One-way traffic

"So you... beat her up like this?!"

"After all, you humans have a saying: 'An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.'"

Shido Itsuka doesn't have any ability to monitor the strength of other people's life force, but even so, he can tell with his naked eye what kind of condition Mana Takamiya is in when she lies there.

Putting aside the consequences of being hit by a bullet of spiritual energy, the sheer amount of blood that flowed out was already a fatal injury.

Unlike Kurumi Tokisaki, Mana Takamiya is not an elf.

No matter how many times she is strengthened, her body is just that of an ordinary human. Facing such a fatal injury abruptly will only result in one outcome.

Facing death.

"How is it, Shido-kun?"

The girl's tone was very gentle.

With a gentle tone that sounded like she was whispering sweet nothings, she walked step by step to Itsuka Shido's side.

Even after things have come to this, can you still say things to me like you just said?

hateful…!!

The problem that Itsuka Shido is facing now is no longer a simple crisis.

At this moment, Mana Takamiya urgently needs treatment, and Tohka Yatogami and Origami Tobiichi are also in poor condition. Add to that the hundreds of teachers and students in the entire school building…

If Kurumi Tokisaki were to actually start a massacre here, it would be an unprecedented and horrific massacre.

And the reason for all of this was simply because he had said those kinds of things to her.

but.

even so.

"...I will never give up."

"What…?"

"I said I would never give up... I would never give up on saving you! Kurumi!"

Even though he was so provoked by what he saw that he knelt down, Itsuka Shido still managed to utter those words.

He uttered these words from the depths of his heart.

Even Kurumi Tokisaki frowned at this moment.

"Well... it seems that Shido-kun has no intention of continuing the conversation."

"That's fine too~ Anyway, my patience has already been worn down to the limit. Since Shido-kun is so stubborn, it seems that in the end I will have to teach him a lesson."

Damn it... what should I do...?

Although he had always insisted on wanting to save Kurumi Tokisaki, what should he do at this moment?

How could someone with no power at all possibly persuade Kurumi in front of him?

"…hateful!!"

Tohka Yatogami and Origami Tobiichi collapsed here while trying to save him, and Mana Takamiya suffered an unprecedented disaster because of him.

Everything was a result of his powerlessness.

The boy, deeply regretting his actions, clenched his teeth tightly.

"That's right...not bad at all, that expression is really good...!"

Upon seeing this, Kurumi Tokisaki immediately showed her joy.

The despair in Itsuka Shido's eyes instantly brought a look of extreme joy to her face, like someone on a diet who had just eaten cake; her expression was one of unparalleled happiness.

She raised her hand like that, and soon, a disaster called a spacequake would appear in the sky.

As an elf from another world, she can easily create this kind of alien-like spatial effect.

Helpless, Itsuka Shido could only watch as she completed this nightmarish ordeal.

then.

"...?"

Even if power has been gathered in one's hands, even if one's consciousness has been transmitted to the upper levels of this world.

Even though these things have already been done.

At this moment, Tokisaki Kurumi still failed to trigger a spacequake.

"What?"

"There's no need to look so surprised."

A calm, reassuring sound came from afar.

Not only that, it even feels incredibly familiar.

Click. The rooftop door was flung open, and a figure emerged looking completely relaxed.

It wasn't support from AST, nor was it anything else.

It was a very pale shadow, white to the extreme.

The moment they saw the newcomer, both Itsuka Shido and Tokisaki Kurumi showed a startled expression.

Those who step forward at such a moment are definitely not ordinary people. Everyone present understood this and clearly guessed who would step into this battlefield that does not belong to ordinary people.

But witnessing this scene in person still left everyone in awe.

The newcomer had hair that was even whiter than the surrounding area bathed in sunlight.

The newcomer's eyes revealed a strange, exquisite glint, as if drawn from blood.

Regardless of the truth, they have lived in the same school and even lived nearby. For Itsuka Shido, the other person should be someone he sees frequently.

but why?

