Chapter 10: The Explosive Bullets

I strapped on a bulletproof vest and pulled a coat-like garment over it. Ammunition was slung from one shoulder, explosives from the other. With spare shells clipped to my shotgun, I was ready for battle.

"Suou-chan, are you ready?"

"...Yeah. No problem."

Cyan had equipped herself the same way and turned to check on me.

"Oh, you wore the vest under your coat?"

"Yeah. This way it’s less noticeable."

My greatest advantage was that, at a glance, I looked like a civilian—no, like a noncombatant. There was no reason to throw that away by flaunting my gear.

"So, Cyan... you’re using a submachine gun?"

"Yup! With my strength, every single shot is deadly!"

"Hahaha..."

She mimed firing with a quick rat-tat-tat! Seeing her so cheerful eased my nerves more than I’d realized.

Ah... I really was more tense than I thought. Grateful to her, I couldn’t help reflecting on it.

"Sorry about your gear though. It’s a little oversized for you..."

"I don’t mind. Honestly, I’m more surprised there’s even this much equipment in a size I can use."

To be fair, my current body was small—smaller than most kids my age. I hadn’t expected to find such a wide selection of gear that actually fit.

"I see. Well, that’s good then. Oh, and Suou-chan, here."

"...? What’s this?"

She handed me a weapon. Too large for me, it looked like a handgun—but bulkier, heavier, and far too solid to be an ordinary pistol.

Wait, I’d seen this before... in my past life... what was it...

"A hand... cannon?"

"That’s right! You knew it. It’s insanely powerful, but the recoil is brutal. Still, it’s just barely within your limit to handle. Think of it as self-defense, okay? Preferably, don’t use it unless you have to."

So basically, a last resort. I’d heard hand cannons were absurd in both power and kickback. She must have chosen it for me, since I lacked both striking force and a decisive finishing move.

"...Thank you."

I tucked the oversized gun into my coat, awkwardly out of proportion with my small frame.

"Alright, let’s go over the mission one more time."

"Mm."

"It’s simple. The two of us are stalling for time until Anna can rally the moderate faction. On the way, we’ll thin their numbers—or, ideally, capture the vice president. That’s the gist."

"Got it... but where’s Saria-chan right now...?"

"Good question..."

I pulled out the map of Arius that Anna had given us.

"Where is she usually?"

"Here and here. This one’s the student council room, and this one’s the old cathedral."

"Hmm... wait a sec."

That cathedral—I knew that place. Beatrice had once tried to use it to access the Colors. I’d gone there once, tried to destroy it, failed, and got a severe scolding for it.

Which meant I knew something important.

"This isn’t on the map... but there’s a hidden passage."

"R-really? But this map should be reliable..."

"No mistake. I’ve been there several times."

I’d found it after squeezing my small body into every corner I could. The only way into that place was through the hidden passage I stumbled upon.

"If we’re heading to the destroyed residential district, this route will be faster and less noticeable. And there’s a chance the vice president is using it too."

"Got it... then let’s go that way!"

"Okay. I’ll lead."

With that, Cyan and I dashed toward the hidden passage.

---

Through the dim corridor, we ran full speed together.

…Well, Cyan was ridiculously fast. Honestly, I was already out of breath.

"Wa—wait…! Hah… C-Cyan, slow…!"

I managed to get the words out, but she only tilted her head.

"I don’t think I’m going that fast."

That was all she said.

"Damn it…! You gorilla…!!"

"Lately Suou-chan’s been calling me a gorilla more and more, hasn’t she!?"

Well, she is one.

Still, the tension I’d been carrying finally started to ease. …Maybe she was cracking jokes on purpose to keep me calm. If so, I felt a little bad.

"Anyway, we don’t really have time to waste…"

"I know. I won’t slow you down."

I steadied my breathing, preparing to run again—when she suddenly said,

"Oh, I know! I’ll carry you on my back!!"

"Hah…?"

Was her gorilla instinct finally awakening?

"Listen, I’ve told you before. My body might look like a little girl’s, but inside I’m a 23-year-old man. If you carry me like that, it’s… well, it’s that. Worst case, we’d be explaining it to the cops."

Somewhere, some teacher in this world probably just took psychic damage. Or maybe I imagined it.

"Doesn’t matter. We help each other when times are tough, right? Besides, Suou-chan, you don’t really act that grown-up anyway."

"Shut up."

"I know that, but come on!!"

"And besides, you’re a kid now. You can rely on someone a little, you know?"

"…!? N-no…!"

"…Suou-chan?"

Why is that? I couldn’t help but want to deny it.

Being just the body was fine.

But if I admit that I’m a child now, it feels like I’d lose myself. Like ‘I’ would no longer be ‘me.’

