Chapter 88: All-Out War -Part 3

"Now then, let’s go!"

Brushing past the UAVs and slipping into the building──what awaited inside was already a hellscape.

Though it was called a building, it was nothing more than a holding facility for criminals. Its interior was so bare and rugged it could easily be mistaken for a prison. But one section had been completely reduced to rubble.

Whether the Academy City’s machines had broken in afterward or not, traces of destruction beyond mere impact could be seen all over.

And, naturally, the machines turned their sights on the intruder known as Reicia.

Reicia squared herself against the swarm of machines aiming what looked like gun barrels at her──but the attack that came the next instant was something entirely outside her expectations.

Zozan!!

With a splash-like spray, a 『fissure』 tore across the floor of the chamber.

《I seeee. So this is supposed to be a mechanical reproduction of my ability? Judging by the look of it… perhaps some kind of water cutter?》

《Guess directly manipulating intermolecular forces was a bit too much for them》

Twisted as it was──but this level of 『fissure』 was nothing worth mentioning to Reicia.

With a smooth sweep of her right hand, a genuine 『fissure』 swallowed up the fake one, erasing it in an instant.

And then──

"Out of my way."

Dogagagaga!!

Before the UAVs could mount any kind of counterattack, they were all trapped inside a cage of black-and-white 『fissures』.

"You’re not destroying them?"

"…Aren’t these things rather expensive? Human lives take priority, of course, but if the situation allows it, I’d rather not smash things recklessly…"

"Ahh, so that’s Shiren’s influence, huh. Think I’m starting to get the hang of telling the difference."

Trading idle words, Reicia pressed deeper into the building.

Neither of them knew exactly where Nurikae was being held, but their steps showed no hesitation. By now, her airflow-based search could already distinguish obstacles, breathing patterns, even gender and physique. As long as it wasn’t a sealed chamber, pinpointing Nurikae’s location would be simple.

And yet──the further they advanced, the more something felt wrong.

There were far too few voices.

It wasn’t that everyone inside had been slaughtered in the attack. There was too little destruction, too little blood for that. And if there really had been casualties, surely at least one or two people would have managed to flee outside.

Nor was it that the prison’s defenses were so sturdy the machines were unable to breach them. Several doors had already been blasted, shattered, and smashed through.

"……I see."

Assessing the situation, Baba muttered first. Reicia nodded in recognition of what he meant.

"Indeed. It seems we’ve been lured here."

To begin with, the very charge of “political prisoner” had always rung false.

Yes, leaking Academy City students’ private data was certainly a crime, but Nurikae wasn’t some kind of industrial spy. The fact that he had been incarcerated here at all was suspicious, but it seemed the reason had been precisely ‘this.’

"Most likely, Gensei foresaw from the beginning that I would become the Joker card."

Right after Reicia’s interference caused abnormalities within Gensei, his curses had not been directed at Kihara Nayuta, nor at Accelerator, who were the direct causes. Instead, he had cursed Reicia’s interference──Aleister Crowley’s ‘Plan’ itself.

But looked at closely, that was odd. To reach such a conclusion in that critical moment would be impossible unless he had already considered it beforehand.

And so, he had prepared a card for just such a situation.

It was for that reason that he was saddled with the bizarre charge of "political prisoner"—a label that would hardly ever be used on anyone except Nurikae Onrei.

Most likely, that charge had been fabricated solely to conveniently isolate him here. From the very start, they had anticipated Reicia’s interference; if their plans looked to be disrupted, they would lure her here and buy themselves time.

"But even knowing that, you have no intention of turning back, do you? I can’t understand it."

"As long as we rescue Nurikae within the allotted time, there is no problem."

Giving that offhand reply, Reicia came to a halt.

This time, it was not for capture──but for outright destruction that she swung her 『fissure』.

She cleaved apart a machine that had just been about to cause harm, then glared sharply ahead and shouted:

"Nurikae!!"

The door before her had been a massive iron barrier──or so it should have been.

The thickness had to be at least five centimeters. Ordinarily, no firearm could even scratch such a reinforced door. Yet now, it had been neatly sliced apart like jelly.

As if by Reicia’s very own black-and-white jagged blade, Jagged Edge.

