Chapter 6 True Intentions Amidst the Flames

It was a cage.

A cage kept in deplorable conditions. Even a beast would have been treated with more dignity, yet there the girl sat, huddled in the corner, bound by heavy chains.

She was, quite literally, a sideshow attraction.

A [Dampiel]—whose abilities were no different from those of a human child—was the perfect target. People would throw stones at her to safely vent their rage toward the [Vampire] race, the natural enemies of humanity. This cage was the main event.

The organizers even went so far as to rig the stones; they were made of a brittle material that would shatter upon impact. Since each stone was sold for a set price, the management couldn't afford to have their "merchandise" break too easily.

This depraved spectacle was popular enough that an entire bucket of stones would vanish every single day.

That was how much [Vampires] were loathed in this world. Their predations had become a part of life—villages, towns, and sometimes entire nations were wiped out by their hand.

The girl had ended up in that cage after her mother died of illness.

Her mother had undoubtedly been a normal human. She had raised Pina all by herself, with no memory of a father, showering her with love.

Because of that, the girl hadn't even known she was a [Dampiel].

Once her mother’s protection was gone, it took no time at all for the truth to come out, and for her to be sold into this sideshow.

Being struck by stones intended to carry the weight of grudges wasn't enough to kill her.

But that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

Drop dead, someone had shouted while throwing a rock.

It was a sentiment shared by anyone who had been hurt by a [Vampire].

People whose homes had been destroyed, those whose friends had been murdered... and, of course, the girl inside the cage herself.

She thought it would be better if she just died.

After all, she wasn't human. She carried the blood of humanity's natural enemy; she was something that should never have been born.

If that were the case, then dying for the sake of the humanity that provided the other half of her blood had to be the "right" thing to do.

How much time had passed while the girl's heart was slowly chipped away by every stone that struck her?

"Sister! Over here! There’s a girl locked up!"

"Calm yourself, Laurier."

Hearing the voices, the girl curled into a ball, hugging her knees. It was the only defense she had.

"A spectacle like this... it is far too archaic for an era where the two worlds have been joined. We must release this child at once and take her to a proper facility—"

"That will take too long, Sister!"

While the older woman was still speaking, a child smaller than the girl herself swung the prison door open.

"Nice to meet you. You have such beautiful hair."

The hand reached out toward her was far, far cleaner than her own filthy hair.

If she touched her, she would only stain those beautiful hands. As the girl recoiled, trying to avoid the reaching hand, the younger girl pouted and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"I won't let you get away. From now on, you shall eat and sleep by my side."

The girl froze in shock as the child whispered into her ear.

"My name is Laurier Tritonis. May I ask yours?"

"Pina..."

She whispered her name while feeling the other girl’s warmth.

She was surprised that she still even remembered her own name, but even so...

"Pina Lycure."

She reclaimed her name—the name of the human she was.

As Laurier had promised, Pina went to live with her. It wasn't always easy. Unlike Haruhana, who possessed overwhelming power, many people frowned upon a [Dampiel] like Pina staying by the side of a royal princess. Harassment and political pressure came from every direction, both seen and unseen.

Yet, Pina remained by Laurier’s side.

Then came the time when Pina was a bit younger, and Laurier was still shorter than her.

"Pina! I have wonderful news!"

"What is it, Laurier-sama? If you're caught running in the hallways again, Claudia-sama will be cross with you."

Pina responded stoically as Laurier came rushing in. Laurier pouted at the formal tone.

"Oh, honestly! Didn't we agree that when it's just the two of us, we would speak normally to each other?"

"B-But... I mean... However, Claudia-sama also said that a clear line should be drawn between master and servant."

"I have no intention of listening to Sister on this matter, and Haruhana certainly doesn't! You should enjoy chatting with me more casually, Pina!"

"...I think the fact that Haruhana doesn't even change her attitude for Claudia-sama is a bit of a problem."

"I know that, but still!"

