OTO Chapter 120

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[Collapse of Soul]

When fighting Shido-san, the most important thing to watch out for is the distance.

Even though I think we should get away from here, that is not possible.

Holding down my shoulder that was stabbed by the blood blade, I adjust my breath.

…The situation cannot be overturned anymore. If Chiyaku-san puts just a little bit of effort into it, both Roll and I will die.

I turn my head around, putting the three people behind me in my sight while trying to suppress my palpitation.

Is there a way to get out of this situation?

“Shido, don’t push yourself… Leave this to me,” Chiyaku-san supports Shido-san who is getting up staggeringly.

Shido-san seems to be quite exhausted, why …?

…Perhaps she became like that because she used Infinite Corridor to her limit.

The range was also quite wide, unlike before.

“Chiyaku… don’t intervene… I will… take care of this…”

“……Got it,” Chiyaku-san takes a step back after saying that.

On the other hand, Shido-san steps forward toward Roll.

Even though it is summer, she is wearing a coat that looked hot as usual.

Chiyaku-san doesn’t move. Instead, she moves the blood lurking in my shoulders a little and restrains me.

It means, don’t do anything.

It feels like my wound is being gouged.

I clench my teeth and endure the pain.

“Shido-san… why…” Roll faces Shido-san and squeezes out her voice.

Shido-san is silent for a while, but eventually opens her mouth.

“…Roll. I truly feel guilty to you…”

“…………”

“But this… was decided… from the very beginning.”

Kemuri-san said the same thing.

What was decided from the beginning ……?

Does that mean that Kemuri-san, Chiyaku-san, and Shido-san were going to turn traitor from the beginning?

The common points among these three people are that they are executives and that they can be involved with Observer.

But, isn’t Chiyaku-san not included in the latter point…?

No, that’s right. The reason I thought Observer is a human being was because Chiyaku-san was doing regular maintenance to it.

If it’s as I guess, that Observer is that ‘brain-like thing’, it should have parts that only a doctor like Chiyaku-san can deal with.

Even though she didn’t use Observer directly, she did examine it.

“…It was decided that Shido-san and the others would betray the organization…?” Roll says.

I also thought a lot about it, but Shido-san’s following words should give the answer.

But deep down, something like that doesn’t concern me.

Whatever the reason, these two are enemies.

And even if the truth is told, what will happen to us after that?

Of course, we will be killed.

Surely, telling the truth is Shido-san’s way to atone to Roll.

It’s convenient for me because such a shit-like atonement is buying us time though.

“That is…”

“Shido,” Chiyaku-san called her name.

Immediately, Shido-san evades backwards.

*Bang* A small crater appear at the spot where she was.

I immediately look up at the sky. The who is there is Utsusemi-san.

He gets down and stand in front of Roll with a *tap* and puts his hand on the sword on his waist.

“Utsusemi…”

“Hey Shido, Chiyaku. It sure been a while since this me have met you. I am glad that you look well.”

Utusemi-san. He noticed it after all, huh. Firing that Sound-Shot was correct.

I didn’t notice Utsusemi-san approaching because I was minimizing the sound’s detection.

If I could deploy the Silent World even for a moment, I can change this battle situation with Distortion Sound.

With that in mind, I was trying to restore my stamina as much as possible.

However, it seems that it is not necessary.

Utsusemi made it in time anyway, and the surviving members, led by Byakurei, is running here from the central entrance.

Shido-san’s ability does not activate.

She probably doesn’t have enough stamina left.

A total of 18 members gathers in the plaza so as to surround them.

Everyone is ready for battle. Byakurei is taking a stance with his extra-long sword, and Kaya-san is aiming with a fire bow. Matching them, I also narrow the distance a little.

Chiyaku-san should be able to kill me and Roll whenever she wants to, but she doesn’t seem intending to do that.

That’s natural. If she kills me and Roll in this situation, it will be the signal to begin this battle.

This difference in numbers. This is undoubtedly not a battle they can win.

Chiyaku-san, who is a little away from Shido-san, closes their distance.

“Chiyaku… can I leave Utsusemi to you?”

