Let's be honest. Neru herself had said it. An arrogant and insolent boast that no one in Kivotos could defeat her at this range.
I had to admit it. No, I was forced to admit it.
The original Mika might have been able to win against Neru in close combat, or at the very least fight her to a draw. In terms of pure physical ability, I had the upper hand, after all.
But I am not the original Mika. My training has been focused almost entirely on marksmanship, leaving my close-quarters combat reliant on this body's raw physical specs. The fact that I wasn't being completely overwhelmed by Neru was just another reminder of how ridiculously overpowered this body was.
Still, not being completely overwhelmed meant Neru held a slight advantage. And if I, in Mika's body, was being pushed back, it meant that Neru truly was the strongest close-combat fighter in Kivotos right now.
"What the! You're better than I thought!"
"Heh, you're pretty quick yourself, kiddo. Not as good as my little squirrel, though☆"
"…Huh? Did you just call me kiddo… Wait, not as good as a squirrel? You bastard, you're dead!"
"Ahaha, if you think you can, give it a try! I'm not so sure a little kid like you can pull it off, though!"
This was all assuming we were sticking to a pure close-quarters fight. My current strengths lay more in mid-range combat. In a brawl like this, all I needed was to evade well enough to not take any clean hits from Neru.
I didn't know every detail of Neru's personality, but I knew she was quick to anger and had a hot-blooded streak. So, getting under her skin and breaking her composure couldn't hurt. Come to think of it, the original Mika also had a habit of viciously taunting her opponents during a fight. It just wasn't as noticeable because she was usually fighting the Arius Squad, who just ignored it.
Clang, scrape—
The chain dragged across the floor as a furious Neru closed the distance. From a distance, it wasn't much of a threat, but up close, it was an incredibly annoying weapon. The firepower from her akimbo submachine guns combined with the unpredictable chain was a trickier combination than I'd imagined.
I dodged Neru's gunfire and ducked in closer. Whoosh—the chain flew over my head. Just then, Neru's knee appeared right in front of my face. A veteran move, using my own advance against me. For a brief moment, I felt a wave of relief as I twisted my head in time to avoid a direct hit, but then a searing pain erupted from my shoulder.
I never thought she'd follow up a missed attack by striking with the handle of her gun. But I knew, and Neru knew, that a hit like that barely counted as a scratch.
Rat-tat-tat-tat—
I threw my advancing body into a tumble, reversing my direction and firing at the now-exposed Neru. It was infuriating to see a couple of my shots get blocked by her chain, but I managed to land enough rounds to make her flinch.
Even though we'd traded blows, I couldn't afford to celebrate. Another snipe whistled past me, so close that if my tumble hadn't lowered my posture even further, the bullet would have gone straight through my head.
Then, another gunshot, this time not from outside the shop, but from nearby. I felt a surge of irritation as Neru's gaze momentarily flickered in that direction.
"Looks like our little kid has time to get distracted, huh?"
What followed was a bombardment of Mystic, of a cluster of stars. Since they'd fired first, I could pin all the blame on C&C and Rio, who must have given the order. The consequences? I didn't have to think about them. The repair costs, the compensation to the shop—Millennium would be footing the entire bill.
I was trying to protect this restaurant from Haruna's grasp, but you guys had no intention of helping me, did you?
Hmm, still, I should probably offer a silent apology to Yuuka. Gomen, Yuuka.
"What the…!"
Five stars shot toward the stunned Neru. I had laid the trap so that she would have to take at least one hit, even if she tried to dodge. Now, I just had to wait for the harvest.
"You're a pain in the ass, you know that?!!!"
BOOM! KRA-KOOM!!!
Just as I thought. Neru chose to charge straight ahead. Exactly as I'd predicted.
The stars that missed her detonated behind her. Neru's eyes widened as she burst through the explosion in front of her. Waiting for her was the terrifyingly bitter taste of terror.
Guilt for hitting a girl who barely came up to my chin? I couldn't care less. The irritation of her having aimed for Haruna, who was sitting right next to me, without a moment's hesitation, completely overshadowed it.
The biggest reason I felt no hesitation hitting Neru was simple: she's just that damn strong. If I held back against an opponent who could beat me if I fought carelessly, I'd be the one losing. What kind of idiot fights like that?
I saw Neru fly backward and crash into a table behind her. She landed in a heap of overturned chairs, propped up against the wrecked table as she roughly wiped the blood from her nose with one hand.
