Kamijou heard this cry.
It was not Japanese, nor was it in simple English. It was of an unknown foreign language.
Stiyl realized earlier than Kamijou the significance of that name.
"GET DOWN, AMATEUR!!"
Stiyl kicked Kamijou's back, and without caring that he was on the ground, immediately summoned Innocentius, which was on standby. Just as the giant flame god covered his front like a shield.
Tch!
On the floor, Oriana Thomson used her mouth to tear another flashcard.
BOOM!!
Fresh blood scattered all over the place.
What Oriana released was an ice ball the size of a soccer ball. The ball left her hand, and from the center, exploded out. The large amount of shrapnel rained down in a fan-like shape.
The hail of blades almost pierced through Kamijou's head, as he still remained on the floor.
It then pierced through Stiyl Magnus, who was behind him.
The sound of these sharp blades cutting through flesh was unexpectedly hard and blunt.
Or was that the sound of bones breaking?
Stiyl bent down on his knees before lying flat on the ground. Blood was streaming out of his body. Innocentius painfully twisted its body before vanishing in all directions.
No words.
Not even a groan.
"St…"
Kamijou looked up in disbelief.
"STIYL—!!"
"Where are you going?"
A certain voice prevented Kamijou from getting to Stiyl.
Kamijou turned around. Oriana was standing 7 meters away from him, holding tightly onto the flashcards.
"Boy, your target…should be me, right…"
"You…you…"
Kamijou carelessly let this out.
The sky was gradually turning from purple to the dark blue of the night sky. There was almost no time left till the constellation appeared. Though the amateur couldn't really see when would the sun set completely, there seemed to be around 5 minutes left.
The Croce di Pietro could be used.
This was the most important thing that he had to remember.
"Stop messing around. How many people do you want to hurt before you are satisfied?"
But this was what Kamijou Touma could let out first.
These words came out before his brain could even process them.
He couldn't just leave Stiyl lying on the floor. However, Oriana was not giving him time to do any emergency procedures. Thus, he had to get rid of the person that was blocking him.
In contrast, Oriana smiled,
"This nee-chan is forced to do it anyway."
That kind of expression looked empty, as if some part of it was blown away, and the rest of it was erased.
"I hate this, that's why I have to battle. You people may think that I am stupid, but don't look at me like that, I have my own reason. Come on, boy. You're the last chess piece left to defend Academy City. As long as I beat you, this nee-chan's mission is done. After that, the Roman Catholic Church's Croce di Pietro will show what nee-chan wanted."
"What…purpose?"
Kamijou exerted more force into his fingers.
"You already said that you'll let others decide the future, and yet you're talking so selfish and ignorant. Fukiyose fell, Himegami was attacked, Tsuchimikado's hands and feet are injured, and Stiyl was used as a shield! These aren't of your own intention, but under orders from the Roman Catholic Church? How can you let such shallow thinking take away other people's happiness!?"
"This nee-chan is…"
Oriana carefully measured the distance as she silently muttered.
It was not that she had rigor left, but rather, she was trying to conserve her energy.
"…It's alright no matter who it is. No matter whether it's the Roman Catholic Church, or if it's anyone else. It's not important to listen to someone else, it's the same as selecting a politician. To you little boy, should it be too hard? But, a politician and an artiste are different, right? A politician doesn't choose by his own interests. As long as it's someone who can make this nee-chan happy, it's alright even if he's the prime minister, right?"
She repeated her shallow breathing, as if she was going to cough out blood.
Oriana Thomson wasn't someone without her own personal goals.
As long as she could achieve this personal goal, she was willing to listen to anyone.
"To be honest, this nee-chan has no qualms with being allies with Academy City. But because this nee-chan has links with the magic world, I turned out to be theirs…no matter what, the Croce di Pietro can fulfil this nee-chan's wish."
"Your aim? That's the emperor who gets world domination, and becomes as stupid as an idiot?"
Facing Oriana, who was carefully measuring the distance, Kamijou didn't care as he took another step forward.
