Editing Masou Gakuen HxH:Volume 3 Chapter 5 (section)

===Part 3===

Naha of Okinawa. The Shuri Castle that was once the castle of Ryukyu Kingdom had now become a castle of Vatlantis Empire.

Surrounded by thick and solidly built stone wall, the buildings were built in the hybrid style of Japan and China. A temporary fortress of AU which was lined up with those buildings was giving off distinctiveness. A gothic-style construction with dome shape that stood at the height of fifty meter was built from white half-transparent stone as the material, making it look like transparent glass, several thin and slender spires were standing in line from the building.

That castle was constructed in Vatlantis and carried here with an aircraft carrier to be established. Right now it was used as Gravel’s castle in Okinawa. Aldea was sitting at the window of that castle’s office.

“Hey, Gravel. I can see something changing.”

Gravel whose eyes were going through the documents piled on the table raised her face.

“What’s the matter, Aldea?”

“The Entrance is vanishing.”

“Whatt?”

Gravel stood up and moved until Aldea’s side, she then gazed outside. She could see the Entrance that was for the sake of coming and going to Vatlantis disappearing from its edge. And then, it soon disappeared without trace.

“Before this there was also an Entrance that vanished. Is this the same phenomenon with that time?”

“Perhaps……like this we cannot return back to Vatlantis can we?”

Gravel went to the window at the opposite side of the room and opened the curtain vigorously.

She could see from the distance, the figures of the magic weapons deployed on the harbor across the city of Naha, the Vikings currently exploding and falling down.

“Gravel, is that……don’t tell me, enemy attack!?”

“They finally came. Let’s go, we are welcoming them.”

Gravel exited the room with a fast pace and rushed down the stairs. When she threw open the large door of the entrance and came outside, there was the wide garden surrounding the castle buildings there. At that garden, four Albatrosses guarding the castle should be standing by.

“This is……”

At the plaza of red and white striped pattern, fragments of light were raining down. On the red colored path stretching straight from the plaza’s center, a white figure was standing.

Looking at that figure, Gravel smiled in satisfaction.

“Aine-dono, I have waited for you.”

It was Chidorigafuchi Aine, clad in the white Heart Hybrid Gear [Zeros].

“You said your name is Gravel right? There is something I want to ask you.”

“By all means.”

Aldea with a vigilant look was standing by behind Gravel. She was overflowing with the tenseness that if something happened, she could enter combat readiness at anytime.

“Why are you two trying to take me away? Is your objective Zeros’s Core?”

“That’s one of our objectives. But, we are also interested in you yourself.”

“What are you saying I am?”

“Silver hair and red eyes. And then, Zeros, which resides inside that body……you are――”

Loud noise and shockwave suddenly occurred. An explosion occurred in front of Gravel and Aldea, raising up fierce flame explosion. The cluster of flame spread and crimson flame rushed through the plaza.

{Aine! You okay?}

A communication window opened which projected Yurishia. When Aine looked up to the sky, she could see Yurishia and Scarlet flying here. Kizuna’s figure was also there behind them.

“……If I have to say, Scarlet’s missile was what dangerous to me just now. It’s troubling how rough an American person is.”

Aine talked to Scarlet inside the communication window while her body was protected from the flame by the Life Saver.

Kizuna descended down from the sky in front of Aine’s eyes.

“I’m also troubled here with your order violation though. Even though you are supposed to stand by at the rear, you rushed to this kind of place alone, what are you trying to do?”

“That’s……I was a little bothered by something. Rather than that, what about Gravel and Aldea? They aren’t supposed to be opponents that can be defeated just with this much.”

Warning display blinked at Aine’s sensor window.

“Above!?”

When they looked up, there were two figures in the sky. One emitted green light, it was Aldea’s [Zeel]. The other one was emitting orange light, it was Gravel’s [Zoros].

A transmission came from Scarlet that was standing by in slightly far high altitude.

{Kizuna, leave fighting those two to this me!}

{We are going to pay back the debt from before. Kizuna and others protect the sealing system of the Entrance. It will be a little troublesome if enemy reinforcements come.}

When he looked, Albatrosses were approaching the place where the Entrance previously materialized. Around that place was where Yurishia and others set up the sealing system just now.

“Got it. Aine and I will protect the Entrance sealing system. We will leave this place to you!”

Kizuna and Aine kicked the ground towards the sky, they headed to the sealing system. Gravel immediately sensed their movement.

