"Let's begin!"
BANG—!!
A gunshot rings out, signaling the start. Neru's favored twin assault rifles, the Twin Dragons. They are merely guns crudely engraved with a sukajan pattern, but the amount of Mystic contained in a single one of those bullets transcends their origin. It would probably take Arin emptying an entire magazine to match the power of that single shot.
But I've experienced this much even half a year ago.
"Hmph..."
I slowly close my eyes and focus my strength. I feel as if I'm spreading the Mystic through my eyeballs, through every single blood vessel, into every corner of my lenses.
When a sensation of my eyes being plated in gold fills me for a moment, I open them again.
In front of me is the bullet Neru fired. It's moving at a speed so slow that, for an instant, I can even see the rifling marks.
Now, all I have to do is calmly bring my bat to meet it.
Ting—
With a clear striking sound, the bullet is sent flying. But that was just one shot.
Naturally, Neru's guns aren't pistols or sniper rifles, so it's obvious a barrage of bullets will follow. I can counter them all, but there's no need to.
I twist my body, letting one bullet fly past. I deflect the one that's already upon me with my bat, and take another step forward.
Just two steps, but that was enough.
RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT—!!!
A hail of bullets floods the spot where I was just standing. It seems the density and power have increased even since our confrontation in Millennium; despite them passing by my side, the air itself trembles.
'Doesn't matter since I've already dodged.'
It takes about 0.5 seconds to shift her aim after seeing the target has moved—no, it's Neru, so I should think of it as 0.3 seconds. 0.3 seconds.
That's enough time to attack.
Crrk— Wham—!
I stomp my pivot foot down hard and charge forward. The distance is about 10 meters; attacking directly is too risky.
Making that judgment, I pull the pins from the objects attached to my vest and throw them.
Tick, Tock—Tock—
"Eat this."
First, her vision.
Pshhhhhhh—
As The Farm's special smoke grenade goes off, smoke instantly covers the entire arena. Of course, it wouldn't be fun if that was all.
I didn't just throw one smoke grenade. For example, a stun grenade.
Just in time, I lock eyes with Neru, who has noticed my surprise attack.
"Hey, you—"
"What's so surprising?"
She tried to turn her body as soon as she saw me coming, but the stun grenade went off faster than she expected.
KABOOM—!!!
Of course, the usual Neru would have dealt with it. But with her vision obscured by smoke, not even my sister, let alone Neru, could react in time.
No matter how strong someone is, if a stun grenade goes off in their face, they'll be momentarily stunned, and for me, that moment is a very long time. I close the distance, put power into my waist and lower body—!
Whoosh— Thwack—!
Taking advantage of Neru's stunned state, I swing the bat. I can see her small frame flying far away, cutting through the smoke.
I won the first exchange... but. She's not someone who'll go down that easily.
"Kaak, ptui. Hmph... you've gotten a little better. Huh?"
I swung with all my might, just as Wakamo taught me, but she just spits out some blood from her mouth and gets up, perfectly fine. I've already used the surprise attack card, so I can't rely on such luck anymore.
I've also used the grenades I brought. I wonder if one solid hit is a good trade-off. Since it's Neru, maybe not.
What's left is a baseball bat, a pistol, and one variable. I don't know if it's enough, but...
"Alright, here I go!"
"Yeah, bring it."
At a speed that makes it hard to believe she was just hit by a grenade and a bat in succession, Neru gets up and charges at me. Is that human tenacity?
"Conscientiously speaking, shouldn't you be a little tired after getting hit like that!"
Rather than letting her create distance with bullets, I closed in first and swung the bat.
"Aah? What are you talking about, you punk! It's just now!"
Neru dodged it as if it were nothing.
"That my body's getting warmed up!!"
And then followed a barrage of fire—
Wham—!
—not fire, a kick?
"Kgh."
I was so sure she would open fire that I couldn't react in time. Thanks to that, I was hit by a roundhouse kick carrying all the momentum of her charge and rotational force.
I blocked it with my arm, but her strength and leg power are definitely on par with, no, greater than Wakamo's.
Enhancing my kinetic vision only works if I'm calm, and if I sustain it for too long, I suffer side effects the moment I release it. Therefore, the original plan was to attempt close combat, and if that failed, use the opening during Neru's barrage to create distance and look for another chance.
Yes, this original plan...
"One more!"
...was a plan that did not account for the fact that Neru would be skilled in close combat.
Of course. I've only fought Neru once, and even that was a gunfight. In addition, footage of Neru's fights is treated as Millennium's intellectual property, so unlike with Gehenna or Trinity, it was difficult to gauge her full capabilities.
Well, close combat is fine.
"Are you just going to keep dodging?"
But I didn't think she'd be this serious about it! At most, I thought she'd be at my sister's level, just throwing her weight around, but just by looking at her stance, I can tell she's been properly trained.
Thanks to my kinetic vision, I can barely keep up and dodge, but at this rate, the moment I lose my rhythm, it's over. It's earlier than I thought, but honestly, even if I use this, I'm not confident I can win. She's too strong. Much stronger than I expected.
"...Dammit."
"For someone who prepared for so long, you're not as impressive as I thought!"
"Well, you're free to be mistaken."
"Hah! What are you talking about, you punk...?"
The 'variable' I prepared earlier. She won't know about this.
Even the Calamity Fox fell for it.
