Score Analysis [Part 2]

[yo. ik u r there, reply fast.]

'What's up with her texting? Is this how teenagers text these days?'

I pondered whether or not I should reply to Otogi because there was only one reason she would reach out to me.

[ur status shows u r online idiot. reply now if u dont want me to barge into ur room.]

[What?]

[u free rn?]

[Depends on what you're about to ask.]

[whats with this old people texting style? are u 60 years old disguised as a highschooler?]

[I should block you.]

[cmon, its just a joke. anw meet me in the vbc at 9. ill be waiting.]

[I haven't agreed to this. You can't just make appointments without conferring with me.]

She disappeared into thin air after that text. I checked her status, and it said she was offline.

'This is such a headache.'

I decided to text her again to see if there was any escape from this situation.

[Hello?]

[Otogi? I'll leave you high and dry if you don't reply.]

Well, that rhymed beautifully.

No answer. Honestly, I was going to accept her invitation anyway, but not like this. This behavior of hers would continue if I kept being a pushover. I wanted to be the one making decisions here.

Still, I didn't know what "vbc" was. 

"Guys. What's VBC?"

"Virtual Battle Center. As the name suggests, it's a facility for students to experience fighting virtually. I haven't tried it out yet, but I heard that it's no different from fighting in real life," Ichinose explained.

"Students usually do spars and battle sessions in this building to mitigate the risks of being injured," Azuma added.

"If that's the case, won't students train there 24/7?" 

"It's still better to train in real life, Hinode-kun. The system can't reflect accurately on the intangibles of individual growth. It only does its best when inputting your current data, not keeping track of it."

What Ichinose said made sense. I couldn't imagine what it would be like training for hours in the VBC. Wait...

"How does it even work?" I was so clueless that I felt embarrassed every time I asked a question. 

"I don't really know about that. Why are you asking about this anyway?"

"Well... Otogi just texted me, asking me to come there in about 45 minutes." 

"She wanted to spar with you already?" Saki interrupted like a train running through.

"Surprisingly. I have no intention of backing off, so I'm going. You guys want to go?"

They all nodded in harmony. They must've been eager to see me fight the second-best combatant of all first-years.

"Alright. We'll conclude this meeting after analyzing our number three. Hayami Chiyo."

—————————————

[Class 1-A - Hayami Chiyo]

[Evaluation (as of April)]

[x4] [Combat Prowess: D+ (38)]

[x3] [Adaptability: A- (83)]

[x3] [Tactical Acumen: A (93)]

[x2] [Intelligence Gathering: B+ (79)]

[x2] [Leadership: A+ (97)]

[Communication: A (91)]

[Discipline: A (88)]

[Charisma: A (93)]

[Academics: A- (85)]

[Final Grade: B+ (77.2)]

—————————————

[Analysis Summary - Hayami Chiyo]

[Strength]

» An excellent leader with a decisive mind.

» Extremely smart in the strategic department. She takes in benefits and drawbacks meticulously. Gives the most efficient route to victory or safety.

» Great with words, which boosts the morale of teammates. 

» Tenderhearted and unyielding.

[Limitation]

» Poor fighting abilities.

» Sometimes makes vital mistakes during emergencies.

» Sometimes let emotions overwhelm, especially when seeing a disturbing scene.

—————————————

"Look at all those A's. How's that even possible?" Saki looked at the screen with her mouth dropped.

"This is a prime example showing how important combat prowess is. No matter how many A's you got, if your fighting abilities are lacking, you won't stand a chance to get on top of the leaderboard," Azuma firmly said.

Hayami's score on Combat Prowess was one of the lowest among the first-year students, which hindered her way to climbing the ranks despite all the A's. 

The school focused on combat, after all. All other aspects were mere decorative parts that supported our fighting abilities. The school was lenient enough to consider these factors such as leadership on the battlefield, but in the real world, your grade was defined by your skills alone. 

"What if Hayami became a support-type Repulsor, you know? Wouldn't that be unfair since combat prowess is basically one's destructive power?" Saki asked with her mouth full of potato chips inside.

"Not necessarily. I read into the nuance of this criterion, and you don't need to be skilled in slashing or killing to get a higher score. As long as you can hold your ground well during battles then you are considered good."

"Ichinose is right. I looked up support-type combatants in our school, and there is one upperclassman named Mikami Aoi. She has an 90 on her Combat Prowess, and she specializes in healing and buffing."

"Damn. I'm losing to a support-type Repulsor!?" Saki muttered under her breath, but I could hear it clearly.

"She'll be a full package in whichever way she goes. She just needs more experience and training and then she can catch up to me in no time."

"So many talented individuals gathered in our year! Hiryu-kun, you sure you keep your crown?"

"I don't know, but this is great. More competitors means I can improve faster."

"Don't worry. I'll provide you with detailed data analysis after each battle. Make sure to read it carefully so you can fix any flaws you have."

"Thank you, Azuma."

"W-what? This is shameless preferential treatment! Hiyori-san, I will have that data thingy too, right?"

I contained my laugh as I watched Saki desperately trying to obtain my privileges.

"Sorry, Saki-san. I must nurture our superstar right here. You can have my summarized analysis if that's alright with you," Azuma smiled brightly as if this was an obvious thing. 

Saki was silenced. She looked lifeless after that statement. I almost let a laugh out but was able to hold it in.

I patted her head and tried to rescue her, "It's okay. You already have preferential treatment from me, remember? You're the only one I'm willing to teach."

Saki snapped back to reality and blushed, "Hmph." She reached her hand to grab another bag of chips and devoured it like it was nothing. 

"Alright, guys. Let's wrap up and head towards VBC," Ichinose stood up and walked to the door. 

A sense of excitement rushed through me. An opponent of Otogi's caliber was something I have never faced in my life. I mostly cooped myself up all day for individual training. And no offense, but sparring with Saki was like fighting with a scarecrow.

The provisional exam was rather easy too, so I was hoping for a more difficult task.

'Otogi will become my stepping stone.'