[576] The Monster of Omnipotence (3)
* * *
Even after Shirone was summoned by Shiina, the black-and-white match kept raging.
In the training ground behind the graduating class, Amy and Anchal had ended up tied on ●● (heresy), and with both cards revealed they collided to claim the scramble.
Jincheon Sorcery — Serpent's Path.
A massive serpent coiled around Amy's body, climbed up, and bit into her torso.
"Ugh!"
It was only an illusion, but the psychic impact felt almost lethal.
What made it worse was that evasion was impossible.
'Crimson Eyes!'
Amy's eyes flared red and her mind reset, leaving Anchal's face creased with surprise.
'Self-portrait memory. Not hard.'
At school, the only one who could pressure her was at best Vice Principal Olivia—yet Crimson Eyes, which nullified illusions outright, was the worst possible counter.
Jincheon Sorcery — Blade Storm.
Thousands of blades shot up from the ground and swayed like grass; Amy felt as if her flesh were being shredded.
But once Crimson Eyes activated, any illusion collapsed.
Breaking through the blade storm, Amy threw a punch and Anchal trapped it between his elbow and knee.
"Ugh!"
It wasn't a schema technique, but it was the disciplined fighting of a trained professional.
'Eastern martial art. What is his deal?'
As Amy put distance between them and gathered herself, Anchal extended a hand.
"I will concede the scramble."
"Nonsense!"
"If you prefer, I'll forfeit the match."
"What?"
Only then did Amy stop.
"Further fighting is pointless. I only want to investigate Istas. I have no intention of interfering in school life."
His intentions were inscrutable.
'Come to think of it—he added in the negotiation that if he won he could have a private meeting with Shirone.'
If he lost, he'd agreed not to unseal the magic mask during the graduation test.
'There must be a definite objective, otherwise it doesn't add up. Is he really unconcerned about graduating?'
Amy asked directly.
"Who are you, exactly? Why would someone with your skill be at a school?"
"I collect dolls—"
"Shut up! Who's going to believe that now?"
Anchal sighed.
"I won't reveal my purpose. I only want to make a deal. As I said, I don't mind forfeiting. You can consult your teammates. But if you win—"
"No."
Amy cut him off.
"Everyone's fighting so fiercely they're risking even graduation evaluations. Whatever game you're playing, I won't accept secret deals. So fight with everything you've got."
"Is that so?"
Anchal murmured in his native tongue, lost in thought.
"I never understand Western ways."
"What did you just say?"
Amy flashed Crimson Eyes and lunged. Anchal waved his hand.
Jincheon Sorcery — Imagery Manifestation: Self-Portrait.
'Oh no!'
Flames burst up from Amy and formed into the massive figure of a woman.
It was a troublesome ability that literalized a target's mental image and turned it against its owner.
'This is my self-portrait?'
Amy looked up at the blazing figure.
It was an explosively powerful woman of fire—intense, commanding, and voluptuous.
"...Images get warped by complexes."
Amy's face flushed.
"Give me a break! I'm fine, really."
The fiery self-portrait swung a fist and bore down on Amy.
'Crimson Eyes!'
Amy might be the only one who could both manifest and immediately dispel a self-portrait, but by then Anchal had already slipped away.
"What the hell...?"
That he left without taking the scramble lent credence to his claim.
'I don't know what he's after.'
* * *
"I believe in existence. I believe your love will change the world."
In a deep forest where no one came, Eden prayed.
The alliance team's contract required them to keep combining Infinity until the end of day seven.
Given free rolls in return, she was pushing her faith to the limit for a decisive moment.
"God is omniscient, omnipotent, transcendent, and unique."
Therefore, the body that housed Jor was invincible.
"O Lord! Use me according to Your will."
Inarticulate prayers tumbled from her lips, and a holy light blazed from her body.
* * *
Bang!
Shiina slammed her desk and shouted, "Do you have any sense or not?! Fighting at school!"
"It isn't fighting, it's a scramble—"
"Shut up! You coddled them and now they can't tell front from back and are running wild?"
Shiina was reasonable by nature, but she left no room for argument this time.
"You're a walking strategic weapon! Don't you know nations are watching your movements? You came back from Heaven to play this childish game with your friends?"
Shiina had been part of the task force for the Heaven Project herself, so Shirone felt stung.
"This is a trap laid by Prings. If they wanted to kill someone, what could we do?"
"You'd be dead anyway."
Shiina's voice went cold.
"You should be grateful you caused a global incident. If your stunt had shown any humanity, you'd already be dead. Whether kingdom, organization, or shadow beneath the surface—someone would have assassinated you by now."
Shirone sank his head and Shiina's tone softened a little.
"You know it's not that something protects you. It's that everyone's a potential enemy, which is why they can't act yet. You're standing in the eye of a typhoon with an insanely tight core. If you stray even a little, you'll be swept away."
Time at school with his friends felt like a dream.
Did he think it would last forever?
"I'm sorry. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."
