seems that blunt weapons fit me better.”

Daphne looked at me with eager eyes. I genuinely didn’t know what to say. The shock delivered to the shield… to be honest, was weak.

“Um… How about looking into it further? It feels… lacking. It’s not bad, but, well…”

“I know what you mean.”

As Violet’s collective intelligence responded, Daphne’s disappointment became evident.

It wasn’t a problem our Violet could resolve, given that she now wielded an axe after finding that swords didn’t work.

It’s a shame. We’re not teachers!

“There might be different methods according to weapon operation. How about asking Instructor Frederick during the weekends or holidays?”

“Actually, I reached out before to seek advice. But the professors’ responses were all similar.”

“What did they say?”

Daphne chuckled softly, then responded in an exaggerated tone.

“When I shared my troubles over the phone, they said things like, ‘Oh, Daphne, that’s enough. You’re suited to blunt weapons rather than swords! That also aligns with your inherent ability and personality that dislikes seeing blood!’ But the incredible part is, everyone, professors and instructors alike, said the same thing.”

For months, Daphne had been trying various weapons, searching for something suitable.

All kinds of swords, spears, axes, and even the bizarre weapons she had never seen before. Unfortunately, perhaps because each Awakened One has a different body type, no meaningful results emerged.

The sword energy was duller compared to others, and her strength and agility were also lacking.

These non-combat aptitude Awakened Ones have limitations. It would be better to conduct research from behind or find other talents.

“Really? Still, I think a sword would suit you better? It doesn’t seem like there’s much of a difference.”

While blunt weapons are my preference, I honestly believe that when dealing with monsters with thick skin, striking vital points should be more effective.

Simply bashing relies on strength alone.

Pointing out this issue, Daphne unexpectedly responded confidently.

“Don’t worry. There’s another method for that. In the meantime, I’ve been honing my own skills! Watch carefully, Violet!”

This was how we arrived at the indoor training center. Students were engaged in feuds or testing the power of their weapons against dummies of various sizes.

The marshmallow-like dummies were sliced by swords or lose their forms, only to regenerate back to normal shortly afterward.

We retrieved two pre-reserved dummies and moved them to our spot. Daphne set down her mace and pulled out the item she always carried with her.

“That’s a magic staff, isn’t it?”

“I can’t give up on my magic or support abilities either.”

What Daphne held was her original staff. She folded back the various sensors and screens attached to her staff, condensing her magical energy as she struck the dummy with all her might.

“YAH!”

Her spirited shout echoed through the training hall. The dummy’s head caved in slightly.

She could probably kill a normal person with it.

But that was all there was to it.

「Mm, weak as expected.」

「We should protect Daphne!」

As the Violets in the network whispered, Daphne raised her staff high.

“Now, I’ll really show you!”

The staff was surrounded not only by green sword energy but also by hexagonal-shaped small barriers.

That’s her unique ability, isn’t it?

“Wow, is that a protective barrier?”

“That’s right! Here it comes, take this!”

The staff, with her modified unique ability applied, smashed down on the dummy.

In the next moment, I found myself gaping in disbelief.

-THUMP!

The mangled dummy flew to the far side of the training hall like a deer hit by a truck.

As I surveyed the dummy on the floor, it appeared vaguely more battered than before. The power wasn’t bad.

But how did that amount of power come from the strength displayed moments ago?

“Wow, what a home run! Daphne, how did you do that?”

When I asked with a surprised expression, Daphne smiled proudly.

“I applied my unique ability. Remember? It’s about compressing the protective barrier to change its shape.”

I know that. I saw her experiment with her abilities after defeating Polaris, claiming her powers had grown.

“Weren’t you talking about detonating it inside an enemy’s body?”

“Huh? When did I say that? That would be too cruel!”

Ah, right. Detonating something inside someone’s body might violate the Violet Geneva Convention.

“Initially, the complexity of deploying the magic formula or interfering with the magical power within the opponent’s body made it impossible. So, I thought about whether there was a way to attack from the outside.”

As she spoke, Daphne spun around me. I wondered why she was moving when she suddenly walked in the air.

「Is it martial arts? Did she achieve enlightenment?」

No, I could see it too. The shimmer of the modified barrier beneath her feet!

“Whoa, she’s levitating!”

“Cool, right? For now, I’m planning to use it as a means of transportation. I discovered that I could apply my barrier in various ways.”

As I approached in amazement, Clone 4231 bumped into the floating barrier with her forehead.

“AHH!”

“Oops, I’m sorry! Anyway, when generated in the right position, it can also be used to obstruct the opponent. Then an interesting idea struck me.”

As Daphne raised her staff, barriers gathered on the end of the staff, adorned with normal supporting sensors and panels, forming tiles.

“What happens if you strike the target with a barrier that absorbs and reflects shock?”

-THUD!

The second dummy got impaled into the ceiling before plummeting to the floor. It was heavier than I thought, and I didn’t expect it to fly that far.

“Whoa…”

“I still haven’t fully grasped the specific principle yet, but striking with this increases its power and pushes the target away further. How is it?”

In awe, applause erupted.

“That’s truly amazing!”

“I have more to show! I’ll demonstrate again later, so look forward to it!”

As we watched our friend grow, our Violet group was enveloped in an indescribable feeling.

As we move forward, our friends are continually developing as well.

“We shouldn’t be lazy and should work harder too!”

Perhaps due to the results after training, our pure and innocent healer Violet felt confident that with a strong heart, she could also step onto the front lines.

“Front lines? Would that be okay?”

“We have to train harder to ensure it’s okay. If needed, I’d like to join in the battles by Violet’s side.”

Again, the tip of her staff shone brilliantly.

“The monsters threatening us shall face this staff like this—”

-BOOM!

The loud collision interrupted Daphne’s words. One side of the indoor training hall suddenly collapsed.

Wait, that direction is towards the outdoor training ground.

「What’s going on? An ambush?」

Just as I was about to wake up the Violets in hibernation, something plopped down inside.

It was a massive dummy, three meters tall. The imposing figure walking in, seemingly engulfed in a wave of heat, wore a dazed expression.

“UWWW… uh… huh?”

As he stood there in confusion, gradually regaining his senses, the boy’s eyes widened.

The large male student dropped the giant poleaxe he was holding in astonishment.

THUD, a heavy sound followed.

Instructors and teaching assistants in the training hall hurriedly rushed over to him.

“You broke the dummy beyond regeneration again? How on earth did you destroy the core…”

“I-I’m sorry! I got too excited…”

“Last time you dug into the floor, and this time, how did you break a wall?”

As I stifled a laugh at Granite, showing excessive violent tendencies, I turned to look beside me.

Daphne glanced at the dummy that was now ruined, her staff in hand, and once more scanned it with dissatisfaction.

“…Violet, should I also pick up an axe?”

I firmly retorted.

“That does not suit you!”

A pure and innocent girl with a fearsome double-headed axe? Not a chance.

Such things are meant for those overbearing brutes who pursue single-parent homes and turn enemy skulls into drinking cups.

It was time to wrap things up here at school and tend to our outside affairs.

“Red Zone team, Bernike escort team, Ariel hospital team! Where are you all and what are you doing?”

“Continent Team 1! Continent Team 2! Check in!”

“The meeting is annoying, but we’re working on V-3!”

I wonder when the day will come when our Violets can live soundlessly and freely.

I fervently hoped for a time when we could run wild without restraint.

“For now, let’s start the meeting!”

Even as we returned to our peaceful daily lives, our days remained bustling.

 

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