Chapter 13 part 2
The story begins from where the first part ended
SHRU — "And listen, your future wife will be a witch, not me. you bastard."
She shot a half-grin that was meant to be a jibe; it landed as something more like strained humor.
SHIROU — "What nonsense is that?"
He rolled his eyes but let the corner of his mouth twitch—an expression that barely passed for a smile under the pressure.
SHRU — "First, let's take out the monster."
She readied her stance, aura crackling under her skin.
SHIROU — "Yeah. I have a plan."
He moved closer, blades already tracing arcs in the air.
The tentacle monster lashed repeatedly, a shower of strikes meant to tear them apart. Dodging each strike in tandem, SHRU and SHIROU kept their voices low, the rhythm of their banter a thin tether to sanity that seemed to enrage the creature further.
SHRU thinking — Its attacks are getting faster.
She tightened her grip, noticing the pattern shift. The monster's fury was accelerating.
SHRU — "Spit the plan out, quick."
Her voice was brisk; she didn't want any hesitancy between them.
SHIROU stepped in, slicing through a handful of whipping tentacles with his daggers.
SHIROU — "Listen—You attack it from the front while staying at long range and I will attack it from close range and you give me cover from behind from long range."..okk?
He called the instructions clearly, each word clipped and deliberate.
SHRU — "Okay, but it's a B-grade monster—getting close is risky."
Her jaw tightened; she weighed the danger against the necessity.
SHIROU — nervous smile "Yeah, but we have no choice. From afar we won't do much damage."
He forced a small grin to split the tension. The truth sat heavy: their full strength might not be enough.
SHRU — "Alright. Follow the plan."
She nodded, already moving into position to strike from a distance.
SHIROU edged toward the creature's mass, cutting every reaching tentacle that aimed for them. He observed, breath ragged, the monster's uncanny ability to regenerate.
SHIROU thinking — It regenerates too fast. How do we kill it? Maybe if we sever it into so many pieces that it can't regenerate—but we'd need a very powerful attack. Are our full powers even enough? We're only D-level peak aura users…this might not be enough for this monster. So what can we do?
He felt the weight of impossibility press in—yet he kept moving, searching for a way through
Shirou wiping sweat from his forehead, his voice sharp and dry:
"Tch... for now, I can't think of any brilliant plan. But whatever happens— we'll have to fight."
Just as he spoke, a swarm of tentacles lashed toward him from behind, cutting through the air like whips.
Before they could strike, a series of rapid gunshots echoed through the canyon— BANG! BANG! BANG!
Shru, her expression fierce and focused, had already aimed her dual guns. The tentacles exploded midair, charred fragments falling around them.
Shirou grinning faintly, his eyes flashing:
"Perfect. I'm close enough now."
Lightning began to dance across his irises. His aura surged, sparking blue electricity through the ground beneath him.
Shirou yelling, his voice cutting through the storm:
"Alright, let's give this bastard a lesson— VOLT EDGE!!!"
In an instant, lightning erupted from his daggers. A blinding surge of blue light burst forth, his body moving faster than the eye could follow. With a single leap, he slashed both blades into the monster's chest—
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion tore through the battlefield, shockwaves scattering the debris.
Shru raising an arm to shield her face, coughing through the smoke:
"What a… terrifying attack. He's even stronger than I thought…"
But as the smoke cleared—her eyes widened.
The monster stood almost unscathed, its tentacles twitching, sizzling where they had been burned.
Shirou in disbelief:
"No way… That attack worked before—why not this time!?"
A roar shook the ground. The monsters's tentacles wrapped around him, coiling like serpents.
Shirou screaming in pain, struggling to breathe:
"Ughh—dammit! If this keeps up, it'll crush me!"
Seeing him trapped, Shru's red aura flared violently. Her eyes glowed crimson, energy bursting from her like a storm.
Shru shouting fiercely, her voice trembling with adrenaline:
"TWIN FLAMES BARRAGE!!!"
Twin barrels ignited with fiery aura, unleashing a barrage of blazing bullets. The entire battlefield lit up in red flame.
Shirou yelling in panic while still restrained:
"Are you insane?! You'll hit me too, damn it! I need to move—now!"
He struggled, channeling lightning through his daggers once again.
Shirou gritting his teeth, growling:
"THUNDER FANG!!!"
He slashed through the tentacles with a burst of blue lightning, freeing himself just in time. The next second, Shru's firestorm collided with the monster—
BOOOM!
