Mash and his crew launched their mission to rescue Atsuko and take down Beatrice. The battle against the Justina Apostles began in earnest—
"Light, unleash!" Alice roared.
BOOOOM!
A blazing projectile erupted from Alice's Supernova, the sword of light. Traveling at 2,000 meters per second—six times the speed of sound—the radiant blade obliterated the Mimesis blocking their path, weapons and all, carving a clear route for Mash to charge forward.
"Whoa! What is that girl?!" Hiyori gasped.
"The perfect, ultimate hero, Alice Tendou!" Alice declared proudly.
"That tiny body packs a punch…" Hoshino muttered, impressed.
"Truly… she's a force to be reckoned with," Sakurako said, smiling.
(You guys are one to talk, Mash thought. That blast blinded both friend and foe, yet you're all just standing there like it's nothing.)
"I remember now," Saori said, eyes narrowing. "That light… it's the same one that hit Madam before. It was her attack."
"What, the one I deflected?" Mash asked.
"…I'm not even gonna comment," Saori sighed.
"Whatever! The path's clear!" Sakurako shouted. "Let's move, everyone!"
At Sakurako's command, Mash and the squad surged down the trail blazed by Supernova's light. Before the Mimesis could counter, Aru, Hiyori, and Hina sniped their heads with pinpoint precision, halting their advance.
"Outta the way!" Aru bellowed.
"Ghosts should stay in their graves!" Hina snapped.
Neru and Tsurugi closed in on the staggered clones, unleashing a barrage of bullets, kicks, and rifle-butt strikes, scattering them like leaves. Hoshino and Mine raised bulletproof shields, blocking every attack aimed at their allies with unwavering resolve.
"Got your backs!" Hoshino called.
"That's reassuring," Tsurugi grinned.
"Leave the healing to me," Mine added.
"On it," Tsurugi replied.
"Keep moving!" Saori ordered. "Sumire-chan, Mika-san—combo attack!"
"Got it!" Sumire shouted.
"You're on!" Mika cheered.
Mash, Sumire, and Mika unleashed their superhuman speed, delivering a relentless flurry of strikes that mowed down the Apostles blocking the road. The clogged street gradually opened, and at last, a path to the Basilica was secured.
"Sensei, leave the stragglers to us Cream Puff Club!" Mobue yelled. "Get going!"
"But—" Mash hesitated.
"We're probably at our limit with these guys," Mobuko admitted. "We'd just slow you down!"
"I-I can still fight!" Mobumi protested.
"Go, Sensei!" Mobue urged.
"Fine, I'll stay and lead," Makoto declared. "The great Makoto-sama's got this."
"Oh, then I'm staying too!" Asuna chirped.
"I'll stay as well," Sumire said.
"…Me too," Azusa added.
"No, Azusa-san, you go with Sensei," Mobuko insisted. "That Princess is your family, right? Go get her. We've got this."
"…!" Azusa faltered.
"Everyone," Mash said, locking eyes with Azusa.
The old Mash might've hesitated, reluctant to leave his allies behind. But now, meeting Azusa's gaze, he turned to the others with unshakable resolve.
"I'm counting on you," he said.
"Thank you, all of you," Azusa added.
"Heck yeah! Sensei's counting on us—let's do this!" Mobue roared.
"YEAH!" the Cream Puff Club cheered in unison.
Trusting his allies, Mash and Azusa, alongside the Arius Squad, set their sights on Beatrice's stronghold in the Basilica. They didn't look back—not once.
"Makoto-san, you're in charge!" Mobue shouted.
"I'll follow your lead!" Asuna said. "Any friend of Master's is trustworthy."
"Orders, Leader," Sumire said.
"Heh, fine," Makoto grinned. "No one acts alone—move in pairs or trios. We're guarding Sensei's back, and not a single needle gets through. No one dies—we all make it back alive!"
"Hell yeah!" the group roared.
As Mash's team approached the Basilica, another wave of Justina Apostles appeared, this time mixed with unfamiliar, enhanced variants—likely empowered by Beatrice's magic and Gematria's technology. Unlike the pale blue Apostles, these wore black ceremonial garb.
"More of them?!" Hiyori gasped.
"They're relentless," Saori said. "And those… they're not normal."
"Feathered heads, multi-eyed clones… Beatrice has been tinkering again," Misaki muttered.
"They're probably stronger. Stay sharp," Sakurako warned.
"Alright, Uncle's going first!" Hoshino said, her laid-back tone belying her ferocity.
Hoshino charged with a speed that belied her casual demeanor, her trusty rifle and sidearm weaving a merciless storm of bullets that cut through the Apostles.
"Can't let her steal the show!" Neru shouted.
"Sakurako, Mine—cover us!" Tsurugi called.