As both of them had different viewpoints, Oriana let out a smile.
"That's why I say, that is the business of this nee-chan's superiors. This nee-chan isn't unhappy about whoever's giving the orders. As long as it can protect this nee-chan's daily life, it's alright no matter who gets dominated. Think about it, boy. On this planet, how many religions believe in considering good and evil?"
"…"
"The answer? Many, very many, so many that you can't count them all. And the most fundamental thing is the Christian's 'Structure of faith'. After that, there are many more explanations. In the end, everyone has few morals. To simply put it, it's like a 'Roman Catholic, Oriana Thomson Sect'."
Oriana held tightly onto the flashcard, as if she was going to crush it.
Like Kamijou, she took a step forward.
"I say, boy. There are many developments in this world that nobody can imagine. For example, giving a seat to an old lady while on a double decker bus, only to have a seat that's used by a terrorist hidden underneath it. Or to bring a lost child back to Church, only to find out that he's an escaped Anglican magician, and in the end, that child was sent to the execution tower. Listen to me, I just helped a child retrieve a balloon from a tree today, but is this really related to 'happiness'? This nee-chan can't really tell anymore."
She said these words.
Matching the firmness in these words, Oriana again closed in.
There were still 6 meters left between them.
"Boy, can you imagine it? The feeling of realising that trap when everything's over. Though I know I have to do it, I still get that feeling of seeing the person in front of me getting hurt when everything's over. I can't do anything, and yet I have to do something. Then what is this nee-chan supposed to do?"
Hearing this.
Kamijou Touma still continued to approach in a similar manner.
There were now 5 meters left between them.
"Don't you find it strange? People should love their neighbours, and yet they can't protect the person beside them. So this nee-chan hopes that anyone other than nee-chan, even if I don't know who that person is, I hope that the person controlling this world from somewhere can give me the answer."
Oriana gritted her teeth slightly.
As if she was trying to get rid of this bitter feeling, she again closed in.
There were now 4 meters left between them.
"It's alright no matter who it is, please dominate and standardise the messed-up stands and views of this world."
This was Oriana Thomson's goal
Because of the word 'coincidence', Oriana, whose good intentions had been betrayed, didn't want to be betrayed again, and didn't want this sort of betrayal to hurt anyone beside her.
However, this goal was too great, it was impossible for Oriana alone to do it.
Thus, she was putting this hope onto someone stronger, more powerful, and superior.
An absolute solution.
In order not to create a tragedy because of a mistake, a misunderstanding, or just a brush through.
"This nee-chan…wants to protect everything."
She made a stand.
As if she was going to use everything she had.
"Thus, I have to use the Croce di Pietro to take over Academy City. By doing this, all the expanding views will merge together."
What Oriana wanted to say was 'get out of my way', not to get involved in this, and her own way was the 'right' way, thus many people would be saved, and there was nothing to refute it. She was expressing all these ideas wordlessly, like a wall ahead.
However,
"Is this all what your 'goal' is about?"
Kamijou took another huge step forward.
There were now 3 meters left between them.
"If so, then someone like you is too cheap. I know that you aren't a bad person, but to call yourself justice is too cheap. To go for this level of 'goal', to hand over everyone in Academy City over to you, I won't allow it."
"What did…you…say?"
Oriana's eyebrows collapsed.
This minor change destroyed her beautiful round face.
"Boy, stop saying this when you haven't seen the real world yet. There's no anguish, groans, or cries of rage, not even the sound of someone begging for forgiveness… there's just 'discontent'! There's no hope for a 10-year old child, there's no despair for a 100-year old person! Both of them can only look stunned as everything happens around them! Just because you have never seen that expres—"
"If it's just that."
Kamijou interrupted her and took another step forward.
There were now two meters left between them.
"This is still no reason to just choose Academy City as an attack target. To use an excuse like jumping off a building because of someone, such a fact has never changed. Never."
—For example, a lady named Orsola Aquinas.
