The blue jersey jacket was stained with crimson.
The scent of blood spread silently, only to be swept away by the oncoming sandstorm, disappearing without a trace.
It was originally an item made to shield from the sunlight, but now, it looked like a discarded sword, foreboding and eerie.
Despite the countless clashes between the rock spear and the parasol, the latter, though it should have shattered, showed no sign of damage, not even the smallest scratch.
Where on earth did such a person come from?
Angelica suppressed her rising fury with cold reasoning. When facing such an opponent, she couldn't let her emotions get the better of her.
A sense of unease pierced from the base of her skull to her chest.
If she lost focus for even an instant, her life would be in danger.
It had been a long time since she had felt this icy sensation in her fingertips.
If this person has reached such a level as a supernatural, I must have heard some rumors about them…
The face behind the red fox mask was impossible to see, making it hard to guess her age. But from her voice and mannerisms, she seemed to be around the same age as the students of Class A, perhaps even younger.
If a supernatural of this caliber existed at such a young age, they would have inevitably gained some sort of reputation.
But Angelica had heard nothing. This was a mysterious, unknown figure who had appeared out of nowhere.
Could she be some kind of secret weapon raised by the terrorist group, the Family?
No… If they had the resources to create someone like this, they wouldn't be limited to just being a terrorist organization.
Moreover, the Family was a group of extreme supernaturals who saw themselves as a new race. They labeled non-supernatural humans as inferior species. Such individuals would have no reason to attack an academy student.
They would have tried to recruit, perhaps even using sweet words to lure them in, but certainly wouldn't threaten their lives.
"Hahaha!"
The girl suddenly burst out laughing. She gripped the parasol like a spear, repeatedly thrusting it toward Angelica.
Angelica's lips twisted. The movements were like a snake—sharp and unsettling, her skills obviously honed through practice. It was clear that this technique belonged to her.
She's improving. Even now, she's getting stronger. Mimicking me, she's compensating for her lack of skill.
At first, she had gripped the parasol with one hand, swinging it around like a sword. The movements were full of openings, and unnecessary flourishes were mixed in.
It looked like the wild, erratic attacks of someone who had never studied the sword. Because of this, Angelica had maintained the upper hand at the start.
But now, things were slowly changing.
The girl had started to grip the parasol with both hands, and that's when the atmosphere shifted completely.
Her stance, the way she planted her feet.
The appropriate amount of strength used. Her breathing perfectly timed.
The way she thrust, swung, and recovered the parasol was smooth and controlled, with a level of finesse that was almost unsettling.
She had flawlessly mimicked Angelica's own technique.
It was an ability that was beyond absurd, it was borderline terrifying.
She was replicating her opponent's technique just by clashing a few times and observing with her eyes.
But it's still not enough. In the end, it's an imitation. It's like wearing clothes that don't fit.
Angelica's spear techniques were honed specifically to suit her own body, tailored to her strength and her physicality.
No matter how accurately the girl copied the movements, she couldn't replicate the body type suited for them.
In reality, there were many instances where trying to imitate only created openings.
'Before she grows any further… I'll end it!'
Using the ground as a launch pad, she rapidly fired a barrage of makeshift stone spears.
Dozens of projectiles came at her from every angle without any blind spots.
However having already seen this technique a few times, the masked girl hummed a little tune and easily countered.
With just a tap of her parasol, the trajectory of the stones was altered.
Without exerting excessive force, she redirected them with just the right amount of pressure, ensuring not a single spear touched her.
But it didn't matter. The recent attack was merely to distract her for a moment.
The ground ripples. Not in metaphor, but literally, the earth surged like waves.
As if to maintain balance, she stepped hard onto the ground, and the girl's eyes glistened with a radiant light.
She wouldn't leave room for mistakes. There was no time for hesitation.
Though she didn't want to harm a child, based on what had been shown up to now, it was clear that this being was a serious threat that couldn't be left unchecked.
"仁王 (Ni-ō)."
The heavens and earth trembled.
Rising boulders. The rocks shot upward as if they were a mere finger's gesture.
