Editing Ultimate Antihero:Volume 3 Chapter 3 (section)

===Part 7===

At that time, Sumika was also in the middle of a severely hard fight in the sky of Tokyo life sphere.

The reason was because she was taking on Aleph, who was possessed by the <First Trumpeter> wielding the power of flame, and Bet, who wielded the power of the <Second Trumpeter> that controlled water, at the same time by herself alone.

Rather than saying that this was the adverse effect from filling in the hole in their battle strength that was Chikori, this was the situation that came due to these two regarding Sumika as dangerous the most among the <Special Missionaries> and so they concentrated their battle strength like this.

A <Special Missionary> was a formidable enemy, even in the best of times.

Taking on two at the same time naturally made the outlook for Sumika bad.

――Furthermore,

“ORA ORA ORA ORAAA-! Come on, show me how you are going to protect them-!”

Of all things to do, Aleph and Bet fought Sumika while scattering flame bullets and water cannons aiming at the city below that hadn’t finished their evacuation yet.

“Kuh……-! You fiend……!”

As for Sumika, naturally she couldn’t let herself to not deal with that, each time they attacked the city, she offset the attack with her shooting or sorcery.

But――naturally such way of fighting would create a big opening that would be taken advantage by the enemy.

“Your side is completely defenseless!”

“-……!”

A water ballista flew right from the side.

That attack aimed for the instant where Sumika’s ammo became empty after she shot to protect the city, it was already impossible to intercept.

The attack traveled the shortest distance aiming at Sumika’s heart.

However――

“Haaa-!”

Even while it was very risky for Sumika, she guarded by deploying a chantless Protection.

What was surprising from this situation, was that even being attacked by two people like this, and further with hostages being taken, Sumika didn’t let the enemy inflict a decisive blow and held out just barely.

This could be said to be solely because of her quick wits.

Her sense as someone that had been listed as a S-rank magician while still being a student was, as expected, not something ordinary.

Even Aleph and Bet had to recognize that.

(But… that girl is also already at her limit.)

“Haa-! Haa-! Haa……-!”

The compensation for playing a really active effort in many roles like that was certainly eating at Sumika.

Her face was pale from overtaxing her brain, her fingers were trembling from pressing her gun trigger too many times, her breathing was like a drowning person.

Sumika’s body was in the process of nearing her limit.

However, even so Sumika didn’t retreat even for a single step. Above the sky of Tokyo life sphere, she stood imposingly in front of the two <Special Missionaries>.

On the other hand, Aleph and Bet gave a light applause toward such Sumika,

“Kakaka… ma―n, that’s amazing, amazing, you really protect them well.”

“That’s really unbelievable. That’s why――we will give a present to such a hard worker here.”

Behind their respective backs, fire bullets and water ballistas that were several of dozens more than what they had shot until now, at the same time appeared.

They were playing around with half of their power with Sumika while waiting.

They were waiting for the moment when her stamina reached rock bottom and she became unable to protect anymore.

“<nowiki>~~~~~~~~~~</nowiki>–!!!!”

“You are happy right-? This is the special service of EX stage for the hard worker S-rank magician-san.”

“Counting in total two hundred shots for bullet hell. Do your very best, show us that you can protect them all!”

Together with those words, the murderous barrage floating behind the backs of the two shot all at once.

“U, aAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!”

Against this Sumika activated her <Air Raid> at full force.

In order to cover for the city behind her, she flew out in front of the barrage and intercepted with all her power.

While shooting she refined her sorcery and invoked defensive wall and <Photon Bullet> while simultaneously emptying her bullets.

While intercepting with sorcery she reloaded her bullets using <Material Transference>.

She connected it to her <Quick Draw> in a hairbreadth and at the same time she chanted the sorcery for the next reloading――

It was an act that surpassed the limit of her physique and mind altogether.

Sumika’s body screamed from such act, blood flowed out sordidly from her eyes.

However that was only a matter of course.

It was an abuse of the brain to the level that if it was the average person, their brain would have melted out muddily.

It wouldn’t be strange even if she instantly became an invalid.

But, even so, Sumika gritted her teeth and continued to maintain her sense of self,

“Ha-, a――――, A!”

Even while her body was becoming riddled with wounds, finally she showed how she blocked all the barrage of two hundred shots.

Looking at that wondrous tenacity of Sumika, Aleph was――

“Here is a freebie.”

While ridiculing all of the girl’s act, he directed the 201st flame bullet to the city and threw it.

“Wha-!?”

She had intercepted two hundred shots.

The relief from her success brought an instant where Sumika’s guard was down.

That was fatal.

Because her guard was down, the girl couldn’t immediately react to this 201st shot and missed her chance to intercept.

What she could do to protect the city was only――

To use her body as a shield.

“<nowiki>~~~~~~~~</nowiki>—!”