She specialized in evangelizing the Gospel to unknown land. In the past, a certain nun named Agnese Sanctis had mentioned this. Was this the result of trying to unite all the ideals and faiths that were going about, working hard to ensure that everyone's happy?
—For example, a boy named Tsuchimikado Motoharu.
He should know that no matter how humans try, it was impossible to unite society as a whole. Thus, he chose to work for Academy City and the Anglican Church in the shadows, trying to ease the differences and misgivings with society that most people would easily have.
Even if their methods were different.
Their actions were to protect those who were there for them.
These things called thoughts weren't something that could be classified crudely by religion or international borders.
If one's values and stand had a form, everyone would have it. Though this thing may cause conflicts, on the other hand, it caused conflicts because it was important.
No matter who the person was, there were some things that people could not let aside.
It was because Orsola and Tsuchimikado knew this that they wouldn't go over that line. They wouldn't choose to step over the line like that, to destroy the values that other people had, to use a simple method that only benefited oneself. They wanted to use their own methods to confront other people's values and beliefs.
Thus, Kamijou said this.
It was his own values, stand and beliefs that had been shaped through pain.
"Your questions are something that everyone feels, and everyone's way of dealing with it is different. It's not because of a large 'goal', and I could have granted your wish without any conditions."
Kamijou said as he clenched his fist tight, moving forward at the same time.
There was now only one meter left between them.
"I don't know such difficult things like having a personal viewpoint and values. But, I hate it when Stiyl and Tsuchimikado are hurt. I want to go out and see the night tour with Index and Himegami, I want to run wild and have fun with Aogami Pierce and Komoe-sensei. If all these can be combined together into a 'thought', I'll do my best to protect it."
There were now at a distance where a punch could connect.
"There are many things that I'm also unable to succeed in. It was the same with Agnese. However, even if I were to stay around and do nothing, it's not going to do anything! Even if I fail and fall, when I fall, the events will still carry on. I tell myself to get up and protect the others! No matter what the outcome is, no matter how everything doesn't go the way I plan it, even so, those who are hurt by the people who betrayed them should have more reason to stand back up! The most important thing is that everyone can laugh and have a wonderful life!! You have no right to abandon other people's lives midway through!"
Kamijou Touma finally said,
"—What do you want now, Oriana Thomson? To hand yourself over to others just because of a single mistake? Or are you going to make that mistake and after that, helping others who made the same mistake!?"
"Ha."
Oriana laughed.
This was different from the previous ones. There was no sense of danger hidden in it, it was a very ordinary smile.
After that, she inhaled deeply.
"!"
She tore another flashcard.
A certain spell was activated, but Kamijou swung his right fist at the spell's main body.
An explosion occurred between them, and both of them were sent flying away by the power of the Imagine Breaker. A bluish-white flash occurred during this shockwave, as Kamijou inadvertently backtracked by 2 to 3 steps. Oriana followed suit as well.
The distance between the two increased back to 3 meters.
Oriana pulled the flashcard to her mouth, but this time, she was not just using one spell. Instead, she pulled the metal ring that was attached to all these thick pieces of paper.
Several pieces of flashcards were released all of a sudden.
Oriana swung her right arm that was holding the metal ring to the side.
"With this, everything will be over."
The pieces of paper were scattered around like snow.
In a horizontal manner, text font words appeared on these pieces of paper like blades appearing on snow.
In pitch black, the words read 'All of Symbol'.
"Using all my talents—"
As if she was repeating this sentence, the avalanche of paper created a pure white explosion. The flash distorted itself like melted candy, grafting onto Oriana's right arm. The explosive flash that stopped there looked like it was trying to resist getting pulled by Oriana, like stretched-out chewing gum.
Oriana pulled her right arm back.
"—Release all the souls and destroy the enemy ahead!!"
After that, she strongly swung her arm down like she was pitching, and a strong white-colored explosion occurred beside Kamijou.
BOOM!! Oriana heard this sound.
The white light that was stretching like candy maintained its shape as it swung around. There was no definite shape, and this contraption would often change into random shapes. With its movements, the air that touched the light was sucked in at an extremely fast speed. It was unknown which one was distorted, the light or the gravity, as the scene in front suddenly changed.