“Ahh.”

Seeing that nod, we prepare for battle.

Everyone keeps an equal sense of distance from them.

It is obvious that Shido-san is exhausted. But she is by no means an opponent we can let our guard down against.

These two could be called ‘the strongest’ in Anonymous respectively.

It seems that many people didn’t know that Chiyaku-san could fight, but that’s not the case now.

The reason is that she is restraining that Utsusemi-san with her killing intent, and she is emitting an air such that no one is able to move.

“Do you want to change the place? Chiyaku,” Utsusemi-san says.

Chiyaku-san glances at Shido-san. I can only see their backs from my position, but I know they exchange glances.

“…It’s fine, Chiyaku. Go.”

“…See you later, Shido.”

“Yes, let us meet again in hell.”

Chiyaku-san throws the backpack at her feet high up in the sky.

“Come, Utsusemi.”

What cut through her backpack is her blood blade. A large amount of blood diffuses and converges from the ruptured backpack. The mass of blood falls to the ground due to gravity for a moment, but then soars vigorously.

Chiyaku-san also takes off as if to chase after it. Using the blood floating in the air as a foothold, Chiyaku-san escapes from the siege and flies ahead.

Utsusemi-san happily follows after her.

The one left is Shido-san. And we are besieging her alone.

The silence continues.

With an air as if she is no longer waiting for the continuation of the answer, Roll is silent.

However, as a result, Byakurei-san returns the topic.

“Shido… What is your purpose. Why are you guys doing this?”

I’m already tired of hearing that word.

It’s not worth worrying about, just kill her quickly. She is quite weak now. Perhaps she doesn’t even have the power to swing a knife.

She should be barely standing.

But I couldn’t open my mouth.

Just like Roll, Byakurei-san may have various questions and feelings swirling in his head.

What I can do is to get Shido-san in my range to insure she can’t use her ability.

I take a step forward. Shido-san should be aware of my movement, but she doesn’t use her ability.

“Roll.”

Ignoring Byakurei-san’s question, Shido-san calls Roll’s name.

“Shido-san…”

“I thought of you as my real daughter,” Shido-san puts her hand on the button of her coat.

While doing that, she takes out a lighter from her pocket with her other hand.

“…Hah, hah,” She seems to be unable to stand at last, as she kneels on the spot with a thud.

At the same time, her coat comes off.

*Thud* a heavy sound echoes after her coat fell to the ground.

When I turn my gaze to it, a large amount of explosive is set inside the coat.

Without any time for us to be surprised, Shido-san lit the lighter in her left hand with a snap.

“It’s dangerous…”

Anyone knows what will happen in this situation.

With that number of explosives, we will surely get swallowed up in the explosion in this distance.

No, no matter how far we are, with Shido-san’s ability, the explosion will reach us.

We only got about 1 second to act.

The battle sound of Chiyaku-san and Utsusemi-san is ringing in the distance.

The situation is so inevitable that I turned my attention to such an insignificant thing.

Dammit, what to do…!

At the next moment, most people turn their back and start running.

Shido-san ignites the conducting wire.

“Everything is for him…”

She mutters something, but I have no time to worry about it.

I scream at once.

“Byakurei-san!”

With Byakurei-san’s Room Impair, it should be possible to defend against the explosion.

“I know……!”

Can he make it in time…!?

Suddenly, I find Roll standing at the edge of my field of vision.

“Roll!”

Why are you spacing out…!

I stop my legs and try to go there, but given the distance, I shouldn’t be able to make it.

Roll is on the other side of Shido-san.

“Roll! Move!” I call out.

She doesn’t move. Immediately after.

Bang!

Such an explosion occurs. I close my eyes.

Due to the blast, I’m blown backwards.

Hitting a crumbling wooden house, I cough out a mouthful of blood.

However, it’s not a big deal.

I wonder if Byakurei-san managed to use the Room Impair in time.

When the blast and its rumbling subside, I slowly open my eyes.

A gruesome scene spread out there.

Those who hit the wall and dead, scattering about in pieces of meat.