The white figure standing in front of him at this moment was at a level that made it almost impossible for him to control his breathing.

"Gurgle...waa..."

Before he knew it, he felt his back was soaked with sweat.

The first one in white simply walked slowly on the rooftop, doing nothing; rather, that's what makes it strange.

Even though he did nothing, he still exuded a suffocating aura that was hard to ignore and impossible to detect.

Even though he does give off a cold feeling in everyday life, the feeling he evokes now is completely unrelated to the concept of "everyday life."

He was neither a student nor an ordinary resident.

That number one with white hair and red eyes is the strongest monster among the 2.3 million people in the entire Academy City.

Accelerator approached the two of them at a distance of less than ten meters, as if taking a leisurely stroll.

The person in first place appeared very calm.

"Now that you know I'm here, you shouldn't be making that incredibly stupid face, right?"

"...Hmph, what an interesting development."

She now fully understands why her spacequakes are unable to be activated.

However, Kurumi Tokisaki did not stop there.

The girl in gothic clothing chuckled and spread her arms wide.

"The atmosphere today seems a bit different from when I used to see it at school."

"Really? Then what do you think is the reason?"

"Oh dear... is it because someone attacked the students and teachers at this school without permission? Or... is it because of the people here?"

Boom boom boom boom——! ! !

The sound was coming from inside the rooftop floor.

"Varied--?!"

"This is bad! Shido! Get out of the way—!"

There wasn't time to inform them of the situation.

The two girls who had fallen not far away were gripped by arms that emerged from deep within the floor, as pale as withered bones, and their limbs instantly lost all strength.

The only active barrier of the City of Food exploded beneath the two people.

The expressions on the two girls' faces instantly turned as pale as the arm.

"Tohka! Origami!"

"Shido-kun, there's no need to be in such a hurry, is there? Those are just appetizers~"

"Kurumi...! You really, really have no intention of stopping?!"

Shido Itsuka gritted his teeth, seemingly still hoping to seize the last opportunity even at this point.

however.

Do you really think that woman will listen to you?

Regardless of the expression on Itsuka Shido's face, Accelerator simply looked at him and said casually.

"I'll tell you this: everything you just said, including all your performance so far."

"From the very beginning, this bastard had predicted it all."

Thus, all the preconditions were shattered.

Itsuka Shido felt a jolt of despair in his heart. Had he predicted everything? In other words…

"That's right, I guessed from the beginning what you were planning to say to me, Shido-kun~"

"You're joking... right? Well, if that's the case..."

"Yes, I have no intention of changing myself, and I would never do that even for Shido-kun. On the contrary... rather than changing myself for Shido-kun, I would prefer the other situation."

The girl's expression then changed.

One scarlet eye became ferocious, as if flashing red light.

"I just hope that Shido-kun will behave properly and not make me go through so much trouble to completely devour you and absorb all the power in your body as nourishment for me."

It's too late, everything is already too late.

Itsuka Shido's arms trembled weakly, and even though he wanted to say something, he was completely speechless.

Countless pale arms surged towards him from the inside of the floor.

however.

The strongest one gently touched the ground with his toes.

Boom-! ! !

The pile of rubble was swept away, and the entire teaching building trembled from this seemingly insignificant movement.

In the distance, the arms that were covering Origami Tobiichi and Tohka Yatogami were all knocked away by an unseen impact, but the two girls were not harmed at all.

Shido Itsuka also saw his body fly out as if on a trampoline.

His body instantly flew away from Kurumi, increasing the distance between him and the two of them.

"Now that you understand, get out of here."

Even if Itsuka Shido could seal the spirit's power with his own body, it would be meaningless in this situation.

That being the case.

"You're not doing anything useful by staying here, so go do what you can."

Whatever he can do.

Seeing the girl, also his younger sister, still lying in a pool of blood in the distance, Itsuka Shido suddenly came to his senses.

No hesitation.

The boy ran quickly over and picked the other person up from the pool of blood, then went to the other two girls.

The distance was instantly widened.