"Eek—!"
"G-Go! Shoot! Stop him!!!"
An uncontrolled Mahiro was nothing short of a rampaging beast to Tsukasa Hajime, leaving him no room to regain his composure.
Fortunately.
His subordinates were obedient. Though they cast doubtful glances, they still drew their tactical knives and activated their rings for an assault.
The silent noise emitted from the sunstone crystals embedded in their rings enveloped them.
"Ugh..."
Mayumi staggered back two steps with a faint whimper. The magic she had prepared, along with her already-active "Multiple Observation," was severely disrupted.
Calculation interference.
This was a powerful counter against mages.
But Tsukasa Hajime's expression darkened as he watched the motionless young man standing before him.
He knew full well that this boy was nothing like the girl beside him...
Even if he relied solely on physical combat, none of the men present would be able to stop him!
With that thought, Tsukasa Hajime slowly retreated toward the door behind him.
"Trying to run?"
Mahiro's indifferent voice echoed softly.
Those words acted as a catalyst—prompting Tsukasa Hajime to turn and bolt outright!
But Mahiro only smiled.
The cat-and-mouse game... it had been a while. He missed it.
As the surrounding terrorists closed in to encircle him, he turned to Mayumi and said:
"Mayumi-senpai, what comes next might get a bit bloody. I suggest you close your eyes."
With that, he moved.
"This monster!"
Perhaps because he was entirely unaffected by the sunstone interference—or perhaps because their leader had fled—Mahiro's actions ignited sheer terror in the hearts of those present.
The group actually picked up their tactical knives and swung at him.
"Fools."
Facing the incoming blades, Mahiro simply turned and gracefully dodged, while his hand sliced across the opponent's body in passing.
Rip!
Flesh was torn apart on the spot, splattering blood all over the ground.
"Ugh!"
The man tried to scream, but no sound came out.
Because before the sound could turn into a scream, Mahiro's hand had already pierced his heart.
One down.
A cleansing spell activated immediately, and the blood staining Mahiro's body and face gradually separated and evaporated.
Yet even restored to his pristine state, the smile Mahiro cast their way seemed like that of a demon to these people!
Not to mention, in the next second, Mahiro charged into the crowd and began slaughtering.
Like a wolf among sheep, these people were utterly powerless to resist.
On the contrary, Mahiro only grew faster with each kill.
Every time his hand rose or fell like a blade, it claimed another life.
In less than a minute, the only ones left standing in the entire hall were Mahiro and Mayumi.
"...Mahiro-kun, isn't killing all of them a bit much? Shouldn't we leave one or two for questioning?"
"Questioning? For whom?"
Mahiro turned back to look at Mayumi, his gaze calm.
"Mayumi-senpai, I said from the beginning—this is an annihilation mission. The meaning of 'annihilation' is to eliminate everyone, leaving no survivors."
"Only by doing this, ensuring the Metropolitan Police can't trace any leads, will Mibu-senpai avoid being held accountable."
"If Mayumi-senpai is afraid of taking responsibility, don't worry. Just pin everything on me. If the Metropolitan Police have anything to say, let them take it up with my mother."
Dare to challenge Yotsuba Maya, blaming him for not leaving a single terrorist alive for them to investigate?
Unless the Metropolitan Police have a death wish, they wouldn't dare provoke the infamous [Queen of the Night].
Besides, what's the point of interrogating terrorists?
Don't they know? Only suspects need questioning—terrorists just need a list!
Yet, watching his retreating figure as he gave chase, Mayumi puffed her cheeks in displeasure.
That wasn't what she meant to say at all...
Taking in the sight of the corpses littering the ground, Mayumi took a deep breath.
Though her heart was still pounding, the stench of blood lingering in her nose was unbearable, and her face was unnaturally pale, she ultimately held her breath and ran after him.
...
...
...
"Don't... don't come any closer, you monster!!!"
"Hehehe..."
"...Did you pee your pants already?"
"...Did you say your prayers to God?"
"...Are you psychologically prepared to cower in the corner begging for your life?"
"I'm coming for you now."
Tsukasa Hajime fled ahead while Mahiro pursued him leisurely.
That bone-chilling laughter echoed through the empty corridor alongside unhurried footsteps.
Even the sound of crushed gravel was unnervingly distinct.
Until a large door blocked his escape route.
"Hiding inside, are we?"
Spirit Eyes—activate!
A faint arc of light flashed through Mahiro's eyes, granting him x-ray vision to clearly see the people within.
Nearly fifty armed personnel, all assault rifle barrels trained on the door.
And hiding at the center of the crowd was their leader, Tsukasa Hajime.
Seeing this, Mahiro conceived a new game.
[Information Body Analysis, commencing—]
[Individual information body analysis complete.]
[Loading magic sequence—complete.]
["Mist Dispersion"—activate!]
This was merely Mahiro's perspective.
From Tsukasa Hajime's viewpoint:
The demonic laughter and footsteps pursued him relentlessly until he barricaded himself inside the room, shielded by his men behind the sealed door.
Only then did the footsteps and laughter cease, stopping before the entrance.
The moment that door opened, bullets would greet that devil, executing him on the spot!
That's how it should have been.
Yet the next instant—
Everyone around him vanished.
Not metaphorically—they literally disappeared!
As if some force violently ripped them apart, exploding them into clouds of dust, utterly disintegrated!
Simultaneously, the room's temperature began steadily rising.
"H-hot! What is this?!"
Looking down, he saw heatwaves faintly shimmering across the floor!
Within moments, the entire room transformed into a scorching hell surpassing the fiercest summer!
"This... this is Sirius of USNA's Thirteen Apostles' "Muspelheim"?!"
"Well well, didn't expect you to recognize elite merchandise, mongrel."
Mahiro had decomposed the air into plasma, forcibly separating cations and electrons to create a high-energy electromagnetic field!
The entire room became a blazing cage!
As temperatures skyrocketed, screams erupted inside.
First wails, then pleas, escalating to shrieks before gradually weakening into silence.
The released light and heat melted both ceiling and floor, dissolving the sealed door!
Erika and Yuki, who had been waiting behind another door to ambush fleeing enemies, along with Mayumi who'd just arrived to regroup with Mahiro—
All watched helplessly as the door liquefied before their eyes.
Then a blistering heatwave assaulted them.
Even meters away, they felt the terrifying incineration capable of reducing everything to ashes!
Peering inside revealed no trace of enemies—only a molten cavern flowing with searing lava!
"Such terrifying magical power..."
This awestruck thought echoed unanimously.
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