"On it!" Mine replied.
"Let's save them!" Sakurako declared.
"Not letting Hoshino-senpai hog the spotlight," Shiroko added.
Neru leaped into the air, raining Parabellum rounds like a storm. Tsurugi blasted staggered Apostles with shotgun shells, while Sakurako, Mine, and Shiroko provided covering fire. The battalion-sized horde dwindled rapidly.
"Whoa—!" Hoshino stumbled, caught off guard.
GRAB!
(They're focusing their strength—bad news!) Hoshino thought.
A red Mimesis slipped through, taking Hoshino's attack head-on to grapple her. As it lifted her small frame off the ground, crimson energy pulsed through its body, ready to self-destruct with her in its grasp. But Mine charged in, slamming her shield into the clone with a bone-rattling CRASH!
"Rescue!" Mine shouted.
BOOM!
"Thanks, Mine-chan," Hoshino panted. "That was… unexpected."
"No trouble," Mine said. "But using the dead like tools… How far will they go to mock life?!"
"Those red ones are suicide bombers," Sakurako said. "Treat them as such."
"Ugh, that's disgusting," Neru spat.
"Seriously bad taste," Shiroko agreed.
"Sensei, we'll handle these," Hoshino said. "You go ahead."
"Got it," Mash nodded.
Hoshino, Sakurako, Mine, Shiroko, Tsurugi, Neru, and Hina—seven in total—stayed to hold the central district, teeming with red Mimesis. Mash and the Arius Squad entrusted the fight to them, racing toward Atsuko.
"Saori-chan, Arius Squad," Hoshino called.
"What is it, Hoshino Takanotsume?" Saori replied.
"Save your precious person, no matter what," Hoshino said.
"Absolutely," Saori nodded fiercely.
Watching them go, Hoshino allowed herself a small smile before her expression hardened.
"Alright, everyone," she said. "Let's make this flashy."
To spare Sensei the pain she'd known, to clear his path, Hoshino vowed to stop the Apostles here—and ensure everyone survived.
"Their numbers are thinning," Mine noted.
"No issue," Hina said. "Our win condition is Sensei beating that woman and saving the Princess. Focus on that."
"Everyone, get down!" Alice shouted.
BOOM!
Near the Basilica, Mash's group was ambushed. Sensing the attack, Alice deployed Supernova's barrel, blasting the assailant away.
"That… that's…" Misaki stammered.
"The puppet Beatrice made," Saori said grimly.
"A rock puppet… Real ninja arts?!" Izuna gasped.
"No, Beatrice called it magic," Saori corrected. "The greatest thing she'd acquired."
"Probably golems," Mash said. "And there's a ton of them."
Before them stood a horde of rock-hewn giants dressed in military uniforms, resembling high-ranking officers. Save for their massive size, they looked like oversized men—men the Arius Squad recognized all too well. These were the likenesses of the adults who'd once brutalized them under Beatrice's command.
"There's hundreds of them!" Hiyori cried.
"We can't fight them all!" Misaki said.
"Then leave this to me," Wakamo said, stepping forward. "You and the others, go."
"Wait!" Saori protested. "Even for you, that's too many!"
"This is my resolve, my duty," Wakamo said coldly. "I don't need outsiders interfering."
Was this her atonement for causing Mash pain? Wakamo, masked as the Fox of Calamity, raised her rifle. She'd always fought alone; numbers didn't faze her. She was used to solitude—or so she thought.
"What are you doing, Izuna?" Wakamo asked. "Your mission is to protect Sensei."
"Yes—but a ninja never abandons their comrades," Izuna replied.
"Alice will stay too!" Alice declared. "A hero saves more than just their party!"
"I'm sticking around too," Aru said. "You'll need my cover fire, right?"
"You…" Wakamo faltered.
Wakamo, who cared only for Mash, couldn't understand why they'd stay for her sake.
"I could handle this alone," she insisted. "Don't meddle."
"Sure, do your thing," Aru said. "But I'm helping you anyway. I don't care what you think of me—Mash's friends are my friends, and I protect my friends."
"!" Wakamo froze.
"I've held back long enough!" Alice said. "Alice will stay and protect her comrades. A hero can't abandon them!"
"Izuna swore eternal loyalty to my lord," Izuna said. "And as Wakamo-neesama's junior, protecting my sister is my duty too!"
"Izuna…" Wakamo murmured.
"So we fight together!" Izuna pleaded. "Let us fight with you, Neesama!"
"…Do what you want," Wakamo said, hiding her tears as she aimed at the golems.
Turning to Mash, she spoke one last time. "The enemy's close. Go."
"Thanks," Mash said. "Everyone, be careful."
"Go do your thing, Mash-kun!" Aru said, grinning. (Wow, I'm so cool right now!)