"Hiih!?"

What came back was a scream.

At last, Reicia could see into the cell. Not to take note of its furnishings—there were none—but simply to take in its state.

──In short, it was on the verge of collapse.

The machine she had destroyed just moments ago had done it. The cell had already been half carved apart, its structure hanging by a thread. Left alone, it would surely have come crashing down.

『So you’ve come after allー』

It was Gensei’s voice, piping through the building’s speakers.

In his “Dragon” state, he could not attach audio equipment to himself. This must have been a pre-recorded message.

In the official timeline as well, Gensei had anticipated Misaki Shokuhou’s actions and left words as if speaking directly to her. With foresight like his, such tricks were hardly impossible.

"What…!? Even here!?"

『Well then. By this point, Blackguard-kun, you must have seen through my intentions. Did you enjoy the machines that sought to replicate your ability? Those were made by my subordinates, though they turned out a bit of a failureー. But it was a fine chance, so I made use of them nowー』

"You…!"

Reicia swung a 『fissure』 to smash the speaker, but it did nothing to solve the root problem. There were countless speakers scattered throughout the building. Deciding not to waste more energy on a pointless irritation, she turned her voice toward Nurikae instead.

"It’s me! Reicia Blackguard! Nurikae Onrei… I’ve come to save you!!"

"L…liar!!!!"

Reicia’s shout was answered without the slightest hesitation.

"This timing… you’re here to kill me, aren’t you!? You… You became a Level 5 esper, gained the kind of power where you can make outsiders disappear, and now you’re here to kill me!! That has to be it!! D-don’t come… Don’t come! You monster!!"

"Wow, to rattle off a string of lines that instantly kill any motivation to save him…"

"It cannot be helped if he thinks so. That is the relationship between us."

Speaking as if in resignation, Reicia tried once more.

"You must realize this! If I truly meant to kill you, why would I bother to cut apart that machine? Had I left you alone, you’d already be dead!"

"T-then it’s just a ploy! You saved my life just to put me in your debt!!"

"You think you’re even worth—" "Reicia-chan. Quiet for a second."

Lightly holding her back, Shiren spoke.

"Please believe her! She truly wants to save you!!"

He reached out his hand. To save the man before him.

《──I think she’ll keep reaching out. Even if Reicia-chan were truly the worst kind of person, that still wouldn’t be reason enough to pull her hand back once it’s been extended》

Those words Shiren had once said were no lie.

No matter how irredeemable the sinner, he would reach out his hand. That was undeniably Shiren’s innate goodness.

"……Don’t make me laugh."

But.

"Don’t make me laugh! You—you who betrayed me—you now claim you’ll save me!? My… my pride would never allow it!! Better to die than to take your hand and live on in your debt!!"

Yes. There are, without a doubt, people in this world who cannot be saved.

"Hahaha, serves you right! If only you’d shown me a bit more humility, maybe things would have turned out differently, huh? No, no, if you had tried to seek reconciliation, if you hadn’t twisted our relationship beyond repair… maybe we could have even joined hands! But you’re the one who broke off the engagement, the one who cut away that future! You! You’re the one killing me here and now!"

It was nothing but desperation. Words spat out after giving up everything, meant only to inflict even a sliver of pain upon Reicia and Shiren. From them radiated the kind of abyss that no outstretched hand could ever hope to bridge.

Suicide.

It was suicide that sought to drag down not only himself, but also Reicia and Shiren’s hearts with him.

What if, back then, Reicia hadn’t seized Shiren’s hand?
When faced with someone who would never, ever reach back, what could they possibly do?

"…Time’s up! We’re going, Reicia Blackguard! A pitiful fool who rejects rescue out of worthless pride can rot away in the prison he’s made for himself!!"

Do you still keep reaching out, refusing to let go?

Or else──

Chapter 2 – I Don’t Choose Between Two Options
Episode 74: All-Out War (③) Repaint_Himself.

"Didn’t I tell you, Baba? I had a plan."

Reicia—the same girl who had once, in her own despair, chosen to end her life—said that as she stepped forward.