A mountain began to form on the flat ground. Five fingers. Next, a wrist. A solid forearm. A massive body. Broad shoulders. A solemn and imposing face twisted into a frown.
A statue of a Ni-ō1 stood on the ground. Despite only being the upper body, its intimidating presence sent chills down the spine.
"…Oh?"
A shadow fell over them.
In an instant, day turned to night, and the light lost its place.
The laughter disappeared from the masked girl's face.
She looked up in a daze, as if forgetting to dodge, gazing at the towering statue.
"金剛力士 (Vajra Warriors)!"
Boom!
The force of a hand striking the mountain created a tremor.
Like an insect being crushed, the Ni-ō statue brought its hand down mercilessly onto the girl.
The ground cracked and split apart in waves, a deafening roar reverberating through the air.
"It's not over yet!"
There was no room for complacency.
Among higher-level monsters, there were those tough enough to endure a strike like that.
Though the masked girl's power was still unclear, she was likely more than a high-tier monster. What's more, she hadn't even shown her supernatural ability yet.
Complacency was a mistake.
Without giving her a chance to catch her breath, she would push forward—
"Aha-ha!"
A chill ran down her spine.
A whisper close to her ear. Hot breath tickled her ear canal.
"What, when…?!"
"Did you really think I wouldn't like you, sis?"
The girl was in a pristine state, not a speck of dust on her.
How had she avoided it? She had clearly seen the direct hit with her own eyes! Although flustered, Angelica responded calmly. In an attempt to push the masked girl off, she stepped into her, ramming her shoulder into her as she adjusted her stance.
Boom.
"…?!"
Not even a flinch?
Despite her increasing weight and the added force from gravity, the girl didn't budge.
The masked girl slowly raised her finger.
Tapping it side to side.
"You're starting to show your limits. It was a deep well, so the bottom was hard to see, but… this is enough. Let's stop wasting time. The thing is, I'm not really that carefree. I'm busy, you know? I ended up wasting too much time because I had fun playing with you, sis."
"…!"
"If you're showing your limits this early, you should just die already, right?"
A grin spread across the girl's mouth, hidden beneath the mask.
She casually caught the oncoming stone spear with her left hand and then wrapped her arm around Angelica's waist.
With a swift kick to the legs, she couldn't keep her balance. In an instant, Angelica's stance crumbled and she appeared to be embracing the girl.
"I was going to say that. Yeah, that was cool. Ni-ō? Interesting name. I like it. It's settled."
"…What are you talking about?"
"It's too wasteful to kill you. You're the strongest human I've ever seen. So… I want you."
"What?"
"Do you like masks?"
It was an incomprehensible statement.
Angelica turned the ground into something like molasses. As the girl's ankle sank into the ground, Angelica didn't miss the brief opening and kicked her in the abdomen with all her might.
Successfully shaking off the masked girl, Angelica spun her body and swung the stone spear horizontally with a wide arc, leaving handprints on the stone.
"You're strong. Unlike those hatchlings in the student group, you're already perfected. You're getting close to the essence of 'Supernatural Ability'."
The parasol blocked the stone spear.
Her black hair, like obsidian, fluttered like a flag as the wind pressure pushed it around.
"But that's as far as you go. You can never go beyond that. Do you know why?"
"…"
"Because you're an ordinary human. Because you weren't chosen by 'the gods'."
"What are you saying…?"
"If you weren't chosen by the gods, then I'll choose you."
Crack.
The stone spear split instantly. Blood ran down her cheek.
Instinctively stepping back, Angelica managed to avoid having her body sliced in half, but a grievous wound tore through her upper body.
"Ugh…"
"You know what the others are like? They're all cowards. They don't try to get involved recklessly. Foolishly, they just shake in fear, saying that acting rashly would trigger the 'Chosen One's' awakening. And then they tremble. That's why this round will fail too. They don't want to move to the next round."
It was hard to see.
Despite her nerves being on high alert, her reaction was delayed.
Cold sweat dripped down Angelica's face, twisted with pain.
