Chapter 8: Blazing Snow Princess, Ice Dancer
When Kazuma and the others headed for the emergency exit, they found a large crowd of people there. They were likely also people who had fled from the Ivera Church.
However, something about the situation seemed off. They sounded desperate, and several shouts could be heard.
“Hey, what are you doing! Hurry up and open the door!”
“Hurry up! If we get killed, it’ll be your fault!”
“Shut up! I’m trying to open it too!”
Apparently, the emergency exit door wouldn’t open. At this rate, they’d never be able to escape. Besides, if they stayed here, they’d get caught even though they’d managed to flee this far. That was probably why everyone was panicking.
“Hey, what should we do? If we stay here, we’ll get caught, you know?”
“More and more people are coming. If we’re going to escape, now’s the time.”
“But where should we escape to?”
The three anxious friends discussed, but more and more people kept arriving. The four of them were pushed around, and it became difficult to break free from the crowd.
“It’s not too late even now, so let’s evacuate to another place!”
“Let’s do that. The Ivera Church isn’t here yet, so we can still escape.”
“Alright, then, let’s hurry and get out of here.”
As they were trying to break out of the crowd, Kazuma asked Akatsuki something he’d really wanted to know.
“Hey, Takeshita. Isn’t fighting an option?”
“…Well, if I had a combat-type Gift…”
That was a lie. Even if Akatsuki had a combat-type Gift, he wouldn’t have fought. Why? Because he was scared. These were real Terrorists, seen for the first time. Even if he possessed a combat-type Gift, he probably wouldn’t be able to fight. Akatsuki had never experienced a kill-or-be-killed situation before. So, there was no way he could suddenly engage in a fight to the death.
“I see. That’s right. It’s scary, huh.”
“Of course it is. Nobody wants to die. So they get desperate.”
Akatsuki was right. Nobody wants to die. That’s why they desperately try to escape. There was nothing strange about that. For ordinary people with no power, it was a perfectly natural thing to do.
Around the time Kazuma and the others were trying to escape, the men from the Ivera Church were slowly heading towards the emergency exit where the fleeing people were.
“Fleeing to the emergency exit like mindless fools. It’s truly exasperating, isn’t it~”
The man, speaking in a leisurely manner, tapped out a cheerful step. As he did so, a sound came from his pants. The man thrust his hand into his pants pocket and took out a radio, the source of the sound.
“Yes, hello.”
“This is Delta. Currently engaged in combat, requesting backup.”
“Who’s the opponent?”
“It’s the Blazing Snow Princess. Just as the intel said, she’s quite skilled. Three of ours were taken down.”
“Oh my, as expected of her. Understood. There were no combat-type Gifted here, or perhaps they offered no resistance, so I’ll send backup your way.”
“Thanks for the backup.”
“No, it’s only natural.”
The radio cut off with a click, and the man couldn’t hold back his laughter.
“Heh heh heh, hahahahahaha! No, truly wonderful. As expected of the Esper Academy’s ace, I suppose. To think three of them would be taken down…”
Having said that, the man’s shoulders began to tremble. He was shaking violently, gripping the radio with enough force to crush it.
“Damn it! Useless bastards! Hey! You, you, and you, go kill the Blazing Snow Princess in the Game Center right now!”
“Yes, sir.”
The enraged man, apparently in a high position within the Ivera Church, gave the order. The three who were singled out followed the man’s orders and headed towards their comrades fighting in the Game Center on the floor below. Only three remained: the man, a Gifted specializing in restraints, and a man with a machine gun. However, the man, their leader, judged that this was more than enough.
The people they encountered earlier hadn’t tried to resist the Ivera Church at all. That was proof that none of them possessed the power to resist. Therefore, the man was convinced. That there was no one here who could stand against them.
Thinking about that, his anger subsided, and he returned to his previous calm demeanor.
“Now then, shall we also be on our way?”
Cheerfully and elegantly, the man, leading his two companions, began to corner the fleeing and confused people.
Meanwhile, in the Game Center, a fierce battle was unfolding.
A giant fireball, large enough to incinerate a person whole, was unleashed by a beautiful girl. The fireball flew straight, flushing out the hiding members of the Ivera Church.
“Uwaaah!!!”
“D-Damn it! Another one down!”
“Isn’t backup here yet?!”
“They should be here soon! We have to hold out until then, no matter what!”
“Easier said than done! It’s tough against that kind of firepower!”
The Ivera Church men armed with machine guns were hiding behind game machines, protecting themselves from the attacks, but it was meaningless against the overwhelmingly destructive fireballs unleashed by the beautiful girl.
