Sorasaki Hina thought to herself. Had she ever struggled like this in her life?
No, there was no way she had.
She was known as the strongest girl in Gehenna. Not just the strongest of this generation, but strong enough that tales of her being the strongest in history were heard with some frequency.
She was one of the few who had a decent chance of winning against Mika in a head-to-head match-up. But now, the opponent she faced could be considered an entirely different dimension of being.
She shuttled through space as she pleased. Being forced to guard from all sides inevitably drained her concentration, leading her to make mistakes that the Misono Mika Terror had been waiting for.
Ichika, who had been kicked twice and smashed into the wall, had completely lost her mind and went on a rampage, receiving a deep kiss with the floor as a gift.
Iori, quite arrogantly, attempted to block a kick from the Mika Terror with a gun, and that gun was currently lodged in the ceiling of the High Cathedral. Given the current situation, retrieving it was impossible, so she had to borrow the firearms of the student council members who had retreated outside the High Cathedral.
For Iori, who usually retired first among the student council executives, it could be said that she had held out quite a while this time.
“Kihihihihihi…!!!”
Tsurugi charged at Mika. Perhaps the only student who could oppose Mika in a bare-knuckle fight from this very spot.
Mika’s expression twisted when she saw Tsurugi’s face, which had vanished without a trace, replaced by a horrifying countenance that looked like it belonged in a horror film.
While she thought that at least Tsurugi had a clear face that demonstrated intimidation, Mika extended her hand forward.
Suddenly, the space in front of Tsurugi began to warp as she charged. The pupils of Tsurugi widened, but it was already too late.
“Tsurugi?!”
Tsurugi, who had been charging at truck speed, tried to change directions, but she was way too close.
As they watched Tsurugi get sucked into the warped space in an instant, the Justice Realization Department members were agitated.
Though Hasumi was the practical leader, in the battlefield, she was the most fearsome and reliable of leaders. The space that swallowed her leader restored its original calmness in just a moment.
“Where did you send Tsurugi?!”
As she met Hasumi’s cold gaze directed at her gun, Mika Terror chuckled softly. Although she had no particular reason to answer…
The Justice Realization Department members had bravely fought against Gehenna under her command, and among them, Hasumi had a particularly strong dislike for Gehenna. Thus, Mika Terror kindly decided to answer the question.
Mika Terror’s finger pointed to the ground. When Hasumi gave a puzzled look at the gesture, Mika sighed deeply and spoke.
“I sent her underground. What do you think? Kind of nice, right? After all, your fundamental purpose for coming here would have been to deal with that girl over there.”
Coincidentally, Mika Terror had the same aim, but when thinking back, the Justice Realization Department were her former subordinates. So, letting Kenzaki Tsurugi handle that girl would still lead to fulfilling her objective.
“Hahaha! Well, even Tsurugi-chan would have a hard time alone, though!”
“You…”
“If you want to help that girl, I might just let you go. A well-behaved dog knows when to show its teeth and when not to, right? Right, Hasumi-chan?”
“…”
Hasumi fell into deep thought after hearing Mika Terror’s proposition. She already knew their leader was strong, but the situation felt coincidental.
When it came to facing Mika Terror, Tsurugi’s role was irreplaceable. Assuming her strength was equal to that of Mika, who was rated as the strongest in close combat in the current Kivotos, Mika Terror, having the means to easily close the distance, was nothing short of dangerous.
Meanwhile, Tsurugi was out of the picture, and on top of that, the Justice Realization Department was also out of commission?
The burden placed on the student council, especially on Hina, would be enormous. Considering that Mika Terror’s open animosity was directed at Gehenna—
“Just ignore this side and go down. You all too.”
“…?!”
Hina’s clear eyes scanned the student council and the Sisterhood. Upon hearing her words, Mika Terror tilted her head in confusion.
“Heueng…? I never said I would let you go. So, whose business is it to worry about whether to go down or not?”
“So you’re not gonna let us go?”
Hina’s words, filled with conviction, darkened Mika Terror’s expression.
“Hahaha! Yes, now that feels more like a student council president. Until just now, you were so soft, I was really starting to wonder if this was the girl I once knew.”
Mika Terror began to twirl a strand of her hair with her fingertips and nodded.
“Alright, you can pass. Trampling Gehenna’s little minions? I’ve been thoroughly bored with that… not that it’s boring, though. Consider today a special service.”
“That’s nice to hear. Now, hurry up and move.”
Having received Mika Terror’s permission and Hina’s urging, the students hesitated, looking at each other with wary eyes.
Having seen the might of Mika Terror firsthand, passing right next to her would require considerable courage. Furthermore, the situation seemed to indicate that they were abandoning Hina, which naturally made them hesitant.
