Editing Ultimate Antihero:Volume 1 Chapter 2 (section)

===Part 3===

It was a sudden explosion of light.

*GOU*

Blowing away the atmosphere, a shining storm was created with Chikori in the center.

It was a wind that emitted light similar to sky colored flame.

It raged until a degree where it could be visualized, a vast magic power.

Chikori’s magic power that was liberated widely illuminated the training field that had a size as big as a gymnasium.

{ { {O, OOOoOOoOO!?!?} } }

That rampaging magic power light made the onlookers raise surprised voices.

The magic power light that gushed out from Chikori, no matter how one looked at it, it was even stronger than the magic power of the academy’s top student―the S-rank magician Sumika.

Even though she was supposed to be the lowest rank student of the academy until yesterday night.

But, as expected the one who was the most surprised from that fact was Sumika.

(Eh… Wh, what is this, this magic power is……!)

That reality that was hard to accept so suddenly sprouted uneasiness that was even similar to confusion.

But, the moment the both of them were already on top of the ring, the fight had already begun.

“Heree I come―! Leader!”

While pulling a line of light behind, Chikori headed to Sumika in a straight line and rushed.

In an instant that was like a blink of an eye, Chikori filled the distance between her and Sumika that was almost 20 meters, and caught Sumika in the range of her fist.

(Fast-!?)

The right arm covered in a gauntlet that aimed for Sumika was swung through from below.

It was an uppercut that rode the momentum of Chikori’s charge.

But, Sumika was also not a naïve opponent that would easily get hit by a surprise attack at the raising of the curtain.

She immediately forced down the confusion inside herself with her strength of will and recovered her body’s initiative.

And then she avoided the swung uppercut with a sidestep. That moment,

{ { {UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA} } }

Chikori’s swung strong arm swept away the air on its trajectory and produced a squall.

And then the created and launched squall uprooted a part of the onlookers outside from the ring, raising them until 30 meters from the floor until near the ceiling.

{This is a lie right!? Those people were blown away just from the wind pressure!?}

{What kind of arm strength is this-!?}

{A, anyway everyone get away a bit! You’re going to get blown away!}

A charge with impossible speed. An attack with impossible magic power.

The onlookers made a commotion from Chikori’s unexpected strength.

Among them, Sumika was convinced. This was,

(Hero Skill!)

Every magician was contracted with a hero of the past that was a guardian spirit of the human side. By making themselves possessed by that soul they would receive the hero’s strength.

And then, naturally, Sumika who was the leader of the 101st platoon, knew about the heroic spirit that Chikori who was a platoon member was contracted with.

Possessing a giant physique and aberrant herculean strength, the great man who was even called [ogre]―

The <depraved monk> Musashibou Benkei.

The blessing from her contract with him, the Hero Skill was the reinforcement of the whole body’s physical strength dozens of times stronger, <Peerless Herculean Strength>.

Right now Chikori’s small body was carrying a herculean strength that could even send an ogre flying.

Of course all of her actions were reinforced by that enormous physical strength.

Her speed ―and her power too!

(However, until yesterday she couldn’t use a thing like Hero Skill……!)

If she was able to use it, she should be able to escape from the restraint of something like an orc and even break its fingers in the process.

There was no way to doubt anymore.

Homura had really raised Chikori’s power dramatically in just one night.

To the degree that she could use a Hero Skill skillfully.

And then possessing that overwhelming physical strength, Chikori pursued the running away Sumika.

With the action of pulling back her uppercut that hit empty air, what came out linking to the next was, a right straight.

If the approaching fist cutting through the wind hit then Sumika’s consciousness would be reaped away in one attack without her being able to even complain.

However,

(But, seeing it another way…!)

In short it would be fine if she just didn’t get hit. Sumika immediately rallied herself that was shaken by Chikori’s unexpected attack power, and invoked a single sorcery.

Wind element second grade sorcery・{{furigana|Aero Step|Wind Walk}}.

It created air current under one’s own leg, a movement sorcery to move at high speed.

Among the sorcery of the human race, with the fifth grade possessing the highest difficulty, this magic didn’t have that high of a difficulty, because of that it didn’t take much effort to chant, and if one was able to even reach Sumika’s level then it was an extremely convenient sorcery that was possible to be used chantlessly and breathlessly.

“Fuh-!”

Sumika followed that air current and sidestepped.

She was faster than the approaching right fist, moving her body she avoided the blow.

And then while she jumped her body at Chikori’s flank,

“――-!”

She drew the silver revolver from her holster on her waist.

*PAN-*, gun sound of one shot. For the sake of this match Sumika loaded rubber bullet for use of suppressing rioters and shot it, hitting at Chikori’s forehead temple.

The audible gun sound was one shot.

However, in an instant there were three bullets that were shot.

The quick draw that couldn’t be caught by the eye and it sound couldn’t even be heard was a Hero Skill of <Gun Saint> Billy the Kid that was similar to <Back Sniper>.

It was the <Quick Draw> that could be said as his representative.

And then those bullets were all impacted at the same place.

This could be said as a natural result.

If asked why it was because Sumika’s contracted heroic spirit <Gun Saint> Billy the Kid’s <Quick Draw> was a special move that was wrapped in a curse of absolute hit that created a powerful cause and effect that added with a speed that even the eye couldn’t catch, [shooting] = [hit].

Instantaneous three rapid-fire. The piercing impact shook Chikori’s brain, and smashed her consciousness mercilessly.

It couldn’t be endured. The living being called human didn’t have the toughness and body structure that could endure this impact.