“We are chasing them, Aldea.”

However Yurishia and Scarlet stood in their way.

“Scarlet!”

“Roger!”

The missile units folded on Scarlet’s back deployed like spreading wings.

“Fire!”

Several dozens of missiles fired all at once. They were flying towards Gravel and Aldea while pulling white smoke behind them. The moment they approached near, the missiles emitted dazzling flash, and then with explosive sound that could tear the eardrum, they produced a shockwave that shook the body. Explosive flames that were spreading in circle piled up in layers, blocking Gravel and Aldea from view.

From inside those flames, green and orange streaks of light flew out. Flames of explosion were occurring in succession as though chasing behind them.

“Not yet, not yet! The second wave is coming up!”

From Scarlet’s Ares, missiles were fired once more. If it was normally, she would be already run out of ammo from a while ago. But thanks to the Connective Hybrid, the amount of ammunition she could possibly carry was exceptionally increased. Gravel was shooting down the pursuing missiles with her particle cannon, but the number was a lot and the speed was fast, so she was having difficulty dealing with the missiles.

“This time the number is a lot!”

“Besides, the shockwave is stronger than before-. It’s dangerous if we don’t properly dodge!”

Aldea was also blocking the missiles with her shields, but if she couldn’t take distance then the explosion’s destructive power would inflict damage to her. At the sky of Okinawa, missiles’ explosions opened at succession, amidst it two lights were meandering and twisting in hardship.

Ares’s missile units suddenly became quiet. Heat was ejected from the firing entrance, creating flickering haze.

“Chih, all missiles fired. I’m entering replenishment now Yurishia!”

“Leave it to me!”

Yurishia withdrew particle rifles with both her hands, she also further aimed the muzzle of the Differential Frame to Gravel and Aldea.

“Now, this time I’ll have you two dancing with my bombardment.”

Her Differential Frame was enlarged larger than before, its caliber was also increased. Particles of light was absorbed into the muzzle, amassing energy for the shooting.

“Scatter!”

Together with Yurishia’s yell, the filled up energy was liberated. Ring of light spread from the muzzle, golden light ran through its center.

“Labyrinth Cube!”

Aldea formed a cube shape with her six shields and slid them in front of Gravel.

The violent light was bounced in front of the shield. The golden bombardment was absorbed by the Labyrinth Cube. The absorbed light was ejected from various surfaces and disappeared beyond the sky.

“As expected, it doesn’t seem like we can make a solid hit with conventional weapon……”

Golden light ran across Yurishia’s eyes.

“The corrupting destruction power sleeping inside me. And then, the weapon possessing brutality. Right now is the time for you to exhibit your power――come out.”

When Yurishia stretched out both her hands forward, several layers of rings of light were spreading, a pattern like a magic circle appeared. She spread her palms and obtained something inside her hands. And then, she grasped an unseen something. From the space where there was nothing, it felt like she could pull out something.

And then, from the pattern that looked like a magic circle, a thick, long tube showed its appearance.

It also looked like the barrel of a cannon, but the figure of its whole body hadn’t really appeared. And then, the tip that finally appeared wasn’t a cannon muzzle.

It was not a cannon.

At the tip wasn’t a muzzle to shot bullets, the tip was narrowed down and sharply tapering to a point. It was a terrifyingly huge nail. With a diameter of 30 centimeter, and length that could even reach one meter from what could be seen.

That figure filled with cold and callous radiance looked like a huge monument that proclaimed massacre and destruction. The length of the whole weapon was nearly three meters. The base of the extremely thick nail was covered by an even thicker steel tube, the whole shape of the nail couldn’t be seen. The part behind it even looked similar to Gravel’s gunsword, a large cylinder. And then the main frame was largely protruding out at the top and bottom, the whole volume was forming a cross shape.

That was Cross’s Corruption Armament, [{{furigana|Crosshead|Ruin Cruciform}}].

The instant Yurishia held Crosshead in her hand, all the spec of this Corruption Armament was flowing into Yurishia’s brain.

“I see now……it crooked the space with the nail, there the particle cannon will strike from zero distance along with shockwave, that’s how this work. It’s really a nasty piece of weaponry.”

Scarlet’s eyes shined when she came beside Yurishia.

“Amazing! So this is the so called Corruption Armament. If we use this then even those bunches――”

Cold sweat flowed down Yurishia’s cheek.

