Gauging just how strong Wakamo is isn't a simple matter.
In the original story, whenever she unexpectedly appeared as an enemy to Sensei, Wakamo's power level fluctuated wildly. Sometimes, she'd be taken down by a stray bullet from Valkyrie's Kirino Nakatsukasa; other times, she'd whine and cry after getting hit by a few of Shiroko's shots, reducing her to the level of a pathetic mob character.
But Sensei isn't here. This means Wakamo will absolutely, under no circumstances, show such a pathetic side.
Therefore, to properly assess her, one must analyze her combat prowess from the Abydos Resort event, where she clashed with Hoshino. First, you'd need to determine Hoshino's exact strength, then factor in the influence of Sensei's command, add the hovercraft into the calculation, and…
Well, if you go through all that trouble to estimate her peak performance, Wakamo could potentially rank just below the top five most powerful individuals in Kivotos.
When Wakamo's bullet struck my forehead, I was able to get a rough estimate of her power.
She was definitely weaker than Neru or Hina. Even accounting for the power of a bolt-action rifle, my judgment was that she fell short of those two. Still, the fact that she could fire a bolt-action rifle one-handed proved she was no slouch…
But there was no way I was going to lose to her, not when I was possessing a body that was essentially a cheat code within Kivotos.
Thwack!
As she fled, Wakamo fired off shots one by one, but they rarely connected. Even when they did, they were just glancing blows or body shots that didn't impede my movement. What was important was that with every shot she fired, the already-shrinking distance between us grew even smaller.
"Oh, little fox, little fox, what are you doing~"
"St-stop…! What in the world is that body of yours made of?! Even a tank isn't that sturdy!"
"Wa-oh. You have a way of saying the rudest things, Wakamo-chan. First, you greet me with a bullet, and now this. I think you need to learn some manners. Yes, you'll have to if you want to make a good impression on your beloved one day."
"My beloved one? What are you—"
BOOM!
"Kyaa!"
"Well, that's if you don't get caught by me here today."
"Miss Fox, let's… let's negotiate!"
"Ahaha, why would I do that?"
Seeing the crater in the wall, Wakamo cried out desperately, but I could always negotiate after I'd punished her. There was absolutely no reason to agree.
My fist tingling, I shook it out and continued the pursuit. On another note, she'd been calling me "Miss Fox" for a while now. Surely she didn't see this headband and think I was a real fox beastkin, right? Since when were the wings on my back just for decoration?
We raced through the ship's well-equipped facilities—the library, the gymnasium, the classrooms. I was faster, but her unique agility made her difficult to catch.
One thing I noticed was that there wasn't a single area without bombs. The thought that they were all plastic explosives sent a chill down my spine.
"You're so persistent. A little too persistent! Clingy women aren't attractive, you know…!"
"...What?"
The shocking statement that escaped Wakamo's lips made me question her. What was that? Had my ears gone bad?
As that thought raced through my mind, an ominous aura began to rise around Wakamo. With an illusion of scattering cherry blossoms, she aimed her rifle at me.
"Please, just stop chasing me!"
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!
What followed was a five-shot volley that defied all common sense. I had already confirmed she hadn't modified the gun itself when I saw her forget to work the bolt earlier. This had to be the work of her Mystic.
Suddenly, I found myself missing the body bunker I'd left on the deck. We were in a narrow, straight corridor with nowhere to dodge. In that brief moment, as the gunshots echoed, I saw the Mystic still lingering around her and knew the attack wasn't over.
So I ran. I decided to tank the five shots, raising my arms to shield my face as I charged forward. My choice seemed to startle Wakamo, who hesitated for a moment before pulling the trigger again.
BANG!
In addition to the bullets peppering my arms, one struck me squarely in the solar plexus, knocking the wind out of me. But I pushed through it and, at just the right moment, threw myself to the floor. Thankful that I had borrowed combat boots instead of my usual heels, I watched a crimson bullet radiating an aura of 'Yeah, that would hurt…' fly over me.
After sliding across the floor, I turned my gaze back to Wakamo and raised my gun. At that moment, her rifle, still aimed at me, caught my eye.
"Ufufu…"
A laugh escaped Wakamo's lips, and my eyes widened. Her mask hid her face, but I was certain a clear smile was gracing her lips.
Instinctively, I drew out as much of my Mystic as I could. Just as Wakamo pulled the trigger once more, my own finger moved.
A starry sky mingled with the blood-red light.
The ensuing explosion threw me backward, and I worriedly wondered if it had reacted with any of the installed bombs. Wakamo's third volley had been so unexpected that it had forced me to use the Mystic I had resolved to avoid.
