They couldn’t just abandon a young girl’s completely unresponsive body.
The hotel staff were contacted to ensure they wouldn’t enter the room, and a few surveillance cameras were set up inside just in case.
The cameras had been previously used by a man named Miyanaga Ryōsuke for the sake of keeping tabs on Yogiri’s movements. Mokomoko determined that they would be self-operational for quite a while because they came with a built-in electrical supply.
“Still. What are we gonna do with the surveillance cameras?” (Tomochika)
Tomochika and the others, having finished up with everything at the hotel, were walking along the main street of the city, headed toward the royal castle. The reason behind their outing today had been accomplished.
『I’ll be keeping a close eye on them.』 (Mokomoko)
Mokomoko responded casually and confidently, but Tomochika still doubted whether such a thing was actually possible or not.
Tomochika wasn’t that well-informed about communications engineering, but she felt like there had to be more to it than just searching for the source of radio waves and relay broadcasting them.
『That look on your face… Are you making light of the Dannoura? Decoding MPEG information is trivial! It’s possible to analyze video data almost immediately after it’s recorded!』 (Mokomoko)
“No… Honestly, what kind of guardian spirit are you…” (Tomochika)
Tomochika no longer had the willpower to argue with her.
“It seems like you had quite a lot of influence back in the real world, Mokomoko-san.” (Yogiri)
Yogiri spoke up instead, seemingly interested in Mokomoko’s capabilities.
『Indeed! Doing something like this is a breeze for me, even back in our original world. For instance, I can operate plenty of things remotely over the internet. My favorite pastime was causing mysterious phenomenons by manipulating wifi-enabled household appliances!』 (Mokomoko)
“So the paranormal stories going around our neighborhood were your fault all along!?” (Tomochika)
“Why’d you do something like that?” (Yogiri)
『No… That… Even though you’re asking with such an earnest look in your eyes, I can only say I did it because it was so amusing…』 (Mokomoko)
Mokomoko spoke vaguely in response to Yogiri’s honest question.
“You’re the worst! Someone who commits crimes for fun!” (Tomochika)
『That’s it! It’s okay for me to do plenty of things like that. It’s said that the Dannoura are cursed, so whenever the need arises, we can scare or frighten other people.』 (Mokomoko)
“Weeell… Let’s try to put aside Mokomoko-san’s eccentric behavior for now.” (Tomochika)
『…You never show me any respect.』 (Mokomoko)
Mokomoko became somewhat dispirited, but Tomochika decided to ignore it and brought up another topic.
“Yogiri. You said you were going to kill people with the ability to replicate things from our world, but like, were you really being serious?” (Tomochika)
The way she asked this was closer to an attack than an actual question. Though, it wasn’t something she really wanted to hear the answer to. To that extent, she was immensely more interested in the relationship between Yogiri and Sophora.
“Type Sophora should never be produced again. I want her to rest in peace forever.” (Yogiri)
As he spoke, Yogiri had a gentle expression, filled with nostalgia, and Tomochika was just a little bewildered by it. After all, it was a side of him that she had never seen before.
What kind of person was she to make Yogiri say something like that?
How long did they know each other? What kind of relationship did they have?
How close were they? How intimate?
And finally, what happened to her?
-Uuuu… I’d be lying to myself if I said I wasn’t bothered by it, but it’s not like I can just casually ask him about it either…
Contrary to her expectations, she may be able to get a response by simply asking him about it, but she was still hesitant.
Judging from everything Yogiri had said and done so far, Sophora was probably dead back in their original world. If she wasn’t, it was difficult for Tomochika to understand why he was so opposed to there being another identical robot.
Given the circumstances, Tomochika felt it probably wasn’t a very good idea for an outsider like her to ask just to satisfy her own curiosity.
“…Hey Dannoura-san, you look funny. You okay?” (Yogiri)
“That’s not something you should be saying to a girl, okay!? And uh, no, that… I was just lost in thought about a lot of stuff.” (Tomochika)
She had been lost in thought with her eyebrows furrowed and arms folded in front of her without even realizing it.
“Perhaps you’re making some sort of misunderstanding?” (Yogiri)
“Misunderstanding?” (Tomochika)
“By any chance, do you think Sophora is dead back in our world?” (Yogiri)
“Heh? She’s not?” (Tomochika)
“Not last time I checked. She’s probably back at home right now munching on potato chips.” (Yogiri)
“Haaaaaaaaaa!?” (Tomochika)
Having been under the impression that Sophora was dead, Tomochika raised her voice hysterically.
“You’ve been being way too misleading! You’re the one who was all solemn when you said you wanted her to rest in peace!” (Tomochika)
“That had to do with the robot. I find it unpleasant for other people to make use of a robot that looks just like her without her even knowing about it.” (Yogiri)
“Yeah, toooooootally!” (Tomochika)
Tomochika still wasn’t convinced.
She didn’t think the duplicated robot mattered very much if the real version was still alive.