“Unfortunately, it looks like it cannot go that easily. The range of this thing is only one meter.”

“Haa!? The weapon of the long range specialist Yurishia is!? Just what’s the meaning of this!”

“It’s useless unless I approached the enemy. But, I’ll win as long as it can just hit. The problem is, how to stop the enemy’s movement……”

Scarlet smiled proudly and opened the lid of her missile pods. Inside were packed fully with the newly created missiles.

“Scarlet!?”

“Ehehe, the ammunition creation speed is also in a different level! I will stop those bunches movement, so decide this in one shot!”

Yurishia’s face that was taken aback for a moment turned into a daring smile.

“Obviously. For something like chance, even just once is enough!”

Yurishia readied Crosshead and changed the propulsive power from the Differential Frame to the maximum. At the same time, large amount of missiles flew out from Scarlet’s Ares.

“You two can eat a cage of flame and explosion!”

Missile explosions occurred one after another around Gravel and Aldea. Aldea was moving her six shields all over the place without stopping, Gravel was shooting down the missiles with her particle cannon, but the number was just too much. The movements of the two were completely stopped.

“Yurishia! GO AHEAD!”

“HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

The Differential Frame spouted flames. Holding the huge Corruption Armament, Yurishia flew in a straight line.

Inside the repeated explosion, Aldea faced Gravel and yelled.

“Gravel! I cannot hold out more than this!”

Gravel’s mouth slackened.

“To grow this much in such a short time. Just what kind of magic are they using――”

Gravel endured the impact of the explosions while loading her gunsword with a large bullet.

“Here we go Bullet!”

From the tip of Gravel’s gunsword, fierce light surged towards Yurishia. The bombardment of light rushed through the sky in order to exterminate Yurishia.

The bombardment hit Yurishia. However, the Crosshead that Yurishia raised crooked the space at its tip, flicking off Gravel’s Bullet to four directions.

“What the!?”

Gravel’s face distorted in shock.

Aldea lifted her Labyrinth Cube to the front between Gravel and Crosshead.

The Labyrinth Cube and Crosshead collided, space distorted along with a fierce shockwave. The ability of Labyrinth Cube that freely controlled the vector of enemy attack with space distortion was negating each other with Crosshead’s space crooking.

“Aldea!? Don’t force yourself!”

“Just this much is not a big deal, rather than that, use this chance――”

Yurishia pulled the trigger at her hand.

“Drive!!”

The ammunition inside the cartridge burst. That explosive power was changed into piercing power, the steel nail was shooting into Aldea’s shield while scattering sparks. Crosshead shook from the shooting’s impact, heat and light particle surged out from the ejection entrance.

The huge nail pierced into the shield of Labyrinth Cube.

Aldea’s eyes shook from shock.

The shield that was supposed to bounce back any kind of attack broke apart.

But, it didn’t end with just that.

At the same time with the shooting of the nail, a quantity of particles that rivaled a super large particle cannon was fired.

“HAGUHAAAAAAA-!”

All six shields that composed the Labyrinth Cube were blown away into pieces. And then the might of that particle cannon pierced Aldea’s body, it reached even until Gravel’s back.

Explosion of light and flame occurred.

“-……-!”

From inside the flame explosion, the bodies of Aldea who lost her strength and Gravel were falling down. Both of their bodies fell to the road, the glass of the buildings that faced the road broke from that impact, raising up dust smoke. Small explosion and static electricity sprang forth, the nearby toppled cars caught fire and raised explosions.

Looking at that situation, Scarlet raised a voice of joy.

“We did it! We did it, Yurishia!”

Each parts of Crosshead opened, it was performing ventilation audibly. Heat haze was raising from its whole frame, it could be understood that it was expelling amazing heat.

Yurishia shook her head and brushed off her hair, then she lowered down her cannon barrel.

“Yes, with this we accomplished the vindication of our honor. I just don’t match with a habit of keep losing.”

Scarlet was staring at Yurishia radiantly.

“As expected from Yurishia. You pulled off something that looked impossible so easily.”

“My, what are you saying? This is something achieved by the both of us, you and me right?”

“Eh?”

“This is something impossible for me alone. So throw out your chest proudly.”

“Ye, yes……but. In reality, the one that defeated them was Yurishia.”

Yurishia cancelled her Corruption Armament. Crosshead turned into particles of light that were carried away by the wind.

“You see, I was almost killed before this. Furthermore, it was by that Dragre.”

