Auditory hallucination?
Before Asuna could react, a terrifying gust of wind accompanied a punch.
Bang—!
A sound like something being struck and sent flying by a road roller rang out. A piercing wail sounded.
"Wuu wuu—!"
'That's the monster's roar!
It seems to have been knocked away!!'
Immediately afterward, Asuna felt her arm being grabbed, and under an irresistible force, she was pulled out of the car.
'—What is going on? What happened!'
Carrying deep confusion and faint expectation, Asuna opened her eyes.
"Hayashi-san, it really is you!"
Looking at the familiar figure before her, intense joy surfaced in Asuna's eyes.
Once again, she experienced what true security felt like.
Last time, she was carried by Hayashi to an easy victory in the strange instance, passing safely, and this time, she was saved by him again!
However, this joy was quickly replaced by worry.
She recalled the monster's terrifying speed, how it easily tore through steel plates, cut straight through buildings, and treated reinforced concrete like tofu.
Asuna looked at Hayashi's streamlined yet seemingly 'frail' physique, just about to warn him that the monster was terrifying.
But the next moment, Hayashi noticed the worry in Asuna's eyes, gave a gentle smile, and smoothed her messy chestnut hair, comforting her.
"Don't worry, leave everything to me."
As Hayashi's voice faded, Asuna fell silent, lightly biting her lip.
For some reason, she felt an urge to cry at this moment, starting from when she 'foretold' the monster's appearance to lying to her mother to get into the getaway car and then being caught by the monster.
She… was truly scared and desperate.
If she could, she really wanted to cry out loud right now.
But she couldn't, because the monster was still lurking nearby, and her mother was right beside her; this was not the time to vent her emotions.
"Mhm!"
With misty tears welling up in the corners of her eyes, Asuna nodded vigorously at Hayashi, her gaze filled with trust and relief.
"Is this the dangerous creature you mentioned?"
Just then, a cold voice rang out. Following a flash of ice crystals, Yukino's figure appeared beside Hayashi.
She subtly glanced at Asuna, who was in Hayashi's arms. It wasn't because she was being nosy, but because she was slightly confused.
Just moments ago, she had been with Hayashi and Yuki.
She hadn't seen Hayashi make or receive a call, so how did Hayashi suddenly know that Asuna was in danger?
He even directly used the Gambling Authority, wagering his life, to boost his physical fitness and rush over.
As for why Yuki didn't come, it was naturally because she couldn't keep up.
'Does Hayashi-san like Asuna-san?'
This thought flashed through Yukino's mind, but she didn't dwell on it. After all, she wasn't interested in romance right now, and her regard for Hayashi-san was merely admiration for a fellow combatant.
Although she said that, deep down, she was still a little envious of Asuna, as someone was willing to risk their life for her!
Hayashi's Gambling Authority, derived from a cursed tool, required wagering his life to be used.
'Asuna-san has quite good luck.'
After this sigh flashed quickly through her heart, Yukino quickly cast the thought aside, her gaze turning cold as she looked at the pale monster, estimating its data.
It was about two meters tall.
Although she was a step slower than Hayashi, by utilizing her cursed tool for movement, Yukino had clearly seen the monster's previous movement speed.
With extraordinary speed, its physical fitness must be excellent—it was a worthy opponent.
"Let me handle this! Hayashi-san, you first take care of Asuna-san and her mother."
Taking a step forward, Yukino moved past Hayashi and walked directly toward the monster.
...
Seeing Yukino's movement, Hayashi, who had intended to step up himself, stopped. He was curious about what powers Yukino, as a senior member of the Anomaly Control Division, possessed.
'The previous cold sensation and the strange hair...
Her ability is probably related to ice and hair.'
As Hayashi thought this, Yukino provided the answer.
She looked at the hideous face.
"Wuu~"
With a weeping tone fueled by anger over its face being seen, 096 charged toward Yukino. Just as its sharp claws were about to reach Yukino—
"Judgment. You are guilty!"
Yukino's chilling, cold voice rang out.
