Amber actually had plenty of sarcastic thoughts bubbling up, yet somehow she could already guess how things had come to this.
This "evil organization," or rather this strange person wrapped in a heavy coat, gave off more and more of a "new NPC" vibe—the kind that shows up right after a player starts a game, there to dump exposition like "here's what we're gonna do next" or "so where'd you come from anyway."
Especially since she'd been fighting for ages without actually taking anyone down—it all felt way too much like following a "script."
And that sense of scripted déjà vu? It all came back to the mention of "the core." In this whole world, the only people who knew about the core were herself… and her.
What kind of game was she playing here?
Without knowing the script's plot or direction, was she just supposed to improvise? Did Dark Amber have some plan or setup in motion?
Feeling uncertain, Amber had intended to quietly watch how things played out, but now she couldn't hold back any longer. Even if this was some kind of script, it was already threatening her friends.
She glanced again at the black-haired girl beside her.
"Just like she said, I can't maintain this state for much longer."
Seeing the urgency in her eyes, Dark Amber—having already laid the groundwork—seized the moment.
"Compared to the cadres who fight head-on, she's been hovering up there the whole time, summoning monsters to fight for her. It's almost like she's laid her weakness wide open."
"You mean her close-combat ability is lacking?"
"At this point, that's the only assumption we can make."
The black-haired girl nodded. "And even though she looks completely confident, she never let that huge monster just bulldoze through the fight from the start till now. I don't think it's just playing with its prey—maybe she can't summon that thing so freely either."
That reasoning made sense. Only the leaders of those evil organizations could summon creatures like that on a whim.
"Got it! Then let's finish her in one go!"
Their quick back-and-forth made the homeroom teacher glance over in surprise. Even though they were just high school girls, they coordinated like seasoned comrades—totally at odds with how they looked.
But… I thought this white-haired girl would let her personal feelings cloud her judgment.
Yet right now, she isn't fussing over the black-haired girl she always cares about, but instead replacing that with a 'finish this in one go' resolve… She's more mature than I imagined.
Raiden Mei's voice was colder and harder than ever, as if she was holding something back. Though the teacher didn't know what it was, she guessed that "can't hold on much longer" was probably putting it mildly.
"How can I help?"
Hoping to lighten their burden, she spoke up.
"We need a way to get close to her."
Dark Amber didn't hold back. "I could approach her directly, but that's already pushing the limits of what I can control."
"What's your plan, then?"
The teacher asked bluntly.
Seemingly wanting to let the black-haired girl conserve her strength, Amber explained, "That giant monster surfaces from the ground when it attacks. We can use its huge body as a stepping stone to close the distance in one go."
True—if they tried jumping straight from the buildings, their opponent would be on guard. Using her own summoned creature for a surprise attack was a clever move, but…
"…"
The plan gave the teacher pause. By her assessment, without her armor, just avoiding the monster was already her limit—let alone leaping onto its head. Looks like I really can't help much here.
Her silence made the two girls glance her way, realizing her dilemma.
"Our friends are in danger right now. Could you please look after them, ma'am?"
Amber was, of course, referring to Sakiko and Mutsumi upstairs.
"Understood."
The teacher nodded and hurried toward the school building.
The figure in the heavy coat paid no mind to bystanders leaving.
As time passed, the ground began to tremble again—the same phenomenon as before, signaling that the giant monster was ready to strike once more.
"Our chance is on its next attack."
"Mm!"
Facing a repeat of the earlier assault, the two focused intently on their surroundings.
The tremors grew stronger. As the black sludge spread instantly again, their bodies tensed, watching for where the worm would emerge.
But this time, it didn't surface in front or behind—instead, it shot straight up from right beneath their feet.
Fortunately, both girls reacted far faster than any ordinary person.
The moment teeth appeared at the edge of the pit, they leaped to the rim of the massive maw.
Propelled upward by the force of the worm's rise, they were flung high into the air—even above the figure in the heavy coat.
"What?!"
The coated figure clearly hadn't expected this, yet she remained unflustered.
After all, their current situation… well, if they weren't already dead, they might as well be.
With no way to gain leverage mid-air, the worm's emergence—though coincidental—had thrown their plan into its most difficult scenario.
In moments, they would plummet straight into the worm's mouth.
The teacher, having just reached the rooftop, immediately prepared to smash through a window and leap out, planning to use herself as a counterforce to push them clear of the gaping maw.
But the two in the air stayed calmer than she did.
The black-haired girl grabbed the white-haired girl's wrist. Blue-white lightning crawled along her arm.
Using the school building's steel framework and her control over magnetism, she could still generate enough force mid-air to throw someone.
With a spin of her body, she hurled Amber with tremendous force straight toward the heavy-coated figure in the distance.
Seeing this, the black-haired girl intensified her magnetic pull, shooting toward the school building herself.
After effortlessly adjusting her posture, she shattered a window and landed inside.
But to ensure the plan's success, she didn't stop there. She kept running inside the building, heading in the direction of the coated figure.
Only then did the coated figure realize something was wrong. As she tried to retreat, the yellow-and-black baseball bat was already inches from her face.
A powerful blow smashed into her, dizziness and disorientation instantly overwhelming her mind.
Unable to maintain her flight, she plummeted to the ground, following the momentum of the hit.
Even the teacher was caught off guard by the rapid turn of events, her body still frozen in the act of climbing through the window to jump.
It wasn't until the white-haired girl landed hard beside the fallen figure that she processed what had happened.
Choosing between rushing to the coated figure or protecting the two girls' friends, the teacher immediately went for the latter.
Those two work together way too well—almost unnaturally for their age. Even if things aren't fully resolved, I'd probably just get in the way.
Thinking back on her own impulsive plan to jump out and save them, the teacher let out a quiet sigh.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.