Scarlet’s eyes opened wide.

“That, for someone as strong as Yurishia, how……”

“I didn’t have enough Hybrid Count, to the degree that I couldn’t even equip Cross. Until that time I had never felt the sensation of death creeping on me. No matter what the situation, no matter against any kind of enemy, I had never lost my composure. However, that time was different. I was really prepared that it was my last.”

Yurishia directed her face to the direction of a mountain, where the Entrance was at.

“At that time there was a person that came to save me. He was laughably weak, ignorant, powerless, without even any experience. He was exactly a person that could be called incompetent.”

‘――That’s……somehow, I also have an idea of someone like that.’

Scarlet too was staring at the same direction as Yurishia with moist eyes.

“But, I was saved by someone like that. Since then, my mood keeps going crazy. Things like my sense of values, my way of thinking, they became not really comprehensible.”

Scarlet peered into Yurishia’s face from the side. Yurishia’s eyes were the eyes of a girl in love.

“That’s why, I’m thinking to try trusting people right now. I still cannot really do it though. Even in someone that I think as not having ability, in actuality that person might have something that I cannot do――”

“Fufufu.”

“Is something the matter, Scarlet?”

“No. I’m just thinking that I might be similar to Yurishia only in that kind of aspect.”

? sign floated above Yurishia’s head and she tilted her head.

“Nevertheless, to remodel even as far as Yurishia’s heart……Eros is really terrifying.”

“What’s with that? If you have something to say, then say it clearly.”

“Nope, nothing. It’s just, I think that I’ve made a new target to compete over with Yurishia.”

“What’s with that?”

At that time, the complexion of the smiling Scarlet changed.

“Yurishia!”

Inside the rising dust cloud, orange light was shining. From inside the gradually clearing smoke, a human silhouette appeared. Cheek that was dirtied by soot. Dragging along armor with cracks entering it that even now it looked like it was going to crumble down, Gravel showed her appearance. In her arms, she was carrying Aldea who wasn’t making a single movement.

Yurishia’s back trembled.

“That’s……how can she not fall from that?”

Gravel laid down Aldea at the base of a roadside tree, then she looked up at Yurishia.

“I thought that I mustn’t use this in Lemuria, but now I cannot say that. I’ll face you with all my power.”

Gravel made a symbolic gesture with her left hand and concentrated her mind. Thereupon, light particles floated from Gravel’s body. The orange particles that displayed beautiful radiance were drifting in the air. And then when she waved her left hand to the side, a magic circle appeared as though following her hand.

Gravel plunged her right hand into the magic circle. And then she grasped something and pulled it out.

“That’s!?”

She was gripping something like a sword handle. The magic circle was gradually separating from Gravel, making its true identity clear.

Orange light ran through Gravel’s eyes. She lightly brandished the new weapon in her hand.

“This is, my true weapon [{{furigana|Sword Gatling|Gunsword Unconventional Wheel}}]!”

To call that as gunsword was imposing, heavy, and brutal. It had six large caliber barrels, lined up in round shape. At the inside of that circle, a cross shaped sword with a form like the tip of a plus screwdriver was emitting dull light.

Sweat was flowing down Yurishia’s cheek.

‘――That way of materializing just now, that imposing shape, don’t tell me that’s also a Corruption Armament?’

“Wha, what are we going to do? The Corruption Armament? You have to take it out once more!”

“No good. Either way, I don’t have anymore energy.”

“The, then……what to do?”

Gravel prepared her Sword Gatling. Light particles were absorbed into the dark gun muzzles one after another, it was charging the energy for a bombardment.

“We can do nothing as we are now.”

“That’s-!”

Gravel pulled the trigger of the Sword Gatling. It emitted an intense light, from the six gun muzzles and the cross sword, full charged bombardment was fired all at once.

It was a bombardment that would erase even Heart Hybrid Gear if it hit directly. Such thing approached in front of the two instantly and impacted. Terrific explosion sound and undulating light were spreading to the sky.

However, the impact and also pain hadn’t reached Yurishia and Scarlet’s bodies yet.

“UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-!”

Kizuna was standing in the way in front of Yurishia and Scarlet.

“Kizuna!?”

Kizuna was deploying Life Saver, but even now it looked like it would be breaking.

Yurishia wasted no time putting her hand to the front, overlapping her Life Saver with Kizuna’s in one more layer.

“Scarlet!”

