Chapter 164: At the White Guillotine

"You really pulled it off!"

Shiren barely managed to withstand the blast wave from the massive explosion. Through the storm of fire and debris, Frenda slipped in with casual grace, greeting her with an easy smile.

The trick that spared Shiren from being caught by the Execution of Light was simple.
It worked because she was not Reicia Blackguard—she was Shiren Blackguard.

When Terra had fought alongside Acqua, she couldn’t specify broad concepts like “atmosphere” or “human body” as restraints, since doing so would hinder her allies as well. To avoid that, she instead targeted opponents by name. But here a small gap appeared. Reicia’s soul no longer resided inside Shiren. The girl standing before them was one hundred percent Shiren Blackguard. No matter how precisely Terra designated “Reicia Blackguard,” the spell would never activate.

It was a one-time trick, but it had neutralized an instant-death attack and bought Shiren a chance to fight back.

"What are you even saying?! That was way too close! If there hadn’t been a conveniently sheltered spot, I’d be dead right now!"

"Hah? Obviously I calculated that. Who do you think I am???"

Shiren shot back sharply, but Frenda only replied with airy confidence, as though the danger hadn’t rattled her in the slightest. Shiren had only read about her from the “correct history” in novel form, so her impression wasn’t vivid—but those who had survived the great Dark Side war were all elites among elites. Each one wielded power far beyond the ordinary.

Even Frenda, who usually came off as unreliable, could suddenly reveal terrifying skill with a straight face when it mattered.

"……"

Shiren frowned faintly but shook it off. She refocused, rose to her feet, and surveyed the battlefield now that the shockwave had finally died down.

"…Incredible."

She might have underestimated just how devastating a dust explosion could be. The thought sent a chill down her spine.

The two-lane roadway’s concrete had been torn up and overturned, the sand beneath blackened and scorched. The home centers on either side were hollowed-out shells, their decorations reduced to charred husks. It was a miracle the blast hadn’t triggered a full-scale inferno—though perhaps even that outcome had been contained by Frenda’s control.

"Well, if the explosion hit them that directly, they must’ve taken at least some damage—"

"No."

Frenda’s denial was immediate. Shiren didn’t relax her stance for even a moment. By normal reasoning, there shouldn’t have been a trace of their enemies left. Yet she kept her right hand raised, eyes locked ahead.

"My, my. You have no hesitation destroying your own battlefield, do you? But if one designates the explosion itself as the object of protection, then the shockwave, flames, debris, oxygen depletion—all secondary effects can be nullified as well."

Terra of the Left stood there in the very center of the blast zone—without even a speck of dust on her robes.

And she wasn’t alone.

"──To think you’d turn your previous failure into a setup. I must admit, I’m impressed."

Further beyond her, perched atop a wind turbine bent nearly in half by the explosion, stood Acqua of the Back.

"……!"

"Relax. Even I’m not so far removed from humanity that I can withstand a blast like that head-on. I simply relied on muscle strength and technique for an emergency escape, nothing more."

His words weren’t reassuring—they were despairing. In other words, no matter how perfectly Shiren detonated a dust explosion right in their faces, Acqua couldn’t be killed that way. An inconvenient truth, to say the least.

"The wind flow’s just as we calculated, Frenda!!"

Even so, Shiren grinned.
With a thunderous BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!, the air between Frenda and Acqua erupted in a chain of explosions—not random, but mapped with precision across the space between them.

"Hah-ha! The dust explosion was just the setup—to seize control of the air currents in this entire zone! The real trick is this—Academy City’s own gas explosive, Ignis!!!"

Frenda couldn’t control airflow, only explosions. But beside her stood someone who specialized in manipulating air currents. With that expertise, guiding gaseous explosives to detonate in a targeted zone was child’s play.

And if the enemy had only barely survived one massive strike—then lowering their guard for even an instant────!!

"If you think I’d let my guard down over something like that—then that thought itself is already a mistake."

By the time Frenda registered the words, Acqua was already moving—faster than anyone else on the battlefield. In an instant, he closed the distance, sweeping past Shiren and closing in on Frenda.

"Don’t underestimate me!! Cleaning up after my overconfident partner is something I’ve had plenty of practice with!!"

Snap!
With a sharp snap of her fingers, Frenda’s body twisted violently, launching her at supersonic speed just past Acqua’s side. Looking closely, a jar of cosmetic cream—knocked loose by the blast—had rolled under her feet. Losing balance and fumbling her internal mana control, she had been flung away by the backlash.

That was the explanation, at least. But anyone sharp enough could see the “coincidence” masked something else—another ability at work.

"I see. That right hand of yours—it’s like a variant of Imagine Breaker, isn’t it?"