"What… you’re still going to cling to that fool? We blasted one back just now, but Kihara Gensei’s ‘Dragon’ is still around here somewhere! If you keep this up, really…!"

Ignoring Baba’s attempt to stop her, Reicia stepped over the wrecked iron door.

And then──

"You bastard!!"

She slugged Nurikae Onrei.

"Gbbhgeh!?"

Coughing blood, Nurikae collapsed to the floor with a dull thud. His eyes darted wildly in shock at the sudden attack, but Reicia, looking thoroughly refreshed, spoke calmly:

"Fuu… I’ve wanted to do that for a long time. Before we even get into things like the law or punishment, I believe I had every right to punch this man. Don’t you agree, Baba?"

"Sh-she’s scary as hell…"

Completely ignoring Baba’s muttering, Reicia seized Nurikae by the collar.

"I know your type. Oh, not your personality—it’s nothing like mine, of course. You and I are as different as heaven and earth, the moon and a turtle. Absolute opposites, if you will."

She paused for emphasis.

"But… in one thing, we were the same. We both made excuses to reject salvation. And I’ve learned something from that. Listening to people like that is a total waste of time! That’s why I won’t hear a word of your opinion. I’ll save you whether you like it or not. And while I’m at it, let me say this."

With a powerful yank, she lifted him up by the collar.

Though she was only a girl, Nurikae was so utterly overpowered by her presence that she hoisted him into the air without resistance.

"──Stop wallowing in self-pity, you idiot!"

"Kh—!"

"‘You’re the one killing me here and now!’ Is that what you said!? Listen carefully. If you try to die with half-baked resolve like that, you will regret it! In those last, suffocating moments, when everything closes in, you’ll find yourself thinking, ‘Why did it come to this?’… And you’ll end up with that pathetic, too-little-too-late regret!!"

Her words carried an overwhelming force.
──Of course they did. Because those words were ones she herself had once lived. And now, they came from genuine fury at a fool who was about to repeat her own mistake.

Reicia didn’t deny Nurikae’s anger. Nor his hatred, his resentment, his malice.

If he came at her, she would crush him—that much was obvious. But beyond that, she wasn’t the sort to nitpick morality, good and evil. She was, after all, Reicia Blackguard.

And perhaps that was why. The words of Shiren hadn’t shaken him, but Reicia’s words clearly did.

"If you hate me that much, then prove me wrong! Use whatever you can, claw your way back up, and then trample me underfoot and laugh ‘Serves you right!’ to my face! But let me be perfectly clear: even if you die right here, I won’t feel a shred of pain in my heart!!"

──What’s needed in this case isn’t kindness.

There are people kindness simply can’t save.

On the other hand, sometimes it’s selfish defiance—pure, unreasonable stubbornness—that can spark a fire in someone’s heart.

"…………I’ll hate you for the rest of my life. You stole everything from me. Someday, I’ll crush you without fail."

"My, talk about a grudge held in the wrong direction. Well, at least you’ve regained the composure to manage your first person again. How splendid."

With just that, Reicia swiftly shielded Nurikae the same way she had Baba, using a 『Crack』, and then smashed straight through the wall. The cracked wall shattered into fragments, and the vast open sky spreading far beyond unfolded before their eyes.

Shiren’s way was gentle.

He would painstakingly prepare the tools necessary for the other person to reach out their hand, and then simply wait for them to take hold of it by their own will. It was a method endlessly kind. In fact, that was the very way Reicia had managed to stand back up again, so it wasn’t as if his thinking had been wrong.

But there are fools in this world who cannot be saved by kindness alone.

And that doesn’t only apply to villains. There are people who can’t be saved unless you seize that hand yourself and drag them up from the depths of hell. For example, that pure white sister. That spiky-headed boy. ──And Shiren himself, on that day.

Reicia knew that. And she also knew well that being that kind of fool was not a reason for them to be abandoned.

《Well then, looks like I’ve got one more thing I’ve gotta put my all into.》

《And what would that be?》

《Nurikae-san.》

The tone of Shiren’s voice in her heart carried a brimming resolve.

