Chapter 8: I’m the Prince Charming, You Know!
The two who had defeated Kaori began to move from their location. Enemies and allies alike would likely gather due to the sound of the previous battle. They acted in anticipation of this, but one problem was that they didn’t know how many enemies were left, or how many allies remained.
For the moment, they had checked the time, so they figured the numbers hadn’t decreased that much yet. However, they had encountered zero allies so far. In contrast, they had faced one enemy.
Normally, one could dismiss it as just bad luck, but seeing as they hadn’t been able to meet up with any allies for so long, they could only surmise that their allies’ numbers had indeed dwindled.
“Hmm. I thought we made a pretty loud noise, though~”
“Yeah. It’s creepy that no one’s coming…”
“Maybe they’re aiming for a surprise attack, like Natsume?”
“If that were the case, they would have struck at that timing just now, right?”
“True. Then, maybe we were just too far away, or something like that.”
“Probably. If not, we would have met up with someone by now, right?”
“Yeah, you’re right~. For now, should we move while hiding behind things?”
“I’m fine with that, but isn’t it easier to fight in an open area rather than being surrounded by walls?”
“That’s true, but the main premise is to fight while protecting you, Kazuma. Though you saved me earlier.”
Yes, first and foremost, Kazuma was in the Support Course and was in a position to be protected. This class was training that assumed an escort mission. In other words, Shinya was originally supposed to maneuver skillfully while protecting Kazuma.
However, because Kazuma excelled in combat and possessed a daring nature, Shinya would often forget that Kazuma was the one to be protected.
“Ah, right~. But still~”
As a Support Course student, that might have been fine, but for Kazuma, it was extremely boring. Kazuma, whose creed was to not stand out, nevertheless found it dull to just watch silently. What a selfish man, but perhaps that’s just how humans are.
However, while claiming he wouldn’t stand out, the fact that he was sneakily trying to do just that was the height of folly.
“Well, I’m counting on you to adapt as needed.”
“Okay. I’m good at that, so leave it to me.”
What could he possibly claim to be good at? Could a man who seemed to live on sheer momentum and high spirits alone really pull off something requiring finesse? No, there was no way. In the future, he was bound to make some irreparable blunder.
◇◇◇◇
Around the time Kazuma and the others were moving, Momoko was running desperately.
She wasn’t running as if her life depended on it, but she was running with utmost seriousness. Behind her was an enemy, a male student from the Combat Course.
“(It’s been a while! This kind of thing!)”
While she was enjoying it a little, she was physically quite exhausted.
If she got caught, she’d lose, so Momoko was desperately fleeing at full speed. She had already depleted her stamina, and her shoulders were heaving greatly.
Still, she couldn’t stop running. It wasn’t reality, but it was a life Alice had protected at the cost of her own. It wasn’t so cheap a life that she could give it up so easily.
“(However, my stamina has dropped more than I thought! Is it because I’ve been doing nothing but desk work, I wonder!)”
Momoko possessed the Gift of Mind Reading, so rather than Ibinom, she specialized in anti-personnel abilities, and her main job was typically interrogating criminals.
Thanks to that, she only did desk work and was a stranger to roadwork. Incidentally, Momoko wasn’t very good at sports either. Combined with that, she was in quite a critical situation (a pinch).
“Hah… hah…!”
Repeating ragged breaths, Momoko turned a corner. She wanted to gain some distance at the corner, but unfortunately, she couldn’t shake off the enemy.
The enemy was chasing right behind her. Momoko, on the verge of giving up and thinking this was it, resorted to a desperate, all-or-nothing plan.
“(It can’t be helped at this point! I’ll shout loudly and call for help! Enemies might come, but if I’m lucky, allies should come too!)”
If she raised her voice calling for help, someone would probably react. Assuming they were nearby, that is.
Momoko, whose physical limit was approaching, took a deep breath and shouted.
“Someone, please help me!!!”
Momoko’s wish was successfully delivered.
