"No time to explain. Get on..."
Hearing Aaron's weak voice, Kiana asked tentatively.
"Is... this really okay?"
"...We're doing it even if it's not. That kid isn't a complete idiot."
Kiana had only managed to trick Seryu because she genuinely had a noble's aura and was a good actress, allowing her to fool that... well, not-quite-lovestruck... naive little girl.
But Seryu was the City Guard's rising star. She wasn't an idiot you could fool indefinitely.
The moment Seryu realized something was wrong and came back—they'd be forced to fight.
If Aaron were in good shape, he wouldn't mind taking this second Teigu to complete the mission.
But now... attacking now would be suicide, wouldn't it?
On their side, it was Kiana carrying dead weight. On the other, it was a Teigu user and a biological Teigu that could coordinate perfectly.
Aaron didn't want to die, so his only option was to retreat. Immediately.
After Aaron got on the bike, Kiana obediently wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Aaron, I have a question..."
Listening to the roar of the engine, Kiana suddenly felt a little uneasy.
"Say it."
"What's the top speed of this motorcycle?"
"Let's see, Kawasaki H2... Oh, normal top speed is 400 km/h."
"What?!"
"But considering it's in a Noble Phantasm state right now, it should be able to go even faster."
"No, wait."
"Okay, hold on tight."
Stomping on the accelerator, Aaron shot forward with Kiana, heading down a path he'd already picked out.
"A-Aaron, wait, at this speed..."
As Kiana felt the speed continuing to climb, she suddenly sensed two murderous auras behind them.
She whipped her head around and saw...
—Seryu and Hekatonkheires, who they had just tricked, now chasing them with furious expressions.
.............
Less than a minute after being tricked by Kiana, a calmer Seryu realized something was wrong.
It was a long way from the Imperial Capital to here, and there was more than one forest along the way.
If that white-haired girl was just a desperate maiden trying to meet her lover, why would she run *this* far into *this* specific forest to... do *that*.
And Koro said the smell of blood was nearby.
She had been intimidated by the woman's angry aura and resentful glare. Normally, she would have immediately searched those two suspicious individuals without a second thought.
Now, thinking back, Seryu realized their story was full of holes.
They were, without a doubt, the ones who killed Zank and stole his Teigu.
And people who show up in the Imperial Capital and kill at night...
—Who the hell else could it be but Night Raid?
Night Raid was a den of murderers. In other words, they were absolute evil.
And Seryu, the avatar of justice, would enact heaven's judgment today and arrest these two villains from Night Raid!
Just as Seryu was preparing to sneak up on them, she heard a terrifying roar.
That roaring sound was more frightening than the cry of a powerful Danger Beast.
"Th-they have another trump card? Damn it, I can't back down here!"
They were making their move. Stealth was pointless now.
"Koro! With me!"
"Woof!"
Sensing Seryu's intent, Hekatonkheires immediately revealed its true form.
"You two villains! Stop!"
"No~ way~"
Kiana made a face at Seryu as they sped away, then quickly said to Aaron.
"Aaron, they're catching up!"
"It's fine. This bike is a Noble Phantasm now, so it can take some abuse. In that case..."
Pushing the speed to its absolute limit, Aaron gritted his teeth and rocketed the bike across the countryside.
"Koro! Faster!"
Watching her enemies pull further away, Seryu urged her biological Teigu.
"This isn't your limit! No, this won't do!"
"Koro! Go Berserk!"
"Woof?"
"Didn't you hear me? I said, go Berserk!"
Confirming that his master wanted him to use his secret technique just to catch those two, Hekatonkheires stopped running and unleashed the energy within its body all at once.
In the next instant, Kiana and Aaron both felt...
—The energy erupting from the Teigu behind them was terrifyingly stronger than before!
...............