Laurier’s cheeks puffed out, wanting her friend to be closer to her.

"I have this for you, Pina!"

Little Laurier pulled out a single sheet of paper.

"This is... an enrollment form for Royal Tritonis Academy’s Middle School?"

"Yes! In the Academy Archipelago, there are no nosy adults watching us. In a place where two worlds mix, I’m sure no one will blame you for your slightly unusual birth."

Laurier gripped Pina’s hand tightly.

"Haruhana will be with us too. In two years, when I enroll, I’m scheduled to take over as principal as my first royal duty. Let’s spend our time together as friends without any reservations, Pina."

"...Yeah."

Feeling the warmth spreading from Laurier’s hand, Pina dropped the honorifics and nodded with a shy smile.

"If I could live a dream life like that... I’d be so happy."

Hoping for a place where no one cared that Laurier was royalty or that Pina was a [Dampiel]—a place where they, along with Haruhana, could just be friends enjoying their youth.

She let her thoughts drift toward the Academy Archipelago she had yet to see.

From the bristles of the broom Pina straddled, flames erupted and solidified into the size of fingertips.

The metallic broom, [Witchcraft], wasn't just for flying. Its true essence lay in the ability to materialize and freely manipulate the flames it produced.

Her scarlet cloak fluttering, over a dozen small embers danced around Pina. Surrounded by countless bullets forged from solidified fire, she pointed a finger at Kuro on the ground.

"[Fire]!"

With her cry, the bullets of flame were unleashed.

Propelled by the force of combustion, the fire rained down—a one-sided long-range attack from the sky. For an average magician, the sheer volume and power of the barrage would have been enough to leave them incapacitated.

Kuro clenched his fists and stood his ground.

"Hah!"

Tracking the descending projectiles, he punched away the flames headed straight for him.

After shattering the fire bullets, Kuro glared up at Pina in the air. He had withstood the first wave, but there was no way he could win from the ground against a flying opponent, no matter how many times he swung his fists.

"Hey, Pina! If you fly around in a skirt like that, you know... I mean... people can see your... your underwear!"

"I’m sitting in a way so you can't see from below~!"

Kuro had squeezed out a heckle like an elementary schooler to try and drag her down, but Pina, perfectly composed, pinched the hem of her miniskirt to show him.

"Or what? Does Kuro want to see his cute classmate’s panties that badly?"

She exposed her thighs, which stretched out from her uniform skirt, but stopped at an exquisite line that remained just barely out of sight. Having a perfect grasp on where he was looking, Pina swung her slender white legs and flashed a mischievous, little-devil smile.

"Dirty boy♡"

"Guh."

His own words had been returned to him tenfold. Having no comeback, Kuro’s eyes darted around in flustered confusion.

"I—I mean, Pina! Your vibe is totally weird right now!"

"Aha. That’s what happens... when I drink blood."

Pina pressed a fingertip to her lips and smiled seductively. Her cheeks were flushed as if she were drunk, and her expression was heavy with a certain sensuality.

"Is Kuro’s heart racing too much to fight? You really are a pure-hearted boy!"

"Shut up!"

He was never going to win a war of words. Cutting off the conversation, Kuro kicked off the ground with all his might.

A massive cloud of dust billowed up, acting as a smokescreen. It was a classic diversion for someone like Kuro, whose combat style revolved entirely around punches and kicks.

However, it wouldn't work on Pina.

"[Thermograph]."

Traps and detection were Pina’s specialties. Her eyes narrowed as she activated a spell to visualize heat.

Kuro wasn't in the dust cloud. She glanced behind her, only to see him leaping from the roof of the school building directly toward her.

Pina was hovering at a height that even Kuro couldn't reach with a single leap from the ground. He must have slipped into the school building under the cover of the dust, used the damaged sections as a shortcut to the roof, and jumped from there.

Only a few seconds remained until he reached her. Even as the distance that gave her a one-sided advantage vanished and Kuro closed in, Pina’s expression remained calm.

