1600 hours, 25 June 0145...

I sped down the tight lane at 75 kph to make it to the exit before it was too late, as I felt the wind wash over my hair.

While I was running, thoughts of Luke and Clarissa's deaths kept popping into my head, as if the same tragedy were about to repeat. But I had faith that Veronica and Christine might divert the infected android's attention by engaging it in combat and using their tactical skills to stall him.

I hastened towards the glaring light ahead, my ears filled with the echoing voices bouncing off the exit walls in the distance.

"Focus, Christine! Don't let his arrow distract you!"

Veronica's sharp remarks echoed as her blade clashed fiercely against Kalbaroth's arrow. And I quickly heard Christine's unwavering response as she fearlessly continued her assault without hesitation.

"I'm going to use my Divinnocchi this time!"

Veronica's rage was so deep that she could no longer hold it and had to chastise Christine.

"For fuck's sake! I'll whip your ass if you keep being an ignorant scum!"

As soon as I exited the tunnel, I observed the zipping sound of Kalbaroth's arrows as both Veronica and Christine furiously sought to evade them.

Fortunately, they narrowly dodged two arrows aimed directly at them. So I came up behind Kalbaroth, the thud of my boots resonating in my ears, and dropkicked him at the precise moment he let go of the bowstring.

BOK

Kalbaroth collapsed to the ground with a loud thud as I drop-kicked him, and it caught Christine and Veronica aback as I abruptly stepped in. Interrupted their battle all of a sudden, Veronica questioned me with a tinge of annoyance.

"Tsuyuki! What the fuck are you doing in here?!"

I then glanced over my shoulder and asserted my position.

"No single man left behind!"

In that split second, Kalbaroth recovered his footing by doing a backflip with a loud whoosh, and he landed on the ground with a thud. After taking a strong stance, he made a furious commitment.

"Foolish Authonoids! Do you think you can defeat me with your stupid idea about humanity?!"

I let out a small chuckle and replied with a sardonic grin, adding a touch of dark humor to the tense situation.

"We only care about beating your ass, dumbass!"

But then he laughed savagely and gestured menacingly in our direction.

"Ha! Said the foolish Authonoid who's talking like a big fool!"

With my Nakajima in hand, I stood ready to defend Veronica and Christine from the attack of Kalbaroth.

"Guys, let's finish this up!"

As Christine nodded in agreement, she stepped to my left, her Lancer poised and ready for the impending confrontation. With her dual blades tightly gripped and pointed ahead, Veronica's eagerness to enter the fray surged within her, fueling her determination to fight.

"Your call, Tsuyuki."

Kalbaroth assumed a menacing stance, his bow ablaze in our line of sight as he drew the arrow and delivered threatening remarks.

"You want to defeat me?! Come on over here and TAKE THIS!!!"

Insert Music: Kyrolis - Ferio

Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

In a swift motion, he unleashed five arrows, their gleaming tips reflecting the light, aimed directly at us. Luckily, we deflected the arrows with harsh twangs as we rushed forward. But it won't stop him from making a lightning-fast retreat while firing more arrows in our direction.

As we nearly evaded the danger, I swiftly drew my Kiryu and sent blazing bullets to him, maintaining our momentum in the intense confrontation.

BANG BANG BANG

He dodged my shots by darting back and forth. And it urged me to rush forward and try to slash him with my Nakajima.

Sparks showered down as my sword and his arrow clashed, illuminating the dim room.

Veronica came at Kalbaroth from behind with her dual blades, but he parried her attacks with his arrows, sending metal clanks across the air.

Christine lunged at Kalbaroth from the shadows with her Lancer poised for a stealthy strike, taking him by surprise and disrupting his defenses.

But a short second before her Lancer pierced Kalbaroth's left waist, Kalbaroth retreated at lightning speed and shot Christine's face with his arrow.

CHUIT

Fortunately, she deflected his arrow with her Lancer in the split second before it would have stabbed her face.

As she gazed to the ground, her mouth twitched as if she whispered a language I didn't know.