Shiina finally calmed, turned her chair, and folded her arms.
"Handle it quietly."
"Huh?"
When Shirone asked, Shiina frowned.
"The principal knows about the Scramble Royal. Olivia has influence among the faculty, but she can't block students' channels. If it's at an acceptable level the school will tolerate it, so clean this up quietly so nothing else gets said."
Shirone blinked, grasped her meaning, and replied, "Yes, understood."
"Now get out. And be clear: nothing like today must happen again. You hear me?"
Shirone bowed at the door and left quietly.
* * *
When Shirone returned to the field, Iruki had gathered everyone in the hideout.
At the halfway point of day four of the Scramble Royal, they'd noticed several oddities.
"Anchal proposed a secret meeting. Felt off, so I rejected it for now, but I thought I should report it."
"As expected, Caden left the field. I haven't seen him all day."
"He's probably receiving recovery magic. He'll be back before day seven."
"One odd thing: Eden's inactivity. She hasn't collected any scrambles."
"She got wrecked by Shirone yesterday. Maybe she gave up?"
Iruki shook her head.
"Don't be optimistic. The opponents aren't stupid. Assume they're aiming for something."
Sabina added, "Two members of the alliance team stopped operating, but Fishow has started collecting scrambles in earnest. They released insects and grabbed them fast, so their card-collection speed isn't that far off given their numbers."
"Now that we've seen a scramble can be moved by other factors, they'll use that aggressively. But we have Dorothy. From now on, in the late game, we have to think about total cards we can gather. Use Hickory to keep stockpiling scrambles. Can you handle it?"
"...Yes."
Dorothy answered in a small voice.
Iruki glanced at her listless attitude as she had the day before, but for now let it go and asked Shirone, "By the way, how did it go? Shiina summoned you, right?"
Shirone gave a wry nod. "I don't think I'll be allowed into classrooms anymore."
Nade ground his teeth. "Damn it, that's too much. Those bastards are definitely targeting you."
"No, it was my fault. I can't let juniors get hurt."
If the person involved said so, the friends had to accept it.
"It'll constrain your actions going forward. Now that scrambles can move, the alliance team will press relentlessly. Should we redesign our routes?"
"It's fine."
Shirone smiled. "We just finish before entering the training ground."
* * *
That night, Etella came to see Shiina late.
"How's Shirone? He must have been shaken today."
"He's calmed down and I sent him off."
Shiina touched her feverish forehead. "Sigh, I'm the worst teacher. I encouraged fighting."
"It couldn't be helped. It's not just a school problem."
They'd returned from Heaven, but it was only a ceasefire.
World leaders were watching Shirone's every move.
"This is frustrating. We don't know what's going on, so we can't find a solution."
"Shiina, just do what you can. The experts are already moving."
— Do what you want. Become a fine teacher.
Armin's voice echoed in her ear.
'After saying that...'
He'd gone completely off the radar since.
Actually, the one who made her more anxious was Kuan, not Armin.
'How could he? I sent so many letters.'
After getting no replies, a letter arrived from the Kaizen Sword School.
The wording was polite, but it said Kuan had quit the school and asked her to stop stalking him.
'Kuan said I could write! They make him look like a weird woman!'
Shiina grimaced at the stress, then her expression quieted.
'Where did he go?'
She didn't know, but one thing was certain: wherever he was standing now, it was the center of the world's fiercest battlefield.
"Ah."
Realizing she'd drifted, Shiina corrected her face. "Sorry. Why did you come? Is it about Shirone?"
"That, and I have something to tell you."
"What is it?"
Etella's expression turned grave. "I heard from Chief Teacher Colli: Fermi didn't attend the evaluations today."
"Fermi? That's unexpected."
As head of the Golden Wheel, he commanded powerful allies; it was the first time Shiina could remember him acting personally.
"Is it related to the Scramble Royal?"
"I can't say it isn't, but it's more likely an Istas problem. Of the Golden Wheel members in the Scramble Royal, there's Hershi and Caden. Fermi disappeared right before day five—the point where things heat up most. I wonder if this is a personal issue for Fermi rather than a Golden Wheel matter."
"So it's secretive enough to pull members' attention away from the Scramble Royal."
"Yes. That's the impression I have."
"Hmm."
Perched on the desk, Shiina thought for a moment, then turned back. "What on earth is in Istas to cause this? I thought Miro's destruction of the labyrinth's spacetime ended it."
When Etella hesitated, Shiina pressed her. "Tell me. I may have left the task force, but I can't just stand by. I need to know something to protect Shirone."
Etella took a breath as if resolved. "Alright. But don't get too deeply involved."
Shiina asked the pressing question first. "The rumors at the upper levels—are they true?"
Everything that shouldn't exist in this world exists.
"To be blunt, it wouldn't be entirely wrong."
Shiina went pale. "Really... there really is something like that? What is it?"
Etella recalled what she'd heard after returning from Heaven.
"What Miro told me was..."
A long story that would stretch into the night began.