If that was the case...
Can the Shiranui-ryu truly be trusted?
She decided not to voice those concerns.
All she needed to do was wait for Ryu Hayabusa to return.
"The Shiranui Dojo is just past the fourth intersection ahead. But please be careful, both of you. I suspect more enemies will attack us... and I might not be able to offer much help..."
Momiji bowed once again. But even such a small movement caused her full chest to rise and fall heavily as she struggled to catch her breath and her body swayed unsteadily.
She had already suffered numerous injuries during the fighting.
Had the attackers not wanted to capture her alive and therefore refrained from using heavy weapons, she would have died at least three times by now.
No matter how agile she normally was, and no matter how easily she could usually evade bullets, under the endless barrage of attacks, quite a few tranquilizer darts had still struck her.
The only reason she had managed to hold on until now was sheer willpower.
Athena nodded. Meanwhile, Bulma pulled out her submachine gun. Although Athena hadn't even asked whether she intended to help, Bulma had no intention of abandoning these children.
The three of them rushed toward the Shiranui dojo in perfect unspoken coordination.
The children, all of whom had grown up in a ninja village, said nothing and quickly followed after them.
However, just as they reached the third intersection, a storm of tranquilizer darts came hurtling toward them. With a wave of her hand, Athena erected a psychic barrier that blocked every single tranquilizer dart.
But immediately afterward...
A torrential rain of live ammunition poured toward them, countless golden bullets crashing against her psychic barrier like a violent downpour!
Athena let out a muffled groan. Instinctively, she wanted to deflect the bullets toward non-lethal areas where the attackers were hiding. But in the next instant, the sound of helicopters echoed across the sky.
"How is this even possible?! Just two blocks away there's a bustling shopping district!"
Bulma shouted while continuously firing her weapon. She simply couldn't understand what was happening.
Just beyond the next block was a lively commercial area packed with people, yet only one street away these people were openly deploying helicopters.
How was that even possible?!
Athena and Momiji both knew the answer.
This country was effectively under American influence. If the Americans wanted to carry out an operation like this, covering up the entire incident wasn't difficult at all.
At worst, they could simply announce it as a terrorist attack. There was no need to consider what the Japanese public thought.
The relentless hail of bullets forced Athena to constantly maintain her psychic barrier.
Momiji, whose spirit was gradually weakening, could only throw ninja shuriken in retaliation, while Bulma's marksmanship was merely average, making her gunfire ineffective against the soldiers hiding behind cover.
If Athena were willing to kill, this situation wouldn't actually have been that difficult. She only needed to reflect the bullets back at their attackers.
But Athena refused to kill. And at this point, even if she wanted to, she no longer could.
Bullets were pouring in from every direction. She had to devote all of her strength to maintaining the barrier in order to protect everyone.
As if sensing her weakness, the enemy launched their next attack.
Countless rockets streaked toward them.
The rockets slammed heavily into Athena's psychic barrier.
The impact was transmitted directly into her mind, draining an enormous amount of her psychic energy. The sudden loss of strength nearly knocked her unconscious.
Having never experienced a true life-and-death battlefield, Athena was unable to draw out the full extent of her power.
As she shook her head, desperately trying to clear her fading consciousness, another volley of rockets exploded against the barrier.
In that instant, her psychic energy was completely exhausted. Her barrier flickered, becoming almost transparent.
At that moment, through her blurred vision, a towering figure charged forward. Momiji desperately swung the longsword in her hands, trying to stop it.
But the massive creature, a monster with a pair of black wings on its back, shattered Athena's barrier with a single punch. Its next casual punch collided with Momiji's blade, sending her flying violently backward.
Coughing up blood, Momiji crashed into Athena.
Athena's psychic barrier shattered completely.
She struggled to stand...
But her body simply refused to obey.
Bulma was trembling uncontrollably with panic. She raised her submachine gun and opened fire at the winged monster.
But the creature simply raised one of its wings in front of itself, effortlessly blocking every incoming bullet.
"A pitiful weapon."
Only then did the towering winged monster turn his gaze toward Bulma, a mocking smile spreading across his face.
"Even the shrine maiden who slays demons has fallen, yet an ordinary human still dares oppose me? Has the name of the Tengu truly been forgotten to this extent?"
As he spoke, he swung his fist, driving it straight through Bulma's chest. Under Bulma's stunned and horrified gaze, he ripped out her heart, tore it free from her body.
Holding the still-beating organ in his hand, he raised it toward his mouth, intending to eat it.
Athena struggled back to her feet, an overwhelming surge of psychic power erupting from her body. With her psychic abilities, if she could seize Bulma's heart at this very moment, she could still save Bulma's life until until medical help arrived.
And if she combined that with her healing psychic powers, bringing Bulma back to life would be no problem at all!
But if that monster ate it, then even she would no longer be able to save Bulma's life!
But someone moved even faster than she did—Momiji!
"You damned Tengu!"
Momiji roared as she swung her longsword. Even if it meant dying, she would never allow a demon to harm humanity. But her body was already far too exhausted. The instant she charged forward, the demon known as the Tengu vanished in a blur and appeared directly before her. His massive fist likewise pierced through her chest and, just as he had done to Bulma, he reached inside and ripped out Momiji's heart.
Momiji stood frozen in place. Looking at Bulma's collapsing body, at the gaping hole in her own chest, and at the fully armed soldiers advancing toward them, she gathered every last ounce of her strength and inner energy and spoke her final words.
"Run!"
~~~~~~~~~~
You can support me by subscribing on Patreon and read up to 20 chapters ahead.
patreon.com/Ranabir_20