There was an insurmountable gap between jumping and flying.

Pina remained suspended in the air with a composed look, manipulating and expanding the flames erupting from her broom to intercept him.

[Bomb] and [Fire].

The two types of flames, condensed until they nearly materialized, were woven into the air according to Pina’s will.

"[Fire]!"

Countless bullets of flame were unleashed at Pina’s command, seeking to block Kuro’s path.

But it was a naive move. Based on the placement of the fire, Kuro could predict the trajectory of the bullets. Twisting his body in mid-air to evade, he stomped down on a fire bullet passing beneath his feet.

His leap accelerated in mid-air.

A double jump—something that should have been impossible. But between Kuro and Pina, there were fireballs floating in the sky.

"—[Bomb]!"

A mass of flame detonated at near point-blank range.

Heat and shockwaves slammed into him. Even so, the leap Kuro had accelerated a moment ago didn't stop. It lacked the necessary punch. A single [Bomb] wasn't enough to kill Kuro’s momentum.

I’m going to make it. Just as a certain Kuro cleared the smokescreen created by the explosion—

"Aha♡"

A sweet laugh struck his eardrums.

As Kuro’s vision cleared, he saw Pina diving toward him with a devilish smile.

That [Bomb] from before hadn't been an attack to stop him. it was a diversion to hide her own counter-movement. The moment Kuro had jumped from the roof, Pina had set the fire trap solely to lure him into a predictable path.

"I believed in you. I knew if it was Kuro, you'd break through my trap and come right here."

Diving at high speed, Pina extended one leg from her broom and thrust the sole of her shoe forward.

Flames dwelled in Pina’s shoe.

—When you shroud yourself in mana, your physical abilities are reinforced.

The explanation of the common application of mana Pina had taught him flashed through Kuro’s mind.

"Tch!"

With a split-second decision, Kuro abandoned his defense.

At close quarters, Kuro had the advantage in build. Becoming reckless, he threw a kick in a desperate counter-attack.

"So close."

The tip of Kuro’s shoe grazed Pina’s temple, whistling through empty air. The life-or-death counter-attack he’d staked everything on ended with only a few strands of her silver hair fluttering in the air.

"It’s my... victory."

Backed by gravity and the acceleration of the broom, the burning sole of her shoe slammed into Kuro’s stomach.

"O-Guh...!"

"[Stamp]!"

At point-blank range, with her shoe buried in Kuro’s gut, a massive explosion erupted.

"—!!"

He couldn't even form a scream.

The explosive force of the kick, shrouded in flames and powered by the acceleration of the [Witchcraft], boasted devastating power. Having taken Pina’s magic head-on, Kuro was blown away with incredible force. He crashed through the roof of the indoor pool below, smashed through the sturdy construction materials, and plummeted into the water, creating a massive pillar of spray.

His body sank to the bottom of the pool, slowed by the intense resistance of the water.

He was barely clinging to consciousness, but the shock of hitting the water had left his entire body numb. White bubbles escaped his mouth. He couldn't move his limbs to float. As he sank helplessly, the thing in Kuro’s mind wasn't the agony of the pain or the sense of crisis from his defeat.

It was Pina’s expression right before she had kicked him.

She looked like she was about to burst into tears.

I knew it... Pina’s the soft-hearted one. Even with victory before her, there was no joy or excitement. Her desire not to fight and not to hurt him was written plainly on her face.

I don't want to lose.

A feeling welled up from the bottom of his heart.

There was no way he could let himself lose to a girl who fought with a face like that.

The moment his back slowly touched the bottom of the pool, his consciousness snapped back into focus.

Staring up at the shimmering surface from underwater, Kuro watched intently as the blood flowing from his skin mingled with the water.

How long had it been since he’d been injured enough to bleed?

Even though she was fighting while conflicted, Pina was strong. Because she was born to be naturally discriminated against, she must have put in extraordinary effort to gain the power to break through the obstacles in her path.

