The sky was dyed red. The Croce di Pietro would be activated within the next hour. It could be five minutes later, or an hour later.
In the orange sky that was gradually turning purple, the first star started to shine. However, it was the only one shining. It was impossible to confirm the formation of the complex constellation.
Just when nobody knew when it was the end of the world.
Kamijou Touma and Oriana Thomson were engaging in a fierce fight.
"!!"
There were still around 3 meters left. Facing Kamijou, who was still clenching his fists, not letting go of his target, Oriana continued to maintain a minimum distance as she moved backwards, tearing another flashcard apart with her mouth.
The spell was activated.
Unnatural blue flames spurt out from the ground, getting between Kamijou and Oriana. However, Kamijou didn't stop in his tracks, instead hitting the flame wall with his right fist.
The flame wall seemed like it was going to avoid Kamijou's fist, as it bent backwards, forming a '<' shape.
"!!"
Kamijou's fist cut through the air, and the flames that were bending towards the sides strongly wrapped around his body.
His center of gravity was already tilting forward, and now he could no longer back away.
Even so, his right hand couldn't reach it.
There was not enough time for him to swing his right fist around to block whichever wall.
If so.
(Got to move forward…)
Kamijou gathered his strength on his feet that were going to be tripped up by the flame wall in front of him.
(A little further!!)
He continued to move forward like an arrow, swinging his fist at the deepest part of this '<' shaped wall.
PAM!! With the sound of a balloon being burst, the flame wall scattered all around.
Oriana Thomson was just ahead.
She tore another flashcard.
She completely ignored Stiyl, who was right beside her, aiming only at Kamijou.
But just as the spell was being activated, Kamijou leapt into Oriana's arms. The asphalt road spike that she originally intended to release fire from an unexpected place, like attacking an enemy with artillery, using the largest angle.
This time, Kamijou clenched his right fist again, and swung it at Oriana's face again.
But,
Just as the fist was about to make contact, Oriana used those long legs of hers to trip Kamijou from the inside to the outside. Kamijou lost his balance, and the fist that was supposed to hit ended up hitting the sky. In order to avoid this fall, Kamijou placed a knee on the ground to support himself.
"Oh my, your head is in a rather embarrassing position."
Oriana slammed another kick into Kamijou's face.
"GYAA…AAHHH!?"
Kamijou couldn't help but cry out, as the spinning kick sent him flying aside.
(Not enough…)
Kamijou used the momentum as he rolled back up. At the same time, Oriana tore another flashcard. She tossed a softball-sized glass ball from her left hand. On the other hand, Kamijou picked himself up from the rubble of the asphalt ground, and did a flying tackle.
Clang!! The glass ball was destroyed. The fragments moved inwards, piercing through the rubble of the asphalt ground, landing straight onto the ground.
(Just this alone isn't enough.)
Kamijou used this time to rush back at Oriana.
In contrast, Oriana rushed back into Kamijou's arms at a terrifying speed.
"Wha…!!"
There was no time to even dodge or block.
Oriana, who was closing in at such a short distance, tore another flashcard with her mouth. Her hand slipped from Kamijou's abdomen to his chest.
In that instant.
The feeling of a bluster. With a 'bam' blunt sound, Kamijou's body arched back in a '<' shape, and floated up with his chest as the center. He continued to gulp heavily down his throat, and as his feet left the ground by 40cm, he was completely unable to move around with his body.
"Dong."
With the sound of a fool being hit, Oriana sent another punch into Kamijou's chest.
"Eh…ugh…!!"
With a muffled sound, the fist sent Kamijou flying backwards by 3 meters.
(I can't beat Oriana with just this…!!)
Lying on the ground, his hands supporting him, Kamijou felt the bitterness as he gritted his teeth.
Oriana specialized in using close ranged combat with her body, and long ranged combat with her spells. No matter how much Kamijou waved his hands and feet around to fight, or how many times he missed by a step, it was like there was a protective barrier between both of them, his feet normally being dodged at the last minute.
If so, he couldn't attack Oriana like this.
No matter how much he tried to chase her, no matter how much he tried to hassle her, no matter how he desperately swung his fist, it was the same.
"Hoho! Seems like the sky's going to be dark soon."
Oriana Thomson closed in on Kamijou.
Such a seemingly defenseless action had in fact no blind spots.
(Damn it…)
Though it was too late, he realized that this was Oriana's battle plan. Oriana didn't use her best moves right at the start. She maintained an appropriate balance of power between the two of them, and when the enemy got carried away and missed, she gave a strong counterattack. This was probably a battle technique that she had learned to minimize the using of her spells, since she 'couldn't use spells that she had used before'.
She wasn't mocking the enemy.
To Oriana Thomson, it was the best blueprint for her.
"At this time, kids should be heading home, right? Or are you going to have an exciting night with this nee-chan?"
Facing Oriana, who was approaching him, Kamijou rolled on the ground, and maintaining a low posture, leaped up at Oriana.
The fierce conflict between these two was renewed.
Kamijou dodged and blocked the enemy's attack, but his fist still couldn't hit her.
(One more step…)
He clenched his fist, attacking from the blind spots, enduring the pain.
(There's still one step, if there's any…if there's any way to help me gain advantage!!)
He continued to swing his fist, strongly wishing.
Just like this, he continued to repeat this attack that seemed to be blocked by an invisible wall, one that couldn't hit the enemy.