"...How could this be?!"
Ayase stared at the scattered wreckage of mechs in the distance, her heart trembling as she muttered.
Could it be that Inori...?!
"What's wrong?! What happened?!"
Running quickly toward the target location, Gai heard Ayase's voice through the earpiece. A deep sense of foreboding surged in his chest. He halted abruptly and shouted anxiously.
"The gene serum was..."
That was all that came through.
"!!"
His body trembled, his pupils contracting. Seeing the beam of light piercing the sky in the distance, the ominous feeling in his heart intensified. He could already guess what might have happened, yet he still prayed the outcome was not what he feared.
"What happened to the serum?! Ayase!"
He shouted again.
"The serum seems to have been... injected by Inori herself!"
Ayase snapped out of her daze and answered hurriedly.
"What—?!"
He could hardly believe it. Still, the result was not as terrible as he had imagined. He had thought the gene serum had been destroyed. He never expected that Inori would actually...
Even so, he felt a flicker of dissatisfaction. After all, it was something he had intended to use. But... it was better than it being ruined.
"That said... I didn't expect that woman could also use the King's power. That truly surprised me. But then again..."
After all, that woman was... so similar to her.
Still... it didn't matter. As long as she remained in Funeral Parlor, it was fine. Otherwise... they would have no chance against that power.
On the other side—
Just as the Shogun and Inori were speaking, the towering Gautier mechs once again emerged from a corner of the city. Like beasts, they charged forward, the turbines in their legs sliding across the ground and shaking the streets beneath them.
"!" ×2
The two instantly ended their conversation and, in perfect tacit understanding, looked ahead at the mass of approaching mechs.
Click!
The Gautiers advancing down the street popped open their shoulder-mounted missile pods, locking onto the two women at the center—
Whoosh whoosh!!
Self-guided missiles scattered like heavenly flowers, their piercing shrieks roaring like the maw of a ferocious beast!
"Mio... stay behind me..."
Seeing this, Inori instinctively shielded the purple-haired beauty behind her. She spun the Void greatsword in her hand with a handsome flourish before pointing its blade forward and bracing it ahead of her.
Hummm~
In the next instant, a barrier-like shield formed before the tip of the blade.
Boom~
The missiles struck it—some ricocheted away like deflected bullets, others exploded upon impact. No matter what, not a single one touched the two women behind it.
"...!"
Standing behind her, the Shogun stared in slight astonishment at the sudden surge of power from the girl before her. A trace of confusion surfaced in her heart. How had Inori become so strong so suddenly?
Though, being protected like this did make her feel a bit awkward. She had originally been more than capable of handling these opponents alone. Now she felt like a delicate maiden being cherished and sheltered. Even so, she did not intervene. She did not want to waste the girl's intentions. Better to obediently accept the protection... though she truly did feel a little embarrassed.
With that thought, she quietly moved a little closer behind Inori.
Facing the swarm of mechs ahead, Inori merely swept them with a cold glance before stepping forward. With a burst of speed, she instantly plunged into the midst of them. She leapt high into the air, her slender body spinning one hundred eighty degrees as she swung the greatsword.
Silver threads of energy flowed from the blade like strokes of ink in a painting, drifting gracefully before transforming into blade marks that covered the entire area ahead—severing every mech at the waist!!
Boom! ×N
The mechs first slumped, then were engulfed by electricity before exploding from within!
For a moment, flames swallowed the girl at the center. Yet even so, gripping the massive sword, Inori dispersed the fire and stepped out from it, dragging the blade behind her like a demon emerging from the inferno. Backlit by the blaze, her slender silhouette was etched in shadow. Her ruby-like eyes swept coldly over everything—yet when they passed over the Shogun, unmistakable tenderness surfaced unconsciously.
"—!"
But in the next second, her pupils contracted again. Clearly, another wave of enemies had appeared behind the Shogun.
"...?"