Because Pina was strong enough to force Kuro to bleed, he finally realized it.

If you shroud yourself in mana, your physical abilities are reinforced. Pina had said that was the common way for those who handle magic to use their mana.

The source of Kuro’s mana was his blood.

Not just the blood circulating inside his body, but what if he shrouded himself in the blood that had flowed outside? What would happen to his already extraordinary strength?

He clenched his fists. He focused his consciousness on the blood flowing out of him. His wounds took on a red glow, and the blood drifting in the water began to wrap around Kuro’s limbs.

Power surged through him explosively. Inside and out. His entire body felt like it was boiling from the energy overflowing from both sides, a heat so intense it felt like it might slip from his control. It was a sensation Kuro had never felt before, even knowing he was abnormal.

But it would be putting the cart before the horse if he let the power control him. Despite the overwhelming heat, Kuro forced his senses into the very tips of his limbs. He would never allow a repeat of what happened in his childhood when he hurt that one girl. He would take this energy—which felt like it could destroy everything it touched—and make it his own.

Because this was the power he would use to save Pina.

The roaring, rushing power suddenly stabilized. He bent his knees underwater and lowered his center of gravity. Lifting his head sharply, he glared at the light reflecting off the swaying surface.

To beat Pina and save her heart.

With unprecedented fighting spirit in his chest, Kuro put strength into his core and kicked off the bottom of the pool.

The match was decided.

Sitting on her metallic broom, Pina looked down from above at the pool with the hole in its roof.

She had remained on guard for a while, but the Kuro she’d kicked down hadn't resurfaced. He had likely lost consciousness underwater.

"I’ll help you as soon as I break the school flag."

Tritonis Academy would end today. She had dragged him into this mess, but Kuro should spend his days peacefully at a school that had nothing to do with them.

Just as Pina pointed her finger at the flag fluttering on the roof to end this All-Out Decisive Battle—

The pool exploded.

"—?!"

Pina froze as a roaring sound of water struck her eardrums.

"Exploded" wasn't a metaphor. The shockwave generated from beneath the pool water vibrated the very atmosphere, making the air roar and Pina’s skin tremble. The half-destroyed facility couldn't withstand the massive shock and collapsed; the pool, which had been full, was shoved aside by explosive energy and burst outward, raining down on the schoolyard like a torrential downpour.

Through that instantaneous rain, Kuro landed in the schoolyard.

"...What is this?"

Soaked by the rain under a clear sky, Pina sat on her flying broom and let out a stunned voice.

The output was clearly different from the Kuro from moments ago. Just now, with the force of his leap from underwater alone, he had blasted away every drop of water in the pool.

The difference was also strikingly apparent in Kuro’s appearance. There were no red patterns on his body now. Instead, a red light without a single gap covered his limbs.

Clad in a rigid red glow, Kuro looked up at Pina floating in the sky.

"Hey, Pina. What you want most isn't to destroy this school, is it?"

"...You talk like you know everything."

What had brought about this change in Kuro? To buy time to analyze him, Pina played along with the conversation.

"It’s only been three days since we met, you know? What could someone who couldn't even see my betrayal coming possibly understand?"

"I can tell even in three days," Kuro replied with conviction. "I’ll say it as many times as it takes. Pina, you’re a good person."

Pina gasped.

"Say it loud. Say what you really want. Stop acting behind the scenes and just throw it out there from the front."

"...Even if you challenge it head-on, there are some problems that can't be solved."

Sitting on her broom, Pina let the words fall quietly.

"People are born with inequalities. The heart that wants to do something is crushed by the reasons it can't, and the dreams you want to achieve can't beat reality. You know as well as I do, Kuro, that challenges require the qualification called 'talent.'"

Kuro accepted Pina’s words in silence as they fell one by one.

"Life is unequal until you die, and society will always be unfair."

"Yeah. I won't deny that."

Kuro didn't reject her words.

