The Day of Fire and Ash (1)
The deafening roar split the air.
The ground trembled violently.
Even this distant location felt the aftershocks of destruction.
......I couldn't stop it.
I had fought against fate, but it was hopeless.
I had exceeded the time limit. The firefight with Arius had dragged on too long.
In the end, the cruise missile struck the Ancient Cathedral of Communion.
Moreover, I have no idea where Hina and Sensei are. I couldn't do anything.
Helplessness. The fact was too infuriating.
“Ugh, aaah—!”
I burst out from my cover and charged blindly.
I carved through the frozen battlefield.
Bullets rained down in trajectories. I plunged forward, braving the danger.
The distance to the enemy shrank. Arius's mob was momentarily stunned. I seized the opening and aimed my gun.
Bang. A close-range shot neutralized the mob.
If I had been as strong as Hina......!
I advanced behind the shield of the neutralized mob.
Next, I pulled a grenade from the mob's bulletproof vest pouch. With one hand, I removed the safety pin.
I hurled the grenade toward the enemy hiding behind cover, dealing repeated damage.
I landed a solid hit on Arius.
But I had rushed in too recklessly. I was exposed to the enemy.
“Makocchi-!”
Aru covered me from behind. Thanks to her, I remained safe.
“That's too reckless! Makocchi is a casualty! What were you thinking, risking yourself like that?!”
Aru scolded me sharply.
If I had misstepped even slightly, my life would have been in danger.
......That was a careless action. From now on, I will be more careful.
The result was good, but the process was emotional.
I reflected on my impulsive behavior.
“Whoa~ You're surprisingly tough. I was suddenly surprised when you charged in out of nowhere~”
Mutsuki's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Like a child who had been deeply moved by a dangerous stunt.
“But showing off alone is unfair. I have no choice but to go all out too. From now on—
Mutsuki's fierce spirit crackled.
The atmosphere changed, as if a combat maniac had awakened.
“I will crush you properly—!!!”
Mutsuki annihilated Arius from the front. The mood of the battle reversed.
Arius's momentum, which had been pushing forward with numerical superiority, began to falter.
“Hehe! When we fight with real intent, this is nothing!”
Aru, riding the flow, shouted triumphantly.
“We defeated even the Gehenna Prefect Team, who were praised as the strongest in Kivotos! Back then, Sensei and the Countermeasure Committee were there with us!”
Problem Solver 68 boasted the best teamwork as a small elite unit.
Arius's mob commander alone could not handle Problem Solver 68.
Just as Arius's forces began to be overwhelmed,
Kwaaang. The sound of tank artillery came from the opposite side.
“U-uh? Did those guys really mobilize tanks?!”
Aru's expression darkened sharply upon hearing the bombardment.
Aru scanned the direction of the incoming fire anxiously.
“No. That's...... the Mammoth Tank.”
I identified the tank's affiliation. Forces under the Mammoth Tank.
The tank leading the charge was the Super Invincible Armored Toramaru.
Iroha found me.
Reinforcements had joined the fray. The tide had turned decisively in our favor.
Arius's forces were overwhelmingly annihilated by the Mammoth Tank. The remaining enemies retreated in disarray, morale shattered.
The beginning was weak, but the end was our victory.
“Makocchi-senpai!”
After the situation was resolved, Iroha spotted me.
Aru beside her looked uneasy.
Aru said she received a warning from Iroha about destroying the halo.
While Aru hesitated, Iroha approached.
Finally, Iroha bowed her head to Aru.
“As a formal apology, I apologize for the harsh words I said earlier. ......At that time, I didn't know the full circumstances.”
Iroha apologized to Aru.
“This is all because of Makocchi-senpai. The incident happened because there was no consideration shown to the middle manager trying to handle the situation, which is impossible to find even with a magnifying glass.”
The culprit was, for some reason, me.
Iroha glared at me with a weary gaze.
......Eh? Ah?
Aru blinked with a dazed expression.
“We're in the same boat. Because of Makocchi-senpai.”
“W-what do you mean by 'in the same boat'! It's fine, I maintain a smooth partnership with Makocchi! You could say I'm the best customer.”
The two girls continued their conversation using me as a common topic.
The misunderstanding was cleared in an instant, and the atmosphere warmed.
“Um, Iroha?”
I cautiously addressed Iroha.
“Yes, what is it?”
“That...... could you stop Hina?”
Thanks to Iroha's arrival, I was guaranteed safety from the enemy.
But the task I had asked of Iroha was to restrain Hina. That was what worried me.
“Yes, I did hear that.”
Iroha told me as if recalling the situation.
“However, Makocchi-senpai's idea was flawed. What do you think Pandemonium Society is?”
Iroha stared at me with resolute eyes.
“I chose to side with you.”
Iroha looked at me with an expression free of any regret.
“It was a natural choice because I wanted to meet you more than the Prefect Team Leader. I am not with the Prefect Team but with the Mammoth Tank.”
She said it with an expression as if she would impose punishment for disobedience.
“Yeah, I see.”
I understood Iroha's argument.
“Thank you, Iroha.”
And I honestly expressed my gratitude.
Iroha had prioritized me over the orders. She must have been worried about me.
“W-what? You always hide your true feelings, but only when it suits you to be honest...... Your actions are inconsistent, so it confuses me.”
Iroha, covering her face with her hands while pretending to be embarrassed.
“Thanks to Iroha, I learned something.”
“What is it?”
Iroha asked me.
“That's a secret.”
But I couldn't tell her. It was an extremely personal realization.
Originally, entrusting Hina to Iroha was nonsense, a foolish idea.
I must save Hina.
I would save Hina. I made up my mind.
“Are you going to hide your true feelings like the ultimate black villain again, Makocchi-senpai? It's as secretive as the unclaimed bait.”
Iroha complained with a pouty face.
She had already corrected her posture and glared at me.
“Ah, by the way, there are others who will help the Mammoth Tank besides you. I've already received help once to save you.”
Another figure approached from behind Iroha. It was Sensei. ......Wait a second.
“How is Sensei here!? I thought you were held hostage at the cathedral as an observer.”
【Eden Treaty】, the obsessive Nagisa would not let Sensei go easily.
“I came to save Makoto. Saving kidnapped students is my job as an experienced staff.”
Sensei answered me as if stating the obvious.
Sensei had chosen me over the 【Eden Treaty】.
That's right. Sensei is an adult who doesn't abandon students.
A slight sense of guilt stirred in me.
I had used deception to save Sensei.
But it was worth it.
“We will advance. We will counterattack the disruptive forces aiming for the signing ceremony.”
The Mammoth Tank's forces remained intact.
Sensei was there, and Iroha and Problem Solver 68 were reliable.
It was time to move forward to save Hina.