No, I’m not a child. I cannot be a child—otherwise then… then ‘I’ would…

"Suou-chan!!"

"…Hah, eh?"

"Are you okay? You’re breathing heavily and your face is pale…"

"…Really? Sorry."

"No, I’m the one who should apologize for saying something weird."

What was that just now? That feeling… it was the first time.

Something sudden… but now I’ve calmed down, so maybe it’s fine.

Anyway.

"Anyway, I’m definitely not getting carried on your back!!"

"…Hmm. Well, then, how about this!!"

"Eh?"

Suddenly, Cyan scooped me up around the stomach.

"Then, full speed ahead!!!"

"W-Wait, you’re not—!? Let go—"

"Here we go!!!"

"Aaaahhhh!!?"

Before I knew it, I was being launched forward like a jet plane, carried at terrifying speed.

---

"Okay, we’ve arrived!"

"Hah…!! I-I thought I was going to die…!!!"

The scenery had blurred past in a frenzy. We’d been jostled violently, the wind pressure nearly knocking me out—it was absolute chaos.

"In the end, the vice president wasn’t here, huh…"

"Hey! Could you at least be a little concerned about me…!?"

Yeah, situational awareness is important, but still!!

…Well, whatever.

Still.

"This is a terrible scene…"

Parts of the building had collapsed, flames flickering here and there.

If I listened carefully, I could hear gunfire in the distance, confirming that a fight was underway.

"We’re supposed to cooperate with our allies, right?"

"Yeah. First, let’s head toward the gunfire… Attack the enemies quietly before they notice us."

"Okay."

As we moved toward the sound of gunfire, about ten students were in combat: three from the moderate faction, seven extremists.

The extremists were spread out—two at the rear, three mid-range, and two up front.

"Don’t shoot any allies, got it?"

"I-I know…!!"

I masked the tension with a gas mask and pulled my hood low to hide my face.

"I’ll handle four of them. The three allies can probably manage two enemies, so Suou-chan, after explaining the situation, take care of the remaining one."

"Got it."

Cyan and I split to the sides. I hurled a bomb at a mid-range enemy.

"What…!? Reinforcements!?"

"H-Hey!! It’s Saegusa Cyan!!"

"What!? You really came!? Report…!"

"Hey."

"Ugh…! U-ugh…!!"

Cyan lobbed small stones at the two front enemies trying to escape. Once they went down, she grabbed their necks and lifted them off the ground.

"You really think I’ll let you go…?"

"Eek…!! Gyaaaah!?"

Still holding them by the necks, she spun around and hurled them straight at the two rear enemies with full force.

"Okay, I’ll take care of these guys!"

"...Ah, yeah, got it."

Terrifying… She’d sent those enemies flying like ragdolls.

"Um…"

"Eek!?"

Even our moderate allies looked scared.

"Ah, um, they’re allies… sort of. Look carefully, that’s the student council president."

"Ah… you’re right…"

"I’ll take one of them, you handle the other two."

"Eh… but you’re a ki—"

"Not a child. Just leave it to me."

The three exchanged glances, then nodded back at me.

"...Got it. Please—be careful."

"Leave it to me."

I moved toward the one separated by the earlier explosion and faced him head-on.

"Tch, so reinforcements after all… You bastards really did a number on me earlier!"

"Yeah, sorry, but this is war. Ambushes, sneak attacks—everything’s fair game."

"…!"

"Well then—let’s get started!!"

Taunting him, I closed the distance in a flash.

"Wha—?!"

Using my smaller frame, I slipped past his guard and fired the shotgun into his gut—except…

"Tch—damn it…!"

He didn’t flinch. Instead, he slammed the machine gun’s barrel sideways into me.

"Hrah!"

"—Guh!"

"…Haa…"

I fired back, aiming to create some space. This time, the shot hit his arm instead of his torso. Slight damage, at least.

Damn it—he’s wearing a bulletproof vest.
At my current strength, I can’t break through that.
Target the joints, hands, legs.

With that plan, I switched tactics and hurled explosives from a distance. He picked them off midair without hesitation, closing in slowly.

Rat-tat-tat-tat! The machine gun roared, bullets tearing across my body… but nothing I couldn’t endure.

Judging the situation, I dodged as much as I could, slid low past his legs, and fired into the back of his knee.

"Dammit…!"

He lost his balance and fell. I kicked him hard in the head from the side, sending him sprawling, then yanked the pin from a grenade and hurled it.

"Ka—ghhk!!"

"Nngh, not… yet—!"

He still wasn’t done. Just as I braced for a counterattack—

"I’m baack! Oh—huh, fight’s not over yet?"

"C—Cyan…!"

Cyan crashed down from above, landing squarely on him. That was it—he was out cold.

"Phew… thanks. Honestly, you saved me there."

