ALL NOVEL One thing’s for sure: right now, Perorozira is extremely, extremely, extremely angry.
…Well, I can’t say for certain if it actually feels the emotion of rage, but that’s how it is, you know?
Still, the hostility I feel from that glare is real enough that I instinctively tightened my grip on my precious gun.
I’m trying to minimize casualties and prevent Perorozira from indiscriminately wreaking havoc. The surrounding environment has already been reduced to virtual ruins due to a prior bombardment, but it’s obviously preferable to cause minimal material damage.
“I’ll need support☆”
After saying that to the teacher, I took off running. The clatter of glass shards crunching beneath my feet was annoying.
Before long, more Peroros began to appear around Perorozira. In contrast to the rapidly increasing numbers, Perorozira wasn’t just sitting idly.
Whoooosh——
Perorozira’s glimmering tongue sliced through the air. Originally, its length should have evoked thoughts of a whip, but it felt more like a blunt instrument.
That tongue is… well, to put it metaphorically, like a swaying utility pole?
The size could definitely be likened to a utility pole, and it’s even longer than that. Naturally, swinging something like that is dangerous. But of course, I had no trouble dodging it.
I jumped off the hood of a half-destroyed car up ahead. Then, as I forcefully stepped onto the car roof, an ominous sound rang out—one that absolutely shouldn’t be heard from a vehicle.
However, I ignored it and leaped into the air.
Glimpsing Perorozira’s tongue passing underneath me, I aimed my gun upwards. I tried my best to ignore the crunching sound of metal distorting from below and pulled the trigger.
Rat-tat-tat-tat——!!
General bullets weren’t going to do anything to the still-standing Perorozira caught up in an extensive bombardment. So, I stuffed my Shinpi tightly, like packing rice, into the bullet.
I saw the bullet strike Perorozira’s massive body, but I didn’t focus too much on it. I didn’t think it would deal any significant damage after all.
Bang— Kuaaaang——!!!
Following my shots, several more gunshots echoed. There were at least three snipers aside from regular students in this area alone.
Hiyori, Haruna, Aru, Autogi. The support fire from these four is definitely reassuring.
Seeing Perorozira remain motionless made me wonder if we could actually bring it down, but if we keep pouring firepower, we’ll manage somehow.
“Mika, get out of the way!!!”
Suddenly, a familiar voice reached my ears. It was Saori’s voice.
A liquid mass, that looked like it wouldn’t be good for your health, was spewed from Perorozira’s mouth at first glance.
Of course, I was familiar with the pattern. Aside from the influence of colors, Perorozira’s pattern itself likely bore no significant differences from the original.
I dodged immediately, and behind me, a mini Peroro came rushing in just a moment late. I watched as the wobbly Peroro slipped on the liquid covering the ground and fell over.
“Kyyaaa?!”
Aside from it being a hilarious sight, the mini Peroro slid across the floor flailing, colliding with a Valkyrie student at the end of its slide.
…Well, I understand why I should avoid that. I thought it might feel quite unpleasant if hit, but if it slid like that, it would definitely impede battle performance.
Quickly scanning the battlefield, I spotted Saori, who was firing at Perorozira from about four buildings away from my position.
“Thanks, Saori!”
Technically, that was an attack I should have dodged on my own, but I was still grateful for Saori’s concern. With that thought in mind, I shouted and quickly emptied my magazine.
If this were a total war in a game, I would be able to check Perorozira’s health bar for my progress. But since that doesn’t exist, it’s hard to even tell if damage is accumulating properly.
But that’s trivial. When facing Vina, did I use a health bar to capture the guy?
It’s probably not going to be much different this time.
Just then, Perorozira started rolling its eyes. As both eyeballs moved in completely different directions, I found it a bit creepy at the moment it started glowing with strange light.
My judgment was quick. I unleashed several star clusters from my fingertips and sent them flying towards Perorozira’s head. It was far more efficient than warning the other kids to dodge.
I watched anxiously as the light clusters soared, hoping the timing would be right. The clusters went straight for Perorozira’s head, specifically aiming for its brow, and began emitting a brilliant light.
At that same moment, a beam shot forth from Perorozira’s eyes.
I threw myself to the side and narrowly avoided the two beams shooting directly at me. Was that a miss?
That’s definitely not a visual I want to experience. For now, let’s evade as best as possible…
Kuaaaang——!
Oh.
As I dodged, the two beams that had been pursuing me shot skyward. Unfortunately, other buildings took damage in the process, but since they were practically ruins due to previous bombardments, it’s a small price to pay.
The force that temporarily tilted Perorozira’s body back, even just a fraction, was impressive. While I marveled at it, I heard the sound of helicopter blades rotating nearby.