Abilities, personality, appearance, family, environment—not a single thing a person can possess is truly fair. Even on Earth, which is supposed to be two hundred years ahead of the Hevean Disc World in culture, many forms of discrimination are naturally rampant.

"But still. A life where you just sulk at the unfairness of the world and give up on yourself is shit. It’s much better to be an idiot and move forward than to act all smart and stop because of a word like 'talent.'"

Pina bit her lip.

No matter how much she pushed him away, Kuro wouldn't give up. He brushed back his wet hair and looked straight at Pina.

"Pina, you want to be there for Laurier, don't you? What will truly help her... even you should know that."

She couldn't immediately argue with that.

Pina’s life wasn't a lonely one. In a situation where she was treated as a pariah, she had been saved by meeting someone. In a life she had almost given up on, she had met people who made her think she was glad to be alive.

Meeting Laurier had made Pina human.

Kuro, who possessed extraordinary power, must have experienced similar encounters. His words carried so much weight that she was certain he, too, had someone who had saved his life.

And yet—no.

That was surely exactly why he had come to the Academy Archipelago.

To meet the eyes of someone so similar to her, Pina silently descended to the ground.

"If it’s Kuro, I know you won't run."

Flames gathered in the metallic broom she gripped. The heat she’d used for flight was now poured into her attack, bundled and expanded.

Kuro’s words were right.

However, words that were merely "right" wouldn't save Pina. Discrimination and inequality couldn't be filled by ideals alone.

"Let’s decide this in a head-on fight... to see how far Kuro can go in the Academy Archipelago, and if you have the strength to choose your own life."

"...Yeah."

To change the world, one needs the strength to back up the words they proclaim.

Kuro accepted Pina’s offer—made in a voice so tight it felt fragile—from the front.

"If I’m weak, I can't grab hold of anything, right?"

Because their former selves had been too weak to choose anything, the two of them knew the value of power.

Pina swung her broom upward.

The pillar of fire erupting from the bristles was equivalent to the visualization of the energy Pina was manipulating. The flames, imbued with her total output, distorted the air with a mirage and scattered a heatwave.

Kuro clenched his fists.

The blood flowing from his wounds responded to his will, covering his body even more thickly. The blood flowing both inside and outside his body pulled Kuro’s ability to an even higher level.

The brilliant red glow emitted from inside and outside his body was not inferior to the blazing pillar of fire.

As they both gathered their strength, Pina was the one who moved first.

"[Bloom]!"

The moment Pina shouted her incantation, a surge of pressure was swung down from above.

The pillar of fire approached.

The flames spreading across his entire field of vision were, in a word, spectacular. Against Pina’s ultimate magic, Kuro slammed his deep-red fist.

Kuro’s surroundings were dyed in fire.

"Guh."

His fist was pushed back by the overwhelming heat and pressure.

Kuro’s blood could directly touch mana. His red fists, shrouded in blood, shattered Pina’s mana while ignoring even the properties of fire.

But the downward swing of fire produced by Pina’s [Witchcraft] boasted fierce power. With burning heat, it evaporated and stripped away the blood Kuro was wearing. It sought to strike and beat Kuro down with continuously exploding flames.

Kuro’s face twisted in agony from the pressure, the heat, and the pain.

But he didn't back down.

"Uoooooohhhhhh—!!"

He let out a roar to steel his heart.

He didn't mean to say that the strength of one's heart decided a battle.

The power of the heart was merely the first step to starting. The second step to continuing. The third step to holding your ground. What was necessary to avoid giving up and to build a foothold to move forward was the engine called the "heart."

Pina’s magic, which she had forged with everything she had achieved in her heart, was powerful.

But Kuro couldn't just give up on the things that were important to him, either.

Because of the power he was born with, his life had been one of suppressing himself.

When he was at the Watarase house, he was forced to be "normal" for his own sake. Because of that, he had almost lived a pathetic life where he forced others to give up on their own lives and coerced those around him into making sacrifices.