Scarlet too reacted to the voice calling her. The total of three Life Savers were blocking the Sword Gatling’s full power bombardment.

Even so they couldn’t block the bombardment of the Sword Gatling.

“UWAAAAAA-!”

The view in front of their eyes became pure white and they couldn’t see anything.

The three layers of Life Saver broke apart, the impact blown off the bodies of all three of them. The three bodies plunged through a building with the momentum of being thrown, they destroyed the roof of private houses and crashed to the ground.

“Kuh! E, everyone, are you safe!?”

Yurishia and Scarlet lost consciousness inside rubble. Kizuna opened his floating window and sent a communication to Himekawa that was dealing with the battleship at the harbor.

“This is Kizuna! Himekawa? Yurishia and Scarlet are fainting in my current position. Come here to recover them on the double!”

{Ha? What is the situation there? Kizuna-kun, what are you doing?}

He tried to explain, but he could see Gravel’s figure coming down here. He cut the communication and confronted Gravel.

“You are the young man wearing the magic armor before this……I don’t have any business with powerless fellows like you. Get back if you don’t want to die.”

Kizuna sent a glance at the fainting Yurishia and Scarlet.

‘――I got to pull apart Gravel from this place first. If it’s Himekawa, she will undoubtedly follow my intention.’

“I don’t want to die, but there is something I want to talk. I have two things I want to ask. Do you know of a human called Hida Nayuta?”

“Who knows. I also don’t have any obligation to answer.”

Gravel readied her Sword Gatling and pointed the tip at Kizuna.

“The second one. Why are you trying to take Aine away?”

Gravel’s expression changed.

“I should have said already that I don’t have any obligation to answer.”

The Sword Gatling began to rotate at high speed.

‘――This woman is really dangerous. However――,’

“Mode Cross!”

Due to the Connective Hybrid, Eros obtained the same effect like with Climax Hybrid. Eros’s luminescence changed into golden color, the ability of Yurishia’s Cross now resided in Kizuna’s Heart Hybrid Gear.

“Come, Gravel! Let’s have a match one more time!”

He kicked the ground and ignited his thruster. Kizuna’s body flew as if sliding through the main street, after that Gravel came chasing him.

‘――Nice, it’s going well.’

However the Sword Gatling was rotating, bullets of light were firing in succession from its tips. Those bullets were blowing away traffic lights and opened holes in the buildings. As though they were chasing after Kizuna, holes were opened in the street. Concrete was burst open, and fragments of glass scattered everywhere. Exactly like the name said, rapid firing that was like a gatling cannon was destroying the city.

‘Shit-! It’s not as powerful as the charged shot from before, but the city is going to be full of holes like this. Besides, I’m going to get shot down at this rate.’

Kizuna made a sudden turn of direction at a forked road and took a distance of one block from Gravel.

‘She should come from above――!?’

Kizuna’s expectation was betrayed, he received cannon bullets that were like rain right from the side. It was like the building separating them was utterly irrelevant, the Sword Gatling was rapidly firing at him. Concrete and steel frame were smashed like jokes and bullets came flying towards Kizuna.

‘Damn it, what should I……wait?

That time I did Climax Hybrid with Himekawa……I could create a sword to use. Something, like that?’

Kizuna stopped his movement at an intersection, he was facing Gravel that appeared at the other end of the street.

“Have you resigned yourselves, young man?”

“My name is Kizuna. Also, what I decided is not resignation, it’s resolve.”

“What?”

‘It’s pointless if it’s Eros’s standard equipment.

What I need is a firepower that can win against that Gravel’s weapon.

Gun, rifle, artillery, rapid fire cannon, missile, railgun, particle cannon, Differential Frame,’

“I want them!”

The instant he shouted so, a change was born in Eros’s armor.

“Wha-……what the hell?”

Gravel doubted her eyes.

From Kizuna’s behind, an artillery appeared. It looked like something folded up on his back, but it looked natural deployed like that. Next a railgun appeared, then it was a particle cannon next, and then a Differential Frame.

Gravel received a shock looking at how weapons were born from Kizuna’s Eros.

“I, impossible-……!”

Just where were all those things got loaded inside that thin armor, she wondered.  Shape changing and compression……no, this surpassed such boundary. Then, Corruption Armament? Such thing was exactly impossible!

Eros that didn’t have any weapon at all was transforming into a cluster of heavy weaponry.

