Chapter 53: VS Hot Spring Development Department

"Captain of the Eighth Squad! What's the situation on site?"

"The worst it could be! We’ve got maniacs setting off explosions everywhere!"

Figures… the Hot Spring Development Department. Those terrorists who’ll stop at nothing for the sake of a good hot spring—fire, water, doesn’t matter to them. If I recall correctly, they were lured here by Kirifuji Nagisa’s false intel about high-quality spring water being found in this area.

"What about their strength?"

"Individually, they’re not much. But there are way too many of them!"

"Ugh… I thought so!"

Just like in the original, these guys are absolutely insane.

"Uh-oh, that’s bad."

I kicked aside a thug who was about to fire a rocket launcher at Azusa and the others, sending him flying sideways.

"Wh-Who the hell are you!?"

"We’re the Helmet Gang!"

I boldly lied as I jumped on top of him, pounding away until he passed out.

"Y-You little—"

"Boom!"

"Wh-What!?"

I blasted the remaining thugs away with a bomb, brushed the dust off my clothes, and stood up.

Guess it’s tense around here because of all the gang conflicts going on between different thug groups. Not that it matters—the root cause is still the Hot Spring Development Department.

"Anyway, I’ll head your way. I’ll be a bit late since I’ll be backing up Azusa and the others, but whatever happens, make sure you protect the exam site and the test papers at all costs."

"Got it… I never realized exams were such a battlefield…"

"T-That’s not what I meant!"

Now’s really not the time to be showing your airheaded side, okay?

---

"Sorry to keep you waiting!"

"We didn’t wait that long."

I hurried to join up with the Eighth Squad, where Atsuko and Misaki greeted me.

"You’re late… Hey, what’s with the long face?"

"…It’s nothing."

The School Lunch Club’s truck… I couldn’t protect it…!

I just looked away for a moment to take care of some delinquents, and in that time, it stepped on a buried landmine and… sank into the river…!

Although, I have to admit—Haruna giving a thumbs-up as she sank was kind of cool.

"…Sigh… It’s fine. The two of us were more than enough. Don’t beat yourself up over it."

"…Huh? Ah, right, yes."

"Anyway, let me explain the situation."

"Yes, please."

Atsuko, wearing both a mask and a helmet in a rather avant-garde getup, explained using sign language like usual.

"Thanks to cooperation from the First Squad, this area is now considered the Helmet Gang’s… territory?"

"I see…"

Then we should be able to move around freely now. Even if we act loudly, they’ll just assume it’s the Helmet Gang’s doing. At least there’s so many of them it’s easy to use as cover.

"But things are looking bad… Hiyori’s scouting ahead, and there’s an absurd number of them. Plus, there were already pre-planted explosives around."

"I already disarmed those."

"That many, huh…"

Yeah, the Hot Spring Development Department is as crazy as ever… but even more frightening is Nagisa, who’s clever enough to use them. No wonder Beatrice said what she did.

"That’s not all. Look at their weapons."

"…! Flamethrowers…!"

Not good. The range isn’t much, but if they start fires everywhere, we’re screwed. The lack of oxygen from all that burning would cause us to lose consciousness, and on top of that, fire is the worst possible match for our mission—protecting the exam site.

"And the enemy’s changing their tactics, too. Not everyone, but some of them are grouping up and trying to consolidate their strength in one spot…"

"…All in one place?"

To excavate a hot spring? They’re gathering in one place just for that? No, that doesn’t make sense—

"They’ve realized our strategy?"

"Exactly."

As I voiced my thought, Saori arrived.

"Saori."

"They’ve realized we’ve been deliberately avoiding destructive methods. So now, they’ve gathered a large force in one spot to counter us."

"Whether we take the bait or retreat in fear, they win either way… Ugh, this is troublesome."

So basically, they’re avoiding being taken out one by one. Simple, but effective. Could they have figured out we’re working with a small team?

"…Okay. Let’s move right away. Where are they gathering?"

"A few kilometers southwest of here."

"…Southwest?"

That’s the opposite direction of the exam site… No, that doesn’t add up. The source information Nagisa provided should have been near the exam site. Nagisa’s whole goal is to disrupt the exam, which means—

"…It’s a trap."

