Chapter 46: No Guard

"Sister, please lend me your strength."

"I should have given you more than enough by now. Did you forget that I told you to handle things on your own? Besides..."

"Yes, I know it is impossible for you to regain consciousness in your current state. However, if we use the power of Themis Violet..."

"...I am already dead. Isn't it strange for me to linger here forever without moving on?"

"How can you say that after walking through a second life yourself?"

"I no longer have a reason to fight."

"...Then you have already created one, Sister. This world can no longer reach the future you once knew. You are the one who broke it; you must take responsibility."

"..."

"I beg of you... for Alter's sake as well."

"Ten minutes. I'll finish this in ten minutes."

"Understood. Good luck to you."

"Now then..."

In an instant, I twisted my wrist, warping the bullet already chambered in Yellow's gun just as she was about to fire, causing it to jam.

Next, I gathered King, Noise, Lancelot, and Blues, transferring them to the rear as if cutting through the very fabric of space.

"This ability...!"

"A real heavy hitter just showed up."

"..."

"M-Master!?"

"I don't remember taking on any disciples."

This looks bad. King is in the worst shape, followed by Lancelot.

"If any of you die, I'll kill you!"

“The World: Mode—Black, Result Advance."

Grievous, fatal wounds began to regress, stabilized into severe injuries that had received proper treatment.

"Amazing...!"

"It's just a result advance. I'm merely pushing your current problems into the future. It's going to hurt like hell later, you know."

As I spoke, I gave King’s partially healed stomach a light tap, drawing a fresh groan from her each time.

"Noise is healed enough to avoid scarring, and Lancelot... oh, you managed to shift at the last second so it didn't hit your memory core. Follow her lead next time."

"Y-Yes, ma'am!"

That should do it.

"Now..."

"Are you finally done?"

"You're quite patient. You really should have attacked while I was busy treating them."

"If you waste your strength healing those weaklings, it just makes you easier to finish off."

I rolled my shoulders and let out a slow breath, my fingers flexing as the last traces of healing light faded from my hands.

"Kill."

The two sides squared off for a serious showdown—!

"As if I'd let that happen, you moron!"

Right at the start, my movements were linked to theirs, leaving me unable to move.

"An S-class Slayer? There's no way I'm fighting someone like that head-on. This is the end for you."

With my movements locked, they forced my own hand to bring the Cleshuze toward my throat...

"...Huh?"

"What's wrong, Akasa?"

"Hurry up and kill her."

"No, my body... it won't move!"

Their entire body had become fixed as if encased in concrete, unable to budge even an inch.

"Why? Dammit, is the Avatar malfunctioning?"

"Hey now, and here I thought I'd let you have the honor."

"Hurry up and do it!"

At that moment, the right arm finally moved.

"There—?"

The hand that should have struck the neck passed the jaw, reaching for the mouth as if to readjust a cigarette.

"Wait... what?"

"Honestly, that was such a pathetic ability that I decided to just break through it with brute force."

When the target in my vision stepped out with their right foot, my own right foot moved as well.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey!!"

When I thrust out my left foot, the linked left foot followed.

"What is happening!?"

"I don't know! Just kill her already!!"

"Roger—"

A volley of machine-gun fire erupted, but every bullet struck an invisible wall and fell to the ground. In the meantime, the distance between us continued to shrink.

Ten meters.

"Kill her! Kill her!!"

Seven meters.

"Hey, what are you doing? Hurry up and kill her!"

Five meters.

"No! Stop! NOOOOO!!!"

Three meters.

"Aaaagh!! Die! DIIIIIIIIE!!!"

One meter.

"Finished your business? Said your prayers to Burnatville? Are you ready to shiver in the corner and beg for your life?"

"Wait—"

"Here we go... Boom!!"

Our fists were drawn together as if by magnets, slamming into each other's heads—however...

CRASH!!

"Phew. In all of history, that's the first time I've ever been punched in the face. You should be proud."

I took almost zero damage. The one called Akasa, on the other hand, surely ended up in a state far more miserable than Noise.

"No... way..."

"Akasa... and the strongest ability...!!"

The machines stared in shock at the abnormal sight. But then—

"Next. Which of you is coming?"

My dark smile snapped them back to reality.

The nightmare was far from over.