Hearing movement, the Shogun slowly turned and saw the mechs charging toward her. She was about to draw Musou Isshin to respond—yes, she had already assumed the posture. Just as she was about to pull the blade from her chest, an utterly mortifying scene occurred!
Tap tap!!
Unexpectedly, Inori rushed over without hesitation and wrapped an arm around her slender waist, pulling her close. The Shogun's hand, which had just grasped Musou Isshin's hilt, loosened. The blade failed to emerge and snapped back into her body the instant her grip faltered. The recoil was surprisingly strong, like a scabbard being struck, sending a strange sensitive jolt through her body.
"Mmnh~!"
Caught off guard by the sudden sensitivity, she let out a soft, involuntary moan. Her face flushed red at once. Before she could react, the girl beside her had already drawn her into an embrace, pressing her against her chest.
"...Did it hurt?"
Inori had heard the embarrassingly soft cry just now. Holding her, she asked gently.
"N-no... it didn't hurt."
Blushing, she shook her head and said nothing more.
"Mm... hold on to me."
Inori glanced at the mechs in the distance, which had already launched another volley of missiles. Her words were simple, her voice sweet and gentle as always.
"Inori, I... could actually handle this alone... Haa, never mind..."
She tried to argue that she could manage by herself, yet her hands obediently wrapped around the girl's waist.
Whoosh!!
Seeing that she was holding on, Inori gave her a small smile before leaping high into the air. Silver threads of energy enveloped their bodies as they ascended.
"..."
The Shogun casually glanced around. She felt no unease. Flying was nothing new to her. The only difference was that this time, she was being carried by someone else.
The missiles behind them abruptly curved midair, tracking their leap.
"...!"
Seeing this, Inori jumped again in midair—yes, she performed a second jump!
Using a defensive barrier as foothold, she launched herself once more, successfully evading the pursuing missiles.
"...Who did you learn that from?"
Held like a virtuous wife in her arms, the Shogun lifted her gaze in confusion and asked.
"Hm? Learn it?"
Landing atop a building, Inori tilted her head cutely, her expression blank as she pondered for a moment.
"I just... knew how, somehow."
She answered simply.
"Pfft... Is it because of that?"
The Shogun gestured toward the sword in her hand.
"Mm... probably."
Inori nodded, her voice soft.
Hearing the persistent clamor of mechs below, Inori rarely furrowed her brows this time. She glanced downward, then looked back at the Shogun.
"Mio... I'll go and return shortly. Please wait here."
She said gently.
"Haa... go ahead. Be careful."
Understanding, the Shogun nodded. She walked to the edge of the rooftop and sat down on the ledge, her hands resting casually at her sides. Her black-stockinged legs extended from beneath her skirt and swayed lightly—a posture that clearly said, I'll wait for you.
"Mm..."
Whoosh!
Inori instantly disappeared from the rooftop, leaping down!
Boom!!! ×N
The moment her figure vanished, intense artillery and explosions erupted from the street below. The shriek of blades cutting through the air echoed continuously. Silver energy flashed, mech bodies detonated in bursts of fire, and even distant buildings bore the scars of slashing arcs. It gave the unmistakable impression that Inori was slaughtering everything in her path.
The shadow cast upon the building showed the slender girl wielding her greatsword darting past a mech. In the next second—crash!—the machine split apart and exploded!
"Haa..."
Watching that shadow, the Shogun let out a faint sigh.
It seemed she did not need to act at all...
But then... she suddenly recalled the sensation from earlier when her blade-drawing had been interrupted...
"...///"
Her face flushed adorably once more. She unconsciously touched the beautiful, ample curve of her chest. She had not expected the rebound from a failed draw to be so intense and sensitive... It had felt as though the scabbard within her body had been struck. She had never failed before. This truly was an accident. She wondered whether Ei had ever experienced such a thing. Perhaps she would ask her later.
Otherwise, she could simply form it from particles next time... to avoid the embarrassment should her grip slip again.
Boom!!
With one final explosion below, the battlefield finally fell silent. Aside from flames and smoke—
—and the girl standing amidst them.