As the shockwave passed, Shirou stumbled out of the smoke, coughing but smirking.
Shirou mocking tone:
"Are you crazy, pig?! You almost killed me."
Shru pouting, still catching her breath:
"Hey, you should be thankfull, idiot! I just saved your life!"
Shirou sarcastically:
"Saved me?! You almost vaporized me! If that attack hit, I'd be ash!"
Shru embarrassed, scratching her head:
"Okay, okay—fine! I panicked, alright? I just… didn't know what else to do."
Shirou deadpan:
"And your brilliant solution was to blow up the whole damn field?"
They were still bickering when a shadow loomed behind them—another massive swing of tentacles.
Shirou spinning around, eyes widening:
"Shit! That bastard's still alive!"
The monster's body cracked and writhed, regenerating faster than before.
Shru frustrated:
"What?! Even after that!? Just how strong is this thing!?"
Shirou gritting his teeth, analytical tone:
"It's no use. This monster's two ranks higher than us—of course it's powerful."
Shru hesitant:
"Then maybe… maybe we should retreat? Find the others, With all of them together, maybe we can defeat this monster."
Shirou cutting her off sharply:
"No. If we do that, we'll just get them killed too."
Shru — yeah you are right
Shru surprised, soft voice:
"Wait… did he just worry about the others?"
Her thought was cut off by another sudden tentacle strike—
Shirou shouting:
"Idiot! Look behind you!"
He lunged forward, deflecting the blow with his daggers, sparks flying as aura clashed.
Shirou angrily:
"Where the hell is your focus?! Stay sharp!"
Shru apologetic:
"I—I'm sorry! I got distracted for a moment…"
Shirou snapping:
"This is not the time to think!"
The monster roared again, swinging another barrage of tentacles. Shirou countered every strike, his movements fluid yet desperate.
Meanwhile, Shru stood frozen for a moment—watching him fight alone.
Shru thinking, her eyes trembling:
"Am I… really this weak? Twice now, I would've died if it weren't for him. I almost gave up fighting. Was this what I dreamed of becoming? Can I ever be like her?"
The battlefield blurred, fading into a flashback.
---
Flashback — Years Ago
A young Shru stood amidst the ruins of a destroyed city, clutching a pistol far too large for her small hands. Smoke and fire surrounded her.
Before her stood a tall woman, cloaked in white armor, smiling gently despite the chaos.
Young Shru voice trembling, eyes wide with awe:
"Will I ever be like you someday? As strong as you?"
The Woman soft smile, resting a hand on Shru's head:
"Of course you will."
Young Shru:
"But… I'm weak. I can't even fight properly."
The Woman kneeling, her tone kind yet firm:
"Who said you're weak? Everyone has their hidden strength—it just needs a reason to awaken."
Young Shru hopeful:
"Really? I have that power too?"
The Woman nodding:
"Yes. You'll find it one day."
Young Shru eyes shining:
"And when I do… can I become like you?"
The Woman smiling brightly:
"You will—just believe in yourself. And remember, true strength comes when you have a purpose… a reason to protect someone."
---
Present Time —
Shru clenching her fists, whispering:
"A purpose… Yes. I have one now. I'll protect my friends—no matter what."
Her aura flared violently, waves of crimson energy bursting outward.
Shru yelling:
"Yes! I have a purpose!!!"
Meanwhile, Shirou was still locked in combat, his aura flickering weakly.
Shirou panting:
"I'm getting… tired. If this keeps up, I won't survive…"
A massive tentacle slammed into his back, knocking him to the ground.
Shirou grimacing in pain:
"Ugh—damn it!"
He looked up. The monster towered above him, a grotesque form of writhing flesh and bone. Beneath the tentacles, its true body emerged—thin, skeletal, with green hair and glowing red eyes, teeth like blades.
Shirou weakly, resigned:
"Guess… this is the end."
But then, a blinding surge of aura filled the field—red and wild.
Shirou eyes widening:
"What the fuck—what's happening?"
He turned. Shru's aura was erupting around her, the air vibrating from its pressure.
Shirou realizing, shocked:
"She's… leveling up!? Damn, if she's reaching C-rank, her energy and all her injuries will recover, and if that happens, we'll have a chance to win—because this monster must be exhausted after all the battles it has fought so far. Maybe… we can actually win this fight."
The monster roared and charged toward Shru—but before it could strike, Shirou attacked from behind.
Shirou shouting fiercely:
"Hey bastard—did you forget about me?!"
Shirou:
"LIGHTNING RUSH!!!"
