Editing Sorcery Hacker:Volume4 Phase03 (section)

===Part 21===

The color white exploded.

It came from the enormous sorcery gun in Queen Astaroth Revolver’s hand.

Henrietta moved in front of Mamilis to protect the rookie.

“It’s powerful, but too big to move quickly!! Pay careful attention and you can avoid it!!”

(Since the Queen’s chosen target – the emperor – is still alive without her receiving any kind of penalty, the curse where the revolver’s owner is killed if they fail to kill their target in six shots must not be in effect! Which means she can shoot all she wants!!)

That was ultimately an undisclosed setting used to ensure the gun would move from owner to owner. The Queen would have no reason to apply it to herself.

Ayato was accompanied by Teleria, Mamilis, Henrietta, and Hemylina Luxshine leading the half-elves from the Collaborative Continent. No matter how powerful the blonde devil was as a single entity, she couldn’t deal with simultaneous attacks coming from all around.

Ayato stabbed his linkage plug sword into the sorcery devices around him to hack them.

“Miss Teleria, Miss Mamilis, I’m counting on you. Just keep firing!!”

Shots of water and fire blossomed from different directions.

But that was only a smokescreen.

Meanwhile, Ayato crouched low and slipped below his allies’ barrage. He wouldn’t let this turn into an evenly-matched battle of attrition. He couldn’t let any more lives be lost. After rushing right up toward the Queen, he took aim at the giant revolver she held.

He somehow managed to swing his linkage plug sword.

He struck the enormous revolver’s barrel from the side, diverting its aim. Even the most powerful weapon was useless if it couldn’t be aimed.

(I don’t even need to count to three!! With ''her'', even the smallest opening will be enough!!)

Ayato immediately raised his voice.

“Miss Henrietta!!”

“Hee hee.”

He heard several thick metal clanging sounds.

Coming from Queen Astaroth Revolver. Mana-conducting silver arms emerged from the bewitching blonde devil’s hips, all wielding sorcery guns of various sizes.

“You do know I’m an illegally leaked model of those oh-so-adorable maids, don’t you?☆”

“Dammiiiit!!!”

Something exploded and Ayato tackled Rookie Mamilis to the floor as she approached while firing fire magic from her full-auto shotgun. A gale of destruction tore through the air, blasting away the bookcases lined up along the curved wall.

She had too many trump cards.

And they were each too deadly to be ignored. That said, cautiously responding to each attack used on a random whim would mean always being on the defensive.

A defensive strategy against that monstrous firepower would only mean being worn down little by little.

He had to stay in control somehow.

“Ohhh!!”

Henrietta must have realized a long-term battle was not in their best interests.

She tried to force her way forward, but then she suddenly stopped.

Or more accurately, it was her special protector armor made from monster leather and tendons that stopped.

A harsh straining noise followed.

Needles thinner than spider silk had stabbed into the gaps of her armor.

“Sorcery hacking!?”

“If you know what happened, don’t let it stop you! That devil can control more than your armor!!”

Ayato’s shouted warning was punctuated by an explosion.

The glass lab equipment on the table shattered and sorcery flames resembling candles blazed high. All because the bayonet portion of distracted Henrietta’s bolt-action carbine had launched an explosion.

Her fire magic was running wild.

Caught off guard by the attack from so close, Henrietta was sent rolling along the floor.

Teleria was flustered by it all.

“D-does this mean we can’t trust any sorcery guns!?”

“Cover them! Their lives can be saved if we prevent a chain reaction!! What do continental differences matter!? We owe them for healing the emperor’s wound!!”

Hemylina roared at her half-elf subordinates.

A finger snap rang loud.

The bookcases along the cylindrical wall must have been mounted on rails so they could be moved because one of them shot out like an artillery shell. It slammed into Hemylina’s back.

“Gah!?”

Even their attempt at recovery had been prevented.

The situation had deteriorated in a mere instant.

Queen Astaroth Revolver lazily aimed her enormous sorcery gun in a single hand.

At her true target once more.

“Like in any party battle, I’ll start by taking out your healer☆”

“Eh?” said a confused voice.

The large muzzle was glaring directly at Teleria Nereid Aquamarine.

They could no longer keep up a united front. If their cooperation collapsed, they would all lose their lives.

“Queen!!” howled Ayato.

Their gazes clashed.

As did the linkage plug sword and the giant muzzle of the devil’s revolver.

A white beam roared out.

The light struck Ayato in the hip and then tore vertically through the boy’s silhouette.

And he vanished.

No, he disappeared a little too cleanly.

“An image?” muttered the Queen.

This was likely the work of a projector meant to display large magic circles on the floor. He had stabbed a linkage plug sword blade into it to hack it ahead of time.

And he had already taken his last step.

“End this so we can have the peace and smiles we were meant to have, Queen!!!”

He bodily tackled her.

This wasn’t even sorcery hacking.

He couldn’t afford to hold back at this point.

“Ayato. …My one and only beloved wielder. Yes, that emotion burning within you is the true form of your love.”

She narrowed her eyes and her bewitching lips gently curved into a smile.

A red liquid dripped from the corner.

“See you soon. Then we can play again. Just the two of us.”

“This is goodbye, Queen Astaroth Revolver.”

The dull crack of something breaking reached Ayato through his linkage plug sword.

Queen Astaroth Revolver jerked once and then ceased to move.

She even forget to shut her eyes.