CH 108

Kiriha VS Ijuin

Translated by Dawn

Kiriha VS Ijuin

The rubble collapsed and Ijuin rose up from within, unharmed.

“I don’t know why you’re so proud of yourself. I couldn’t avoid it? I just didn’t have to avoid it. I’ve already researched in the Bando incident how you deal with an opponent that your teleportation doesn’t work on by dropping things on them. But where is there anything that can damage this super-hard armor?　Besides, your teleportation is only an ability to specify space. So if I were moving around at light speed, you wouldn’t be able to aim and drop me. Isn’t that right!?”

Ijuin’s Gatling gun started to fire.

But Kiriha stood in front of me and shielded me.

I shuddered for a moment.

Kiriha kept a cool face until the barrage of bullets ceased.

Looking down at the countless crushed bullet heads lying on the floor, Kiriha’s mouth turned up at the corners.

“Are you underestimating me, using such a small peashooter to kill monsters? If you’re going to do it, use a high-frequency blade. But you’re not a soldier, you’re an amateur, so only if you can use it.”

“Don’t try to act cool with me, you monster. I’m a 2nd Dan in kendo.” (+)

Ijuin pulled a machete sword from his back and attacked with boosted acceleration.

In contrast, Kiriha spread her four fairy-like wings and, without flapping them, took flight, leaving behind a golden phosphorescence.

Kiriha’s ability was not to become a bee but to reproduce the bee’s ability more than the bee’s.

The wings were not meant to propel the bee by flapping, but to embody the ability of flight itself.

Kiriha and Ijuin collided in mid-air and flew out through the ceiling of the gymnasium.

Looking up at the sky from inside the gymnasium, which was half-destroyed from the battle so far, I looked for an opening to support Kiriha.

Kiriha and Ijuin were clashing repeatedly in the air, crossing blades and blades, going through super-speed, and engaging in a sonic fury.

While blinking, they switched positions, and the sharp metallic sound spread across the sky, and even on the ground, the vibrations of the air could be felt on the skin.

It was between high school students, but it was a real fight to the death.

“Honey-kun, what’s going on over there!?”

At a distance, Miina was still in a state of power competition with other enemy machines with her [Rebuilding].

Every time when the ground moved like liquid and took its limbs, the enemy machine was crushed by the physical strength of its actuators, and when it was about to be crushed by a wall, it was antagonized by the output of its hands and boosts.

“Kiriha is the better fighter. But Ijuin’s prediction of the future reads all of Kiriha’s moves. And Ijuin, who is a 2nd Dan in kendo, is using a high-frequency blade. It’s frustrating, but we’re going to lose if we don’t do something about it.”

I tried to think of a way to break through, suppressing my racing heart.

—Calm down. There is always a way through. First of all, Ijuin’s machine was created with psychic powers, so teleportation won’t work. I have to use teleportation on something else to win. On what? What can I teleport to stop Ijuin?

Even as I stood there, Kiriha might be killed in the next instant.

As I clenched my back teeth in fear, an incoming call appeared in my field of vision.

“Maria, are you all right over there?”

<Yes. Everyone is safe here. Everyone is waiting in the underground warehouse and parking lot. Also, we found Ijuin’s weakness.>

I gasped at the unexpected clue.

“Weakness, how did you do that?”

<I have been Thoughtographying Ijuin’s thoughts for a while now, and Maiko and the others have analyzed them together. Apparently, Ijuin’s precognitive ability cannot predict two things at the same time.>

“What does that mean?”

<It means that he can’t see the future crisis and Kiriha-san’s next move at the same time. The fact that he couldn’t avoid Honey-san’s ceiling drop just now is proof of this. While he is looking into the future of Kiriha-san in front of him, he cannot foresee a crisis caused by something else.>

“Thanks, Maria! ah, but I’m sorry, I don’t have anything that can teleport and damage that machine.”

<I do.>

She said it in a strong tone.

As if to give me hope, Maria uttered the turnaround move in a confident voice.

<The police riot police are on their way to this school right now. Among them, five power suits owned by the riot police can be seen.>

“I see, I can call them out with my Apport!”

<Unfortunately, against the riot police, who lack experience in actual combat, we cannot defeat Ijuin-san, who has the ability to foresee things, and it would hinder Kiriha-san’s fight. It is their equipment that we will use!>

“…I see, Maria, you’re the best!”

<I am honored by your praise.>

I hit my palpitating chest and focused on the two above me.

I would not waste the chance that Kiriha and Maria had given me.

The conditions for victory were in place.

All that remained was how to trap Ijuin.

Our trickery would only work once. It wouldn’t happen twice.

But there was no time to wait.

Kiriha was fighting for her life every second she was in this situation.

Just as I feared that a high-frequency blade sliced through Kiriha’s wings.

Just as Kiriha’s body was shaken, Ijuin mercilessly drove a sharp point into her stomach.

Kiriha’s screams rushed through the air after the high-pitched, industrial-machine sound of the cut.

“Kirihaaaaaaa!”

A heart-freezing fear ran through my entire body.

I abandoned my thoughts and just followed my impulse and called Kiriha back into my arms with Apport.

“Kiriha! Get a hold of yourself!”

Her body went limp and lost all strength, and she rested all her weight on my arm.

The bee’s exoskeleton crumbled. It was proof that she was losing her mental strength.

“…Honey I’m sorry, I messed up.”

She gritted her teeth and acted cheerful, trying not to make me worry.

I hated myself for my helplessness.

What cheat ability?

Even if I could use teleportation, I couldn’t protect a single girl.

—No. I can regret it as much as I want later. Right now, I need to make sure Kiriha’s efforts lead to victory! But how.

Then a voice descended, like the lisping of a hunter who had found his weakened prey.

“I found you. Did you run off to your precious, precious Honey?”

The Ijuin above us, standing still in the sky, turned in a circle toward us.

Then he flew straight down, like a bird of prey swooping down to finish off its prey.

He raised his right-handed machete sword to take our lives.

A voice escaped my mouth at the sight that signaled the one-second count to death.

“Ah…”

Then I realized.

They were here.

I activated the Apport.

The riot police power suits were on their way here now. I Apported a small anti-tank missile, which was its equipment, onto Ijuin’s trajectory.

Ijuin and the missile collided, creating a large flame in the sky.

Red and black smoke mingled and swelled.

The onslaught of the blast almost knocked me back, and I held Kiriha in my arms as if to protect her, and I shrank back to endure it.

Kiriha stiffened and waited for the blast to subside.

After a while, I looked up to see if Ijuin was safe.

Had I overdone it?

Would Ijuin be alive?

Kiriha also managed to stand on her own feet while watching over the flow of things.

I was somewhat worried that he was not dead, and as I looked at him, a gray machine broke through the fog-like smoke and attacked me.

(Insert line here)

A bonus this time

Ijuin while planning his strategy before the end of the school day.

“Damn it! I’ve been thinking of at least 10 different strategies since a while ago, and they’re all being crushed by Okui’s teleportation and Ryuzaki and Harikiri’s prowess! Ah, I can see a future where that bastard Okui teleports the whole school and the neighboring town and then teleports the police around me! Let’s see, I apologize before the end of the school day, let down Harikiri’s guard, tell him I’m going to escape to the OU so he can’t teleport away, show him my precognitive combat specs and make him think he can’t call the police…Okay, now I’ve blocked Harikiri’s surveillance, Okui’s teleportation escape, and the police Apport…I mean, Ryuzaki is human, so she shouldn’t be able to fight a powered suit!”

The enemy had quite a bit of trouble with his enemies.