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"Are?"
Before Hiraga Reisen could react, his vision spun wildly as his severed head tumbled to the ground. Then, a familiar figure materialized before him, wearing Hagun Academy's student uniform and exuding an inhuman allure.
"Aiya ya, this is truly... So that's how it is; I fell for your trap?"
His body collapsed limply to the ground. Though only his head remained, Hiraga Reisen's brain continued to churn, sighing and lamenting.
Ryoji glanced at his severed neck.
As expected, no blood flowed from the wound. The blood vessels, muscles, and skin were all made of silicone or similar materials , making it clear that he wasn't human.
"You're awfully afraid of dying."
"Hehe, my true body is quite frail, so of course I wouldn't expose it so easily." Hiraga Reisen let out a long sigh while speaking. "I never expected you'd be able to track me all the way here. It's beyond anything I could have imagined. To think that a mere Student Knight could outwit an elite of the Underworld such as myself... You deserve commendation."
Every member of Akatsuki Academy, with the exception of Kurogane Ouma, was an elite of the Underworld.
In other words, they were all terrorists. Moreover, they all hailed from one of the world's three major organizations, the world's largest terrorist group, [Rebellion]!
Each of them was an elite member of that organization, with the potential to reach the highest executive positions. However, they remained merely elite members due to factors such as age and insufficient contributions.
As for Hiraga Reisen, his true position within Rebellion was even more exceptional.
Crunch!
Ryoji stomped on his head, crushing it.
Without the relay base station, the Puppet Warlock could no longer control the puppet remotely. After his head had been crushed, Hiraga Reisen's voice finally vanished from Ryoji's ears, making it impossible for him to reappear anytime soon.
"Wake up! Get up." Ryoji turned to look at Arisuin Nagi, who was lying on the ground.
"I was rather confident in my ability to conceal my presence," Arisuin Nagi said while opening his eyes and offering a helpless smile.
Although he had regained consciousness during their journey, his stamina hadn't fully recovered yet, so he had to stay still.
While the Device under Illusionary Form left no physical wounds, it severely drained stamina and caused psychological damage. Mild cases resulted in unconsciousness, while severe injuries could leave victims comatose for between ten days and a month, which was a common occurrence.
"Drink this." Ryoji pulled a stamina potion from his back pocket while speaking.
Arisuin Nagi didn't ask any questions. He took the potion without hesitation and drank it down. To his surprise, he felt his strength returning rapidly.
"What's the situation at the school?" He asked Ryoji anxiously, quickly getting to his feet.
In theory, Ryoji should have been hiding inside the bus, ready to spring into action if they fell into a trap. However, now that Ryoji had tracked Nagi here, he couldn't help but worry about the battle at the school.
"They're doomed to lose," Ryoji blurted out, immediately making Nagi nervous.
"With Shinomiya Amane's ability suppressing them, Hagun Academy stands no chance of winning."
Ryoji offered a brief explanation before turning to glare at the school ahead, his eyes flashing with malice.
"But their victory doesn't mean we've lost either, Arisuin Nagi. Let's charge in together and destroy Akatsuki Academy!'
Hagun Academy's defeat was inevitable.
Although he had already acknowledged defeat, that didn't mean he couldn't exact revenge! The avatar created using Kagami's power hadn't vanished yet, and Shinomiya Amane would never suspect that Ryoji was already at the gates of Akatsuki Academy.
"Then I'll destroy Akatsuki Academy! At least I'll score a victory!"
"Those guys are actually this strong? I had no idea," Arisuin Nagi said with a wry smile on his face.
'It seems I've been considered a traitor for a while now. That's why I never received the latest, most comprehensive intelligence; the information I got was always limited.'
"But the One-Armed Sword Saint is undoubtedly guarding Akatsuki Academy right now. It would be too dangerous for just the two of us to go in!"
His expression immediately turned serious again.
"Is he really that strong?"
"He's their sensei, one of the twelve apostles of rebellion and the highest executive of a global organization. Of course he's strong."
"Most importantly," Arisuin Nagi warned, "his ability is a perfect counter to yours!"
"What is it?"
"Friction manipulation."
"Friction manipulation?"
Ryoji's brow furrowed instantly.
"Exactly."
Arisuin Nagi's expression turned grave.
"By reducing friction to zero, he can deflect any attack that hits his body, making himself invulnerable. Conversely, by maximizing friction, he can make his sword utterly indestructible and grant it overwhelming offensive power. There's no way to defend against it; a single strike could be fatal!"
"So that's how it is."
That was indeed terrifying.
No wonder he's called the One-Armed Sword Saint. Maximizing both his physical endurance and critical strike power makes him truly formidable.
"But his speed can't possibly surpass mine, so I don't need to worry about that," Ryoji declared, his face showing no hint of unease.
"Ultimately, we're only here to destroy Akatsuki Academy. Whether we fight him or not doesn't matter. As long as I'm faster than him and he can't catch me, completing the quest will be enough!"
"Fight if we can; run if we can't."
Destroying the school is all that matters.
"Very well," Arisuin Nagi said after a moment's thought, nodding in agreement.
Both of them were skilled at evasion. Ryoji was practically impossible to catch when he was determined to flee. He could also retreat into the shadow realm, leaving no trace for his enemies to follow.
'Let's storm in and tear this place to shreds!'
Once they had finalised their plan, they set off immediately.
Time was of the essence. If their avatars vanished first, Shinomiya Amane might realise what was happening and jeopardise their mission. They couldn't afford to waste a single moment.
The gates of Akatsuki Academy loomed before them. They stepped inside simultaneously.
But...
"What happened to you?"
Arisuin Nagi turned back.
To his astonishment, Ryoji's footsteps had frozen in mid-air as if blocked by an invisible barrier preventing him from crossing the threshold of the gate. Ryoji's expression turned utterly terrifying, as if the path ahead led to the depths of hell, where one misstep would mean certain death and eternal damnation.
In the months they had known each other, Arisuin Nagi had never seen Ryoji display any signs of fear.
But at that moment, Ryoji's entire body was trembling violently.
"Was that fear?"
'But what was he afraid of?'
Arisuin Nagi turned his head to follow Ryoji's gaze.
And then...
He saw a pure white light.
It emanated from the rooftop of the school building and was so pure that it evoked the image of moonlight cascading from the heavens.
But it wasn't moonlight.
The pure white light illuminated the night and formed a humanoid silhouette.
A silver-haired woman stood, gripping dual swords whose tips drooped slightly. Her appearance resembled that of a Valkyrie from European legend.
(End Of This Chapter)
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