He vanished in a streak of blue lightning, slicing the monster from multiple directions.
Shru calmly, her voice low and sharp:
"Ember Shells."
Dozens of flaming bullets ripped through the air, pelting the monster's body from every angle.
Shirou grinning:
"Don't let it regenerate! Keep the pressure up!"
Shirou yelling:
"FLASHBURST!!!"
He lunged again, daggers glowing bright blue, striking with incredible speed. Sparks and thunder filled the battlefield.
Together, they attacked relentlessly—red and blue auras intertwining in violent harmony. Each blow carved into the monster, breaking its defense, burning its flesh.
Shru shouting over the chaos:
"Hey Shirou! Let's end this together—one final strike!"
Shirou nodding, determined:
"Alright. Let's finish it!"
Shru charged her guns, the barrels glowing crimson. Aura surged into them like molten fire.
Shru eyes burning with passion:
"I'll do this… I will do this! I'll become strong—just like her! Because that strength… it's inside me too!"
Shirou smirking through exhaustion:
"Then I'll go all in too. This'll wreck me, but who cares? This bastard picked the wrong guy to mess with."
The monster, half-regenerated, turned toward them—its last mistake.
Shru roaring with fire in her voice:
"This is the end for you, monster!"
Shru:
"INFERNAL CANON!!!"
Her twin guns fire simultaneously, and both attacks merge into a single, incredibly powerful strike that shoots straight toward the monster.
Shirou charging forward:
"VOLT EXECUTION!!!"
Both attacks collided with the monster—
BOOOOOOM!!!
A massive explosion erupts, shattering the ground beneath. Chunks of earth and rocks are hurled into the air as smoke, along with red and blue aura energy, spreads in all directions. The powerful shockwaves are strong enough to break even the surrounding massive rocks. Kaede, who is quite far from the site of the explosion, can still feel both the sound and the force of the blast.
---
Kaede's Scene —
Kaede alert, wide-eyed:
"What was that!? An explosion—!"
His voice trembled.
Kaede worried:
"Shru… Shirou… Are they okay!?"
Without hesitation, he started running toward the smoke.
---
Back to the Battlefield —
The dust began to settle. Silence hung in the air. Then—
Shru groaning, staggering forward:
"Ugh… I'm exhausted… I used up everything on that last attack. Did we… win?"
She stumbled closer to the blast site—and gasped.
Shru squinting through the smoke:
"What… is that?"
A faint glow pulsed within the crater.
Shirou, lying a short distance away on the ground, exhausted, says:
Shirou weakly, lying nearby:
"Idiot… that's the monster's core."
Shru curious:
"So we… actually won? And what's a core, anyway?"
Shirou exhaust irritate:
"Yeah, we won. And seriously? You don't know? What the hell do they even teach you at the academy?"
Shru sheepish:
"Ehh—I might've… not paid attention that day. So? What is it?"
Shirou:
"It's a monster core—comes from high-grade monster. They're worth a fortune. More importantly, absorbing one helps you level up."
Shru eyes sparkling:
"Wait, really!? Then we should totally take it!"
Shirou chuckling:
"Go ahead."
Shru confused:
"What about you? Don't you want it?"
Shirou shaking his head:
"No. You did most of the work. You take it."
Shru smiling warmly:
"No way. You helped too. We'll share it—fifty-fifty."
Shirou thinking, amused:
"Is this girl insane? I just gave her the whole thing, and she still wants to split it…"
Shirou thinking about Shru — "But she turned out to be far stronger than I expected—she even leveled up in the middle of the fight. I'm wondering… if she had been my opponent instead of Noxy, would I have still been able to win?" who knows - silent smile.
Shirou smiling faintly:
"Fine. We'll split it once we're back at the academy."
Shru nodding:
"Deal."
But suddenly, her eyes widened as she remembered something.
Shru grabbing Shirou's wrist:
"Oh no! We forgot—Kaede and the others!"
She yanked him up and started running.
Shirou yelling in frustration:
"Oi! What the hell—where are you dragging me!? My body's wrecked already!"
Shru not slowing down:
"Shut your mouth! We still need to get back to the others—and find your damn tag! Now!"
Shirou gritting his teeth, shouting:
"I get it, crazy woman! But stop pulling me! I can run on my own!"
Their voices echoed through the scorched battlefield as they disappeared into the forest shadows—two battered, exhausted warriors who somehow survived a fight far beyond their level.
Chapter 13 part 2 - End