It arrived in what was, in one sense, the best possible form, and in another, the worst possible outcome.
“(Your Prince Charming has arrived~!)”
“(Die!!!)”
The ones who heard her scream and came to help were the pair of Shinya and Kazuma. Like Momoko, they had been wandering around the urban area, so they quickly detected her scream and rushed over.
It was a hero-like entrance, but Momoko felt an overflowing murderous intent towards Kazuma’s inner voice.
“Kazuma! I’ll hold him off! You hide with that girl!”
“Roger! And, I’m counting on you!”
Leaving the battle to Shinya, Kazuma took Momoko and hid behind something. Kazuma harbored wicked thoughts towards Momoko, whose shoulders were heaving greatly from running for so long. Of course, since she was a Mind Reading Gift user, he was doing it deliberately.
“(Woah, lewd!)”
“(Is it possible to kill this man under the guise of an accident?)”
“It’s alright now, Shinonome-san.”
“Ah, thank you very much.”
“(Gehehe, maybe I’ll take advantage of the confusion and put my arm around her shoulder or something.)”
“(You scumbag!!!)”
Kazuma, deliberately maintaining a pleasant exterior while playing the part of a scoundrel internally. Poor Momoko, completely deceived and played for a fool. Just when she thought she was saved, she now had to deal with a pervert. One could only say she had terrible luck.
“Tch! Water Users are practically cheating, aren’t they! Minazuki!”
“You’re one to talk! Where the hell did you pick up all that Iron Sand!”
The ones fighting while having a fierce argument were Shinya and the Combat Course student called Minazuki. Minazuki had spotted Momoko walking alone and, confirming she had no escort, had tried to eliminate her quickly, but her escape speed was faster than he’d anticipated.
Because of that, he couldn’t eliminate Momoko, and he ended up encountering Shinya and Kazuma, who heard her call.
Minazuki’s Gift was water. It was a Gift he could use even without water at hand. Like Shinya’s Magnetism, it was a very versatile ability, but unfortunately, its effective range was still small, and he could only extend the water for 3 meters.
He could shoot water like a water gun, but since it couldn’t exceed 3 meters, Minazuki had to get as close to the enemy as possible. Thanks to that, he was forced into close combat with Shinya.
Fortunately, he could block mere Iron Sand with a water barrier, but he had no choice but to dodge the occasional chunks of iron that came flying.
“Damn it! Fight fair and square!”
“This is fair and square!”
“Stop gathering scrap iron from the surroundings and throwing it at me!”
“This is my fighting style, so it can’t be helped! Besides, you’re annoying too, trying to stick water orbs to my face!”
“That’s the quickest way!”
“That’s too vicious! Aiming to drown someone is scary!”
“It’s Virtual Space, so you won’t suffer!”
“It’s a matter of feeling! I don’t want to experience drowning, not even once!”
“But, this method is certain…”
As Minazuki said, Water Users generally aimed to drown their opponents. It was a perfect method for anti-personnel combat, and if it was an Ibinom that needed to breathe, they could easily be subdued. It was the simple task of merely blocking their respiratory organs with water. However, there was no doubt that from an outsider’s perspective, it was an extremely wicked tactic.
Even if the pain function was turned off, no one would want to experience drowning, not even in Virtual Space.
“Looks like he’s having a pretty tough time…”
“Indeed…”
Kazuma and Momoko, watching the two fight from behind cover. They were only peeking with their faces, watching the battle, but both were thinking about different things.
“(A Water User, huh… If used on a lightly dressed girl, her shirt would cling to her, and it’d be lewd!)”
“(This man is a pervert through and through, isn’t he…)”
“(No, well, but still, aiming to drown someone is pretty scary, as expected.)”
“(Surprising. He can have normal thoughts too, I see.)”
“(Mmph!!!)”
“(What is it!?)”
“(I think I’m gonna fart.)”
“(………)”
Towards Kazuma, who lacked even a shred of tension, veins throbbed angrily on Momoko’s temples.