Chapter 297: The Girl Who Fell from the Sky
"That girl... do you know her, Hikigaya-kun?"
A woman's sixth sense is forever an inscrutable thing.
Even though the greeting between Isayama Yomi and Hikigaya Hachiman lasted less than two short seconds and was quite discreet, Yotsuya Miko still managed to catch the moment Yomi acknowledged him.
Watching Yomi—who possessed a lovely face, a curvaceous figure, and radiated a valiant, refreshing aura—as she led her team toward Tokyo Tower, Miko turned to Hachiman and asked about their relationship.
Unfortunately for any potential drama, there was absolutely nothing between Hikigaya Hachiman and Isayama Yomi. In fact, they could best be described as strangers who had met a few times and couldn't even be called friends. Consequently, as he faced Miko's inquiry, Hachiman's face showed not a single ripple of emotion.
"She's the older sister of Komachi's classmate. I've just met her a few times."
"The sister of Komachi's classmate?"
Hearing this somewhat roundabout connection, Miko nodded. The way the girl had looked at Hachiman indeed didn't seem to suggest romantic interest; rather, it held a faint hint of respect.
"After we're done with Tokyo Tower, is there anywhere else you want to go?"
Since Isayama Yomi, a member of the government's exorcism agency, had arrived, it certainly didn't portend anything good. Although Hachiman could handle anything as long as it wasn't an Emperor-class spirit or higher with his current strength, he still intended to leave the vicinity of Tokyo Tower immediately to avoid trouble.
"Hmm, how about we go to Shinjuku next?"
Hearing Hachiman's eagerness to leave, Miko became even more curious about the girl's identity. However, she kept that curiosity buried in her heart. After a moment's thought, she brought up the sightseeing plan she had devised with Hana Yurikawa the night before.
"Then Shinjuku it is."
At the mention of their next destination, Hachiman stood up and began leading Miko toward the perimeter.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, the hurried Isayama Yomi, carrying her precious sword Shishio on her back, had reached the top of Tokyo Tower via specialized equipment.
"Is this the mission target?"
Stepping out of the lift, Yomi discovered her target on the small observation deck: a semi-transparent evil spirit roughly the size of a child.
The moment Yomi appeared at the summit, the spirit—which had been crouching there, aimlessly watching the pedestrians below—slowly turned its head. Upon seeing the Shishio in Yomi's hand, a spark of "life" appeared in its eyes. As if remembering something, it stood up, scratched its head, and leaped off the top of the tower!
"Oh no!"
Watching the spirit jump without any warning, Yomi's expression changed drastically.
The Countermeasures Office had expended a vast amount of financial and material resources to get her to the summit in record time using a high-speed lift, specifically to keep the battle contained at high altitude. What was the spirit playing at by jumping down?
Because they had judged the battle would be contained, the crowds below Tokyo Tower had not been evacuated!
"Noriyuki, it's coming down!"
After a split second of shock, Yomi immediately notified her waiting comrades via radio. She then jumped back into the lift, intending to ride it back down.
However, halfway down, the lift suddenly began to shake violently.
"What's happening?"
As Yomi investigated the cause of the shaking, she saw the spirit that had jumped earlier. It had somehow appeared above her and was currently clutching the suspension cables, grinning at her...
Even across a distance of several meters, Yomi felt as if she could smell the foul stench emanating from the spirit's mouth. But that wasn't what concerned her most.
Creak...
The steel cables let out a scream of agony under the spirit's grip. Then, before Yomi's shocked eyes, the spirit mockingly released its hold...
BOOM!
A violent explosion suddenly echoed from the sky. This abrupt sound immediately drew the attention of the numerous tourists on the ground.
They looked up to see billowing black smoke rising from the midsection of the towering Tokyo Tower. Through the smoke, several objects seemed to be plummeting toward the ground at extreme speeds.
Seconds later, as the first fragment of the lift smashed into the ground, the crowd descended into chaos, scattering in all directions amidst screams of terror.
"Miko..."
Caught in the middle of the surging crowd, Hachiman tightly gripped Miko's hand to prevent them from being separated, moving with the flow of people toward the exit.
"Hikigaya-kun, look up there!"
Being pulled along by Hachiman, Miko looked up, guided by a sudden premonition. She noticed it. In mid-air, a human figure was in free-fall, hurtling toward the ground.
"What happened to her?"
Following the direction of Miko's arm, Hachiman also noticed Isayama Yomi falling from the tower. Unlike Miko's confusion and panic at seeing someone fall, Hachiman was wondering why Yomi had been knocked down.
As a standout member of the younger generation among Tokyo's exorcist families, Yomi's strength was beyond doubt. Since she had dared to go up to perform the exorcism, she should have had a grasp on her chances of victory.
"Hikigaya-kun!"
While Hachiman was pondering why Yomi had ended up in such a state, she was getting closer and closer to the ground. Seeing the figure that was once a small black dot gradually take on a clear shape, Miko called out to Hachiman in desperation.
Though she didn't know the girl in the sky, she absolutely did not want to witness the tragedy of someone smashing onto the pavement!
"I know, I know."
Hearing Miko's call, Hachiman wore a look of resignation. In truth, even if Miko hadn't reminded him, he would have saved her. After all, she was a living person. Moreover, Kagura Tsuchimiya was a good friend of Komachi's; as an acquaintance, Hachiman couldn't just sit by and watch.
But...
"Falling from several hundred meters up? My math isn't exactly great..."
Scratching his head in annoyance, Hachiman raised his hand, releasing spiritual power to envelop Yomi and slow her descent. Finally, after determining the maximum impact her body
could withstand, he formed a sphere of spiritual energy around her, controlling its speed as it struck the ground.
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