Tap. Tap.
The corridor was slowly losing any place to step. The flames covering everywhere had no intention of extinguishing, tightening their grip on the teacher and the group.
If there was any luck, it was the fact that the flames didn’t actually spread to the wooden structure of the cathedral… nor were they raising smoke.
That entity was nothing but mystery and fear. It was a fire that only affected beings based on doctrines like the sublime or Ambrosius.
“…Is it really effective damage we’re dealing here?”
“It might not look like it, but the damage is definitely going through! And more importantly…”
Ding—!!!
Haruna’s shot struck Ambrosius right in the chest. At that moment, a star that wasn’t quite a halo fell from that not-so-halo.
“That star behind their head! I believe when all of them fall, there will be some change!”
At first, the stars were so numerous that it was hard to notice, but with time, even Ako couldn’t overlook these changes.
“…Sure enough! It’s reduced by more than half compared to the beginning♪”
“We’ve lost more than half the space we could step on too♡”
“Ultimately, it comes back to the problem of lacking firepower. Continuing the fight while enduring those flames…”
“Oh my, Miyako! Who was the one screaming not to turn into roasted rabbit the moment they got even slightly close to the flames? If you say that after scaring us…”
“Rabbits are weak to fire.”
“But people are weak to fire too, right? Hmm, playing with fire is indeed fun, but… it might be a bit too much for a timid rabbit.”
“…From this moment on, I will completely ignore Hanako’s words.”
As Ambrosius’s gaze briefly shifted to Haruna across from them, Miyako and Hanako exchanged quick remarks. Their hands, however, didn’t stop emptying their magazines, but if there was a more essential issue, it would be that their spare ammo was starting to look a bit low.
Goooosh—
“Teacher!”
“…It seems impossible to take that down as it is.”
With the stars still floating nearby and supply conditions worsening at a faster speed, they concluded that they couldn’t take down that monster without more firepower.
The situation had been out of their hands from the start.
“Nagisa, how long until the reinforcements you mentioned arrive?”
“I’ve been granted permission to use the helicopters. They will be ordered to engage as soon as they arrive. Which means—”
Boom—!!!
“…It means they should be arriving soon, just like now.”
The stained glass of the cathedral shattered, and from beyond, a group entered the high cathedral.
At the forefront stood the leader of the squad, Jomae Saori, who lightly swept the surroundings while her coat fluttered before stepping a few paces forward in silence.
“Ah, hot! Hot!!! Huh… I’ve been lucky lately it seems… indeed, where there’s an uphill, there must be a downhill…”
“Sa-chan… Your bravado is too much.”
That was entirely because the place where Saori landed was on top of the flames.
As Hiyori landed on the flames and fussed about moving, Atsuko smirked and poked fun at Saori’s reaction.
“…I don’t think it’s something to be surprised about. Saori has had a knack for being quite bold from the beginning.”
“What… what… Misaki?!”
“Arius Squad, prepare for combat.”
“Ah, Azusa. You too…?”
“…I just want to see Mika with my own eyes as soon as possible.”
With a cool reply, Azusa lifted her firearm and began firing without hesitation. Hiyori equally scrambled to take out her sniper rifle.
“…Tsk. You’re all just bothering me during my break.”
Misaki, adjusting the angle of her rocket launcher, clicked her tongue. It had been a while since she even held a weapon, let alone engage in a real battle, which made pulling the trigger even feel awkward now.
Whoosh—
As the cluster munitions filled with incendiary rounds hit Ambrosius head-on, the teacher realized that the much-needed firepower was finally being supplemented.
Five combatants in total. Azusa and Saori, both among the top tiers of Trinity, had built quite a reputation in the market. And with Misaki and Hiyori, who were excellent regarding firepower alone.
Finally, there was just Atsuko too.
With their addition, the tide had completely turned.
“…After this incident, Sakurako might not let Mika off the hook.”
‘Before that, I won’t be letting you off either…’
Seeing the chaos unfolding in the high cathedral in real-time, Nagisa prayed for Mika’s peace. Once the incident was resolved, it was guaranteed that Sakurako would be giving her a piece of her mind.
That was all under the assumption that Mika was safe.
So, Nagisa prayed with all her heart for Mika’s safety.
*
Ooooh—
One by one, stars fell.
At the point where the much-needed firepower had been replenished, Ambrosius could no longer contend with the students. It was a battle of firepower, a time attack to see what would happen first: the fire engulfing the ground or their defeat of Ambrosius, and it returned a successful outcome.
The moment all the stars fell, Ambrosius let out a scream of anguish, vanishing in black smoke, while the flames that filled the ground dispersed.
“Did we defeat it?”
“…Atsuko, you know full well why you’re asking that, right?”
“What do you mean, Sa-chan?”
“Mika didn’t say that lightly when she warned against getting too close to bad company.”
“I can’t stand you saying that about my friends.”
“Ha… The princess needs to find someone good like Misaki—”
“Sa-chan just needs to meet people a bit more.”
“…I’m meeting plenty of people.”
For a moment, Saori was startled by the overwhelming exchange of fire but quickly attempted to retort, all because she knew for sure Ambrosius had been defeated.
“Clients, huh?”
“Exactly.”
“Hmm… If Sa-chan is satisfied with that, I understand. But Mika-ane will be sad.”
“…Ugh.”
“So, where is Mika-ane?”
“Not too far from here. Hehe.”
At that moment, a third party answered Atsuko’s question. From beyond the reopened door, a figure in a black suit surveyed everyone before fixing their gaze on Atsuko.
“It’s the first time I’m actually seeing you, Madam’s offering.”
“…Do you know that monster?”
“At one time, I was part of the same organization. Not anymore, though. Meeting you like this… it’s clear why the Maestro took an interest. If you’re a royal blood of Arius, you could have greatly contributed to his artistic endeavors.”
“Wait a minute. If you’re the Maestro, do you mean MaP…?”
As Haruna questioned with a confused expression, the cold glare from Noa beside her grew even colder. It wasn’t shocking to realize that this person also related to the instigator of the incident.
It seemed that the one in the black suit had a connection with Mika, beyond just being acquaintances.
“That’s also part of the deal between Maestro and the Celestial Mikael… How do you feel knowing she’s hidden so many secrets? Does it feel unpleasant? Any sense of betrayal? Or maybe you can no longer trust her—”
“Enough. Black Suit, where is Mika right now?”
“That card… Hmm. I see, teacher. She too is one of your students. But I’d advise putting that card away for now. It might be burdensome to waste it on me right now. As I mentioned, Celestial Mikael is nearby.”
“That monster from earlier…”
“Oh, Communio Sanctorum… Ambrosius. It’s a product of my colleague Maestro. Although a failure… what you’re likely curious about now is why Ambrosius was entwined with the Celestial Mikael and her mysteries, right?”
The figure in the black suit pinpointed the essence of the matter; however, they didn’t wait for a response.
“The answer is simple, teacher. Maestro, through a deal with Celestial Mikael long ago, came to obtain a fragment of her mysteries, which he then reinterpreted with his abilities to use as material for his work. In other words, a finishing touch. The crowning achievement of the story. Just that silly little tale.”
Ultimately, everything led to the question of why Mika had struck a deal with these folks and how she maintained a cooperative relationship with them now.
“Anyway, since you’ve proven your qualifications… let me guide you through the actual trials.”
As the black suit said that, gunfire erupted simultaneously. The students aimed at him and pulled the triggers.
However, their bullets never reached the figure in the black suit.
The floor of the high cathedral crumbled, and everyone fell beneath.
*
[Neither hate nor blame. I can only think of how sorry I am…]