Still, they had to stay hidden to avoid becoming targets. If they showed themselves and tried to shoot, they would be instantly burned to a crisp. No matter how many machine guns they had, they were practically powerless before such a strong Gift.
“Please, just give up already. Surely you understand that there’s no chance of you winning if you continue to fight?”
“Ahahahaha~. Yuki, you’re the same as ever. You’re kind, but they’re Terrorists, you know? Once they’ve clearly shown murderous intent, there’s no need for mercy.”
“Karin, you say that, but the difference in strength is obvious, so recommending surrender is natural, isn’t it?”
“Well, yeah, but they’re harming even ordinary citizens, so don’t you think it’d be faster to just suppress them with force instead of recommending surrender?”
“That may be true, but even if they are from the Ivera Church, they are still human. If it can be resolved through discussion, then we should discuss it.”
“Says the one who already started shooting them up!”
The two of them, conversing so warmly despite being in the middle of a battlefield, were students of the same Seventh Esper Academy as Kazuma and the others. However, unlike Kazuma and his group, they were students belonging to the Combat Course. Therefore, they possessed combat-type Gifts. And from the fact that the two of them were overwhelming the Ivera Church members, it was clear they were quite skilled.
“Damn it…! The Blazing Snow Princess alone is troublesome enough, but to think the Ice Dancer is here too!”
An Ivera Church man grimaced as if he’d bitten into a bitter bug. Those they were facing were second-year students of the Seventh Esper Academy’s Combat Course, Himuro Yuki and Akeno Karin. Yukihime, contrary to her name, was a fire user. Karin, also contrary to her name, was an ice user. Both were Gifted with excellent grades and promising futures.
“They shouldn’t have any real combat experience, so why are they so used to fighting!”
An Ivera Church man blurted out a curse loudly. Perhaps his words reached the two girls, as they clearly declared to them.
“Don’t underestimate us. We undergo rigorous training for the future. That training naturally includes simulations of fighting Terrorists. In addition, there are people behind us whom we must protect. Therefore! There is no reason for us to retreat!”
“Yes, that’s right. Just as Yukihime says. We will eventually fight to protect our country. So, we can’t just run away from a place like this because we’re scared. Prepare yourselves for making enemies of us!”
Crimson flames raged from Yukihime’s feet, and white, cold air enveloped Karin’s surroundings. The two were undoubtedly strong. No matter how much intel the Ivera Church members had gathered, they had no chance of winning. No matter how many bullets they fired, they were blocked by Karin’s ice. Even if they tried to hide and wait for an opportunity, they would be burned to ashes by Yukihime’s flames. No matter how much they struggled, there was only despair.
“Dammit…! Isn’t backup here yet!”
Gritting his teeth, the Ivera Church man slammed his fist on the floor. At this rate, they could be wiped out. Suppressing his irritation at the backup’s delay, he moved behind the game machines, trying not to be seen by the two girls.
“Yukihime, I think this building is probably occupied, so it’s not good to waste any more time, you know?”
“You’re right. Indeed, communication with the outside is cut off, so whether help comes depends on the people outside. Shall we end this quickly?”
“Wh-What, didn’t you just tell us to surrender!?”
The man, who involuntarily jumped out at the unexpected words, protested that this wasn’t what they said. But that was exactly what the two girls wanted. Yukihime launched a fireball at the man who jumped out, sending him flying. The man, who took a direct hit from the fireball, collapsed on the spot without being burned to death.
“How many are left, I wonder?”
“Who knows? Couldn’t we estimate at least several dozen?”
“Uhee, that’s a lot. I think I’ll get tired.”
“What are you talking about? You’re still full of energy.”
“Ehehe, well, that’s true, but…”
As if the sight of one of them incinerating a person with a fireball just moments before was a complete fabrication, the two were cheerfully conversing. The remaining members of the Ivera Church who witnessed this sank deeper into despair. Not only was there no hope of victory, but they also trembled before the duo who possessed such overwhelming power yet remained utterly composed.
After some time, reinforcements finally arrived, only for their faces to turn pale upon grasping the situation. By the time they got there, hardly any of their comrades were left, and the overwhelming disparity in strength made them want to wave the white flag. Even if they forced themselves to fight the pair, the outcome was already apparent. Knowing they would be utterly crushed, they should have quietly surrendered. However, what would be the consequences of such an action? If their superiors were to find out, a punishment far more terrifying than death itself awaited them. Thus, for them, the word “retreat” was not an option.