“It’s just my own resolution. There’s hardly any meaning in letting her be in this world.” (Yogiri)
“Well, it’s good that she’s alive, but… it’s easier to compete against a dead person…” (Tomochika)
The latter half of Tomochika’s words came out in a barely audible murmur.
As they talked, the royal castle eventually appeared before their eyes.
“Ah.”
Yogiri seemed to be surprised by something, as he suddenly embraced Tomochika and quickly took several steps backward.
The exact same scene had already played out so many times that, at this point, she just kept silent and left everything to him.
After all, there should be a reason behind Yogiri actions.
A loud, thunderous sound rattled through the air.
And then, the scenery where the duo had been standing just moments before vanished.
Be it the castle’s ramparts, the townscape, or the people within, everything disappeared completely.
“What… is this?” (Tomochika)
Breaking free from Yogiri’s embrace, Tomochika looked at the barren land before her with a dumbfounded expression on her face.
Looking closely, it was possible to see the full scope of the area that had been affected.
It was a charred, barren expanse with a width of about one hundred meters. Length-wise, it extended straight from the inside of the royal castle, stretching all the way to the southwest wall that surrounded the city. It failed to pierce through the city’s protective bulwark that had been made by the great sorcerer, said to offer an impenetrable defense against any form of attack, but even so, the damage sustained by the city within was enormous.
『Somebody’s over there.』 (Mokomoko)
There was somebody standing over where the attack had originated from.
Namely, a young girl wearing the same school uniform as Tomochika.
However, it was impossible for that girl to be there. She shouldn’t even have been alive.
Shinozaki Ayaka.
They had heard Ayaka was behind the recent attacks on their classmates. For Tomochika, who had seen Ayaka’s corpse with her very own eyes, the girl she was looking at didn’t seem to be a ghost either.
“Well, I know that ghosts could theoretically come in all shapes and sizes, but it’s strange… Could she possibly still be alive? Hmm? She’s missing her right arm?”
Tomochika couldn’t see anything past Ayaka’s elbow. It looked like a serious injury, but Ayaka was moving about indifferently, as though she couldn’t care less about it.
『She’s not a ghost. She has substance.』 (Mokomoko)
“Really? It’s hard to tell.” (Yogiri)
Yogiri squinted his eyes from beside Tomochika.
“Then, does this mean Shinozaki-san did this?” (Tomochika)
『There’s a high probability given the situation, but… how?』 (Mokomoko)
“Is that Shinozaki-san? I thought we definitely saw her die on the bus. It doesn’t seem like she’s currently aiming at us, so let’s just wait and see for the time being.” (Yogiri)
Ayaka quickly noticed the two of them and began walking in their direction.
“Is this okay? If that’s Shinozaki-san, that means she’s the one who’s been attacking all of our classmates.” (Tomochika)
“I don’t think I have the right to stop her from doing that.” (Yogiri)
Despite her question, Tomochika felt that Ayaka had the right to take revenge as well.
The three of them had all been left behind as dragon bait, and furthermore, Ayaka had been killed as a result.
Even though Tomochika had decided to forgive her classmates, she had no intentions of forcing Ayaka to feel the same way.
“Even though she’s causing this much damage to the city?” (Tomochika)
“That seems like a problem between the city and Shinozaki-san to me.” (Yogiri)
“Haaa… There’s just no convincing you, is there…?” (Tomochika)
Even if it was for the sake of her revenge, Tomochika was unsure about dragging such a large number of unrelated people into it.
She really felt like that was something Ayaka needed to stop.
『She doesn’t seem to be coming this way in order to attack us, but…』 (Mokomoko)
Ayaka’s intentions were unclear, but just by looking at her, you could tell she wasn’t seething with anger or anything. She seemed calm and composed.
There didn’t seem to be any other choice but to wait and talk things out first.
＊＊＊＊＊
Turning back the clock to a little before Tomochika and Ayaka met…
Although Ayaka’s only objective was revenge, that didn’t mean she was tirelessly devoting herself to it at all times of the day.
Despite having gained the power of a dragon, Ayaka’s body was one that, at its core, attempted to mimic that of a human being. Rest was necessary, and moreover, it was necessary for her to borrow power from those who worshipped the dragons.
There were several sites adhering to the dragon faith near the royal capital. She slept at these sites whenever she needed to rest, and paid irregular visits to the royal capital when she didn’t.
『Are we going to continue drawing this out? Taking revenge is fine and all, but isn’t it about time we got it over with?』
Once again, high in the sky over the royal capital…
A voice resounded from within Ayaka. Namely, the voice of one of her internal units. As for which exact unit it was, Ayaka had absolutely no idea.