As I watched her, the echoes of a determined middle schooler reverberated within Christine, driving her to face Kalbaroth with unwavering resolve and a fierce spirit.

Her turquoise left eye glowed with an otherworldly light as she removed the patch, and she suddenly struck a dramatic, religious middle school syndrome stance toward Kalbaroth.

"May the wings of the angels and the righteous hands of the father enlighten thy blackened faith."

She aimed her Lancer toward Kalbaroth and let out a resounding battle cry.

"Now, thou wilt taste the BANISHMENT IN THIS WORLD!!!"

She shouted as she dashed at top speed toward Kalbaroth while revving her Lancer's engine, which made a rumbling two-cylinder noise.

Despite Kalbaroth's ability to repel her Lancer's attacks with his arrow, he was unaware of Christine's incredible power with her Lancer, which could easily crush his bow and arrow in a single stroke.

Suddenly, Christine appeared behind him and dashed into his back while screaming.

"REPENT, ON WHAT THOU SOW!!!"

Her pupils blazed like a justice of Minerva as she swung her Lancer viciously. But Kalbaroth was quick to respond, stopping her arrow with his own as it sent out a series of jarring metallic clangs.

But when he launched one arrow straight into Christine's face, I sprung into action and brutally deflected the arrow with my Nakajima, sending sparks flying everywhere.

Taking a calculated risk, I crouched down, creating an opening for Christine to vault onto my back, her Lancer poised for a fierce attack. Her scream echoed through the air as she charged toward Kalbaroth.

"PUNISHING, ALZETTO!!!"

And all of a sudden...

JSLOSH

She executed a stylish front flip slash into Kalbaroth's torso and made a neckbreaking wheel movement, as the sound of the blade cutting air didn't cease with the rumbling 2-cylinder engine from her Lancer.

Blood dripped from Kalbaroth's steely chest, his body brutally wounded. But he took a step back while still holding his bow and arrow, all the while fighting through the excruciating agony.

"NOT... TODAY!!!"

Despite the pain he was in, Kalbaroth aimed his triple arrow toward Christine. But she didn't budge, and a scowl curled her lips.

She suddenly did a stylish side flip and evaded the arrows that flew towards her, feeling the rush of wind against her skin. She drew her bow and arrow, did a jump charge shot, and her arrow brutally pierced through Kalbaroth's chest.

JSHICK

It temporarily shocked the infected android as his blood and oil sprayed across the floor, giving us a chance to rush up toward the hunched Kalbaroth and simultaneously stab him.

JSHICK

Christine and I kept up the constant revs of our blade while Kalbaroth wailed in agony. We slashed him severely, then yanked our scorch arcs out abruptly, letting the fire scorch his wounds.

Kalbaroth gazed at me through hazy eyes and struggled to hold his pain as his steely body left a massive hole with blood streamed into the wound and pooled on the ground. He stood a little crooked, stuttering out his last query.

"How… did... you?"

I sent him a look of disdain as a sign not to mess with us. With each passing second, Kalbaroth sank to the floor and let out his last breath with a heavy metallic clang from his body.

After I wrapped up everything, I tucked my Nakajima behind my back and exhaled a breath of relief.

"That was like breaking a toothpick."

Christine approached my left side, and her eyes widened in amazement as she exclaimed.

"That is awesome, leader! We should try that again!"

Veronica approached us and crossed her arms as she sarcastically joked.

"Funny how a deadweight like you improved."

But I then sardonically responded while chuckling.

"Not as deadweight as your teammate."

We had just defeated the pesky infected android and were enjoying a breather when Veronica suddenly broke the silence.

"By the way, where's Joshua?"

"He's helping Scott and Axel right now."

Christine seemed unconvinced by my response and persisted in her concerned questioning.

"Have they slayed Kotaro yet?"

As I'm about to respond to Veronica's inquiry, we both feel a throbbing vibration emanate from the ceiling of the massive warehouse. The ground began to shake and tremble, like it was experiencing a little earthquake, as the rumbling intensified. Somewhere close, we saw a thin, jagged line on the wall and heard a strange scratching noise, as if something were attempting to escape.

And it was then...

BSRYAK