"Huh?"

"Hiyori."

"Y-Yes…!?"

I called her over the comms, and she answered in a shaky voice.

"Head for the exam site. Immediately. Take about… four members from the Eighth Squad with you."

"E-Eh…?"

Ignoring Hiyori’s confusion, I started preparing to move out.

"Wait, Suou. I understand the need to protect the exam site, but isn’t that spreading our forces too thin? We’ve already set traps, and Hiyori may look like that, but she’s quite capable."

"I know. But what we need right now isn’t more firepower."

"…What do you mean?"

Without knowledge of the original scenario, we’d already have lost by now. The Hot Spring Development Department’s goal is to find the spring source. The spring information came from Kirifuji Nagisa. Without those two pieces, I never would’ve noticed.

"I’ll explain while we move. The Hot Spring Development Department’s objective isn’t to defeat us—it’s to locate and excavate the source."

Running alongside Saori and the others, I continued my explanation.

"And earlier, one of their members said it: ‘We’ve got info on a high-quality spring source.’"

"That’s right, someone did say that."

…Atsuko, using sign language while running, is honestly impressive. Though this really isn’t the time to be admiring that.

"Isn’t it too convenient that the source Nagisa mentioned just happens to be near the exam site?"

"…You have a point."

"Someone as crafty as Nagisa wouldn’t leave things to chance. That means that ‘intel’ was likely fake. In other words…"

"…I get it. The real target is near the exam site. The enemy concentration is just a bluff—they’ve already planted bombs or traps there."

"Exactly. And… we’ve arrived."

Not bad for a quick improvised explanation. Glad they bought it. Now, as for where the enemy’s concentrating…

"I see… What a nasty situation."

"This place is…"

We arrived at an old, shuttered shopping district. Enhancing my hearing through my Mystic ability, I could make out faint breathing—students hiding just out of sight.

"The space is sealed off, and visibility’s terrible. Plenty of places to hide, too. They’re clearly trying to buy time at all costs."

"Can we gather the First Squad?"

"That’ll be difficult. Those thugs have quite a few people on their side… meaning—"

《We’ll have to handle this ourselves.》

The narrow alley of the shuttered shopping street. They’re planning to make full use of their flamethrowers in such a confined space.

"But we don’t have to fight them seriously."

I reinforced a grenade with mystic energy, pulled the pin, and tossed it down the street. It exploded, blowing apart everything in the area.

"It would’ve been nice if we could just destroy the place from outside like this…"

…Well, of course, it wouldn’t be that easy.

"Reinforcements, huh. They staggered their arrival on purpose."

"Looks like they’re planning to keep pressing us."

The group coming from behind were students from the Hot Springs Development Club. Even from what I could see, there were quite a lot of them.

"…Hmm."

That red-haired student—just from a glance, I can tell she’s strong. Her gear’s clearly different from the others, and she’s keeping her distance from them. Maybe that weapon’s been custom-modified? The others’ flamethrowers are about the size of rifles, but hers is one or two sizes bigger.

"Alright, everyone! It’s hot spring development time!"

"Let’s do this, site manager!!"

Site manager…? Wait, that student—ah, Meg. Meg, the Hot Springs Development Club’s site manager. Practically the embodiment of that club itself. Not the brightest, but that explains it—of course she’s strong.

"…So hot spring development really is quite the ordeal."

"Please don’t use that as your reference, okay?"

…We really need to get out of Gehenna as soon as possible. Saori might pick up some bad habits here.

"I’ll take care of the redhead. You all handle the rest."

"Okay. Though honestly, this looks like it’ll be over quick."

"Don’t get careless. These enemies have someone pretty capable pulling the strings from behind."

Their coordination’s way too good. They’ve set multiple traps and are steadily, cunningly advancing toward the hot springs.

《Suou, be careful too.》

"Got it! Here I gooo!"

The moment the signal was given, she shot forward first, leaping straight at Meg.

"Whoa, already!? Take this!!"

"Uwah!?"

Hot—! That flamethrower’s a lot stronger than I expected! No wonder they say only Meg can handle that thing—it’s way too hot!

"Gh…!"

