Chapter 63

Chapter 63: Recovery and Determination

At the large tremor that echoed throughout the building, Toa stopped in her tracks.

“…Kei”

The figure of the young man who stayed behind to hold off Rokuhara surfaced in her mind.

She knew he was strong.

However, as time passed, an overwhelming sense of unease and fear welled up from deep within her heart.

“Toa, don’t stop. We’ve already decided to believe. Isn’t that right?”

“…Yeah, that’s right.”

Seeing Toa start walking again, Mizuki nodded approvingly and threw aside a guard.

There were several fallen security guards and robot remnants scattered around Mizuki’s feet.

“According to the data given by that streamer… it should be soon.”

With the sounds of explosions and sirens reverberating through the central district, stealth was no longer an option.

Mizuki and the others cut down all incoming enemies until they eventually stood before a door.

“Is this it?”

The pure white door was the entrance to an experimental facility not open to the public.

(Forbidden experiments are being conducted here… Miroku is likely one of its victims.)

Pushing the gun against the door, Mizuki said, “Let’s go, Toa,” and pulled the trigger.

The door blew apart from the explosion.

Using her own abilities to keep the fiery entrance alight, Mizuki stepped inside.

“–Mizuki?”

There she was, in the stark white room.

Dressed in what appeared to be an experimental gown, with a slightly emaciated expression, yet unmistakably Aoi Hoshi Miroku whom Mizuki knew.

“Ahh, Miroku!”

Toa also spotted Miroku and called out happily.

But Miroku turned away, refusing to meet their eyes.

Mizuki calmly told Miroku one thing.

“We’re going back.”

Miroku simply shook her head.

Upon seeing this, Mizuki took a step forward without saying a word, intending to forcibly take Miroku back.

That’s when it happened.

“Ah, nope. She’s my precious test subject, you see.”

A voice echoed from the speakers installed in the room.

Its owner was in a glass-encased room above them.

An ominous girl, scratching her tattered skin without care, looked down at Mizuki and the others.

“…What is that?”

“Do you know me? The once-in-a-generation genius of Kisou Academy. Yes, I’m a Professor. Though I rarely appear on stage, I didn’t expect intruders like you to make it this far. Impressive, Factom General Academy students.”

Her words came across as if appraising goods.

Without hesitation, Mizuki aimed her gun at the Professor and fired.

However, it was deflected by an invisible barrier.

“Such trivial attacks have no value for research. I don’t want to waste time fighting here either… but there’s no choice.”

The Professor manipulated the console in front of her.

At that moment, the floor beneath her glass room opened, revealing a filthy dog.

From the magical power it emitted and its size far exceeding ordinary dogs, Mizuki concluded it was a monster.

“Kill this thing and let’s quickly take Miroku back.”

“Okay!”

Toa manifested and prepared her heavy artillery.

Seeing this, Miroku spoke up.

“What are you doing? Surely you’re not planning to fight?”

“There’s nothing else to do. My intention is to bring her back, even by force if necessary.”

“Miroku-chan, let’s go home!”

In front of them stood the monstrous canine, blocking their path with an air of leisure.

It seemed almost as if it were guarding Miroku.

“Surely you don’t plan to defeat Orthros? Explorers like you? Hahaha, impossible. It’s one of my creations. Well, technically completed with Ciel’s calculations.”

The Professor operated the console again.

Orthros then roared loudly.

Simultaneously, tanks attached to the walls began emitting a faint light.

“…”

“Nana-chan, are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Calculations fall under my jurisdiction.”

Ciel’s expression connected to Orthros momentarily distorted.

When Miroku worriedly asked, the girl nodded without changing her demeanor.

“Indeed, Demons Gear. Let’s conduct an operational experiment with Orthros then. If successful, we’ll surpass that piece of garbage’s Ouroboros!”

The excitedly laughing Professor fiercely operated the console like a carefree child.

“Here it comes, Toa!”

“Okay!”

Orthros’ mouth slowly opened.

Mizuki seized the opportunity to fire multiple bullets, but they seemed to have no effect.

“Damn, this is a high-density magic barrier!?”

“My inventions have no such flaws!”

A flash emanated from Orthros’ mouth.

Soon, it was directed towards Mizuki and the others.

“!”

“Kyaa!?”

Mizuki quickly leapt towards Toa, rolling both of them out of the way.