Shooting a quick glance at the surrounding sky, I spotted a half dozen helicopters with SRT markings rushing in.
As expected, these were helicopters specializing in combat. With six armed helicopters equipped with machine guns and ground-to-air missiles supporting us, we were invincible——
Ziiiiiing——
“Wow——?!”
Before I knew it, Perorozira’s eye beams aimed at two of the helicopters. As expected of elite pilots from SRT, they executed precise evasive maneuvers, but Perorozira’s beams were merciless.
Bang——
One helicopter had its blades completely disintegrated, beginning its descent, while another was hit directly by a beam, resulting in a catastrophic explosion.
I was briefly stunned, but I quickly sprang into action. From the middle of the chaos, I used the heads of the rapidly growing mini Peroros as stepping stones to rush toward the exploded helicopter.
The students in the descending helicopter would be fine. At least they hadn’t been struck by the beam, so there’s no need for excessive concern. They’d likely escape on their own or the safety devices would kick in.
However, the situation with the exploded helicopter was different. The condition of the pilot was unclear, and the helicopter itself was a wreck. Therefore, I concluded that I was the only one who could help.
I had no intention of leaving the mob students to their fate. If I could save them, it was only fitting to do so.
Thus, like a salmon swimming upstream, I abandoned my gun and took flight towards the falling helicopter.
Can I do this or not? Well, who knows.
Honestly, I didn’t feel confident. Not about catching it.
If anyone who knows me read my thoughts, they’d probably be shocked.
…But I definitely had a rough idea of how much that attack helicopter weighed.
It might not be a full-weight fall due to the explosion’s aftermath, but at minimum, it would weigh around 3 tons. Now, if I’m expected to catch a 3-ton helicopter falling from the sky and safely land it…
Ah, on second thought, it might not be entirely impossible.
I don’t know. Since the worst that could happen is just losing what I’ve got… but if I fail, I might get hurt. Still, I have to do it.
Just because a student doesn’t die doesn’t mean they can avoid permanent disabilities. So if I can save them, I should. Right?
With that thought, I braced my hands beneath the falling helicopter.
“Ugh…!”
My palms flared with heat, but it was manageable.
And surprisingly, I found I could endure its weight better than I’d feared. Since it was still in the air, the weight hadn’t fully registered yet, so I couldn’t be certain.
The overwhelming heat pressing against my hands was much more burdensome.
I decided to widen my arms a bit and brace the weight of the helicopter against my neck and back to prepare for the impact.
The ground was quickly approaching. Thanks to the earnest effort I put in, my airborne time felt considerably prolonged.
I worried about whether my legs might be broken as my feet touched down on the asphalt that had survived the bombardment.
“…!”
Suddenly, my senses snapped back to attention.
I had fallen from such a height, but my legs were intact. However, the weight of the helicopter bore down on me.
Grimacing, I exhaled deeply into the gap. Then, I exerted my arms to slowly lift the helicopter pressing down on me.
“Ugh…”
It was challenging. The pressure from what must have been several tons brought me the sensation of becoming Atlas, having to hold up the heavens with my bare body.
Nonetheless, I proceeded unwaveringly, finally able to lift the helicopter with my two hands.
3 to 500? Nah, I’m dealing with 1 to 3000 here.
Just for an instant, I held that ridiculous thought, but once my arms started to tremble, I pushed it away. After all, this was a battlefield.
Keeping it up for too long would only tire my body, so I casually tossed the helicopter onto the road. Surely, a jolt of this magnitude would be understandable to the one inside, right?
With that thought in mind, I peered into the helicopter’s interior and confirmed that the pilot was unconscious. The condition was anything but good.
I noted the student’s body was scorched in various places, their arm crooked at an awkward angle, and blood trickling from their mouth.
In contrast to my own significant fatigue, I felt a strong conviction that deciding to save this kid was the right thing to do.
“Die die die die die—— for Aru-sama…!”
“What the heck, this is just a big sandbag, right?!”
…Should I trust the other kids and take a short break?
Just as I settled beside the shattered helicopter to lean against it, a couple of Peroros wobbled towards me.
However, they couldn’t even reach me before collapsing.
From behind the fallen Peroros, a girl approached, holding out my gun with a bright smile.
“Mika, about what you just did… isn’t it going to be a bit problematic if it reaches Nagisa’s ears?”
“…Ugh.”
“Hehe. But I think it was really cool.”
Taking my gun from Haruna, I silently got to my feet. It felt a bit awkward to be resting in this situation…
“Hey, Luna?”
“I’ll protect you, so please take a moment to rest. I’ll show you the upgraded version of my skills, which are incomparable to before.”
Haruna’s tail flicked playfully.
I silently accepted her offer.