Wow, that look on her face is absolutely murderous. If looks could kill, my halo would have probably flickered out by now.
"I'm going to murder you."
"Ahaha! You've been chirping and chattering this whole time, all talk and no action. When are you actually going to back up any of those words?"
"Playtime is over, you damn… pigeon?"
I saw Neru hesitate mid-sentence, but that wasn't my problem. I finished reloading as naturally as breathing and raised my gun.
The distance between us was now my preferred mid-range. And while closing the distance wouldn't be bad for either of us, if we put more space between us, I would have the advantage.
"Wait…"
"Hmm? You're just a kid, I can't quite hear what you're saying."
"HUH??? I told you to cut the crap!"
I saw Neru grind her teeth as she turned her guns sideways and aimed at me. See? She definitely has anger management issues. Just a little poke and she reacts instantly.
So you've finally noticed something's off? Like I said, not my problem. You didn't listen to me when I tried to talk before, and now you want to sort things out? Don't make me laugh.
Ending it now after landing a solid hit wouldn't be bad, but right now, I feel like properly stretching my legs. My basic training and the occasional sparring with Saori or Azusa just isn't enough for all this overflowing power.
"ORAORAORAORA!!!!!"
A wave of bullets, saturated with Neru's Mystic, surged toward me from her two submachine guns. I threw myself to the side to evade, but the indiscriminate firing pattern, which sacrificed all accuracy for volume, meant a few shots were bound to graze or hit me.
I don't know how much Mystic she poured into them, but they hit harder than Karin's snipe that I'd blocked with my hand earlier. And Karin's shots were already on a completely different level of power from a normal sniper rifle. For these to be even stronger… Is this why they call her Millennium's strongest?
But this body is second to none when it comes to durability, so I can take this much just fine. And it wouldn't be fair if I just took it lying down.
MUDAMUDAMUDA!
Of course, saying that out loud would be way too embarrassing, so I just thought it. My friend Neru here is still full of childlike innocence and can use stuff like that as a battle cry, but that's a bit much for me.
I fired five or six shots, each infused with my own Mystic, aiming precisely for Neru's solar plexus. She clicked her tongue, stopped firing, and bent backward, planting a hand on the ground to dodge.
Wow, she can dodge such precise shots like that. Aiming for just one spot is meaningless against an opponent like Neru.
Pushing off the ground with her hand, Neru did a backflip and landed perfectly. She let out a rough breath. She seemed pretty heated up now.
"I told you to cut the crap~! Ahahaha! You're actually pretty cute! Hey, you wanna be my little sister? I'll cherish you☆"
"…"
My comment, which had clearly crossed the line, earned me a glare from Neru that said, no matter what happens, I will kill you. Then, as if performing a trick, she reloaded with a brilliant flourish. It wasn't just for show; the speed was incredible. So, this is what it takes to fight akimbo style. Neru had a certain romance to her that I couldn't help but admire.
Facing off against Neru, I created a small shooting star on my fingertip and waved it in the air. I kept my eyes fixed on Neru, whose body was tensed to charge at any moment, while my other hand kept my gun aimed at her.
It was a hair-trigger moment. In a standoff that could shatter at the slightest ripple, it was Neru who moved first.
I immediately shifted my gun and fired at her predicted path, but she, as if to mock me, kicked a nearby table, sending it flying toward me. My shots were blocked and my vision was obscured at the same time, but the sound of her chain gave me an idea of which direction she was coming from.
Even if I destroyed the table with my Mystic, my vision would still be blocked. And if I dodged to the side, that's probably what she was aiming for.
…Well then, I guess I have to go straight through.
After a short running start, I launched myself into the air. I timed it perfectly, landing on the table just as it bounced off the floor. I immediately pushed off and leaped again.
Just as I thought, Neru, who had been watching the sides, was slow to react to me appearing from abov—
"Geez, I had a feeling you'd do this!"
Shattering my prediction, Neru charged forward and swung her chain at my face. This wasn't a move based on logic or reading my tells. She had predicted my next move on pure instinct.
"Just die…!"
As if she'd finally caught me, Neru grinned savagely. I grinned back at her.
Since when did you think this chain was a threat to me?
I dispersed the Mystic I had gathered and caught the chain with my bare hand. Your mistake, Neru, was that you had no idea just how strong I am. And that I was waiting for the perfect opportunity to reveal that fact. Those were your two mistakes.
