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Die – Part 07

“I take it you’re Ayumu? What exactly do you think you’re doing to my student?”

She smiled sweetly, but her grip only tightened.

“Big Teach! I-It’s not what you think. Ayumu may be dumb, but you’ve got the wrong idea.”

Haruna was more flustered than I had ever seen her. So this was the Big Teach she had talked about.

“Help… me, Miss Ariel,” Kyouko whimpered weakly, the red gone from her eyes.

“Big Teach, that girl committed unforgivable atrocities in this world,” I said. “Let go of me.”

“He’s lying!” Kyouko denied. “I would never do something like that.”

Her eyes welled with tears and spilled over in big drops. Now I really wanted to beat the shit out of her.

“Oh, don’t even—”

“I explained over and over, but they all ganged up on me… even Haruna.” Kyouko choked out her words between sobs.

She was one hell of an actress.

“Big Teach, please. You’ve got to believe us,” I begged.

“Well, I don’t know. She’s such a sweet girl. Besides, I’m pretty sure what you’re trying to do right now is what people would consider an atrocity.”

Big Teach hurled me aside. My skirt fluttered as I rolled across the gravel. She stood protectively in front of Kyouko, both hands tucked into the pockets of her long, lacy white coat.

“Big Teach! Why won’t you trust Ayumu?” Haruna said. “He’s… These guys… They’re really good people!”

Even Haruna’s desperate plea didn’t reach her.

“Hmm, there’s just not enough evidence to believe you.”

She pulled her hands out of her pockets. In them was a sword that looked very much like a katana.

Words wouldn’t work. So, was it time to speak with fists?

I hesitated to fight Big Teach. Was it really okay to settle things with violence simply because we couldn’t agree on a matter? But still, Kyouko had to pay for the things she’d done. And if Big Teach was ready to fight, then I had to do it before she transformed into a Magiclad Girl.

“Haruna, Sera, Eu. Stay back.”

“Huh? You’re gonna fight Big Teach? Are you stupid?!”

Of course Haruna protested, but Eu tossed me the chainsaw, and Sera ignored what I just said and stepped up beside me.

“Haruna, has she already transformed?”

“You can tell just by looking, can’t you? She hasn’t. Don’t tell me… you actually think you can win?”

I answered with a look. Haruna’s cowlick swayed like it was mocking me.

“You there, in the black cloak. You look very strong. Care to join forces with me?”

I was caught off guard by the sudden offer. What the hell was she saying?

Clang. A sharper metallic sound than usual rang out. Sera was no longer beside me.

“When we get along, we drink. When we don’t, we fight. That’s how we Vampire Ninjas do things.”

Blades clashed again and again. Big Teach took each of Sera’s graceful strikes.

“Wonderful!” Big Teach remarked. “To think someone like you exists in this world.”

She swung her sword too. But instead of blocking, Sera diverted the blade, slipping around its path.

I had to join in. I lowered myself and raised the chainsaw.

And just then, Sera was sent flying toward me. I let go of the chainsaw and caught her. The impact knocked us both back hard. The chainsaw skidded across the ground and flew out of reach.

“You okay?”

“Damn it.” Sera’s beautiful red eyes locked straight ahead, jaw clenched tight. “I thought I had mastered speed… but she’s even faster than me.”

And she still didn’t seem to be going all out, did she?

I meant to say it, but there was no time. She came at us with a slash. Sera and I leapt in opposite directions. Big Teach came after me, kicking off a gravestone and throwing a punch.

I dodged, but my arm got slashed. Blood spurted, painting the air red.

Then, the sky turned green.

“The essence of my blade lies not in secrecy. It dances like leaves in the wind. Flying Sword: Demon Horde’s Insidious Slaughter!”

A storm of blades rained down on Big Teach like grass scattered in the wind. And she—somehow—batted down every last one.

No fucking way. I stared in disbelief. I’d never seen anyone dodge a downpour before.

“Here I go!” Sera charged.

“Too easy!”

Big Teach kicked Sera aside, then lopped off my leg. She hadn’t even transformed into a Magiclad Girl yet, and she was this fast? She was a monster. A pigtailed monster.

As soon as I hit the ground, I went for my severed leg, sliding across the gravel to reattach it.

Shhhk. Gravel crunched, and a blade pierced my palm. It stabbed down before I could grab the leg, like pinning a specimen for display.

“You’re all so fascinating,” Big Teach said. “You’re making me feel so inspired.”

She looked down at me with the wide-eyed curiosity of a child. Her sword rose to the side of her face. It didn’t feel like she was about to attack.

