Across the ruins that had once been the ancient cathedral echoed a bizarre cackling laughter, one so piercing that even the hail of gunfire could not drown it out.
And the source of that laughter was a phantom-like figure wielding two large shotguns, darting back and forth across the battlefield as if no one could stop her.
One thing that brought me a bit of relief was that despite clearly having suffered serious injuries when we first reunited, Tsurugi was still the same Tsurugi I knew.
Or rather, perhaps her wounds had already recovered to the point where they no longer affected her combat ability in such a short time.
In any case, the girl known as Trinity's ultimate weapon truly possessed overwhelming dominance in conventional combat. Even while fighting outnumbered, she showed no signs of falling behind.
But that was all it was, merely not falling behind.
Even for Tsurugi, facing Misaki, one member of Squad, along with dozens of highly trained Arius students, deciding the battle quickly was impossible. Being able to hold down the majority of the enemies while keeping herself alive was already the result of going all out. Naturally, she had no room left to protect me as well.
So during our breakout, it was only natural that I, who seemed to have become the enemy's primary target, ended up getting hit by bullets.
...Though it really hurt.
Unlike the Shittim Chest, even after releasing my Mystic Name and gaining halo protection, the injuries and pain were only reduced, not completely negated.
Every time a bullet struck me, it felt like getting punched with brutal force.
At first, it was manageable. But as the hits accumulated, a dull swelling ache gradually spread through my entire body. Every movement tugged at muscles and bones that screamed in sharp protest.
And that was not even the worst part.
At first, I actually felt like my thoughts had become sharper. But before long, the calm thinking that normally came so easily to me became harder and harder.
By now, even the scenery before my eyes had begun to blur.
But I had to endure.
"Sensei, are you alright?"
Hasumi asked while protecting me the entire time. Her sailor uniform was riddled with tears, exposing skin that had once been pale white but was now stained black and streaked with red. The pair of vivid black wings behind her, once beautifully full-feathered, had become ragged after blocking too many bullets for my sake.
Even the beautiful face of the girl was smeared with soot mixed with blood and sweat. Seeing her in such a miserable state made my chest ache faintly.
Beside us, Hinata swung around her enormous box as a shield using sheer brute strength. Though her injuries were lighter, she was clearly in poor condition as well.
They were enduring pain far greater than mine just to protect me. What right did I have to complain or become a burden to them here?
So all I could do was answer:
"I'm still... huff... fine. Don't worry... I'm okay."
Before I could even finish speaking, another bullet slammed into my shoulder, nearly making me cry out in pain.
Fortunately, we were no longer running. A handful of Arius students who had slipped through Tsurugi's encirclement had intercepted us, forcing us into combat.
These damn monsters... they really were obsessed with chasing people down.
Ah, I got it now.
This was what people called obsessive fans, wasn't it?
I knew they had grown up under twisted teachings filled with hatred.
But even so, this level of enthusiasm toward someone they fell in love with at first sight was honestly revolting.
Thinking such nonsense to distract myself, I barely continued issuing commands while supporting the others with various authorities. At that moment, I found myself missing Arisu...
Or rather, the Sword of Light in her hands.
With that weapon's raw power, a single strike was enough to defeat an ordinary student. And thanks to the effects of authorities, I could practically ignore the sword's weight and recoil, using it as a standard weapon just like Arisu did.
I suddenly felt a wave of regret. If I had prepared more thoroughly before coming here, maybe I would have thought to borrow it from Millennium.
But now, it was far too late to think about such things.
The skirmish ended quickly.
Pulling my scattered thoughts together, I urged Hasumi and Hinata onward in the chosen direction, while Tsurugi continued single-handedly surrounding the Arius students in the distance.
Because Arius kept pursuing us, or rather, pursuing me, the relative distance between Tsurugi and us barely changed.
After hesitating for a moment, Hasumi finally asked:
"Sensei... although this may be a bit late to ask, where exactly are we heading?"
I understood why she was confused. The farther we advanced, the stronger the resistance we encountered seemed to become.
"...We're going to find Mine,"
I paused briefly.
"And Serina."
Not only were the two of them trustworthy and powerful allies, but they likely still had access to a vehicle capable of rapid movement. Most likely, they had simply been tied down by Arius and were unable to escape.
As long as we found them, we could hold out until the reinforcements I had contacted arrived.
Hearing this, Hasumi looked puzzled.
"Sensei, have you been in contact with Captain Mine and the others?"
"...No."
During the explosion earlier, the Shittim Chest, whose battery had completely run dry, had failed to protect my phone.
Right now, besides Hinata and Hasumi beside me, I had no way to contact anyone.
So this was nothing more than a gamble.
I was betting that the sideways glance Misaki gave earlier when mentioning Mine had not been meaningless, nor an intentional attempt to mislead me.
Even though she was controlled by Beatrice, at the very least Misaki herself, along with the other two Squad members I knew, held no hostility toward me...
At this point, all I could do was force myself to believe that.
Hearing this, Hasumi still seemed slightly confused, but she asked no further questions.
After breaking through several more encirclements, I finally saw what I had hoped for.
Beside the wreckage of an overturned vehicle were the struggling figures of the girls from the Remedial Knights.
And surrounding them, the true form of the enemy trapping them there.
Dozens... no, hundreds of figures.
They wore nun-like veils and gas masks, clad in tight black bodysuits that accentuated their curves. Yet the exposed portions of their skin emitted a pale blue glow, making them appear like ghosts.
Some of those entities noticed our arrival and slowly turned their heads toward us.
At that moment, almost like a hallucination, I felt as though I heard something inside me shatter.
"...Sigh."
I let out a weary sigh, then calmly said:
"Let's go."