"My previous self from the last round seems to have died… and the one before that, and the one before that too… What am I, the captain of some death squad? Why do I keep dying? So I thought, maybe if I gathered a bunch of useful minions, I might not die this time. Yeah, let's gather strong ones like you. Well… even if I still end up dead, it's worth a try."
"…What are you talking about? Are you insane?"
"You don't need to know now. You'll understand later, little by little. Don't worry. This is good for both of us. I'll get what I want, and you'll gain power. Now, let's see… Ah, found it."
The masked girl pulled something out from under the parasol.
A mask shaped like a red fox. The same mask she was wearing.
"Let me ask you again. Do you like masks?"
◈
There are moments in life when you feel something.
Is it called a sixth sense? Or maybe just an intuition.
For some unknown reason, you start feeling anxious, a sense of crisis you can't explain.
Since I don't have the same kind of crisis-sensing ability as Arin, it might just be an illusion.
It wouldn't have been strange to brush it off.
But this time, I didn't.
When Arin warned me of a 'crisis', I could hear the alarm ringing in my mind.
By the time I regained my senses, I was already running.
Why was that? Why was I feeling so rushed? I thought hard while running.
Then a thought popped into my head, and before I knew it, I sighed.
Astaroth's mask.
The red fox mask.
She was a girl with a strong desire for possession, someone who would get restless if she liked something and wanted it for herself.
She would gift her mask to someone she marked. Whether they wanted it or not, she'd force it onto their face.
If… just maybe.
If Astaroth took a liking to Angelica… What would happen?
I had seen her fight with Astaroth, holding her own fairly well. But I knew the truth. That was just Astaroth playing along. She wasn't being serious at all.
Of course, Angelica was strong.
She was an awakened one and the protagonist's homeroom teacher. Usually, the protagonist's teacher is strong. But if her opponent was a devil, it is a different story. She wouldn't stand a chance.
Even though I was running now, I wasn't sure what I could do, but I didn't stop.
At the very least, I could serve as a distraction!
I just had to buy time. I needed to buy as much time as I could!
The gods of the four seasons protected the world from the otherworldly beings. Why would these beings, like mind-altering transcendent creatures, only send weak monsters instead of sending powerful beings like devils? Because the gods are stopping them from crossing over.
The stronger the being, the more the gods' boundaries stretch.
The web of the gods that envelops the world.
Small beings can slip through the gaps, but larger beings cannot. They can only peek beyond the web, unable to pass through it.
That's why the devils had to use tricks.
They spent 300 years deceiving the gods' eyes and barely managed to invade the world.
But in the end, it was a workaround. There were bound to be limitations.
"How much time is left? Is there still plenty of time?"
The devils have a limited time to act in this world. They snuck in under the gods' radar, so they had to be cautious not to get caught.
The reason I went as far as to have my head cut off was to grab Astaroth's attention to make sure she wasted as much time as possible.
Right now, Angelica was the only one who could fight Astaroth. If she died, or if Astaroth took control of her through the mask, it would be over. The entire A class would be wiped out in a matter of seconds!
Whether she intentionally lured the students away or not, the battleground between Angelica and Astaroth was far from where the bus had stopped.
It had gotten strangely quiet. Just moments ago, they had been fighting fiercely, even creating a giant statue, but now… suddenly…
Where were Angelica and Astaroth? The sounds of combat had stopped, making it hard to pinpoint their location.
I opened my ears wide and focused on the sound. Faint conversation reached my ears, carried by the wind.
This way!
Carefully avoiding the broken ground that was completely shattered, I increased my speed. One wrong step, and I would fall into the deep abyss beneath. I didn't want to be buried alive, not right now!
Ugh, I envy Leo's abilities at times like this. If only I could accelerate too.
Pushing through the dust and fog, I finally caught sight of the shapes of people.
Luckily, I wasn't too late.
I bit my lip as I saw Angelica and Astaroth in my line of sight.
I wasn't too late, but… what were they talking about?
"You know what the others are like? They're all cowards. They don't try to get involved recklessly. Foolishly, they just shake in fear, saying that acting rashly would trigger the 'Chosen One's' awakening. And then they tremble. That's why this round will fail too. They don't want to move to the next round."
…What?
What did she just say?