Fortunately, this was an abandoned district, long since devoid of residents.
Otherwise, with all the noise just now, the surrounding security officers and Judgment members would have rushed over by now.
Standing atop the streetlamp, Harumura Makoto crossed his arms, his gaze sweeping coldly over the two girls before him.
"Ladies, were you thinking of just walking away like this?"
"Looks like he's not too keen on letting us go, Kinuhata."
Setting her little sister down in the corner against the wall, Frenda moved back to Kinuhata Saiai's favored side, facing Makoto in a renewed standoff.
"Seems that way. Should we call Mugino?"
Kinuhata took up some unrecognizable martial stance, eyes locked on Makoto as she replied to Frenda.
"I don't think that's necessary. When it comes down to it, his marksmanship only happens to counter me. Against you, Kinuhata, you're basically his natural enemy."
Earlier, Frenda had indeed wanted to leave.
Back then, she had been facing Makoto alone, and after regrouping with Kinuhata Saiai, she hadn't even realized he was still pursuing her.
There had been no need to return and get into a pointless conflict without any profit.
But now it was different.
Since the other party had already caught up, clearly unwilling to let them go, the only option left was to fight.
"No problem. Even if his bullet angles are strange, he can't break through my Nitrogen Armor."
Kinuhata Saiai did take him seriously—
But truth be told, only to a limited extent. That limit came from the unmatched confidence her ability gave her.
This was the pride born from the time she'd faced a barrage from a heavy machine gun head-on and pushed through with her ability, proven in real combat.
"So in the end, we're doing this boring, unpaid job again."
As she finished speaking, Frenda whipped out the warhead of a portable anti-armor missile.
Bang bang bang—
Six missiles fired from both hands, their exhaust flames trailing as they arced through the air.
Moving in two triangular formations, they sealed off every possible escape route for Makoto.
"Not holding back at all now, huh? Well, at least this way I can give Fremea an explanation afterward."
For an ordinary person, this situation was nothing short of hopeless.
But instead of panic, Makoto actually laughed.
Somehow, there was already a gun in his hand.
Bang bang bang—
Bullet after bullet shot forth, meeting the incoming missiles dead-on with pinpoint accuracy.
Boom boom boom—
A chain of deafening blasts erupted, shockwaves tearing through the air and sending gales whipping out in all directions.
"What the hell—? A handgun bullet just blew up an anti-armor missile?!"
Frenda's voice was pure disbelief.
"Not really that surprising. Sure, the missile's casing is tough on the sides, but the tip has a trigger mechanism for detonation. You of all people should know that."
The wind howled outward, sweeping up dust into a thin haze that shrouded the area.
"It's because I know that it feels impossible. Six targets moving irregularly, each with a hit zone barely half a millimeter wide… is that something anyone can actually do?"
"But I can do it."
Makoto raised his hand again and fired—three muzzle flashes flaring in succession.
Pa!
The gunshot rang out—accompanied by a sharp thud against the ground.
Kinuhata Saiai, who had kept her eyes fixed on him like a hawk locking onto its prey, sprang forward like an arrow loosed from the string.
Makoto had already gathered intel on her moments earlier.
Kinuhata Saiai, Level 4 high-level esper. Ability: Nitrogen Armor.
As the name implied, she could generate an automatic full-body shield of compressed nitrogen around herself—like an invisible suit of armor.
Though only a few centimeters thick, its defensive power was incredible.
Even a large-caliber sniper round at close range couldn't break through.
And it wasn't just for defense.
She could compress nitrogen around her fists into solid masses, like wearing the hardest knuckle-dusters in existence—dramatically increasing destructive force.
Most importantly—
Unlike other Nitrogen Armor users, her ability was constantly active and triggered automatically.
That meant even if she was completely off-guard, her brain would calculate and deploy the defense on instinct.
Whoosh—
In the blink of an eye, riding the tailwind, Kinuhata vaulted upward and drove her fist straight toward Makoto's face.
He could feel the pressure in the air against his skin—that was her nitrogen at work.
Wham—
The sound was air being struck, not Makoto.
Half a meter before her fist connected, Makoto had already stepped back and leapt down from the streetlamp.
That noise was her Nitrogen Armor-laced punch colliding with empty air.
Her first strike missed.
Naturally, Kinuhata didn't stop there—she pressed forward, unleashing a flurry.
Bang bang bang—
Her small fists, wrapped in dense nitrogen, whipped up gales with each blow.
Whap whap whap—
The sound was identical to before—each punch smacking only air, never flesh.
Makoto moved like a butterfly weaving through flowers, slipping past each blow with graceful precision.
"What's wrong? You acted all cocky just now, but if you just keep dodging without countering, there's no way you'll win against me."
Kinuhata knew her ability only boosted her defense and attack power.
In terms of speed, she was no faster than an ordinary girl—
Maybe a little stronger thanks to her Dark Side training, but that was all.
"If I hit you even once, you're finished."