Then, in that instant, Sera’s flying kick struck the blade. Big Teach, already anticipating the move, blocked it. From her perspective, even Sera must’ve looked slow.

She’s way too strong.

I yanked my hand back, not caring if my palm split open, and jammed my leg into place. Then I swept in with a low kick. Big Teach dodged easily. Her blade glowed bright red, and both Sera and I were flung through the air like sheets of paper.

“What did she do just now?”

“I don’t know,” Sera said.

We exchanged a quick look.

“That was some kinda wind spell. Something-Air-something,” Haruna explained.

I grabbed the chainsaw and gathered my strength.

Fine. I’d charge in with everything I had.

602… 703… 810.

Big Teach rushed me, and I took off to intercept.

I wanted to scream, but the speed was too much—like I was strapped into a roller coaster—and I couldn’t even get a sound out. I clashed weapons with Big Teach in silence.

Screeeeeech.

The chainsaw gleamed red as it ground against Big Teach’s blade. But it wasn’t cutting the steel; it was shaving away that glowing crimson aura wrapped around the blade.

“Wow, amazing! It’s not every day you get to meet a Magiclad Girl this powerful,” Big Teach complimented me mid-battle with a smile.

My chainsaw swung down but missed. Her blade tapped my throat.

“Ayumu,” she said sweetly, “if you actually took my classes, I bet you’d become one of the strongest Magiclad Girls around.” She giggled.

Damn it. There was no way I could beat her.

In that case, I’d just ignore her and go for Kyouko.

I swung the chainsaw in a wide arc to force Big Teach back and made a dash for Kyouko. But by the time I’d closed the gap by just two steps, Big Teach was already standing in front of her. She’d read my intentions.

She was fast. Too damn fast. I couldn’t do anything.

I raised the chainsaw with both hands and brought it down hard from above. A full-powered strike. If she dodged it, all the better.

Her smile instantly faded, replaced by the fierce face of a warrior as she caught my full-force swing head-on. The twin swords wrapped in crimson light surrounded her, and just like Haruna’s barrier, ripples spread out in front of me.

Still, my blow had more weight behind it.

I could do this. I could take her down. I tried to put even more strength into it, when my shoulders suddenly went slack.

Kyouko had impaled both me and the Big Teach from behind.

“What a delightful dance.”

A man’s voice came from Kyouko, whose thin, icy eyes held no warmth. Her lifeless, unfocused gaze passed over me and Big Teach, staring up ahead.

“It can’t… be,” Eu muttered.

Kyouko, who now seemed like someone else entirely, was staring straight at Eu.

Sera, Haruna, and I turned our eyes to Eu. Always so emotionless, never making a sound, Eu now looked terrified, clutching her head.

“Hey, good to see you doing well. Don’t look at me like that, Eucliwood. I don’t plan to do anything… yet.”

The young man’s voice rippled through the air, light and cheerful. A dark blue mist began to spread. The moment it touched me, a sickening chill ran through me and made my whole body shudder.

This wasn’t her. This wasn’t Kyouko.

Was whoever speaking right now the one who’d given Kyouko the power of a Vampire Ninja and Megalo? Was this the person Kyouko alluded to earlier?

The mist gently wrapped around Kyouko’s body and lifted her into the air.

“Well then, everyone. Until next time.”

“So Ayumu was telling the truth,” Big Teach said, clutching her wounded stomach. “How could you deceive me?”

Kyouko didn’t look back. She disappeared with the dark mist, drifting away in the wind just like a Megalo when it died.

“Hold it right there! You’re not going anywhere!”

Big Teach rushed after her. I tried to do the same, but Eu wrapped an arm around my waist, holding me back.

Like hell I’d let them get away. I reached for Eu’s gauntlet to shake her off. Her hand was trembling.

Haruna drove an elbow straight into the back of my head. “You’re amazing! You actually went toe-to-toe with Big Teach. We’ve totally got a shot now!”

She flashed a bright smile at me like it was her own win. Not that I’d actually landed anything meaningful.

And then, Sera wrapped her arm around my neck. I felt something soft on my face. Her cheek was touching mine.

“I can’t walk properly,” she said. “You’ll have to be my crutch.”

Was I even allowed an opinion?

I lost the urge to chase after Kyouko. Anyway, there was something else that demanded attention.

“Eu, what was that just now?”

I was more concerned about her. Instead of shaking her off, I gently placed a hand over her gauntlet.

Eyes wide, covering her mouth with both hands, Eu started carving letters into the gravel.

“That mist is the power of a zombie I was supposed to have annihilated.”