"Hm? Doesn’t look like you took much damage, though."

"Probably because he was one of the weaker ones… Still, if that counterattack had landed, I’d have been in trouble."

Holding back the frantic beating of my heart after my first real battle, I scanned the surroundings. Looks like those three had also won their fights safely.

"Um… thank you. You really saved me."

"Don’t mention it!"

"Hey, has Anna sent any transmissions yet?"

"Ah, yes. I was found just after I finished checking. I’ll relay the situation now."

From what she explained, it turned out—predictably—that this had been a sudden raid by the extremists. Many of the moderate students had already been taken out, leaving only around ten still able to fight here.

"I see… And the other seven survivors, where are they?"

"They’re still fighting over there. The enemy has just under twenty… if possible, I’d like you to—"

Gunfire suddenly cracked behind me, cutting her off.

"C—Cyan…?"

"That student… they were still conscious and managed to send a transmission. That probably means they know I’m here now."

"Shit… seriously?!"

This was bad. If they knew Cyan was present, heavy reinforcements would definitely be on the way.

"What do we do?"

"For now, we help those seven and then pull back."

"Got it."

"Th-thank you so much…!"

Together with Cyan and the three, we headed toward the battlefield.

…Still, something didn’t add up. The enemy already had the advantage—so why commit so much of their strength here?

---

When we arrived, the seven were all still conscious, but barely holding together.

"There they are. I’ll handle the main fighting. You four focus on treating the seven and finishing off any stragglers."

"Understood. We’re counting on you."

"Leave it to me! I’m the strongest, after all!"

While Cyan strode toward the battle, we ran to the seven, who were desperately holding off the enemy.

"Is everyone okay?! Reinforcements are here!"

"Y-yeah… somehow…!"

"Thank goodness…"

"Sorry to cut short the reunion, but—anyone badly injured?"

"We’re all hurt to some extent, but none are critically wounded."

…Good. A small blessing in all this mess.

"How many reinforcements did you bring?"

"Just me and one more, but don’t worry. The other one is—"

"Aha-ha-ha-ha-ha!! Weak! Weak!! Did you really think you could beat me with that pathetic level of skill?!"

"Eek—!?"

…That sounded exactly like a cartoon villain. And of course, at the worst possible time.

"Anyway—that’s your student council president for you. Super strong."

"Eh, ah… you’re right…"

A few of the exhausted students fainted right then, as if the tension had finally left them.

Things were stable here. With that decided, I kept watch on our surroundings while observing Cyan’s battle.

The enemy had started with about twenty fighters. Already, five were down. Whenever she fired, someone fell; whenever she threw an explosive, the spot vanished without a trace. No counterattack landed. It was perfect, overwhelming violence.

This wasn’t going to take long.

…Or so I thought.

"Ghh…!! Now—!"

"!?"

Suddenly, one of the enemies lunged at Cyan, grabbing her in a desperate tackle as he shouted.

The next moment, an explosive was hurled, aiming straight for her—

"Hyaah!"

"Wha—gghk!!"

—I threw a rock with all my strength, knocking it off course. It hit the ground instead.

"…Huh. I get a bad feeling about those. Better not let them touch me."

"D-don’t falter!!! Keep firing!!"

"…Hm?"

Something’s wrong.

The spot where the explosive landed—there were no scorch marks at all. Almost like the blast hadn’t had any effect to begin with…

"Damn it, nothing’s hitting…!!"

"How many shots left?!"

"Three!"

"Persistent, aren’t you? But it doesn’t matter what it is—if it doesn’t hit, it’s worthless."

While they panicked, Cyan cut them down one by one—five, ten…

"You’re the last one."

And just like that, not a single enemy remained.

"Cyan, good work."

Carrying the wounded, I walked over with the others to her side.

"Yeah. That was easier than I expected."

"E-excuse me… you’re the Student Council President, right!?"

"Huh? Oh—yeah."

"P-please, can I get your autograph?!"

"…Wait, what?"

…Figures. Cyan really is popular. Though she’s dropped her usual dignified tone—hopefully that won’t be a problem later.

"By the way, President… is that how you usually talk?"

"…Hm? Ah—"

…Yep. Definitely a problem.

Crap, Anna’s gonna chew her out when we get back…! No, wait—maybe she can bluff her way out of it!

"A-anyway, we need to hurry back before reinforcements arrive—"

But then—what I saw stopped me cold.

One of the half-dead enemies, barely holding on, raised a trembling hand… and hurled another explosive.

"…What?"

My vision slowed, stretching into sluggish frames as the bomb spun closer and closer.

"Watch out!!!"

It was so unexpected, my body couldn’t react in time.

Instead, Cyan shoved me aside.

And in the next instant—

A deafening roar and searing flames filled my vision.