She operated the <Air Raid> with the whole output.

She plunged into the flame bullet and her body was enveloped in flame explosion.

It was a direct hit where she couldn’t even build a satisfying protective wall.

Naturally the damage from that was great, Sumika’s body fell to the ground just like that.

“Haa…… haa……-“

“Aa―hhaha! That girl really is stupid! To throw her own body into the flame bullet, how funny!”

“Kakaka. Well, don’t laugh Bet. Isn’t that a honorable spirit that is a shame to be left as a renegade?”

Both Sumika’s heart and body had turned worn-out and collapsed on the ground.

Looking down at her, both the <Special Missionary> were laughing joyfully.

“But there’s no mistake that she is an idiot. No matter how noble a spirit she has, if the idiot kicks the bucket then she won’t be able to protect what she actually can.”

It couldn’t be helped for the two of them to think that all of Sumika’s action was foolish from their point of view.

If she abandoned the people of the city to a certain degree right from the start, she might be able to fight a little more respectably.

Sumika didn’t do that.

No, she couldn’t do that.

It could be said as kindness that wouldn’t abandon other people, but for Aleph and Bet, it was nothing but a foolish weak point.

“Die while being drunk in that cheap heroism.”

That was why Aleph announced that with a tone of contempt and created a flame bullet in his palm.

It was in order to burn Sumika’s life to nothing using that.

――But, in that absolutely desperate situation,

“……fufu”

Sumika who collapsed on the ground and looking up at the sky leaked out a small laugh.

“Ah? What is funny?”

“That’s obvious… What’s funny is the two idiots in front of me getting elated in triumph by themselves from wrong thinking.”

“Whaatt?”

“I’m not being drunk from heroism or anything. Something like a hero… I don’t think of becoming one. After all, I don’t have the disposition of protecting everyone by myself alone at all. If I can just buy time, then that’s already great.”

It was right after Sumika said so.




{Notifying everyone of the interception unit!

Just now, the evacuation of all citizens into the geofront has been completed!

It doesn’t matter anymore how much the upper part of the protective wall is destroyed!

Everyone, please proceed to intercept the enemy……!}




That notification of Kinugasa was broadcasted clearly through the whole battlefield.

Naturally, the notification also entered the ears of Aleph and the other, making them being taken aback.

“The evacuation of seven million people of Tokyo life sphere has been finished in this short time he said……!?”

“Even while you were idiotically getting elated, everyone was still fighting.

People with strength took up weapons, the people without escaped to the safe place for even a second faster.

So that they don’t lose anything. So that no one will make them lose anything. ――Everyone is fighting in their own way.

……Despite that, there is no way I can just forsake them as I pleased……!”

And then in this moment, Sumika was finally liberated from the baggage of hostages.

“――With this, I can finally fight properly.”

“Kuh-!”

She could finally fight.

Aleph felt a pressure that made his body tremble from the hostility that was put inside those words, he immediately shot the flame bullet that he created in his palm.

――But that action was already too late due to his carelessness.

Faster than even his flame bullet,

“<{{furigana|Flashbang|Flash}}>.”

Sumika invoked a non-element first grade sorcery <Flashbang> without chanting.

“UO-!”

“Kyaa-!”

The vision of Aleph and Bet were dazzled for a moment.

And then in that one moment, Sumika’s figure disappeared from those two’s field of vision.

“Using a sly technique like that……!”

“This coward, just where is she――”

Trying to search for Sumika who was concealing herself, both of them looked around at their surroundings.

However… there was no need to search. The reason was――




{Listen from beyond     o the most shining bright person in the abyss of heaven and earth}




Sumika was standing high in the sky as if she was looking down at the two people, she prepared her gun without even hiding the fierce crimson magic power light.

(<Grim Bullet>……-!)

Aleph guessed that Sumika was trying to use her sure-kill technique from that surging tremendous magic power.

Because until now she had to protect the city, there wasn’t even time to chant, but just now that shackle had been gone. There was no more need to hesitate for Sumika.

If it was <Grim Bullet>, then it would penetrate without minding anything like <Holy Ground>.

This was the worst development for Aleph and Bet――was how it should be. But,

(This idiottt……-!)

“Let’s go Bet!”

“I know already-!”

Against this sure-kill of Sumika, Aleph and Bet showed unhesitating action as if to declare that they had been waiting for this.

They separated into two groups and manifested flame and water sword in their respective dominant hand, they then assaulted Sumika from different directions at the same time.

――That was exactly the countermeasure that the two of them had prepared.

It was the formation that struck at the weak point of <Grim Bullet>.

(Certainly <Grim Bullet> can’t be evaded or blocked or anything once it had been invoked, it’s a powerful sorcery that could even penetrate <Holy Ground>, but… in exchange you got to chant it!)

In other words, it couldn’t be rapid-fired.