Terra spoke as she shaped a blade from compacted white flour.

"And relying on that means your original power is unusable right now, doesn’t it?"

"…Who knows what you’re talking about."

"No need to hide it, you knowー? When the countermeasure formula I had my subordinates prepare failed to activate, I already suspected something unusual was interferingー."

Shiren nearly forgot to breathe.

It was obvious if she thought about it. The Right Seat of God hadn’t invaded Academy City as individuals—they had come as a unit. Each one bore an angelic system of spells, the Roman Catholic Church’s ultimate weapons. The fact they came together meant every one of them knew they couldn’t win alone.

Which meant, of course, that they had all prepared countermeasures for their greatest target.
And Terra—who, even in the “correct history,” had ordered her followers to weaponize the C Document and plunge the world into chaos—could just as easily have had countermeasures prepared against Reicia’s jagged white-and-black blade, Jagged Edge.

"We of the Right Seat cannot directly use magic meant for ordinary humans. But just as angels grant wisdom to mankind, we can still inspire our followers. Guiding believers toward the proper path is, after all, part of our divine duty. …Though in this case, it seems that effort went to waste."

Terra swung the wheat-flour blade like a chained sickle, yet even as he spoke, he made no move to attack. He’d realized what Shiren’s right hand could do—meaning he couldn’t act carelessly. But the same went for Shiren and Frenda. Even their perfectly timed dust explosion had been neutralized. Simple bombardment wouldn’t break through. Worse, another explosion’s noise might drown out the sound of Shiren’s right hand—an unacceptable risk. If Terra canceled their blast and countered in that exact moment, Shiren would be unable to react and cut down instantly.

Whether he knew that or not, Terra laughed cheerfully.

"Using interference from your right hand to flatten history—ah, I see. This is your way of balancing the scales before the Final Judgment. But tell me… haven’t you noticed the distortion caused by all that balancing?"

"…What are you—"

"Now, now, what am I talking about?"

The instant she answered, Shiren realized her mistake.

(Damn it! That was just bait—to guide my thoughts!)

The proof came immediately. Terra was already moving. The guillotine-like blade of flour expanded explosively. Shiren snapped her fingers to nullify it with Result Twister—but the swelling white mass didn’t stop. That’s when she understood Terra’s true aim.

(That movement… no! He’s not trying to cut us down!!)

The rapidly expanding “White Guillotine” warped into something more like a giant hand—meant to seize, not slice.

"──Prioritize. Air above humans."

She had to move. But before she could, those words bound both her and Frenda in place like a death sentence.

If the spell wasn’t designed to kill, it didn’t register as an “attack.” No malice, no killing intent. Normally, such logic wouldn’t hold—restraining someone with a giant hand of flour was aggression no matter how you dressed it up. No ordinary person could suppress their will so thoroughly. But to Terra—who despised heretics with fanatical certainty—Shiren and Frenda were enemies who deserved execution. Only killing them counted as malice. Simply restraining them was “merciful,” a harmless act unworthy of hostility.

(So because it’s just “restraint,” not a killing move, Result Twister doesn’t trigger?! Damn it… if we stay caught, the clock runs out—we’re finished!!)

Shiren tried to move, but the air prioritized above her body refused to yield—not even an inch. She couldn’t even breathe. Suffocation wasn’t immediate, but it was coming… and then, without warning—

—the prison of air vanished.

"AaaAAAHHHHHH!!!"

The moment she realized she could move, Shiren bolted—dragging Frenda with her. They dove into the charred wreck of a home improvement store, rolling across the scorched floor as a massive hand of flour sliced through the air behind them.

They scrambled into the back—into the furniture section cluttered with curtains and bedding—where Shiren finally caught her breath.

(But… why did Terra release us? He could’ve kept us trapped. I couldn’t have broken it…)

She turned to Frenda—and the answer became obvious.

"Haah… hah… hah…! D-damn it…! I seriously thought I was gonna die…!!"

Frenda was gasping so hard she could barely speak.

It was no wonder. If air itself was given priority over the human body, then the body couldn’t move air—not even to breathe. Shiren had been lucky enough to be holding her breath when it happened. But if someone was caught mid-breath, panic and suffocation would set in fast—and Frenda had been unlucky.

In other words, Terra must have realized his “merciful” spell was in fact suffocating her. That unintended harm threatened to void his non-hostile logic, so he canceled the spell before it turned against him. A ridiculous reason—but they were alive. Barely.

"…Thank you, Frenda-san."

"Eh? What’s with you all of a sudden? If you wanna thank me, do it after we get home—with cash!"

Shiren sighed. Frenda clearly hadn’t realized any of it.

"──Prioritize. Flour above structures!!"

Terra’s voice rang out again, giving them no time to rest.