The real identity of that white light was a large 'gravity'.
All the matter that touched the light was sucked in and crushed by the pressure. As all the matter was being compressed in such a short time, from the outside, it looked like it was being eaten by a large space.
As all the air had been removed, in order to fill up the void left behind, all the gas matter started to move about violently, and even the original light and gravity would be sucked in.
(Come on.)
Oriana waved all her flashcards to create her largest spell, showing a smile of despair. A flash of light started moving in a clockwise direction, aimed at Kamijou. Seeing the asphalt road being dragged up by the air and being crushed by the light.
(If so, everything ends here, right?)
Facing this strike that was coming in horizontally, the boy swung his right hand up without hesitation.
"WOO—OOOOOOOOHH!!"
He released a cry.
With the sound of glass breaking, the pure white light broke apart upon touching that hand.
Hearing the sound of something being spat out,
Whoosh!
Everything that had been compressed in the white light released.
"!!"
As Kamijou hadn't foreseen this happening, his thoughts went blank.
Like air.
An air body flying about all over the place like the mouth of a balloon being released, regaining its original shape, and the force released blasted against Kamijou like a storm.
Like the asphalt road.
The pieces of rock that had been crushed by the huge pressure, and were now stones the size of beans, like popcorn regaining its original size. The stone pieces that were released were now riding the storm and acting like bullets.
The stone storm continued to rage.
With a blunt 'tong', a piece of the asphalt road the size of a fist hit Kamijou's right fist. Before he could even feel pain, more stones directly hit his abdomen, chest, thighs—till the moment the back of his head was hit; he couldn't even feel pain anymore.
(This…person…to think that she actually predicted that…it would be destroyed by the Imagine Breaker…!?)
"GYYAAAAHHHH!!"
With blood scattered all over the place, and the feeling of his skin getting peeled, Kamijou's body was about to fall to the side. He knew that his vision was tilted slightly, but he didn't know what could be done to correct it.
As his thoughts started to vanish, Oriana, who finished using all her flashcards, came running over.
She was planning to deal the final blow. Not by magic, but to crush Kamijou's bones with her fist that was as hard as granite.
The strength in his legs was gradually disappearing.
It was difficult for him to even stand.
In this situation, it would be impossible for him to even block Oriana's attack, let alone dodge.
If he was going to be hit like that, Kamijou's body would be crushed.
(Damn…it…)
―Fukiyose Seiri said,
Have you ever thought about making Daihaseisai a success?
―Himegami Aisa said,
Komoe-sensei and Stiyl are arguing, please come and stop them.
―Stiyl Magnus said,
Don't expect too much.
―Tsuchimikado Motoharu said,
If we catch her here, everything will be over.
The thing that each of them actually wished for was all to preserve the smiles of the people, both the citizens of Academy City and the tourists who were there for Daihaseisai. Though the scale and quality may differ, everyone wanted to maintain and protect the lives that they had now.
Kamijou himself had said it before.
He had told Himegami Aisa, who was on the ground in blood, that he would go to her room before the night tour started. This wasn't just a battle with this magician, it was also the realization of having to battle for others.
This was regarding the feelings of these people who express their own views.
(How can I—)
With his shaky consciousness, Kamijou gritted his teeth.
Forcefully.
(HOW CAN I LET IT END HERE—!!!)
"GYA…AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"
His legs finally started to move.
His vision that was tilted to the side was supported by the earth.
Oriana Thomson was just ahead.
She was about to swing her fist down.
"Wh…why!?"
Her eyes widened in surprise. Most likely, she hadn't expected a counterattack. Oriana, who was focusing on attacking, didn't have time to set her defense up.
In his blurry consciousness, Kamijou Touma clenched his right fist in a refined manner.
Forcefully, firmly, not willing to let go.
After that.
Both parties exchanged fists.
Kamijou Touma's strike hit Oriana directly on the face.
The magician's body rolled backwards in a forceful manner.