"Uh, this is where I say, 'Leave this to us and go!' right?" Alice asked.
"My lord, Saori-dono, everyone—good luck!" Izuna called.
Wakamo, Izuna, Alice, and Aru charged the golem army. Mash and the Arius Squad pressed on to the Basilica.
Inside the Arius District's Basilica, the air was heavy with an eerie stillness. The hall, adorned with garish red and dark black decor, felt more like a sacrificial chamber than a holy sanctuary, its blood-like hues unsettling. Mash and the squad frowned at the grotesque atmosphere. At the far end, a shadowy object loomed, barely visible in the dim light.
"No enemies," Misaki noted.
"It's… weirdly clean for Arius," Hiyori said.
"Of course it's clean," Saori scoffed. "It's her sacred altar to glorify herself."
"It's creepy," Azusa said.
"Yeah, and tacky," Mika added. "All this red… it's like a dungeon or something."
"That's not for children to understand," a voice sneered.
"Ugh, there she is," Mika groaned. "Everyone's out there fighting, and you're just watching? Not embarrassed?"
"Those in command oversee the bigger picture," Beatrice replied, her tone smug.
"You're strong, but that's just laughable," Saori shot back.
The root of all evil revealed herself—Beatrice. Despite being cornered, she exuded confidence, as if victory was assured.
"Beatrice!" Azusa shouted. "Where's the Princess? Where's Atsuko?!"
"No need to rush," Beatrice sneered. "You'll see her soon… in the afterlife."
As she cackled, a red glow illuminated the Basilica, revealing the object at its heart: Atsuko, bound to a cross before a stained-glass window, entangled in crimson thorns. Masked and clad only in her undergarments, she hung limply, motionless.
"Princess!" Saori cried.
"Princess-chan!" Hiyori gasped.
"No…!" Misaki whispered.
"Talk about bad taste!" Mika snapped.
"Mash Burnedead," Beatrice said, her voice dripping with venom. "You're a wall in my path, a pest. Your face haunts me, infuriates me."
"Feeling's mutual," Mash replied. "So let's end this."
"Oh, we will," Beatrice said. "By erasing you all!"
With a snap of her fingers, a red energy barrier enveloped Beatrice. Then, crashing through the arched ceiling came a towering figure—twice the height of a normal student, clad in black robes and a veil, wielding massive firearms with ease: the Black Saint.
"What the heck is that?" Mash muttered.
"Saint Barbara," Beatrice declared. "My ultimate shield, here to destroy you."
"This… pressure!" Saori gasped.
"What's this chill… this dread?!" Hiyori stammered.
"Is that… her trump card?" Misaki whispered. "Can we even fight that?"
"Be careful, Mash-kun," Mika warned. "That's Barbara, the greatest saint in Justina history—Trinity's strongest figure since its founding."
Barbara aimed her colossal weapons at Mash's group. Behind her, Beatrice watched like a spectator at a cruel show. The path forward was clear.
"Saori-san, Azusa-chan, step back," Mash said.
"Why?!" Saori protested. "She's no ordinary foe—we can help!"
"Just trust us," Mika said. "We've got this."
"You think you can win?" Azusa asked, skeptical.
"We will win," Mash said. "Because it's me and Mika-san."
Mash and Mika stepped forward confidently, striking a stance. Saori and the others retreated, knowing their weapons couldn't pierce Beatrice's barrier.
"Barbara," Mika said softly, "you're just a puppet now. That's… sad. So we'll pray for you."
"And we'll defeat you—for your sake," Mash added.
A flicker of unease crossed Barbara's veiled face.
In the sacred Basilica, the battle between the ultimate saint and the muscle-bound duo began.
Mash struck first, launching a powerful straight punch at Barbara's face.
(Tough—like that snake from Abydos, he thought.)
Clang!
The blow merely scratched her gas mask. Barbara retaliated, aiming her automatic grenade cannon at Mash's stomach. Mika shouted, "Mash-kun, jump!"
Mash leaped, dodging the blast. Mika channeled mystic energy into her rifle, Quis ut Deus, firing a purple light bullet that hit Barbara, staggering her.
"Nice, Mika-san!" Mash called, following with a lightning-fast heel drop to Barbara's head.
Barbara blocked with her cannon, swatting Mash into the air. She then unleashed a barrage of over a thousand rounds from her left-hand Gatling gun.
"Hup, yo, take that!" Mash said, using the blue bullets as stepping stones to dodge mid-air.
"He's… riding the bullets?!" Saori gasped.
"Is anything off-limits for him?" Misaki muttered.
"Hey, don't ignore me!" Mika shouted, launching a flying kick at Barbara.
Thud!