"What is this—"
"It's called a chain."
A special one made by Millennium's Engineering Club, at that.
I wrap the chain around her arm and throw her over my shoulder.
Of course, while it was sudden, my strength is weak, so it doesn't seem to have hurt Neru. She balanced herself in mid-air, avoiding the impact, but she seems confused by the chain as a weapon.
"Hey! Who uses something like that as a weapon!"
"I think it's a little too late to be complaining, considering I'm using a baseball bat."
"Hah, anyway. You unpredictable bastard."
"I should be the one saying that. Couldn't you have gone easy on me in close combat?"
"As if!"
Neru charges again, firing her guns wildly. Now that my opponent has chosen close combat, I have no choice but to accept.
RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT—!!!
Clang—Ting—Thwack—Clang—Thwack—!!!
I only parry the shots aimed at vital points like my joints or abdomen and close the distance. There's one factor that cannot be overcome by strength or agility alone.
And that is height, or more precisely, reach.
"This bastard!"
"What, can't reach?"
CLANG—!
I get in close and hit the muzzle of the assault rifle in Neru's right hand upwards with my bat. The shock of being hit from an unexpected direction makes Neru drop her gun, and her right arm is too short to reach me.
Now, if I can just tie up her airborne left hand with the chain—
"...Ah."
And for an instant, the world went black. So dark that I couldn't see a single point of light.
When I lived in Abydos, there was someone I used to play with a lot. Since I went to all my schools in D.U. because of my sister, it would be fair to say that besides her, he was the only other person I knew in Abydos.
He helped me in many ways. In fact, he was the one who taught me about Mystics.
"I have a question, hyung."
"Go ahead."
"You said my sister is that Horus? What am I?"
"You mean Horus. When did you hear that?"
Ah, this moment. I remember it. It was after I fought with my sister in elementary school, when I got sulky after she commented on my kinetic vision and ran out.
"Hmm... You. I'm not entirely sure, but I could call you this."
Thoth. That's what he called me.
The god of knowledge, wisdom, and science, he said. I think I was just happy about it. The god of knowledge. It just sounds cool.
Thinking about it now, maybe the reason I was able to grow The Farm this much was thanks to my Mystic.
"Horus praised your kinetic vision, but in reality, that is not your greatest strength."
"Then what is?"
"In accordance with the legend of the god of knowledge, it is the eye that sees through all things. I personally call it Ibis, and that is what I consider to be your greatest strength."
I didn't know what he meant back then, I just thought I was special in some way. ...Yes, Ibis. Ibis.
Thanks to that, I think I understand a little better now. Come to think of it, I haven't seen his face since my sister went to high school. I'll visit Abydos once the Kourin Taisai is over, so it would be nice to meet him.
"I'm Thoth, and my sister is Horus. Then what are you, hyung?"
"Huhu, I don't have a set name, but I prefer to be called this."
The Black Suit.
"...A. That is."
"W. I am of the same opinion. We must stop him."
The President, who was already on the verge of defeat, suddenly stood there blankly, as if he had given up the fight. The person named Neru stopped her attack in surprise, and thanks to that, the spectators are also murmuring.
It could be a symptom of a concussion. We must forfeit quickly—
"Huh? Onee-chan, look over there! The President is getting up!"
"Even so, it is not acceptable. Where is the referee..."
"No, not that! He's continuing to fight!"
"...Pardon?"
When I looked back at the President at Sarin's words, he was exuding a somewhat alien atmosphere.
I'm dizzy. My head is spinning, and it's hard to even keep my body upright.
Why did that memory surface now? And what is Ibis? The world looks hazy, and everything seems to be scattering slowly.
Maybe this is what it feels like to push kinetic vision to its limits.
No, it's a little different. As he said, kinetic vision isn't everything I am.
Everything is blurry, but one path is clearly visible.
I force my body to take a step towards it.
RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT—!!!!!!!
With that single step, I dodge all the bullets Neru hastily fired.
Another path appears before my eyes.
I steady my trembling hand and swing the bat.
CRACK—!!
As if it were waiting, Neru's head connects with the bat.
The eye that sees through all things, was it? I don't know. I don't know.
But one thing I can say for sure is that even in this shitty physical condition.
"I don't think I'm going to lose...!"
"...Are you crazy, you punk."
"Well, maybe I already am."
In my view, this isn't growth, nor is it evolution. It's certainly not a miracle.
It is simply reclaiming my original power, and approaching the essence of my Mystic, Thoth. If I had to name it...
Takanashi Kosei. Mystic Release.
I don't know how long this state will last. So, before time runs out...
"Come at me."
"Hah... Just what I wanted!"
...let's end this quickly.
"...Are you really not going to watch?"
"No, I'm busy trying to save the academy right now, what Kourin Taisai! You watch a lot of it, senpai."
"Hmph, alright..."
My lovely kouhai, Hoshino-chan, is always so prickly. It's like she's living as if she's being chased by something.
I heard that at the beginning of this year, her one-year-younger brother, Kosei-kun, ran away from home and went missing. The General Student Council has also been silent on the matter.
Because of that, Hoshino-chan thinks that Kosei-kun is, in fact...
...
After Hoshino-chan leaves for work, I watch the Kourin Taisai while waiting for my part-time job.
"Wow..."
And the scene currently playing on the TV is.
A male student with light pink hair, gaining the upper hand against Millennium's C&C.