Just by the count, that was seven shots. Seven shots from a bolt-action rifle without a single reload. Of course, the first five hadn't felt particularly powerful, but the final one was intense enough to trigger a primal sense of danger even in me. It meant that Wakamo had put her all into that attack.
"...Kgh."
As the smoke cleared, Wakamo was revealed, her mask gone, leaning on her rifle for support. She must have taken a huge hit, having expended so much power and taken the brunt of a point-blank explosion. I, on the other hand, still had plenty of Mystic in reserve and a body that was ridiculously sturdy, so I was in better shape.
Without hesitation, I aimed my gun at her again and got to my feet.
"If you reach for that, I really won't hold back. Do you really want to continue?"
Seeing her hand inch toward her bayonet, I spoke. She flinched and, after a moment's hesitation, lowered her hand. With her mask gone, the frustration was plain on her face.
"There, there, that's a good girl. You knew you didn't have a chance, right, Wakamo-chan? There are five of us, you have nowhere to run, and there's no way you can take on the Odyssey students on top of that. Mmm, you were just delaying the inevitable, weren't you?"
"...It's frustrating."
"Hmm?"
"It's frustrating! Yes, I'm filled with a frustration so intense it feels like my insides will burst. Even though I knew from the moment I saw you that I couldn't win… it's frustrating to have to admit defeat like this…!"
"Coming from someone who was practically begging to negotiate a minute ago, that doesn't quite fit…"
"I-I wasn't begging! And besides, you're not a fox girl…?"
Wakamo's words made me reach for my head. The headband was gone. It must have been blown off in the explosion.
But that aside.
"Hey, Wakamo-chan. Can you not see the wings on my back?"
"...H-huh?"
"You're really something else, in so many ways…"
A sigh escaped me. I had gotten used to people not recognizing others by their halos, but to think she'd mistake me for a real fox beastkin when I had wings in plain sight.
"Then why were you wearing a headband like that…?"
"Don't ask."
It's embarrassing, so please don't ask… Looking back, I have no idea what possessed me to do that in front of Yukino.
"Anyway, you said you wanted to negotiate, right?"
"...Yes."
"Alright, let's negotiate," I said, strolling leisurely toward her. When I was right in front of her, I delivered my verdict.
"Right after you take a few of these."
Your sentence is seven flicks to the forehead.
After receiving a hellish series of seven forehead flicks that would have made Seia faint, Wakamo clutched her head and whimpered.
"Th-this is excessively cruel treatment…"
"Says the terrorist who hijacked a school ship, launched a missile attack, and tried to sink said school ship?"
"I'll admit to the first two charges. But the last one isn't true…! In the first place, those were just made to look the part. Their actual power was, at best, less than a grenade's."
"...Hmm. Is that so? Then let's have a few more."
"What?! No. Stop. Don't do it. Why, why are you coming closer…?!"
Do you have any idea how much stress those bombs caused us? Of course I'm pissed. Even if they had been real, I would have hit her more. The fact that it was such an effective tactic made it even more infuriating. She owed Yukino, who must have suffered the most from the mental pressure of having lives on her shoulders, a sincere apology.
"Anyway, give me your wrists and your gun. I need to hold on to you tight so you don't run before my friends get here."
"The gun is a bit…"
"Hey, Wakamo-chan. Who lets a prisoner keep their weapon? Don't be ridiculous. Hand it over."
"Hmph."
Alright, does that mean this incident is more or less wrapped up? The missile strike was intercepted, Wakamo is captured, and the bombs turned out to be fakes…
Screee—
[FOX 5, can you identify the source of that explosion we heard just now?]
"Ahaha, just a regular grenade, I guess."
Hearing Yukino's question, I glanced at Wakamo before answering nonchalantly.
"Oh, right, the Fox of Calamity has been neutralized. And after a little questioning, she said the bombs only look the part and aren't actually that powerful."
[...Wait, what do you mean? There's no way FOX 4 would have identified them as plastic explosives just by their appearance.]
[Ah, that's right. The ones I checked were, without a doubt, C4.]
"Th-that can't be…?!"
As Wakamo muttered with wide eyes, Otogi's voice continued.
[Electric detonators and all, they were definitely genuine. The kind that would blow this whole school ship to the bottom of the ocean with one press of the detonator.]
"To think that I, of all people, was deceived by those tin cans…"
Remembering the countless bombs I'd seen on my way here, I quickly gestured for Wakamo to follow me and started running. If Wakamo was saying she was deceived…
It was entirely possible that the detonator that could set them off was never in her possession to begin with.
"...This is FOX 5. We need to get to the deck. Right now."
Only then did I fully realize just how wise Yukino's decision to prioritize the evacuation of civilians had been.
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