『I understand the allure of picking them off one by one, instilling the rest with a sense of dread, but it’s also definitely a bit dull.』
『No. We shouldn’t be negligent. They were bestowed with unknown powers. Crushing them individually should be the best course of action.』
“Right. It’d be foolish to allow them to turn the tables by confronting them all at once. Though, so far, none of them have had that much of a menacing feel to them…” (Ayaka)
『Still, amongst the class, there shouldn’t be anyone capable of besting us in a collision of raw power.』
『The gifts of the sage system shouldn’t be looked down upon. It’s possible one of them holds more power than we’re taking into consideration.』
“Then we’ll crush them one at a time. If that continues to go smoothly, offing several at once should also be acceptable. Are we in agreement?” (Ayaka)
『Affirmative.』
The majority of the units approved of the plan, but Ayaka didn’t really understand the significance of it.
To her, it was fine as long as the units reached a consensus.
She would’ve gotten a headache if they voiced complaints over each and every detail.
In any case, revenge was priority number one. There was no leeway for internal disagreement about that.
『Someone came out.』
Ayaka shifted her attention to the castle, maintaining her altitude by lightly hovering in the air with her wings.
Within the grounds of the royal castle, she saw someone depart from the estate that had been provided to her classmates.
“Dragon Sense.” (Ayaka)
With her enhanced vision, she caught sight of one of her classmates, Izumida Yūgo.
Ayaka had no idea what kind of person he was.
The only thing she could manage to remember was his name since she had never held very much interest in him before.
He hadn’t come from a very notable family, his looks were poor at best, his studies were always been negligible, and he didn’t look like the type to commit to physical fitness. By all means, he was inconsequential.
However, even though he was the embodiment of worthlessness, he was still a revenge target that Ayaka couldn’t afford to overlook.
Yūgo left the estate and made his way to the garden within the castle grounds.
Arranged with abundant amounts of water and greenery, it was a garden of calculated magnificence. Yūgo walked around aimlessly, completely alone amidst the scenery.
“It doesn’t seem like he’s there for any particular reason…” (Ayaka)
『Perhaps he’s just out for a stroll? Though, that said, given that he may suddenly be attacked without so much as a warning, venturing out alone like this seems far too careless.』
“Careless? It doesn’t seem like he’s being careless to me.” (Ayaka)
Yūgo looked straight up into the sky, directly at Ayaka.
Their eyes met.
His eyes held a provocation. There was no doubt that he recognized Ayaka.
『It’s as if he’s beckoning us to come and face him.』
『What do we do?』
“It doesn’t matter what we do. One of our targets is alone. There’s no way we can just overlook that is there?” (Ayaka)
Ayaka manipulated her invisible wings and descended to the garden.
Yūgo simply watched as she gently landed a short distance away from him.
Ayaka considered the possibility that this was a trap, but in the end, decided that her hesitation was just needless anxiety.
There was no one lying in wait, ready to ambush her. Yūgo was waiting for her all by himself.
“Honestly, I don’t really care about you.” (Ayaka)
“Oh really? You’re probably gonna kill me anyway though, right?” (Yūgo)
“Yes. There will be no exceptions. Though, that being said, I’ll ask you this anyway: What exactly did you come out here for?” (Ayaka)
“I ain’t willing to go out like a little bitch. If I don’t deal with you, I won’t be able to go out into the city.” (Yūgo)
Yūgo was brimming with confidence.
Of course, he probably knew Ayaka had killed several of his classmates already.
But even so, he didn’t seem to be afraid of her in the slightest.
『He seems to be immensely confident in himself.』
“So what?” (Ayaka)
If it was just self-confidence, everyone she had already killed had that in spades. She wouldn’t find out anything if she didn’t at least test him out first.
“Dragon Claw.” (Ayaka)
Ayaka swung her arm down at him as he casually began to approach her.
The invisible talons that sprung forth from her fingertips tore into Yūgo effortlessly.
Or, at least, that’s what should’ve happened.
Her attack didn’t seem to have any effect. Instead of feeling the sensation of flesh parting from flesh, she was met with the sensation of pain.
She felt it right in her elbow. Without even realizing it, her right forearm had been sent flying through the air.
『Ridiculous! It cut right through Dragon Scale!?』
While the units descended into confusion, Ayaka calmly distanced herself from her opponent.
At some point, unbeknownst to her, Yūgo had taken hold of a piece of kitchen cutlery similar to a short-bladed carving knife.
If he had deliberately chosen to use such a thing, it was quite the incredible decision.
While there was no reason why it couldn’t be used as a weapon, there were several other choices he could’ve made that were far more suitable for combat.
“Wasn’t Dragon Scale invincible?” (Ayaka)
“I’m a cook! It only makes sense I’d be able to chop up ingredients!” (Yūgo)
While Ayaka’s question had been meant for one of the units, the answer came back from Yūgo himself.
“You say ingredients, but isn’t that a bit of a loose interpretation?” (Ayaka)
『This is bad. He seems to have some sort of special attack that works against dragons.』
“Well, I did feel like he was being far too careless coming out here alone like this.” (Ayaka)
This time, Ayaka was the one to shorten the distance.
Yūgo swung his knife, but Ayaka dodged it easily, immediately following up with another Dragon Claw.