At that moment, the first to step forward was Sakurako.
“Sakurako-san…?”
“Just a moment ago, the ‘resolve’ of Student Council President Hina reached deep into my heart. So, I intend to trust her.”
Having said this, Sakurako locked eyes with Hina. Then, slowly and carefully, she drew the sign of the cross.
“Student Council President Hina… may the primordial divine bless you.”
As the Sisterhood nuns followed suit, the sight filled Hina with confusion, while Mika Terror looked on with a disgruntled expression.
“…I’ll wish you good luck.”
Hasumi bowed her head. Hina responded with a small nod.
As the members of the Sisterhood and the Justice Realization Department passed by Mika Terror towards the interior of the High Cathedral, the atmosphere became increasingly awkward.
“President…”
Iori began, wearing a complicated expression. She understood that she wouldn’t be a significant help in this fight, but it didn’t sit well with her to leave her direct superior behind.
“This is an order for all student council members. Follow them down.”
However, Hina observed the situation with a cool head.
The guardian of the sanctuary that had appeared here was likely a formidable opponent she had faced once before. It wasn’t by chance that the Justice Realization Department, Sisterhood, and the student council had been deployed here.
She didn’t know how much chance they would have if she fell, but to maximize their chances, she had to send the student council down.
“…Understood, President.”
The hesitant members of the student council followed Iori’s lead. They passed by Mika Terror, keeping as much distance as possible, maintaining a meaningless safety gap.
Last to hesitate, casting glances at their leader, they disappeared inside the High Cathedral with guilty looks on their faces.
Finally, it was just Mika Terror and Hina facing each other.
“So, what exactly are you thinking?”
Mika Terror asked. The surging malice felt like it was pricking Hina’s skin.
Hina remained unperturbed. Meeting her opponent’s gaze indifferently, she spoke.
“What kind of being do you think I am?”
“…Heueng?”
Upon hearing Hina’s question, Mika Terror instinctively recalled the student council president of Gehenna she knew.
The shield that had always stopped her. In the escalating war, they had only grown stronger, but in the end, neither could determine the victor, a lifelong rival.
While there wasn’t particularly a feeling of love or hate, Sorasaki Hina’s impression on her was undoubtedly remarkable.
Despite that, she remained just a dirty horned creature from Gehenna.
“You don’t need to know.”
Mika Terror refused to answer.
She had no desire to praise that horned creature, but neither did she want to speak ill of her.
Amidst conflicting emotions, Mika Terror aimed her gun at the girl who bore the visage of the Gehenna student council president she had clashed with countless times.
“Being left alone means you’re feeling confident, huh? Whether you’re confident or not doesn’t really matter—”
Ping— Tutududududu!!!
“—but.”
As she faced a hail of bullets raining down upon her, Mika Terror chuckled softly.
‘Come to think of it… I’ve always wondered what it would feel like to trample that annoying creature unilaterally. Heh.’
Lost in nostalgia, Mika Terror sprang sideways and began to dash. The bullets followed her closely.
Easily evading Hina’s ruthless barrage, Mika Terror swiftly closed the distance.
With her wings spread, Hina also launched herself backward. Using the recoil from her machine gun, she broadened the distance faster than Mika could close in, landing against the wall of the High Cathedral.
Even if she simply widened the distance, Hina recognized that Mika could close in from beyond space whenever she wanted, so she leaped back toward the air.
With the power of her outspread wings, Hina caught the thermal currents and began to glide, pouring bullets aggressively upon her opponent.
Wings and the recoil of her weapon, using glide to gain the upper hand.
Knowing that physically closing the distance was difficult while she was constantly moving in the air, Hina thought she could respond to any attempts by Mika to appear in the air.
However, there was one thing Hina had miscalculated. This wasn’t the first time Mika Terror had countered this fighting style of Hina’s.
Multiple dark orbs began to form at Mika Terror’s fingertips. They were fired simultaneously, encircling Hina, and at the same time, her gun also blazed with fire.
Seeing this, Hina immediately folded her wings. As she smoothly evaded her opponent’s attack, she performed the trick of reloading during her descent.
But in Hina’s eyes, she noticed the space ripple. She also saw Mika stepping forward beyond it.
This was the single opportunity that Hina had waited for.
Not knowing when her next chance would come, Hina decided to bet everything on this one.
Hina’s machine gun, the Ending Destroya, buzzed ominously.
Wooooong.
The sound of the space rippling told her where Mika Terror would emerge from. The left rear flank.
Hina turned her body and pulled the trigger just as Mika Terror popped out from beyond the space.
The moment their gazes intertwined, Hina’s all-out [Ending: Isboshet] descended upon the High Cathedral.