I yanked the chain with all my might, and I could see the genuine panic on Neru's face. It's no wonder—she was lifted into the air before she even had a chance to brace herself. Just as I was about to kick the airborne Neru, she twisted her body in mid-air and wrapped her legs around my…
Wait, joint locks are actually dangerous…!
For the first time, a sense of crisis washed over me, and I quickly let go of the chain. Just as I unleashed a point-blank barrage on Neru, who had my leg trapped in her arms, and began to form another shooting star, the chain I had released came whipping back and struck my wrist.
"…Ugh!"
It hurt more than I expected. Getting hit on the wrist made my whole arm go numb.
Neru, also damaged by my indiscriminate fire, was forced to let go of my leg. In terms of the exchange, I came out on top, but because I'd lost my cool, I took damage I shouldn't have.
"Heh. This is getting exciting! If you run, I'll never forgive you!"
"Ahaha! Has our little kid fallen for her big sister? That's a bit of a problem☆"
"Wh-What kind of nonsense are you spouting? Seriously, just die!!!"
As if she wasn't tired at all, Neru charged again, closing the distance while firing in controlled bursts. At the same time, she swung her chain low, aiming for my legs to prevent me from catching it again.
This time, I backed away until I felt my back hit the wall of the shop. Another empty magazine clattered to the floor.
"Got you, you bastard!"
I don't know why, but this is ridiculously fun.
KRA-BOOM!!!
The wall of the shop crumbled.
"What is happening?! Where did Senior Neru suddenly come from?!"
"I know. Calling Trinity's Student Council President a terrorist. Could there have been some kind of misunderstanding?"
Yuuka and Noa, who had taken refuge in a corner of the shop to avoid getting caught in the fight, were trying to make sense of the situation when another voice chimed in.
"Yep, it's a misunderstanding~! The angel over there isn't the terrorist. I just forgot to tell the Chief!"
C&C's second-in-command, callsign Zero One, Ichinose Asuna, appeared before them with a bright smile that was completely out of place.
"Senior Asuna…? Wait, if it's a misunderstanding, shouldn't we stop them right now?"
"Nah, that's impossible! The Chief has completely lost it! Besides, the angel over there looks like she's having a blast, too. They wouldn't listen even if we tried."
"Aah, we're doomed. We're so doomed! Senior Neru was the one who made the mistake, so Seminar is going to have to cover all the damages for this shop, and on top of that, she picked a fight with Trinity's Student Council President?"
As Yuuka fell into despair, Noa smiled sweetly. For her, this situation meant little more than that she wouldn't be able to have lunch. In fact, thanks to them, she was able to see this side of Yuuka, so for her, it was a net positive. Unlike Yuuka, who would now be plagued with budget problems.
"Trinity's Student Council President? Aha? So she really was the hostage? By the way, it looks like the Chief is actually losing! That angel is amazing~!"
"Senior Asuna, that's not what's important right now! Ugh, what is this. I thought she was just a normal, kind person, but she's smiling while she fights…"
Asuna marveled at the escalating battle, and Yuuka let out a groan. She had thought highly of Mika after seeing her gentle side, so the revelation that she was actually a battle maniac came as the biggest shock.
"Well, if she's enjoying herself that much, perhaps she'll let the diplomatic issues slide without much trouble? The compensation is another matter, though."
"That's the biggest problem, Noa! This place does insane business, so the damages are going to be astronomical!"
"…Fufu."
"Stop just laughing and think of a solution…! I can't even imagine trying to get in there and stop them."
Ignoring Yuuka, Noa just smiled sweetly, replaying a certain scene in her mind. Over and over, endlessly, repeatedly.
How could one not fall for the sight of her blocking a sniper bullet for her friend with her bare hand? It was a scene that made one's heart pound just by watching from the sidelines. She couldn't even imagine how much the person involved must have swooned. And to top it off, the parties involved were a suspected terrorist from Gehenna and the highest authority in Trinity. A relationship blossoming between two rival academies was more than enough to provide Noa with excellent creative inspiration.
Of course, this was something she intended to savor in her mind alone.
KRA-BOOM!!!
"Whoa! With her bare hands?! She puts gorillas to shame!"
As she comforted Yuuka, who looked like she was about to faint at the sight of the collapsing wall, Noa turned her gaze toward the Gehenna demon aiming a sniper rifle from a short distance away. A small seed of interest in them began to sprout in the secretary's heart.