I observe the confrontation between the students and the dark wolf. There are around a dozen students, who I suspect all posses skills. The way they move is completely different from students without skills. Even so…
“…I wonder. Why is that monster here?”
Ichinose-san asks in confusion. She seems to have the same question as I do.
“We won’t know unless we ask the monster itself.”
As of now, the flow of the battle is favoring the dark wolf. Although the students are far superior in terms of number, the dark wolf’s prowess is overwhelming them. The students are able to hold out only because of the damages that we inflicted during our fight. It is clear that the dark wolf’s movements are a bit sluggish. It seems to be fairly weakened. But this only makes the situation more mysterious. Why has it appeared here? If it is for the experience, it makes sense that it would strike at an evacuation center. Yet that could have waited until it was fully healed. That way, there would be a higher chance of success. During our battle, the dark wolf revealed its intelligence by retreating when the situation was unfavorable for the wolves. So it should understand the logic behind waiting. However, in reality, it is here fighting with the students. Knowing this, I can’t help but feel uncomfortable.
“Uuoooooooooooooon!”
The dark wolf roars. The “darkness” near its feet starts expanding, taking in everything in the surrounding.
“Everyone! Make sure you don’t touch that black thing on the ground! You’ll get sucked in!”
The person giving orders is a nervous looking student with gla.s.ses on. From his voice, could he be the vice president of the student council? He is pa.s.sing around commands from a location that is a fair distance away from the front lines. His action of raising his gla.s.s seems truly natural. He must be the intelligent type. Smart Gla.s.ses-kun.
“Uwahhhhh!”
“Save me!”
I guess two of them weren’t able to retreat quickly enough. Their feet is being caught by the “darkness”.
“Fools! What are you guys doing! Get out of there quickly!”
“But Vice-President! Even if you say that, these things won’t budge!”
“Neither can I… it is pulling on me!”
Smart Gla.s.ses-kun shouts in frustration, but the two students fail to escape. On the contrary, they seem to be sinking into the “darkness” much more as they struggle to escape.
“Tch, incompetent trash… whatever! Ignore them! The rest of you should resume your attacks!”
Hey hey, you’re going to throw them away so easily, Smart Gla.s.ses-kun? How heartless. But then again, it is the right decision. If he tries to rescue them recklessly, a secondary accident might result.
“But, Vice-President…”
“Are, are we abandoning them?”
“They’re still alive, you know?”
The students under his command, on the other hand, seem unused to the situation. They show a strong desire to save their comrades. In response, Smart Gla.s.s-kun strikes the iron pipe on his hand on the ground.
“You guys! Whose orders are you contradicting! I’m someone who got permission from President Igaras.h.i.+ regarding everything that happens during battles. If you disobey me, you’re also disobeying the President!”
“ “ “….! ” ” ”
Listening to his words, the students grow silent.
“That’s it. You guys just have to follow my instructions without saying anything.”
He states so while looking satisfied. The two students who were late in their escapes have looks of despair on their face.
“Kudou-san, what shall we do?”
To save or not to save, that is the question.
“Currently, there isn’t any merit in saving them.”
I clearly state my opinion to her. To save them means to reveal ourselves in front of the others.
“If we randomly charge in, we might be put under the effects of ‘Enchantment’ or ‘Brainwas.h.i.+ng’.”
I’m most worried about being put under the effects of their skills. That President has a skill that can disrupt others’ thought process through her voice. That means that there is a chance that other members of the council have similar abilities. At the very least, I want to avoid revealing ourselves without first knowing the skills that they have…
“….that is… true…”
Ichinose-san agrees. However, while she understands my thought process, she is struggling to accept it. If you think about it, before she sent me her first mail, she even bothered to help some delinquents. Unlike me, she isn’t truly cut off with the rest of society.
“I think it’ll be alright, Ichinose-san.”
“Eh…?”
“It seems like reinforcements have arrived.”
I point towards the school building. There is someone running at an incredible speed. That figure dashes past Smart Gla.s.ses-kun and comes to an abrupt halt in front of the two students that were about to be swallowed.
“Uwah, Tanakchi and Kato-chin, you guys are in a pinch. Are you guys okay?”
Contrary to her words, the girl’s tone is rather relaxed. The person who appeared is a gal-like high school student with her hair in a side-tail.
“Aisaka Rikka! Are you here as reinforcement? Hey, what are you doing?”