Therefore the match was decided. It was really too quick. Yet despite how it should be so,

 

“IT HURTSSSSSSS!!!! ……BUT, I’LL ENDUREEEE!!!!”

 

How was that possible, far from losing her consciousness Chikori didn’t even fall down and braced herself.

“L, lies-!?”

The rubber bullet should have impacted Chikori’s temple already.

Looking at the reality that should be impossible, as expected even Sumika couldn’t hide her wavering.

But, Chikori smiled wryly to Sumika who was like that.

“It feels embarrassing for you to be that surprised. The Hero Skill that <Heroic Spirit User> can use is not just one. After all the {{furigana|Hero Skill|miracle}} the heroic spirit caused comes from the number of legends that hero left behind when he lived. …Leader. My contracted heroic spirit the <depraved monk> Musashibo Benkei, what do you think his most famous episode was?”

(Famous, episode…….ah-)

Instantly, Sumika realized her own blunder.

“Benkei’s standing death…-!”

“Correct. This is the Hero Skill derived from that standing death’s anecdote, <Niou no Mie>. The magician possessed by Musashibo Benkei will not faint against whatever kind of impact, become able to continue fighting until the body’s physical limit. That’s why, that kind of toy bullet absolutely won’t beat me.” <ref>Niou no Mie: Display of Two guardian Deva Kings’</ref>

“Ku……!”

A clear impatience appeared in Sumika’s expression.

That’s right, rubber bullets was a weapon with the purpose to [{{furigana|faint|stun}}] the enemy.

Therefore it was completely powerless against <Niou no Mie> that possessed the power of [Stun Nullification].

…This was Sumika’s fatal miss.

Originally, even though this was just a practice, the confrontation between fellow magicians would use real bullets with mythril heads.

A special magic circle was spread under the ring of the training field, so no matter how heavy the wound one bore inside it, even something to the extent of having one’s head shot, if they took a step outside the ring all of those wounds would become a [dream].

Due to that, there was no need to be considerate of the opponent’s wound.

But even so, Sumika presumed to choose rubber bullets, the reason for that was simple.

In short, Sumika was underestimating Chikori until that much.

“…It’s a little, vexing. …In the end, it became just like what Master said yesterday.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Master said it. [Hoshikawa is completely making light of you, so in order to defeat you gently, she will come with equipment that won’t hurt and make you faint instead. That’s why there is absolutely nothing that can make you lose], he said.”

“――-“

Homura had fathomed Sumika’s shallow conceit at the occasion yesterday.

That fact deeply pierced Sumika’s heart.

But in some meaning it also couldn’t be helped.

After all, there was really that much of a difference between these two at that point of time yesterday.

Rather filling that difference in just one night was the irrational thing. It was something impossible.

That was why, Sumika pressed a question at Homura who was standing at the ring side with a strong tone.

“You, just what in the world is it that you did to Chikori-san!? To obtain this much power just in one night, normally it’s unthinkable…!”

On the other hand the questioned Homura was chuckling a little “Fuh-” and,

“Well, just as you said. In reality, it’s not like Ichinotani actually obtained that power in one night after all.”

Like that, it was words that were quiet hard to comprehend that were returned to Sumika.

“What, do you mean?”

“Saying it frankly, all this time Ichinotani was sick you know.

Day by day her magic power conduit vein was degenerating, a really troublesome illness.

Getting this thing happen to you will normally make all your conduit veins degenerate in two months, you won’t be able to use sorcery then.

But with the aberrant training that she did obstinately, Ichinotani continued to persist during these two years.

Normally it’s an unthinkable story.

After all no matter how much training you piled up, even if you create new magic power conduit veins, it’s already starting to degenerate from the moment it was created. In the end, it’s nothing more than a minus result. Your condition gradually turns worse, wasted effort. To continue through such mortification until two years, your average Joe won’t be able to do that. But Ichinotani carried that out until yesterday. Carrying out all that, and continued to be a magician until now.

If the degenerated magic power conduit veins of someone like that, is restored, all of it, then how do you think she is going to turn out?”

“――–!”

Homura’s words, when she tried to imagine their meaning, Sumika turned speechless.

Correct. In other words that was the reason for Chikori’s radical power up.

This power was not something that Chikori grasped in one night yesterday.

It was the fruits of these two years of hers, where she didn’t give up to continuously work hard even while continuously being in hardship until she reached this stage.

The compensation that hadn’t been paid to this girl for these two years continuously was paid to Chikori by Homura’s hand in one night, it was only something like that.

“Hoshikawa Sumika. A magician of your level should be able to imagine enough from the legend, just what kind of Hero Skill Benkei has. That’s why, against Ichinotani that made a heroic spirit contract with Benkei, just how much of a fatal stupid plan that is to bring that kind of toy, you can understand if you think about it a little right? But you didn’t even think about something that little. From the start there is no way Ichinotani can win against me, there is no way she can fill the difference with me in just one night, you underrated her like that and completely took it easy on her as your lower rank.”

Homura rebuked Sumika with a strong tone. ―This stupid idiot girl. Like that.

“You should know far better than me just how much of effort Ichinotani had done until now. You should have seen it yourself until now. Then you, towards your teammate that worked that hard ―ain’t you looking down on all that?”

Instantly, Chikori’s swung fist caught Sumika.

Thereupon Sumika’s body was blown away as if she was hit by a large truck, keeping that momentum she collided with the concrete wall of the training field, and rolled until off the grounds.