She had been able to see the full extent of his first attack. She had just thought it would be too much trouble to dodge it. When she thought about it this way, the difference in their abilities was painfully clear.
Feeling actual, tangible contact this time, Yūgo’s body was torn to shreds.
Immediately afterward, Ayaka flew forward, having sensed an attack approach from behind her.
“Was that also one of your supposed cooking skills?” (Ayaka)
When Ayaka turned around, Yūgo was standing there.
Yūgo had been torn to shreds and reduced to a lump of meat, his body still visible as it lay motionless on the ground. But somehow, a second Yūgo stood behind her, casually brandishing his knife.
“Sure. After all, it’s important to be able to efficiently make several dishes at the same time.” (Yūgo)
“If that’s the explanation you’re gonna go with, so be it.” (Ayaka)
After letting out a sigh due to his nonsensical explanation, Ayaka magnified the scope of Dragon Sense.
Calling upon each and every one of her five senses, she mentally mapped out the surrounding environment and pointpointed the location of her target.
There were exactly one hundred and fifty eight Yūgos in the surrounding area.
“There’s no use trying to run away, you know? After all, a proper cook knows where to find his ingredients.” (Yūgo)
Yūgo spoke triumphantly. He seemed to think he could win if he surrounded her with such a large number of people.
Ayaka quickly made a decision.
She took a huge leap backward, stuck her left arm out in front of her, and began stockpiling her strength.
She would blast away every Yūgo in the area in one fell swoop. It was just necessary for her to build up some power first.
While this opened Ayaka up to a brief window of weakness, Yūgo didn’t react to this opening.
It seemed that he had absolutely no idea what Ayaka was trying to do.
“Dragon Breath.” (Ayaka)
There was a blinding flash of light.
She let the breath out at maximum power, scorching everything in front of her to non-existent cinders.
There was nothing left behind other than a barren, empty landscape.
『…Weren’t we trying to avoid involving unrelated parties?』
“That’s just on a case-by-case basis.” (Ayaka)
Ayaka genuinely didn’t want to involve unrelated parties, but she concluded that there was no point in letting that make her indecisive about attaining her revenge.
『Complete termination of Izumida Yūgo has been confirmed within our practical perception range.』
“…It looks like there’s somebody over there, though.” (Ayaka)
Dragon Breath had created a belt-shaped expanse of barren, charred land that stretched as far as the eye could see, and Ayaka noticed someone standing ever so slightly off to the side.
＊＊＊＊＊
Tomochika felt strange.
Even after taking a closer look, she was convinced that she was looking at Shinozaki Ayaka, the girl she had watched die with her very own eyes. In some respects, she simply couldn’t believe that Ayaka was alive and moving.
“Uh… It’s been a while. Have you been well?” (Tomochika)
Tomochika greeted her timidly.
Ayaka was a criminal who had already killed several of their classmates, and the person responsible for the sudden obliteration of a sizable portion of the town.
It was better to be safe than sorry when talking to her. Though, she had no idea just how safe she needed to be.
“I’ve been fine. Well, ever since that whole dying thing happened back at the bus.” (Ayaka)
“That’s… not very funny. Erm… Is it really true that you’re the one behind all the attacks on our classmates, Shinozaki-san?” (Tomochika)
If she really was, it was probably for the best not to get too careless when talking with her. Tomochika hadn’t done anything wrong to Ayaka, but Tomochika also had no idea what was going on inside her head.
“Indeed, that was me. Anyway, don’t you think it’s dangerous to go walking around outside all by yourself?” (Ayaka)
“By myself?” (Tomochika)
Blinking a few times, Tomochika looked at Yogiri, who was standing right next to her with an absent-minded look on his face.
“You can rest assured. I don’t bear any resentment against you, Dannoura-san. That’s all I wanted to tell you today. Please don’t get in my way. I don’t exactly want to kill you, but I won’t hesitate if you get involved. If possible, it’d be best if you stayed away from those guys, yes?” (Ayaka)
“Eh? Uh, yeah.” (Tomochika)
With saying another word, Ayaka gently floated into the air and flew away.
『It’s only natural that she’d be unable to see me, but… did she really not recognize the youngster?』 (Mokomoko)
“Does he really leave that little of an impression?” (Tomochika)
Even if he did, Yogiri was wearing his school uniform. Ayaka should’ve been able to recognize that he was one of her classmates, even if she didn’t remember his face. In which case, she should’ve then been able to realize that Tomochika was acting together with him.
“She didn’t even look at me. That honestly hurts a little bit.” (Yogiri)
While Yogiri wasn’t exactly close with the rest of his classmates, being so thoroughly disregarded probably didn’t feel very good. Yogiri had an upset look on his face.
“Still, she should know about you…” (Tomochika)
Tomochika remembered how, back when they were on the bus, everyone said Yogiri was always spending his time sleeping.
Whether Ayaka had forgotten who he was or she had simply ignored him for some reason, it probably wasn’t very important.
But still, there was a strange feeling inside Tomochika’s heart.