“Are you saying that you are shouldering a single force on your back!”

Gravel’s Sword Gatling began to rotate.

“Go! Sword Gatling!”

Bullets where each single one could rival the Bullet were fired in rapid succession.

Each time the bullets impacted on Kizuna’s surrounding, depression occurred on the street. The buildings around them were blown away, fire was spreading everywhere.

“I’M ALSO GOING HEREEEEEEEEE!”

The mountain of heavy weapons waiting on Kizuna’s back spouted fires all at once.

A tremendous bombardment battle was unfolding.

There was no tactic or anything.

They were just merely, simply, shooting at each other with all their strength, it was a battle that was like a childish squabble.

In the blink of an eye, their surroundings were transformed into a burnt field.

The Life Saver unfolded in front of Kizuna began to creak. He stretched his hand forward and supported it.

“Shit! I’m getting pushed back!”

‘Not yet, it’s still not enough.

More,

Give me more firepower!

For example, right. The missile barrage that Scarlet’s Ares has. I want that!’

At that moment, something rushed through Kizuna’s mind.

And then, words were naturally spun and came out from his mouth.

“Hybrid Mode!!”

Particles of light rushed around inside Kizuna. The ability obtained from the Connective Hybrid was dragging out that radiance. And then, reconstruction. On Kizuna’s back, the huge missile units equipped on Ares were created one after another, building a towering defensive wall of weapon.

“Wha-, still……it’s still increasing!?”

“UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

The large missiles that were fired all at once exploded all around Gravel. Shockwave threatened Gravel’s Life Saver. And then, the Differential Frame at full power fired the large caliber particle cannon.

Sweat flowed down Gravel’s cheek.

‘――No good. The material’s amount is just too different! I’ll be pressed down at this rate!’

She could easily defeat him with a single shot of charged Sword Gatling. However, if she stopped her bombardment even just for a second, she would be done in at that instant!

Shivers ran across Gravel’s back.

‘What’s this, emotion?

――Terror?’

“Terror? This me?”

Gravel looked at the figure of the black magic armor across the bombardment that filled her sight.

Her instinct as a soldier told her, that thing was dangerous.

“SHIT-! DON’T UNDERESTIMATE MEEEEE!”

Gravel ignited her thruster.

‘At this rate I will lose. But, the enemy has nothing but artillery as his weapon. If I can get near and cut him down with Sword Gatling, it will be my victory! Even if my magic armor breaks, or my body is torn open, who cares about that!’

“UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

Gravel raised a roar.

Kizuna’s instincts let out danger signal at the approaching enemy.

‘――She is coming.

If that sword reached, I’m dead.

If I can shot her down before that I’ll win――but,’

The hair on Kizuna’s whole body was standing on end.

‘No, that woman is coming.

Even if she die, even if her heart stopped, her soul will send that sword until it reach me.

I don’t have weapon for close range.

Weapon that can compete with that sword physically――’

“Kizuna-kun!”

‘――Himekawa?’

Himekawa finally arrived after hearing that communication before.

Gravel was approaching close.

She was moving in defiance of bullets and particle cannons.

Gravel’s naked blade was approaching.

‘I don’t――no,

I have.

A sword that can match the enemy.’

Kizuna raised the index finger of the hand that was supporting the Life Saver, and dropped it down.

This time Himekawa had no hesitation.

“Blade!!”

Himekawa’s Blade flew out.

Sword Gatling’s bombardment opened a hole in his Life Saver.

The bombardment grazed Kizuna’s cheek.

Himekawa’s concentration was raised to the limit.

The Blade went with its fastest, its most accurate until now, toward that person’s location.

Gravel came until the distance of five meters from him.

The terrific bombardment looked like a wall of light.

Sword Gatling’s tip was approaching.

The Life Saver of the two broke.

Impact hit the armor.

The Blade ran past Kizuna’s side from behind.

Sword Gatling was swung down, trying to hit down the Blade.

Kizuna’s fingers grasped the Blade.

Sword Gatling’s strike cut empty air.

A flash traveled.

Sparks scattered.

Kizuna swung Blade like a sword. The blade of the Blade was driven into the side of the Sword Gatling that swung at empty air.

“!?”

“UORYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!”

Particles of light ran through Blade’s blade.

Blade’s blade bisected the Sword Gatling. The Blade cut down each barrel one by one, as if cutting butter.

And then, that slash also struck Gravel’s magic armor.

