"Huh?"
Before Reisen Hiraga could react, his vision suddenly spun wildly.
A perfectly intact head tumbled to the ground.
Then, a familiar figure appeared before him—wearing the Hagun Academy uniform, radiating an almost inhuman charm.
"My, my… So this is it? I fell into a trap, didn't I?"
His body collapsed powerlessly to the floor.
Even though only his head remained, Reisen Hiraga's mind continued to function, sighing dramatically.
Eiji glanced at the severed neck.
Unsurprisingly, there was no blood—the veins, muscles, and skin were all made of silicone or similar materials. This was no human.
"Pathetically afraid of death."
"Giggle, my real body is quite weak, after all. Of course, I wouldn't bring it out so easily."
Reisen let out a long sigh. "But I never expected you to track me here. Truly beyond my predictions. For a mere student knight to evade an elite of the underworld… impressive."
Every member of Akatsuki Academy, with the exception of Kurogane Ouma, was an elite from the underworld.
In other words—they were all terrorists.
Moreover, they all originated from one of the world's three major organizations, the largest terrorist group in existence—〈Rebellion〉!
Each of them was an elite within that organization, each possessing strength worthy of the highest-ranking executive positions. Only factors like age and insufficient contributions kept them at the elite level for now.
And Reisen Hiraga's true standing within 〈Rebellion〉 was even more unique.
Crunch!
Eiji crushed his head underfoot.
Without a relay station, the Puppeteer could no longer remotely control his dolls.
Only after his head was obliterated did Reisen's voice finally vanish from their ears. He wouldn't be reappearing anytime soon.
"Now that you're awake, get up."
Eiji turned to Arisuin Nagi, who lay on the ground.
"I thought I was pretty confident in my ability to conceal my presence."
Nagi opened his eyes, offering a wry smile.
He had regained consciousness during the journey but lacked the strength to move, forcing him to remain still.
While an illusionary-type Noble Art didn't leave physical wounds, it drained stamina and inflicted mental damage. Severe cases could lead to unconsciousness, and critical injuries might leave one comatose for weeks.
"Drink this."
Eiji pulled a stamina potion from his waist.
Without question, Nagi took it and swallowed. Almost immediately, he felt his strength rapidly returning.
"How's the situation at the school?"
He quickly stood up, concern etched on his face as he looked at Eiji.
In theory, Eiji should have been hiding in the bus as their contingency plan in case they fell into a trap. But now that he had tracked Arisuin here, the state of the battle at the academy was worrying.
"Hopeless."
Eiji's blunt response tightened Arisuin's nerves.
"Under Amane Shinomiya's ability, Hagun Academy stands no chance."
Eiji briefly explained a few things, then turned his gaze toward the school before him, his eyes gleaming with ferocity.
"Just because they won doesn't mean we've lost, Nagi. Come with me now—let's charge in and destroy Akatsuki Academy!"
Hagun Academy's defeat was inevitable.
He had already acknowledged that. But even so, it didn't mean he couldn't retaliate!
The clone created with Kagami's power hadn't disappeared yet. Amane Shinomiya definitely wouldn't expect him to already be at Akatsuki Academy's gates.
Then let's tear Akatsuki Academy apart—at least that would even the score!
"Were those guys really that strong? I had no idea."
Nagi let out a bitter laugh.
It seemed he had long been treated as a traitor, which was why he hadn't received the latest and most complete intel—everything he got was limited.
"But right now, Akatsuki Academy definitely has the One-Armed Swordsman guarding it. Just the two of us charging in would be way too dangerous!"
Immediately after, his expression turned serious again.
"Is he strong?"
"He's my teacher, one of the Twelve Apostles of 〈Rebellion〉, a top executive of a global organization—of course he's strong."
Nagi warned, "Most importantly, his ability is a direct counter to yours!"
"What is it?"
"Friction manipulation."
"Friction manipulation?"
Eiji immediately frowned.
"Right."
Arisuin Nagi's expression was grave.
"By reducing friction to zero, he can deflect any attack that comes his way, taking no damage at all. Conversely, he can maximize friction, making his sword unstoppable—his attacks are lethally powerful, impossible to defend against. A single strike is fatal!"
I see.
That really did sound terrifying.
No wonder he was called the One-Armed Swordsman—maxing out both defense and offense made him incredibly strong.
"But he can't possibly be faster than me. Then there's nothing to worry about."
Not a trace of hesitation showed on Eiji's face.
"At the end of the day, we're just here to destroy Akatsuki Academy. Whether we fight or not doesn't matter—as long as I'm faster, as long as he can't catch me, we can complete the mission!"
Fight if we can, run if we can't.
As long as the school is destroyed, it's a success.
"Fair enough."
After a brief moment of thought, Nagi nodded in agreement.
Both of them were experts at escaping. Eiji, of course, was unmatched in speed if he wanted to flee, while Nagi could slip into his shadow space, leaving enemies with no way to track him.
Then let's charge in and wreck this place beyond recognition!
Once they made up their minds, they immediately sprang into action.
Time was precious. The moment the clone disappeared, Amane Shinomiya might realize what was happening, and the operation would fail. So they had to make every second count.
The gates of Akatsuki Academy loomed before them, and together, they stepped forward to cross the threshold.
But—
"What's wrong?"
Nagi turned around.
To his surprise, Eiji's foot had frozen mid-step, as if blocked by some kind of barrier, unable to land inside the gate.
He saw Eiji's expression twist into something terrifying—as if what lay ahead was a hellish slaughterhouse, where a single step would mean annihilation, with no hope of return.
In the months they had known each other, Nagi had never once seen fear in Eiji.
But now, he could see Eiji's body trembling violently.
Was that… fear?
But what was he afraid of?
Nagi turned his head, following the direction of his gaze.
And then.
He saw a pure white light.
The light appeared on the rooftop of the school building, so brilliantly white that it reminded one of moonlight spilling from the sky.
But it wasn't moonlight.
The pure radiance illuminated the night, forming the silhouette of a human figure.
A silver-haired woman stood holding twin swords, their tips lightly lowered. Her appearance resembled that of a Valkyrie from European legend.
***
Hey readers!
Want to read ahead? 📖 Join my Patreon for early access to 30+ advance chapters! Your support helps me write more and bring the story to you faster.
🔹patreon.com/aarvan🔹