Moments later, the spot where they had been standing was pierced by a flash of light.

Unable to stop its momentum, Orthros lifted its head and pierced through the ceiling, dissolving it into a glowing red hole exposing the night sky beyond.

“Fantastic! I hadn’t anticipated this level of power. With Ciel’s calculations, the output has improved so much…”

“Error adjustment. Next, I will suppress the recoil. There won’t be any ceiling breaches.”

Mizuki observed the scene and swallowed hard.

It was an overwhelming force.

Her body instinctively trembled, understanding that she would have died if her judgment had been even a second slower.

Toa also seemed stunned.

This light was different from the Solciera light she’d seen before.

A mechanical light clearly imbued with murderous intent.

Light emitted by someone who does not hesitate to kill humans.

“–Mizuki, please escape with Toa-chan.”

Miroku stated calmly.

“You must continue protecting Factom General Academy from now on. Please don’t do anything more unnecessary.”

“…I see.”

Mizuki stood up.

Then, she aimed her gun at Orthros.

“It seems that even after all this, you still don’t understand unless I knock some sense into you.”

“Grr, you stubborn fool… Nana-chan, please help.”

Orthros roared.

Before it could finish, Mizuki had already sprinted forward.

(This massive body… it can’t move properly on its own. The Professor also mentioned that the girl is necessary. Then, if we disable the machine connecting them, it will lose its power.)

Abandoning attacks on Orthros, Mizuki ran past it and aimed her gun at the machine beside Miroku.

The tank floating the girl and its mechanical base.

Now knowing that this is the core of Orthros’ strength, aiming at that alone would suffice.

“Such actions have already been predicted.”

“Wha!? Gahh!”

Suddenly struck by an intense impact from the side, Mizuki was slammed against the wall.

(Was that… a tail attack?)

Forcing herself to regain consciousness, Mizuki saw the tail flexing like a whip.

(I didn’t expect an attack from the tail based on the dog’s shape. Indeed, it’s not as easy as I thought.)

Mizuki immediately adjusted her strategy.

“Toa!”

“…! Okay!”

Hearing her name, Toa instantly understood what was needed.

She prepared her heavy cannon and deployed numerous magic circles around the area.

They were none other than the convergence artillery magic circles considered the pinnacle of magic.

“Do you think I’ll allow Toa-chan to fire while I’m here?”

“That’s exactly why I’m here.”

Mizuki ran towards Ciel’s base again.

And fired multiple bullets.

(With Miroku nearby, I can’t recklessly explode bullets. I must hit accurately.)

Each bullet was a lethal shot aimed at the base.

Thus, Orthros used its tail to defend against them.

“My bullets still live.”

The deflected bullets formed flames and transformed into rounds surrounding the base, raining down onto it.

“Ugh, such an attack…!”

“You wouldn’t know, Miroku. Someone who thinks they’ve left the academy wouldn’t be aware!”

The number exceeded what the tail could block.

Orthros rushed forward, placing itself between the base and Miroku, intercepting the bullets with its magical power barriers.

Seeing this, Mizuki smiled.

“You moved? You realized you need to move to face me?”

“Could it be, Mizuki, you intend to buy time until Toa-chan can launch her convergence artillery?”

“No, I’m seriously going to destroy it. Preparing Toa as a backup plan is all.”

Observing Orthros defending, Mizuki sprinted forward and fired multiple bullets.

“This thing is powerful, but precisely because of that, it hasn’t been fully controlled yet. It can’t handle both me and Toa.”

Mizuki’s strategy was to simultaneously attack Orthros itself and the base controlling it.

(I’ll draw it out, and Toa will use her convergence artillery to destroy it. Only her artillery can break through that barrier. Or…)

Another plan crossed Mizuki’s mind, but she dismissed it as uncertain.

“Hmph.”

Watching Mizuki’s movements, the Professor sighed in exasperation.

“Ah, did you really think I wouldn’t understand something like that? Honestly, that’s why I dislike stupid kids.”

The Professor’s voice echoed.

Ciel continued calculating without showing surprise.

“Calculations complete. If Mizuki fights Orthros, it will result in checkmate in seven moves.”

“Then let’s try it.”

Mizuki smirked confidently.

And pulled the trigger at the base.

Click the heart to easily convey your support (login required).