They couldn’t just abandon a young girl’s completely unresponsive body.
The hotel staff were contacted to ensure they wouldn’t enter the room, and a few surveillance cameras were set up inside just in case.
The cameras had been previously used by a man named Miyanaga Ryōsuke for the sake of keeping tabs on Yogiri’s movements. Mokomoko determined that they would be self-operational for quite a while because they came with a built-in electrical supply.
“Still. What are we gonna do with the surveillance cameras?” (Tomochika)
Tomochika and the others, having finished up with everything at the hotel, were walking along the main street of the city, headed toward the royal castle. The reason behind their outing today had been accomplished.
『I’ll be keeping a close eye on them.』 (Mokomoko)
Mokomoko responded casually and confidently, but Tomochika still doubted whether such a thing was actually possible or not.
Tomochika wasn’t that well-informed about communications engineering, but she felt like there had to be more to it than just searching for the source of radio waves and relay broadcasting them.
『That look on your face… Are you making light of the Dannoura? Decoding MPEG information is trivial! It’s possible to analyze video data almost immediately after it’s recorded!』 (Mokomoko)
“No… Honestly, what kind of guardian spirit are you…” (Tomochika)
Tomochika no longer had the willpower to argue with her.
“It seems like you had quite a lot of influence back in the real world, Mokomoko-san.” (Yogiri)
Yogiri spoke up instead, seemingly interested in Mokomoko’s capabilities.
『Indeed! Doing something like this is a breeze for me, even back in our original world. For instance, I can operate plenty of things remotely over the internet. My favorite pastime was causing mysterious phenomenons by manipulating wifi-enabled household appliances!』 (Mokomoko)
“So the paranormal stories going around our neighborhood were your fault all along!?” (Tomochika)
“Why’d you do something like that?” (Yogiri)
『No… That… Even though you’re asking with such an earnest look in your eyes, I can only say I did it because it was so amusing…』 (Mokomoko)
Mokomoko spoke vaguely in response to Yogiri’s honest question.
“You’re the worst! Someone who commits crimes for fun!” (Tomochika)
『That’s it! It’s okay for me to do plenty of things like that. It’s said that the Dannoura are cursed, so whenever the need arises, we can scare or frighten other people.』 (Mokomoko)
“Weeell… Let’s try to put aside Mokomoko-san’s eccentric behavior for now.” (Tomochika)
『…You never show me any respect.』 (Mokomoko)
Mokomoko became somewhat dispirited, but Tomochika decided to ignore it and brought up another topic.
“Yogiri. You said you were going to kill people with the ability to replicate things from our world, but like, were you really being serious?” (Tomochika)
The way she asked this was closer to an attack than an actual question. Though, it wasn’t something she really wanted to hear the answer to. To that extent, she was immensely more interested in the relationship between Yogiri and Sophora.
“Type Sophora should never be produced again. I want her to rest in peace forever.” (Yogiri)
As he spoke, Yogiri had a gentle expression, filled with nostalgia, and Tomochika was just a little bewildered by it. After all, it was a side of him that she had never seen before.
What kind of person was she to make Yogiri say something like that?
How long did they know each other? What kind of relationship did they have?
How close were they? How intimate?
And finally, what happened to her?
-Uuuu… I’d be lying to myself if I said I wasn’t bothered by it, but it’s not like I can just casually ask him about it either…
Contrary to her expectations, she may be able to get a response by simply asking him about it, but she was still hesitant.
Judging from everything Yogiri had said and done so far, Sophora was probably dead back in their original world. If she wasn’t, it was difficult for Tomochika to understand why he was so opposed to there being another identical robot.
Given the circumstances, Tomochika felt it probably wasn’t a very good idea for an outsider like her to ask just to satisfy her own curiosity.
“…Hey Dannoura-san, you look funny. You okay?” (Yogiri)
“That’s not something you should be saying to a girl, okay!? And uh, no, that… I was just lost in thought about a lot of stuff.” (Tomochika)
She had been lost in thought with her eyebrows furrowed and arms folded in front of her without even realizing it.
“Perhaps you’re making some sort of misunderstanding?” (Yogiri)
“Misunderstanding?” (Tomochika)
“By any chance, do you think Sophora is dead back in our world?” (Yogiri)
“Heh? She’s not?” (Tomochika)
“Not last time I checked. She’s probably back at home right now munching on potato chips.” (Yogiri)
“Haaaaaaaaaa!?” (Tomochika)
Having been under the impression that Sophora was dead, Tomochika raised her voice hysterically.
“You’ve been being way too misleading! You’re the one who was all solemn when you said you wanted her to rest in peace!” (Tomochika)
“That had to do with the robot. I find it unpleasant for other people to make use of a robot that looks just like her without her even knowing about it.” (Yogiri)
“Yeah, toooooootally!” (Tomochika)
Tomochika still wasn’t convinced.
She didn’t think the duplicated robot mattered very much if the real version was still alive.