《In the end, the charges as a political criminal were all set up by Kihara Gensei. In that case, there’s no reason for us to stay silent. We’d only be helping someone who’s been burdened with baseless crimes and driven to the brink of ruin.》

《……Ehh~ Shiren, are you seriously saying this? You actually mean it? Public opinion is united in hating Nurikae, you know? If we move carelessly, we’ll be branded as public enemies too, you realize?》

《Don’t joke. You already understand that too, Reicia-chan.》

At those words, a smile slipped onto Reicia’s lips. A fearless smile, as if declaring war against the entire world.

《We’re selfish, arrogant villainess ladies. Isn’t that right?》

《……Oh dear. Shiren, you’ve become such a bad boy.》

The answer was settled.

First, to seize that future, they had to defeat Gensei, the one behind it all. With the wings of her 『Crack』 beating, Reicia rushed toward the battlefield.

But──the fundamental problem was still unresolved.

『──Objective achieved, Blackguard-kun. You’ve exceeded the 120-second limit by a whole 30 seconds.』

There, a split-off body of the 『Dragon』 appeared. Disregarding the risk of the 『Distortion』 being leveled out, it showed itself before Reicia──was it merely to announce victory? Certainly, if Gensei’s words were true, then the state of battle was already nothing short of fatal.

This was, from the beginning, Gensei’s 『delay tactic』. By isolating Reicia from the battlefield, he lessened her influence on the 『Distortion』, and during that gap, he could seize control of the board.

『In short, a binary choice. Do you protect the battlefield, or protect the foolish weakling? The gentle, gentle saint just couldn’t resist protecting the fool. Foolish indeed.』

And against that, Reicia had been unable to offer any effective countermeasure. Which meant that by now, the board must have already been repainted to Gensei’s design.

The price for that was far too great.

"Binary choice, you say?"

──But Reicia only smiled fearlessly. As if to say such concerns were already an entire lap behind.

It happened in the very next moment.

──A sword of light rained down from the heavens, piercing straight through the skull of the 『Dragon』.

That sword was gripped by a single girl. She bore not wings, but something more like colossal hands of light upon her back, and yet she wore nothing more than an ordinary school uniform. A navy blazer, a knee-length skirt, long hair reaching her waist, and eyes that carried a gentle kindness.

──All of it marked her unmistakably as Kazakiri Hyouka.

But this time, she was no longer the helpless victim to be violated.

Her long hair now shone as if it radiated light itself. The glowing ring above her head, once gear-shaped, had become a rainbow halo. The trademark glasses and tied hair were gone, leaving her with an air far more active and free.

If one had to sum up her current impression in a single word, it was angel.

Fuse=Kazakiri was now Kazakiri Hyouka herself, carrying a golden brilliance, with a clear light of will shining in her eyes.

『Wha…t…? Fuse=Kazakiri, operating independently…?』

"If you didn’t account for even that possibility, your vision must be dreadfully narrow."

Reicia pressed the attack, her words sharp and merciless.

"You’ve lost control of Mikoto, and your influence over the AIM diffusion field has undoubtedly weakened. This is no longer a situation where you can look down from above and suppress the pieces at will. …I can see it. What’s happening here is a tug of war. And Kazakiri-san has won against you in that tug of war. By her own will, she’s returned to the board."

And then—

At that exact same time, from the far-off sky came the tremor of explosions layered one atop another.

"This battlefield is no longer the one you smugly pretended to manage. ────Your schemes will avail you nothing now."

Reicia had foreseen this from the very start. No──to be more precise.

Reicia had believed in Kazakiri.

If they could weaken Gensei and loosen his grip over the field, then surely Kazakiri would regain control and become their strength. Reicia believed Kazakiri Hyouka was strong enough a girl to do just that.

"…I only answered, that’s all."

The angel, her wings of light gleaming as she pinned a dark dragon to the earth, spoke.

"To the wish of a friend who believed in me."

『………Th…is…is…unexpected………』

At the sight of the 『Dragon』 laughing with delight, Reicia raised her right hand and declared:

"──We don’t choose between two options. A saint? Don’t make me laugh! We are no such prim, proper beings. Any foolish choice you set up for us was something we’ve ignored from the very beginning!"

And then, a single flash of Crack.

Like a scene from a fairy tale, the evil dragon was cleaved in two with one stroke.