But this isn’t good… I can take the heat, but the oxygen issue’s another story. It’s only a side effect of her attacks, but that’s what makes it worse. For people in Kivotos, suffocation could mean the destruction of their halo—and that’s a fatal weakness.

…In that case!

"Well, it’s a bit of an imitation, but—"

I planted my feet hard and leapt high into the air.

Of course, Meg didn’t miss that, and she kept firing her flamethrower to chase me. Ignoring the burning pain, I spun midair and drew back my fist.

"Here we gooo!!!"

Just before landing, I slammed my fist down toward the ground. A sharp, electric jolt ran up my arm as cracks spread outward, forming a crater. The shockwave rippled like an earthquake, even reaching Meg’s position.

"Wh-whoa!?"

"Cough—Alright!"

That move—punching the ground to shake the battlefield! I’d heard Mika used it during her fight with Saori. I can’t do it quite like her, but if I put everything I’ve got into it, I can just barely pull it off!

"Hah…!"

I leapt out of the two-meter-deep crater, slipped behind the startled Meg, and went for her blind spot.

"Ah, crap—!"

"Take this!!"

My side kick connected, sending her flying.

"Ugh, not done yet!!"

"…"

Her flamethrower roared again. I took a deep breath, crossed my arms, and braced myself. She probably won’t last much longer either—it’s a battle of endurance now.

"Rrrrghhh!!"

"…!"

The sight of my clothes starting to burn terrified me. My skirt’s already short enough as it is… no, that’s not the issue right now. What’s worse is if my helmet melts. I can’t afford to let anyone see my face yet. But it’s about time…

"Hah… hah…?"

"Now!!!"

Catching Meg off guard as she began to lose her breath, I closed the distance and knocked her out with a shotgun blast.

"…"

"Phew. Well, I’ll admit, that was a troublesome one."

I hoisted Meg onto my back and started climbing the slope of the crater.

"Using a flamethrower inside a crater? You’ll just fill it with carbon dioxide. You’d suffocate in no time."

I took a deep breath, let out a long sigh, and set Meg down.

"Now then… this might come in handy, so I’ll be borrowing it."

Just as I reached for Meg’s flamethrower, I noticed something attached to the fuel tank.

"A small… bomb—!? No way!!!"

The next moment, the bomb went off with a sharp pop. The blast itself wasn’t that strong, but it ignited the fuel tank—resulting in a massive explosion.

"Guh—!"

Caught off guard by the force, I tried to regain balance midair.

"Wh—gah—!"

A heavy shell suddenly struck, sending me flying sideways with brutal momentum.

"Suou!?"

"Hold your position! Take care of the others!!"

"R-right!"

I held back Saori, who tried to chase after me, as I was forced back into the shuttered street.

"…"

I quickly surveyed the area and took stock of the situation.

Not many enemies. Most of their forces must’ve been deployed outside earlier. So, this attack’s aimed specifically at me? Makes sense, given how flashy I’ve been acting.

"…Hah."

I exhaled deeply and enhanced my hearing with mystic energy—but the chaos of battle made it impossible to make anything out clearly. Whether by chance or intent, pinpointing their positions would be difficult.

"They’re coming!"

Flames suddenly burst forth in front of me. I smashed through a shutter and tried to dive into a building to avoid it—but then—

"What—!? Guh!"

A planted bomb detonated, blasting me straight back into the flames again.

Not as strong as Meg’s, and not consuming much oxygen, but still… it’s wearing me down. Bit by bit.

"…How annoying!!!"

I shattered the ground, scooped up a handful of pebbles, and tossed them blindly around me.

"Ugh!?"

"Hah… got one!"

But more enemies remained. Not having any bombs to use now was a serious setback. The ones I had were all lost in the earlier explosion against Meg. If I had my usual hair-made pouch, it’d be a different story—but not this time.

"Anyway!"

I headed toward the source of a voice and found a wounded student.

"H-hold on! Wait, stop—!!?"

"I see, an oxygen tank. And a few bombs too—thanks, I’ll take those."

So that’s how they were managing to use flamethrowers safely in such a closed area… clever.

"Now then…"

I strengthened the stolen bomb with all my might and detonated it right in the middle of the shuttered street.

"Good. That should tone down their attacks a bit."

Now all that’s left is to take them out one by one.