The moment they heard it, Shiren and Frenda bolted from the store without thinking. A beat later, the guillotine’s merciless sweep tore the building apart. They tumbled out into the open—only to see what awaited them.

Acqua, fully recovered, standing unscathed after his earlier clash.
And Terra, calmly raising his Guillotine once more.

──

At a glance, it was hopeless.

But depending on how you looked at it, this could be an opening. Terra and Acqua were both about to attack—attacks that undoubtedly carried killing intent. And that was all Shiren needed. If she could twist their causality, their divine strike would rebound, turning their own powers against them.

Of course, both were formidable. They would surely look for ways around Result Twister.

"This causality—"

Shiren raised her right hand to snap her fingers… and froze.

At the edge of her vision, her hand was dusted white.

Completely coated in flour.

A finger snap is simple: the sound comes from the sharp impact when the middle finger strikes the base of the thumb. To achieve it, you press the fingers tight, build up tension, and release. But if your fingers slide too easily, the buildup fails. No snap. For example, if your hand is covered in flour.

(I see…! If Terra can reshape the White Guillotine at will, then coating my right hand was trivial! And since my hand only nullifies supernatural powers—not physical matter—there was nothing stopping him… I should’ve anticipated this!!)

In other words—she couldn’t snap her fingers.

A fatal opening appeared.

Both members of God’s Right Seat struck within that narrow gap.

"──Prioritize. Flour above humans."

"Do not take it personally. I shall at least make your end painless."

At that moment, Shiren and Frenda’s only defiance was to turn their backs and sprint—just to put the slightest distance between themselves and Acqua and Terra.

And then—

Final Chapter: “I Don’t Know What Predetermined Harmony Is”  -  Theory_"was"_Broken.
Episode 138: At the White Guillotine  -  Who_is_Gallows-Bird?

『But it’s fine. The Right Seat of God can be taken down easily—using their own powers, no less.』

Before the battle began,
Frenda Seivelun had declared that with utter confidence.

Her words left both Shiren and Hamazura staring blankly.
Using their own powers? Against the Right Seat of God?
Did she mean making them self-destruct?
…But how?

『Just to be clear, my right hand can indeed make an opponent’s hostile actions fail. And depending on when I intervene, the “failure” tends to follow certain patterns. But that doesn’t mean I can control exactly how they fail.』

『Yeah, yeah, I know. This plan doesn’t hinge on your right hand anyway. I mean, we’ll still need it to keep ourselves alive until the right moment, but that’s it.』

Frenda spoke almost dismissively—
and then, in a softer voice, added:

『Flour.』

Her gaze drifted to the white traces still scattered across the ground.

『That green priest… the stuff he uses isn’t some weird chemical, right? It’s just ordinary wheat flour. Didn’t you mention before you joined up with us that he always prioritizes flour when attacking?』

『? …Y-Yes, that’s true. If I remember correctly, his ability has a flaw—on its own, it can’t inflict lethal damage, so he prioritizes the flour over the human body to compensate. Wait. Don’t tell me—』

『Yup. That’s exactly what I’m telling you.』

Frenda raised her index finger and flashed a confident grin.

『Terra of the Left always sets “flour above the human body” when he goes for the kill. So if, at that exact moment, we attack him with flour… then the rules are fair, right? He’ll suffer massive damage himself, in line with the priority he defined.』

『Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up, you reckless maniac.』

The one to cut in was her partner, Hamazura.

『Look, I’m used to your plans being borderline suicidal. I don’t care if this one lands you on the guillotine—it’s not like my life’s on the line this time. But riddle me this: where the hell are we supposed to get flour? We’re not exactly running a bakery here!』

『Huh? Isn’t it obvious? You’re the one who’s gonna get it.』

『Goddamn it!! There it is again—the classic “dump it all on Hamazura” routine!!!』

Frenda said it so matter-of-factly that Hamazura immediately clutched his head.

Still, given the situation—they had to bring down Acqua of the Back and Terra of the Left, monsters who could overwhelm even Level 5 espers—
there didn’t seem to be any plan more promising than Frenda’s.

『…Very well. Let’s go with that plan, then. Hamazura-san, we’ll be counting on you.』

『If you mess up, I won’t forgive you, Hamazura.』

『Damn it!! The hierarchy around here couldn’t possibly sink any lower!!』

And so—
the plan was set into motion.

"Ha det bra… huh."

A white torrent surged toward Acqua and Terra.

Its true form was a massive avalanche of wheat flour—over five tons of it. But of course, there was no way a Level 0 like Hamazura Shiage could control such an absurd amount on his own.

──The real question was, how had he even managed to get that much flour in the first place?

"Appreciate the help. Uh, you are…?"