Endless coldness spread out. Centered on Yukino, the surrounding houses and streets were instantly frozen, transforming the scene in an instant into a fairy-tale ice kingdom.
Surrounded by ice, Yukino judged the pale monster, like an ice queen sentencing a criminal.
'An Ice Authority related to judgment?'
Compared to Hayashi, who was more focused on Yukino's Authority power, Asuna and Kyoko held their breath. While chilled by the cold environment, they were also stunned by Yukino's beauty.
If the Yukino wearing the Shuchi'in Academy uniform moments ago was merely beautiful and cute, that wouldn't have been much to them, having seen too many high-society young ladies and stunning beauties.
But now, it was different.
Donning a long white dress, with black hair like a waterfall, draped in sheer gauze, the cold wind caressed her, gently lifting her lively strands and billowing her pure white gown, revealing a sliver of snowy white calf...
"So beautiful..."
Even as a fellow woman, Asuna felt profoundly shaken.
Yukino before her hardly seemed mortal, but rather like a stunning empress in the moon, detached from worldly affairs and untouched by mortal dust.
Especially her current temperament, cold as an abyss, yet bright as the moon.
This... is the power of a cursed tool? This... hardly seems like the ability of a curse, but rather some kind of Authority!
Intense envy arose in Asuna's heart instantly.
Leaving aside the astonishment of Asuna and her mother for the moment.
On the other side, as soon as Yukino's voice fell.
Unlike Hayashi, who didn't feel the cold thanks to his physical fitness, and Asuna and the others, who were shivering.
Crack—
The sound of ice spreading rang out. Starting from 096's fingertips, its entire body was instantly covered in ice, and its actions froze.
At the same time, Yukino's icy interrogation sounded in 096's heart.
'Murderer, you shall suffer the Penalty of Ice Sealing. Do you plead guilty?'
'Wuu roar~~'
Clearly, 096 didn't care about Yukino's judgment; it only wanted to kill everyone who had seen its face!!
Someone had seen It's face—how could it tolerate that!!
ROAR—
This was 096's whimpering roar of rage.
'In that case, all perceived sins shall be judged; the pronounced sentence shall be executed immediately.'
As Yukino's words, which struck the very core of being, fell.
096, whose movements had only just been solidified, was now completely frozen. In the blink of an eye, it painlessly transformed into an ice sculpture.
It was frozen at the exact moment it lunged toward Yukino.
Seeing this, Yukino nodded in satisfaction.
The Authority of this cursed tool, [Silent Judgment], perfectly aligned with her beliefs.
Executing justice through coldness.
As long as the opponent met the following two conditions, she could directly enter the judgment sequence.
Clear harmful act: Having committed confirmed, active malicious harm against others (such as bullying, betrayal, fraud, harassment, etc...). Lack of remorse: Having no genuine remorse in their heart and only wishing to escape righteous judgment.
And 096, which only wanted to kill, clearly met both points perfectly.
Thus, it was turned into a perfect ice sculpture, frozen at the moment of its attempted crime.
'Perfect!'
Gazing at the ice sculpture of 096 before her, a slight smile flashed across Yukino's lips. She was very satisfied with her performance in front of Hayashi, her junior.
Although she didn't show it, Yukino was quite competitive.
"Now for the final step!"
Yukino said calmly, stepping across the icy ground, walking step by step toward the ice sculpture, and gently tapping 096's ice sculpture with her fair, jade-like finger...
Crack—!
The sound of ice crystals shattering rang out. Yukino decisively turned around, not looking at 096, which had turned into countless sparkling powders behind her, dissipating into the air without leaving a trace.
Yukino's posture was elegant, and her expression was calm.
But internally, she was ready to receive Hayashi's astonished expression.
However... contrary to Yukino's expectations, she was met with Hayashi's grave warning.
"Be careful!"
'Be careful of what?'
Confusion arose in Yukino's heart. For a moment, she couldn't react, because in her mind, her judgment was absolute.
No one should be able to survive after being judged.
The monster was no exception!