“It’s just my own resolution. There’s hardly any meaning in letting her be in this world.” (Yogiri)
“Well, it’s good that she’s alive, but… it’s easier to compete against a dead person…” (Tomochika)
The latter half of Tomochika’s words came out in a barely audible murmur.
As they talked, the royal castle eventually appeared before their eyes.
“Ah.”
Yogiri seemed to be surprised by something, as he suddenly embraced Tomochika and quickly took several steps backward.
The exact same scene had already played out so many times that, at this point, she just kept silent and left everything to him.
After all, there should be a reason behind Yogiri actions.
A loud, thunderous sound rattled through the air.
And then, the scenery where the duo had been standing just moments before vanished.
Be it the castle’s ramparts, the townscape, or the people within, everything disappeared completely.
“What… is this?” (Tomochika)
Breaking free from Yogiri’s embrace, Tomochika looked at the barren land before her with a dumbfounded expression on her face.
Looking closely, it was possible to see the full scope of the area that had been affected.
It was a charred, barren expanse with a width of about one hundred meters. Length-wise, it extended straight from the inside of the royal castle, stretching all the way to the southwest wall that surrounded the city. It failed to pierce through the city’s protective bulwark that had been made by the great sorcerer, said to offer an impenetrable defense against any form of attack, but even so, the damage sustained by the city within was enormous.
『Somebody’s over there.』 (Mokomoko)
There was somebody standing over where the attack had originated from.
Namely, a young girl wearing the same school uniform as Tomochika.
However, it was impossible for that girl to be there. She shouldn’t even have been alive.
Shinozaki Ayaka.
They had heard Ayaka was behind the recent attacks on their classmates. For Tomochika, who had seen Ayaka’s corpse with her very own eyes, the girl she was looking at didn’t seem to be a ghost either.
“Well, I know that ghosts could theoretically come in all shapes and sizes, but it’s strange… Could she possibly still be alive? Hmm? She’s missing her right arm?”
Tomochika couldn’t see anything past Ayaka’s elbow. It looked like a serious injury, but Ayaka was moving about indifferently, as though she couldn’t care less about it.
『She’s not a ghost. She has substance.』 (Mokomoko)
“Really? It’s hard to tell.” (Yogiri)
Yogiri squinted his eyes from beside Tomochika.
“Then, does this mean Shinozaki-san did this?” (Tomochika)
『There’s a high probability given the situation, but… how?』 (Mokomoko)
“Is that Shinozaki-san? I thought we definitely saw her die on the bus. It doesn’t seem like she’s currently aiming at us, so let’s just wait and see for the time being.” (Yogiri)
Ayaka quickly noticed the two of them and began walking in their direction.
“Is this okay? If that’s Shinozaki-san, that means she’s the one who’s been attacking all of our classmates.” (Tomochika)
“I don’t think I have the right to stop her from doing that.” (Yogiri)
Despite her question, Tomochika felt that Ayaka had the right to take revenge as well.
The three of them had all been left behind as dragon bait, and furthermore, Ayaka had been killed as a result.
Even though Tomochika had decided to forgive her classmates, she had no intentions of forcing Ayaka to feel the same way.
“Even though she’s causing this much damage to the city?” (Tomochika)
“That seems like a problem between the city and Shinozaki-san to me.” (Yogiri)
“Haaa… There’s just no convincing you, is there…?” (Tomochika)
Even if it was for the sake of her revenge, Tomochika was unsure about dragging such a large number of unrelated people into it.
She really felt like that was something Ayaka needed to stop.
『She doesn’t seem to be coming this way in order to attack us, but…』 (Mokomoko)
Ayaka’s intentions were unclear, but just by looking at her, you could tell she wasn’t seething with anger or anything. She seemed calm and composed.
There didn’t seem to be any other choice but to wait and talk things out first.
＊＊＊＊＊
Turning back the clock to a little before Tomochika and Ayaka met…
Although Ayaka’s only objective was revenge, that didn’t mean she was tirelessly devoting herself to it at all times of the day.
Despite having gained the power of a dragon, Ayaka’s body was one that, at its core, attempted to mimic that of a human being. Rest was necessary, and moreover, it was necessary for her to borrow power from those who worshipped the dragons.
There were several sites adhering to the dragon faith near the royal capital. She slept at these sites whenever she needed to rest, and paid irregular visits to the royal capital when she didn’t.
『Are we going to continue drawing this out? Taking revenge is fine and all, but isn’t it about time we got it over with?』
Once again, high in the sky over the royal capital…
A voice resounded from within Ayaka. Namely, the voice of one of her internal units. As for which exact unit it was, Ayaka had absolutely no idea.