"I'm not really someone worth introducing☆ After all, I’m a hero! …Just kidding!"

"Sigh… why the hell did I have to get help from some justice-obsessed exhibitionist…?"

A paper-bag bunny girl.
A lab coat–wearing girl dressed like she’d just wandered in from a summer festival.

And not just them.

Behind the two stood a whole group—enough to fill a classroom—made up of heroes and villains alike.

Hamazura Shiage hadn’t done anything spectacular. He had no special skills, no hidden talent.

All he had done was swallow his pride and shamelessly beg for help.

That sincerity had moved both heroes and villains, leading to the impossible: five tons of flour, and the means to unleash it effectively.

No esper powers. No magic.
Just ordinary human determination gathering the pieces to overturn the battlefield.

And with a satisfied grin, the unmistakable “hero” spoke.

"By the way, Miss Bunny, mind if we swap contact info?"

"…You perverted exhibitionist. Shall I rot you from the inside out?"

"Mmm, I don’t mind if you do that, nya~☆"

"Please don’tttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt!?!"

The reason Shiren and Frenda were sprinting full speed was simple: to avoid being swallowed by the massive torrent of flour.

If the human body were struck head-on by a wave of that size, even Terra or Acqua wouldn’t escape unscathed. More importantly, the sheer volume made it a deadly weapon in its own right. For Shiren and Frenda—ordinary humans compared to those monsters—being caught at close range meant instant helplessness.

Still, even this avalanche wouldn’t be enough to kill Terra and Acqua outright. At best, it would force them to retreat. Which meant there was no guarantee the "Execution of Light" would be canceled. And if it wasn’t, then being crushed under flour prioritized above the human body would turn the two girls—neither members of God’s Right Seat—into mince.

"Wa… wait a sec!? Isn’t that way too much!? It’s basically a freakin’ tsunami at this point!?"

"This causality… it twists! This causality twists!! This causality, please… just twist already!!!!!! …Waaahhh! My fingers are supposed to snap, and yet nothing’s failing! This isn’t malice—it’s just an accidenteeeeee!!!"

Shiren and Frenda ran desperately. But no matter how fast they sprinted, the white wave closed the distance, creeping closer and closer. Outrunning it was impossible.

Just as true panic took hold—

“Gojuaaaaaaah!!!!”

The tsunami of flour was blown apart in an instant, shattered by a pale, blue-white aurora.

“…Tch. What the hell is this?”

The girl who had reduced the wall of death to ashes gave a sharp, annoyed snort. Leaning her elbow against the passenger-side window of the car she rode in, she peered out with a cold smile.

"Don’t go dying in some boring little corner, you Another Four."

Her chestnut hair fluttered in the wind. Mugino Shizuri—the Atomic Disruptor, Meltdowner—pointed casually toward the backseat of the van.

"Get in. I’ll take you to the big boss."

──A few minutes after Shiren and Frenda climbed into Mugino’s van and left the scene.

From within the mound of accumulated flour, a single arm suddenly thrust upward.

The muscular right arm was unmistakable. With a single swing, it sent half the flour pile scattering.

"…I never imagined Terra’s technique could be turned against him. That was truly unexpected."

Even Acqua, positioned at the rear, had not escaped unscathed.

The sheer weight of the flour—given priority over the human body—had proven overwhelming even against his hastily deployed defensive spells. Blood seeped from his side, and a fresh wound stained his head. Though the fractures seemed limited to a few ribs, the damage he had taken was undeniably severe.

And that was not all.

"…Well, I… I’ve survived… just barely…"

Terra, by contrast, was clinging to life by the thinnest of threads.

Unlike Acqua, who possessed both the resilience of a dual saint and the ability to instantaneously deploy defenses, Terra’s only real shield had been the guillotine of flour. Even with a recovery application derived from the "Execution of Light," he remained barely conscious. Any ordinary sorcerer would have been long since incapacitated—if not dead outright.

But one fact was clear: Terra of the Left could not continue.

"I’m sorry… it looks like it’ll take time before I recover. …Don’t worry about me… go ahead without me."

"No need to push yourself. Rest for now."

"…Heh. To be praised by you… History… has been… warped… quite… significantly… indeed…"

A laugh, half-delirious with interest—
and then Terra’s eyes slipped shut.

Acqua cast a final glance toward his fallen comrade lying in the white mound, then turned his focus forward once more. Though Terra had been defeated, Acqua still stood. And as long as he remained unbroken, the battle with Academy City was far from over.

"…As expected, concentrating strength is best. After all, a mercenary like me is better suited to this kind of maneuvering."

And so, the last remaining member of the Right Seat trio—the rear guard, Acqua of the Back—finally began to move in earnest.