The bombardment stopped.

Gravel’s Sword Gatling was already not even a gun or a sword. The barrels that inflicted the bombardment and also the sword fell to the ground.

The half-destroyed magic armor too, now it was unable to become an armor that protected the body.

“This, is……”

Gravel’s body was pitching forward as though she had used up all her strength.

“Kizuna-kun! Are you okay!?”

Himekawa landed beside Kizuna.

Kizuna couldn’t even answer, he fell on his side at the ground. The additional weapons that he created like a mountain became particles of light and vanished.

“I’m, fine. Rather than that……Yurishia and Scarlet?”

“I left them to two of the Masters. We had also suppressed the enemy, we thought that there is no need to protect the sealing system, so I went here……”

“Is that so……you saved me thanks to that.”

“And, what about this Gravel and Aldea?”

“If they are still alive……we have various things we want to ask them. We should take them prisoner. Although, handling them seems like it will be tiring.”

“Yes. They are precious source of information. I’ll quickly refrain――”

A bullet hit the reached out hand of Himekawa.

“Ugh-!”

“Himekawa-!?”

Enemy!

Kizuna covered over Himekawa and looked around the area.

Ahead of the intersection, there was a shadow of a person. Kizuna doubted his eyes of what he saw.

“……Why?”

The one who stood there, was Brigit of Masters that was supposed to be recuperating in hospital.

“You are the one that attacked us!? Why did you do that?”

Brigit smiled sweetly.

“Why, that’s obvious. The order that I received is to exterminate the enemy. It’s unthinkable taking the enemy as prisoner. If we don’t defeat them when we actually can, we will only regret it later.”

There was not her usual smile on Birgit’s face. She was expressionless like a Noh mask. Her tone was also not the calm one like usual.

‘――This girl, is she really that Brigit?’

Brigit had one of her legs and one of her arms fixed with plaster cast. Her Heart Hybrid Gear was also not covering just those parts. She dragged that impaired body and reached besides Gravel.

“It’s hard to aim with one hand, but it’s an easy target if it is this near.”

“Wait! We don’t know anything about the AU. These guys will become precious source of information! That……I know that you resent Gravel, but now――”

Spark scattered on Kizuna’s chest.

“GUWAA!”

“Ki, Kizuna-kun-!”

His chest armor broke. Himekawa worriedly peered at Kizuna’s face.

“Resentment? I’m just fulfilling my duty. The humiliation that I received……the wound that my body received……why, all those are irrelevant! If you stand in the way of my duty, I’ll kill the both of you too!”

Brigit aimed the muzzle of her rifle at Kizuna’s face. Himekawa laid her hands on her sword’s hilt.

“Don’t move! If you move even a millimeter more than that, I’ll pull the trigger.”

“Kuh……!!”

Himekawa kept her grip on the hilt, she looked at Kizuna as if looking for an anwer.

Bead of sweat emerged on Kizuna’s forehead.

‘――This damn girl, she completely lost her sanity. Shit-, what should I do!?’

Brigit’s finger that was in contact with the trigger lost strength.

“……What’s, this…”

Brigit murmured to herself.

――!?

A hand grew out from Brigit’s chest.

It was an arm clad in armor. At the tip of its fingers, a small metallic lump was held.

‘――That’s, Heart Hybrid Gear’s, Core?’

The arm returned to inside the chest and vanished. The mysterious thing, was that there was no hole opened on Brigit’s chest, and so there was also not a single drop of blood coming out.

Brigit fell down like a doll with its string severed.

“Kizuna-kun……did something, happen?”

A timid voice could be heard in answer of that question.

“Err……I took out the Core……from inside the body of that girl. Because I thought, that at that rate…..e, everyone would be……killed.”

From the other side of the smoke that was raised by the flame, two shadows of people turned up. One of the shadows was a tall female with slender body that was equipped in armor. That arm of hers was the one that grew out from Birgit’s chest. Her fingertips were holding a piece of metal.”

“As expected, the user will die if the Core is extracted. I got a good data.”

Then a voice of one more person came.

‘I, know this voice.

I won’t be able to forget it, even if I try, this voice.’

That figure appeared from the other side of the smoke. That person was putting on a coat like a doctor’s white robe, she had white skin and long black hair. She looked really similar with Reiri, a young beautiful woman.

“Long time no see isn’t it, Kizuna.”

――Hida Nayuta.

The mother of Kizuna.

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