While Smart Gla.s.ses-kun look infuriated, she doesn’t seem to mind. Grabbing onto their hands, she tries to pull them out. Nevertheless, it isn’t easy to get rid of the “darkness” that is grabbing on to them.
“Un, I guess brute forcing it won’t work. In that case…”
She takes out a billhook that was hanging on her waist. The face of the duo that sees this intensifies. They must have realized what she is “about to do”.
“Eh, wai-, Aisaksan?”
“I’m sorry for doing this.”
At the next moment, she uses the billhook and amputates their legs mercilessly. Blood splashes and the two students are simultaneously separated from the bindings of the “darkness”. Screams are heard throughout. Dragging the students’ bodies, she quickly moves away from the front line.
“Okay! The rescue was a success!”
The girl nods in satisfaction as she puts down the two people that she has rescued. The students were stunned at her behavior which contained no hesitation.
“You-you guys! What are you guys being amazed by! Don’t hold back on your attacks!”
Smart Gla.s.ses-kun, who returns to his senses the fastest, once again starts to blare out orders. The students also recommence their offense.
“My feet…”
“I-it, it’s p-painful…”
“I’m really sorry. But it’s better than dying, right?”
Rikkchan replies so to the two who are making bitter expressions. Well, it’s true. In a situation like that, that was the only method available.
“Really, how barbaric you are. This is why delinquents are…”
Raising his gla.s.ses, Smart Gla.s.ses-kun glares at Rikkchan.
“But if I didn’t do this, they would’ve been killed.”
“And who care about that? I have no need for trash that can’t follow instructions.”
“Uwah, that’s repulsive.”
“Say whatever you want. Anyways, if you’re satisfied with saving the two of them, you should follow my commands now.”
Faced with the arrogant words from Smart Gla.s.ses-kun, Rikkchan expresses discontent.
“Haaa? And why the h.e.l.l should I---”
“Rikka, listen to the orders.”
Nis.h.i.+no-kun enters and breaks the tense atmosphere. Apparently, he has rushed here as reinforcement as well.
“Niss.h.i.+?”
“For the time being, he is the commander here. I’ll act as support, so you should obey his instructions.”
“Muuu. Okay.”
Rikkchan seems to reluctantly agree under the persuasion of Nis.h.i.+no-kun. Wielding the billhook, she enters the fight with the dark wolf. The battle starts to tilt towards their favor as Rikkchan and Nis.h.i.+no-kun enter the field. While maintaining a distance to avoid being swallowed by the “darkness”, the students begin casting long ranged attacks. They are most likely trying to deplete the dark wolf’s stamina and make it a battle of attrition. To begin with, the dark wolf was injured during its fight against us. If they drag this on, they might truly have a chance at defeating it.
“The monster is running away!”
The dark wolf knows this too. It forcefully breaks through the encirclement and escapes to the city streets.
“Oi, don’t let it escape! Chase after it!”
“Wait.”
Smart Gla.s.ses-kun immediately tries to give chase, but he is stopped by Nis.h.i.+no-kun.
“What are you doing, Nis.h.i.+no?”
“Chasing it is dangerous. Right now, we should prioritize the healing of injured personnel.”
“What kind of thing are you… You saw how strong that monster was, right? It’s dangerous to let a monster like that go. We should slay it when we could. Are you going against the order of this commander? Against me, who received full permission from President Igaras.h.i.+?”
“That is only if that monster is alone.”
“What…?”
“Aisaka and I have fought against those kinds of monsters before in the home center. They move in flocks and possess skills like a howl that could summon its kind. What will you do if there are a lot of them after you give chase? What if it had called for its friends? The tables would immediately be turned. We’ll get annihilated.”
Nis.h.i.+no-kun’s words bring about a commotion from the surrounding. His words are neither lies nor exaggerations. Smart Gla.s.ses-kun clicks his tongue in anger.
“…Fine. I’ll listen to your warnings for now. But don’t forget that I am ultimately the leader here.”
Saying that, Smart Gla.s.ses-kun walk towards the school building. Seeing this, Nis.h.i.+no-kun lets out a deep sigh. As if they could finally relax, most of the students sit down on their spots.
“It seems… like everything has come to an end…”
“…”
“Huh? Ichinose-san?”
There isn’t any reply. What’s the issue? When I look at Ichinose-san, I see her staring at one location.
“W…why…?”
Where she is staring stood a gal like high school girl.
“Ricchan…”
Eh? Ricchan?”