"Hup!"

I smashed through a side wall and began searching for more of the Hot Springs Development Club’s students. One after another, I found them—until finally, the last one. I recognized her face. If I remember right… Kasumi, was it? I don’t recall her last name. She’s the club president, and, well, the textbook example of a Hot Springs Development Club member.

"Phew… seriously, what a hassle. Who even thought this up?"

"Beats me… anyway—"

"Don’t move."

"…!"

Kasumi didn’t seem armed with a flamethrower. At first glance, she looked defenseless. But someone like me, who does similar tricks, could tell right away—she was hiding bombs all over her body. That hand movement—she was about to pull one out and plant it.

"Ha… terrifying. You’re just like that white-haired one."

"I’m just part of the Helmet Gang. Don’t lump me in with them."

"I see. Well, whatever you say… not like it matters to me."

…This feeling. Is she onto something? Was Kasumi the one who planned this operation?

The Kasumi I remember wasn’t particularly cunning. She was the type who only cared about the hot springs—stubborn and straightforward. That’s the impression I had.

"Well, this should make it easier for you to understand… we’ve won. I won’t say we’ve developed the hot springs, but the destruction of those annoying buildings is achieved. I wish I could have seen that explosion with my own eyes… but oh well, can’t be helped."

"Too bad… we’ve sent members of the Helmet Gang over there. They’re all competent. By now, they must have found the bombs."

When I said that, Kasumi suddenly broke into a mocking smile.

"…Really?"

"…?"

I was about to question her words when a transmission came from Hiyori.

"Lieutenant! This is bad…! There are people stationed near the exam hall… we can’t intervene carelessly…!"

"…!? No way!!"

The only ones willing to guard the Supplementary Lessons Department’s exam deliberately—besides us—are those kids!!

"…!?"

"Now, here’s the good news. There’s less than a minute until the explosion. And we barely know any of the hiding spots. Rushing won’t help. Maybe you should just hand over that area quietly? Otherwise, it’ll all be a mess and useless anyway."

"…!!"

No…!! The exam will—!!

"Ah, but I really wanted to see it… that explosion would have been beautiful."

"Shut up!! Just be quiet for once!!"

"…Yikes, scary."

"Hiyori, any leads!?"

"…None…! Or rather, at this rate, I might get blown up too…!"

"…! Hiyori, take everyone and get out! I’ll handle the rest!"

But I couldn’t even finish speaking. The sound of the explosion drowned out my words.

"…!!"

"Ha-ha-ha! Consider yourself lucky just to hear it!! Now, shall we negotiate? Hand over that spot, or I’ll wreak more havoc in this area!"

…Damn it…!

"U-ugh… it’s over… I’m sure I’ll just explode like this…"

"…Huh?"

Hiyori… is okay?

"…Huh? Wh-what happened? That should have exploded just now…"

"H-Hiyori! What’s the situation!?"

"Uh, I’m alive…! Ugh… the yellow-haired person who was thrilled to find a stuffed toy earlier has… burned themselves at their next spot…!!"

Yellow hair…! That’s Asiri!

"N-no… you’ve got to be joking? That’s just some old stuffed toy from a run-down toy store! Who in their right mind would go out of their way to grab that…!"

…Well, I don’t fully understand the situation.

This is my mistake. Honestly, I didn’t expect the Hot Springs Development Club to be this capable. I misjudged Kasumi’s personality. Perhaps, like Asiri and the others, some irregularity caused things to deviate from the original story. I underestimated the changes in this world and overrelied on my knowledge. Because of that, I put Hiyori and the others in danger. I’m the worst. I need serious self-reflection.

"Now then…"

"…!"

That aside… students who use others selfishly and cause trouble also need to learn a lesson, don’t they?

"You like beautiful explosions, don’t you?"

"Calm down… well, um…"

"…I’ll let you experience it!!!"

"Yah!?"

I infused the bomb with mystic power, clenched it tightly in my right hand…

"This is art!!! An explosion!!!"

I leapt into the air and slammed my fist onto Kasumi’s head, detonating the explosion.

"Ugh…!!"

"Ha… reflect on your actions!"

Now… there’s only a little time left in the exam. I have to protect Azusa and the others until then.