That was why Kuro had come to the Academy Archipelago.

And that was how he had met them.

Haruhana, who was far stronger than his abnormal self. Laurier, who tended to rush ahead but was always working for someone else's sake. And—Pina, the kind, soft-hearted girl he was fighting right now.

It wasn't just for himself.

He couldn't afford to lose for their sakes, either.

"—Aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!"

The stalemate lasted only a few seconds.

The one who swung through their attack was Kuro’s fist, which glowed a brilliant red.

The flames shattered. The remaining fire danced in the air like powder, sparkling in the sky.

"...Aah, well."

The metallic broom and crimson cloak vanished, and the Mana Crystal returned to Pina’s finger. She had exhausted her strength.

"I lost."

Perhaps from the fatigue of wringing out every drop of her mana, Pina collapsed to her knees. Reaching a defeat at the end of her betrayal, she covered her face with her palms.

"Aha. I can't face Laurier-chan now."

"That’s not true."

As the victor, Kuro walked over to Pina.

"Compared to the stuff Laurier pulls, what you did was pretty tame."

"Do you... think so?"

"Definitely."

Kuro gave a firm assurance and crouched down to meet Pina’s eyes.

"So, you know. Make sure you say what you want to do."

What she wanted to do.

Pina, who had lived her life only for the sake of others, let her lips tremble and opened her mouth.

"I want to... play a lot with Haruhana after school."

"Yeah."

"I want to spend more and more of my school life together with Laurier-chan."

"I see."

"So... I don't want this school to disappear...!"

A tear trickled down Pina’s cheek.

"To everyone else, it’s just a weak little school that wouldn't change anything if it were gone, but I hate the idea of it closing...! Even in the empty classrooms, we were supposed to fill them with so many memories from now on. I don't want this school building—where I spent time with Haruhana and dreamed with Laurier-chan—to be destroyed!"

"Leave it to me."

Kuro gave a short, firm, and reliable assurance.

"From now on, I’ll make sure you can fill it with as many memories as you want."

"Uugh..."

Sobs began to mingle with the girl’s falling tears.

"U-Uwaaaaaahhh... Kuro is just... a guy who tries to act cool, even though he’s totally naive... and tries to show off in front of girls... I bet he’s totally a virgin, yet he’s... why would he say something like..."

"H-Hey. Pina, is that really what you think of me...?"

"Uwaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!"

Having lost all her pretense and dignity, the girl whose heart had been laid bare cried out loud.

Having no idea how to comfort a girl who was crying because of a "show-off jerk who's actually naive," Kuro fumbled and let his hands hover awkwardly. Not wanting to let this unreliable guy see her crying face, Pina grabbed Kuro’s shirt and buried her face in his shoulder.

"O-Oof."

Though he was breathless from the impact of her headbutt-like momentum, Kuro tentatively placed his hands on Pina’s shoulders, having finally decided where to put them.

Her translucent silver hair brushed against Kuro’s hands as it swayed.

Just how much pressure has been placed on these slender shoulders? Kuro narrowed his eyes slightly as he lent his shoulder to Pina.

After crying loudly and finally letting all her emotions out, Pina lifted her face.

"...Hey, Kuro."

Having cried, screamed, and shown her weak side, Pina gave a bashful smile.

"Also. There was one more thing I wanted to do."

"Yeah? What is it?"

Wiping away her tears, Pina looked straight at Kuro and smiled.

"I want to be a high school student with Kuro."

"That... goes for me too."

Finding their desired youth aligned, the two looked at each other and laughed. The heat of battle cooled with their bright laughter, and Kuro suddenly noticed the state of Pina’s clothes.

Her school uniform, soaked with water, was clinging to her, even revealing the color of her skin. Seeing the gaze of the frozen boy, Pina realized her drenched state, blushed, and hugged herself.

"Kuro, you pervert."

"Ugh... I-I’m a healthy teenage boy, you know."