If that was the case, then by constantly facing her by two people, if they divided into two groups the moment Sumika entered the motion of <Grim Bullet>… by trading the life of one of them, the blade of the other would be able to reap the life of Sumika with certainty.

Correct. This was why Aleph and Bet were fighting Sumika with the two of them like this.

(It’s better to face her down with hostages as a shield, but this is fine! We also don’t think that we can kill a bastard prodigy like you bastard without sacrifice anyway! We’ll give you the life of one of us! But, the time we take the payment for that, that’s going to be the last of you bastard!)

In response towards this countermeasure of Aleph and Bet’s towards the weakness of <Grim Bullet> that couldn’t be shot rapidly, Sumika right now aimed the other gun to Bet while the gun that was loaded with <Grim Bullet> was aiming at Aleph.

But even if Bet was aimed by gun, she didn’t stop.

――That was natural. There was no need to stop.

Based on how the <Grim Bullet> couldn’t be fired rapidly, the power of Evil God wouldn’t come to Bet’s side.

What would come was just a mere normal bullet.

Against something of that level, it would be repelled away by <Holy Ground> even without her defending.

That was why Bet’s expression didn’t change, she spread her wings and charged to behead Sumika.

Aleph also came at Sumika similarly with his full speed.

――That became the cause of defeat for the two.




{The seething stars shine radiantly in blasphemy      announcing the time of destiny to thy

'''{The seething stars shine radiantly in blasphemy      announcing the time of destiny to thy'''

The person walking riding the wind      o the great god of white silence

'''Living flame      o the king of red Formalhaut'''

Break the eternal precept and stand up      tear apart the sky and come here

'''Invite     reign      trample'''

Every stick and stone altogether      for the sake of mowing down with thy power}

'''Right now once more      for the sake of displaying thy supremacy in this star}'''




“ “……—!?!?” ”

Both of them noticed when they got closer until they could hear the voice clearly.

How Sumika was chanting one more curse as if it was overlapping with the tone of the first chanting.

――<{{furigana|Dual Spell|Overlapping Aria}}>

A super advanced skill that among all the magicians there were not even five people that could use it.

Aleph and Bet overlooked this from having their eyes stolen by the threat of <Grim Bullet>.

They overlooked Sumika’s talent… the height of her foundation skill as a magician.

Certainly <Grim Bullet> couldn’t be fired rapidly due to the length of its chanting.

But if it was used by the skill of Sumika, it was possible to fire both at the same time.

And then, it was already too late when they noticed their mistake.

They were already accelerating to the degree that they couldn’t brake themselves――




{Rage madly. ――<God of Raging Storm> Ithaqua.}

'''{Burn to ash. ――<Flaring God> Cthugha.}'''




“ “――――” ”

Aleph was swallowed by the flaming lion flying out from the right gun’s nuzzle together with his death agony, Bet was frozen by the freezing chill that flew out from the left gun’s muzzle without even time to scream, then that body was smashed into pieces by the bashing storm that was caused by the silver eagle that flew right after the chill.

However, the power of the two evil gods that were liberated didn’t stop at just eating the two.

The two were heading to the ground just like that gliding in the air――――

“''''AA''''aaa''''A''''aaaaaaa!?!?!?!?”

“''HiiIIAAaAAAA''!?!?!?!?”

Gimel who right about now was going to finish off the fainting Chikori with her raised katana and He who was involved in a death match with James, both of them were similarly swallowed like the previous two and their existences disappeared from this earth.

――Of course that was not a coincidence.

Sumika had seen through the tactic of Aleph and Bet of parting into two groups, so she was aiming for this from the start and adjusted her position. She was intentionally making the line of fire of the four people overlap.

James who was understanding that from looking at afar, felt a shudder even more than the reliability he felt.

“……I understood that she is a prodigy, but……”

He never imagined that it would be to this degree.

Even among the S-rank magicians, she was certainly a cut above the rest.

――But, that was how it should be.

The target that Sumika aimed for was in the height that was far higher than even S-rank.

That was why she couldn’t stop at just the level of S-rank.

……From this quick-wittedness of Sumika, almost all the main force of the allied forces had been annihilated.

Sumika and James that became free due to this immediately turned to assist the interception unit, rallying the Japan’s side in one go due to the addition of the two S-rank.

The allied forces that lost their main force was pushed back right away, the majority of them were crushed.

Because there was still reserve forces remaining at the allied forces’ rear, they were by no means annihilated, but the damage inflicted to them was enormous, most of all having the defensive line of Japan’s side rallied back really hurt for them.

It was mostly impossible to make this battle into a short one.

At this point of time, Sumika and others were mostly succeeding in their victory condition to hold out until Homura returned to the life sphere.

And then――almost at the same time.

The showdown between Homura and Michael that was carried out in an abandoned world’s Tokyo life sphere was also reaching its climax.