『I understand the allure of picking them off one by one, instilling the rest with a sense of dread, but it’s also definitely a bit dull.』
『No. We shouldn’t be negligent. They were bestowed with unknown powers. Crushing them individually should be the best course of action.』
“Right. It’d be foolish to allow them to turn the tables by confronting them all at once. Though, so far, none of them have had that much of a menacing feel to them…” (Ayaka)
『Still, amongst the class, there shouldn’t be anyone capable of besting us in a collision of raw power.』
『The gifts of the sage system shouldn’t be looked down upon. It’s possible one of them holds more power than we’re taking into consideration.』
“Then we’ll crush them one at a time. If that continues to go smoothly, offing several at once should also be acceptable. Are we in agreement?” (Ayaka)
『Affirmative.』
The majority of the units approved of the plan, but Ayaka didn’t really understand the significance of it.
To her, it was fine as long as the units reached a consensus.
She would’ve gotten a headache if they voiced complaints over each and every detail.
In any case, revenge was priority number one. There was no leeway for internal disagreement about that.
『Someone came out.』
Ayaka shifted her attention to the castle, maintaining her altitude by lightly hovering in the air with her wings.
Within the grounds of the royal castle, she saw someone depart from the estate that had been provided to her classmates.
“Dragon Sense.” (Ayaka)
With her enhanced vision, she caught sight of one of her classmates, Izumida Yūgo.
Ayaka had no idea what kind of person he was.
The only thing she could manage to remember was his name since she had never held very much interest in him before.
He hadn’t come from a very notable family, his looks were poor at best, his studies were always been negligible, and he didn’t look like the type to commit to physical fitness. By all means, he was inconsequential.
However, even though he was the embodiment of worthlessness, he was still a revenge target that Ayaka couldn’t afford to overlook.
Yūgo left the estate and made his way to the garden within the castle grounds.
Arranged with abundant amounts of water and greenery, it was a garden of calculated magnificence. Yūgo walked around aimlessly, completely alone amidst the scenery.
“It doesn’t seem like he’s there for any particular reason…” (Ayaka)
『Perhaps he’s just out for a stroll? Though, that said, given that he may suddenly be attacked without so much as a warning, venturing out alone like this seems far too careless.』
“Careless? It doesn’t seem like he’s being careless to me.” (Ayaka)
Yūgo looked straight up into the sky, directly at Ayaka.
Their eyes met.
His eyes held a provocation. There was no doubt that he recognized Ayaka.
『It’s as if he’s beckoning us to come and face him.』
『What do we do?』
“It doesn’t matter what we do. One of our targets is alone. There’s no way we can just overlook that is there?” (Ayaka)
Ayaka manipulated her invisible wings and descended to the garden.
Yūgo simply watched as she gently landed a short distance away from him.
Ayaka considered the possibility that this was a trap, but in the end, decided that her hesitation was just needless anxiety.
There was no one lying in wait, ready to ambush her. Yūgo was waiting for her all by himself.
“Honestly, I don’t really care about you.” (Ayaka)
“Oh really? You’re probably gonna kill me anyway though, right?” (Yūgo)
“Yes. There will be no exceptions. Though, that being said, I’ll ask you this anyway: What exactly did you come out here for?” (Ayaka)
“I ain’t willing to go out like a little bitch. If I don’t deal with you, I won’t be able to go out into the city.” (Yūgo)
Yūgo was brimming with confidence.
Of course, he probably knew Ayaka had killed several of his classmates already.
But even so, he didn’t seem to be afraid of her in the slightest.
『He seems to be immensely confident in himself.』
“So what?” (Ayaka)
If it was just self-confidence, everyone she had already killed had that in spades. She wouldn’t find out anything if she didn’t at least test him out first.
“Dragon Claw.” (Ayaka)
Ayaka swung her arm down at him as he casually began to approach her.
The invisible talons that sprung forth from her fingertips tore into Yūgo effortlessly.
Or, at least, that’s what should’ve happened.
Her attack didn’t seem to have any effect. Instead of feeling the sensation of flesh parting from flesh, she was met with the sensation of pain.
She felt it right in her elbow. Without even realizing it, her right forearm had been sent flying through the air.
『Ridiculous! It cut right through Dragon Scale!?』
While the units descended into confusion, Ayaka calmly distanced herself from her opponent.
At some point, unbeknownst to her, Yūgo had taken hold of a piece of kitchen cutlery similar to a short-bladed carving knife.
If he had deliberately chosen to use such a thing, it was quite the incredible decision.
While there was no reason why it couldn’t be used as a weapon, there were several other choices he could’ve made that were far more suitable for combat.
“Wasn’t Dragon Scale invincible?” (Ayaka)
“I’m a cook! It only makes sense I’d be able to chop up ingredients!” (Yūgo)
While Ayaka’s question had been meant for one of the units, the answer came back from Yūgo himself.
“You say ingredients, but isn’t that a bit of a loose interpretation?” (Ayaka)
『This is bad. He seems to have some sort of special attack that works against dragons.』
“Well, I did feel like he was being far too careless coming out here alone like this.” (Ayaka)
This time, Ayaka was the one to shorten the distance.
Yūgo swung his knife, but Ayaka dodged it easily, immediately following up with another Dragon Claw.