"Aha."

At Kuro’s awkward excuse, Pina flashed a smile that had regained its usual teasing tone.

"Look at Kuro, getting all embarrassed. Even your excuses at a time like this are cuuuute."

He was constantly losing the battle of words. Kuro also gave a bitter smile and waved the white flag. There had been many twists and turns, but with this, the All-Out Decisive Battle was their victory.

Or so Kuro thought.

"What do you think you're doing, Pina Lycure?"

A man's voice suddenly rang out, and the two looked up.

The one who had interrupted the conversation was a drone-type Gobot. It was the same model as the Public Morals Gobot Kuro had met when he arrived at the Academy Archipelago, but since it wasn't the usual genderless electronic voice, it seemed to be a relay for someone else's voice rather than a statement from the Gobot itself.

"I came to see what was happening since it was taking so long... and you still haven't broken the school flag?"

"Ginion-san..."

Pina glared at the Gobot broadcasting the man’s voice.

Hearing the name of the mastermind of the enemy school, Kuro’s eyes also grew sharp. Observing closely, he saw tree roots wrapped around the spherical body of the Gobot. There was no way a Gobot, which looked down on all humans equally, would take a specific human's side. Ginion was using magic to control the Gobot’s frame.

"I don't feel bad about it, but my cooperation with you is over. I want to enjoy being a student more."

Pina stuck out her tongue.

"Laurier-chan is heading your way, so get ready. We’re winning this Counter-Battle."

"I see... Then, it cannot be helped."

The words Ginion muttered over the Gobot’s communication weren't those of resignation.

"[Grow]."

The trees wrapped around the Gobot suddenly surged toward Kuro and Pina.

"Whoa?!"

Exhausted from the battle, the two didn't have enough stamina left to evade the rapidly approaching vines.

The plant vines wrapped around their limbs. But perhaps because it was magic cast from a distance, the binding force wasn't particularly strong. Red patterns appeared on Kuro’s arms as he began to strip the wood away.

Pina also glared at the wood wrapping around her hand—more accurately, around the Mana Crystal on her finger.

"This... kind of thing! I’ll just burn it—"

"[Treant]."

Ginion’s voice rang out before Pina could cast her spell.

"—Ah."

Pina’s voice of resistance suddenly cut off, and the light of will vanished from her eyes. Standing up silently, Pina walked over to the Gobot of her own accord.

"Pina?!"

Clearly, something was wrong. He reached out to stop Pina, but the remaining wood bindings were in the way. Despite Kuro’s call, Pina climbed onto the descending Gobot.

Just as it had been fine when Kuro jumped on one, the Public Morals Gobot’s frame had enough output to fly even with a person on it. If it took off into the sky like this, Kuro had no way to stop it.

"Hey! If it’s a Counter-Battle, your goal is the flag on the roof, right?! Come at me!"

"Target secured. It is a pity I couldn't bring about the school's closure, but the fate of Tritonis Academy is now a mere triviality."

Ginion didn't entertain Kuro’s shout as he finally shook off his bindings. The Gobot carrying Pina flew away.

If he tried to shoot it down with a stone or something and Pina fell, she could suffer irreversible injuries. He had no choice but to chase after them, so he forced his exhausted body to stand up.

But before Kuro could chase the Gobot carrying Pina, a piercing alarm rang out.

[This is the Gobot Administration Bureau. A [Vampire] outbreak has occurred at Imperial Style Doji Academy, 107 Branch School. All those in the vicinity, please cease all academic, economic, and Counter-Battle activities and begin evacuation immediately. Repeating—]

107 Branch School.

The school where Ginion, who had just kidnapped Pina, was the principal—and the place Laurier was heading toward.

"What the hell is even happening right now?!"

The alarm from the Administration Bureau continued to blare.

Centered on Tritonis Academy, the situation was shifting rapidly, continuing to expand beyond the scope of a mere Counter-Battle.