"Wow, you're really tough!" Mika said, blocking Barbara's counter with her wings and firing mystic bullets at point-blank range. Barbara staggered but stood firm.
"Maestro built her, and I enhanced her with my power," Beatrice boasted. "She's made to withstand your blows, Mash Burnedead."
"Thanks for the heads-up," Mash said. "Hup!"
"Mash-kun, let's smash her weapons first!" Mika called.
"Got it," Mash replied.
Mash launched forward, unleashing a Meteor Leg that shattered Barbara's right-hand cannon. Mika leaped onto the Gatling gun, crushing it with her brute strength. The twisted barrels snapped, spilling bullets like sand.
"Double Biceps Magic!" Mash flexed.
"Double… Lariat!" Mika roared.
The duo hit Barbara with simultaneous lariats, sending her skyward. They leaped after her, grabbing her upper and lower body in a shrimp-like lock.
"Together, Mash-kun!" Mika shouted.
"Combo Magic: Muscle Two-Platoon Magnum!" Mash declared.
They plummeted, slamming Barbara into the ground. The ornate tiles shattered, the Basilica quaking from the impact. The shockwave staggered Saori, Azusa, and even Beatrice, whose barrier cracked under the force.
"What… what was that move?!" Hiyori gasped.
"Why are they wrestling instead of shooting?!" Misaki groaned.
"But that means—" Saori started.
"A minor surprise," Beatrice interrupted. "Barbara's still operational."
Freed from their hold, Barbara grabbed Mash and Mika, hurling them forward. They landed gracefully, dusting off their clothes, and faced her again.
"She's still moving after that?" Mash said.
"Worthy of a saint," Mika noted.
"RRRAAAGH!"
Barbara's cracked mask revealed half her face, her scream echoing through the Basilica. Her robes tattered, blue-white mist seeped from her wounds as she charged for close combat.
The clash of fists resounded, a brutal exchange with neither side yielding. Beatrice watched, baffled. Why weren't they injured? Mika bore scratches and bruises, but Mash was unscathed.
(The Shittim Chest! Beatrice realized.)
Mash had activated Arona's barrier before the fight, a thin shield protecting him from bullets and shrapnel, allowing him to fight unhindered.
"Cheap tricks!" Beatrice spat.
"You're one to talk, using the dead like toys," Mash shot back.
"Barbara!" Beatrice screamed. "Is that all your power is?! Show these fools the might of a saint!"
"Quiet, hag," Mika said. "We need to let her rest."
Mika kicked Barbara's jaw, then slammed her heel into her face, shattering the gas mask completely. Barbara's face was revealed—a human expression, filled with suppressed pain, sorrow, and loneliness.
"Let's end this, Mash-kun," Mika said.
"Yeah," Mash replied, clenching his fists.
Barbara's face, unlike the cold Justina Apostles, was achingly human. The Justina Saints, revered founders of Trinity, had been exploited as pawns by ambitious adults, used even in death. Mash and Mika resolved to free her.
"Tag Magic: Gemini Strike!" they shouted.
They flanked Barbara, unleashing a torrent of blows like a raging river. When she tried to escape upward, Mika smashed her down with a jump-serve-like strike, sending her back to Mash for another relentless barrage. They targeted her unbreakable body, striking until cracks spread.
"Mika-san, jump!" Mash called.
"Got it!" Mika replied.
Mash crouched, linking his hands as a platform. Mika stepped onto them, and Mash launched her skyward, her leap surpassing Barbara's ascent. Mika clasped her hands, hammering Barbara's back with a devastating blow. The saint plummeted toward Mash—
"AMEN!" Mash roared, driving a full-power punch into Barbara's abdomen.
The steel-like fist sank deep, tearing her belt and robes. Barbara soared upward, then crashed to the floor, her expression serene, almost grateful, as she burst into light and disintegrated.
"W-Woah!" Mika flailed, realizing she was still airborne.
"Careful!" Mash slid beneath her, catching her in a princess carry.
"Thanks, Mash-kun… Nice punch!" Mika grinned.
"You were awesome too, Mika-san," Mash said. "Now for…"
Beatrice stood stunned, her invincible weapon destroyed without a scratch on Mash. Her mind reeled, unable to process the loss.
(Impossible… This can't be… A mistake…)
"You're wide open," Mash said.
"Wha—?!" Beatrice gasped.
"Divine Retribution!" CRASH!
Seizing the moment when Beatrice's focus wavered and her barrier weakened, Mash unleashed a fury-fueled punch. It shattered the candy-like barrier, striking her face and sending her crashing into the Basilica's depths.
"GAAH?!" Beatrice screamed, clutching her face. "You… you dare strike my face?!"
"That was for Barbara," Mash said, pointing at her. "Next one's for everyone else."
-------------------------------
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