She had been able to see the full extent of his first attack. She had just thought it would be too much trouble to dodge it. When she thought about it this way, the difference in their abilities was painfully clear.
Feeling actual, tangible contact this time, Yūgo’s body was torn to shreds.
Immediately afterward, Ayaka flew forward, having sensed an attack approach from behind her.
“Was that also one of your supposed cooking skills?” (Ayaka)
When Ayaka turned around, Yūgo was standing there.
Yūgo had been torn to shreds and reduced to a lump of meat, his body still visible as it lay motionless on the ground. But somehow, a second Yūgo stood behind her, casually brandishing his knife.
“Sure. After all, it’s important to be able to efficiently make several dishes at the same time.” (Yūgo)
“If that’s the explanation you’re gonna go with, so be it.” (Ayaka)
After letting out a sigh due to his nonsensical explanation, Ayaka magnified the scope of Dragon Sense.
Calling upon each and every one of her five senses, she mentally mapped out the surrounding environment and pointpointed the location of her target.
There were exactly one hundred and fifty eight Yūgos in the surrounding area.
“There’s no use trying to run away, you know? After all, a proper cook knows where to find his ingredients.” (Yūgo)
Yūgo spoke triumphantly. He seemed to think he could win if he surrounded her with such a large number of people.
Ayaka quickly made a decision.
She took a huge leap backward, stuck her left arm out in front of her, and began stockpiling her strength.
She would blast away every Yūgo in the area in one fell swoop. It was just necessary for her to build up some power first.
While this opened Ayaka up to a brief window of weakness, Yūgo didn’t react to this opening.
It seemed that he had absolutely no idea what Ayaka was trying to do.
“Dragon Breath.” (Ayaka)
There was a blinding flash of light.
She let the breath out at maximum power, scorching everything in front of her to non-existent cinders.
There was nothing left behind other than a barren, empty landscape.
『…Weren’t we trying to avoid involving unrelated parties?』
“That’s just on a case-by-case basis.” (Ayaka)
Ayaka genuinely didn’t want to involve unrelated parties, but she concluded that there was no point in letting that make her indecisive about attaining her revenge.
『Complete termination of Izumida Yūgo has been confirmed within our practical perception range.』
“…It looks like there’s somebody over there, though.” (Ayaka)
Dragon Breath had created a belt-shaped expanse of barren, charred land that stretched as far as the eye could see, and Ayaka noticed someone standing ever so slightly off to the side.
＊＊＊＊＊
Tomochika felt strange.
Even after taking a closer look, she was convinced that she was looking at Shinozaki Ayaka, the girl she had watched die with her very own eyes. In some respects, she simply couldn’t believe that Ayaka was alive and moving.
“Uh… It’s been a while. Have you been well?” (Tomochika)
Tomochika greeted her timidly.
Ayaka was a criminal who had already killed several of their classmates, and the person responsible for the sudden obliteration of a sizable portion of the town.
It was better to be safe than sorry when talking to her. Though, she had no idea just how safe she needed to be.
“I’ve been fine. Well, ever since that whole dying thing happened back at the bus.” (Ayaka)
“That’s… not very funny. Erm… Is it really true that you’re the one behind all the attacks on our classmates, Shinozaki-san?” (Tomochika)
If she really was, it was probably for the best not to get too careless when talking with her. Tomochika hadn’t done anything wrong to Ayaka, but Tomochika also had no idea what was going on inside her head.
“Indeed, that was me. Anyway, don’t you think it’s dangerous to go walking around outside all by yourself?” (Ayaka)
“By myself?” (Tomochika)
Blinking a few times, Tomochika looked at Yogiri, who was standing right next to her with an absent-minded look on his face.
“You can rest assured. I don’t bear any resentment against you, Dannoura-san. That’s all I wanted to tell you today. Please don’t get in my way. I don’t exactly want to kill you, but I won’t hesitate if you get involved. If possible, it’d be best if you stayed away from those guys, yes?” (Ayaka)
“Eh? Uh, yeah.” (Tomochika)
With saying another word, Ayaka gently floated into the air and flew away.
『It’s only natural that she’d be unable to see me, but… did she really not recognize the youngster?』 (Mokomoko)
“Does he really leave that little of an impression?” (Tomochika)
Even if he did, Yogiri was wearing his school uniform. Ayaka should’ve been able to recognize that he was one of her classmates, even if she didn’t remember his face. In which case, she should’ve then been able to realize that Tomochika was acting together with him.
“She didn’t even look at me. That honestly hurts a little bit.” (Yogiri)
While Yogiri wasn’t exactly close with the rest of his classmates, being so thoroughly disregarded probably didn’t feel very good. Yogiri had an upset look on his face.
“Still, she should know about you…” (Tomochika)
Tomochika remembered how, back when they were on the bus, everyone said Yogiri was always spending his time sleeping.
Whether Ayaka had forgotten who he was or she had simply ignored him for some reason, it probably wasn’t very important.
But still, there was a strange feeling inside Tomochika’s heart.