A crater has been created the center of the place where Shido-san was. However, there are three directions where the ground is not scraped.

Suddenly, the rubbles next to me is lifted up, and Byakurei-san appears from it.

“…Sorry. I could only protect two sides.”

You’re kidding me… That means everyone else is… Roll is …

I somehow raise my severely hurt body and proceed to the epicenter where Shido-san was while dragging my legs.

I overlook the area around restlessly. The houses in the village are on fire.

I expand sound detection.

I can only hear three heartbeats save for mine and Byakurei-san’s.

When I trace one of the heartbeats and shift my gaze, I find Hikisaki-san there.

And, in the immediate vicinity is Roll who has fallen on her butt in a daze.

I see, Hikisaki-san changed the direction of the explosion with his ability.

However, because of that, his opposite direction had become disastrous. The people who were there were annihilated.

Well, he had no other choice to survive, I guess.

I hold my shoulder and drag my legs to the roll.

*Rattling* Kaya-san appears from the collapsed house next to me.

“Cough, cough… Fuck, fuck!”

There is no noticeable injury on her. Are these five people the only ones who survived?

When I thought so, a naked Sen appears from a burning house this time.

“It was really scary just now…”

Right, she is immortal.

That means, the ones who survived are these six, huh. Next is up to the result of the battle between Utsusemi-san and Chiyaku-san.

Eventually, I reach Roll’s side.

Hikisaki-san, who is standing about five or six meters away, is holding half of his face with his left hand.

Probably, he regrets having killed many members to protect himself.

“What happened was inevitable.”

I don’t know if such encouragement will give him a peace of mind, but I told Hikisaki-san what I thought.

“Roll, can you stand?” Standing in front of her, I reach out my hand to her.

Roll stares at the place where Shido-san was and mutters,

“Shido-san… why…”

Having seen that, I pull Roll’s hand and force her to stand up, and seriously hit her on the cheek.

Due to my punch, Roll falls over the ground again.

“…You wanna die?” She glares at me.

“That’s my line. You want to die?”

After I said that, Byakurei rushes over and cut in between me and Roll.

“Oi, stop it, Shion.”

“Byakurei-san… Please move away. There is something I have to say to Roll.”

“Even so, you shouldn’t have hit her. Why are you fighting in this sort of situation?”

“It is exactly because the situation is like this. Given the circumstances, Anonymous is over. But even so, Roll and I are still partners.”

It was also because she is my partner that I chose her when I was going to the surface. I trusted her.

Byakurei-san looks into my eyes for a while, but as if he has got my intention, he draws out from between me and Roll.

Roll is hanging her head and saying nothing. I take a step and say,

“We are not very good partners, are we?”

“…You’re right,” Her cheek is red and swollen. It can’t be helped, since I hit her seriously.

“But, didn’t you tell me when we first met? About what partners are supposed to be in Anonymous.”

“…Yeah.”

I tried my best, but I was convinced that I couldn’t meet Roll’s expectation.

Because I don’t have the confidence to risk my life to protect Roll.

But even so, I’m confident that I will choose Roll without hesitation when she is put on a scale with someone else.

Even if she had mentally prepared herself, it was unavoidable that she couldn’t act when she was faced with that kind of situation.

I also have experienced something like that.

“……Sorry.”

I’m not asking for an apology.

I’m just playing innocent. But I have one thing I want to say.

If we were to continue to act as partners hereafter, I have one thing I want only Roll to know.

“If you die, that will be the end of it.”

Not good. I also can’t say what I want to say. I wanted to convey it in a way that was easier to understand and better organized. At this rate, she wouldn’t know what I’m talking about.

While I’m thinking about the next words with my mouth half-opened, tears overflow from Roll’s eyes.

I abandon the words I was thinking about and reach out to Roll.

“…Can you stand?”

“……Un,” Roll grabs my outstretched hand and stand up.

Then, she begins to cry loudly.

Perhaps Roll was pushing herself to the limit.

She is a kind person after all, and she has been in this organization for all this time, so she probably became mentally weak and unable to come to terms with the situation.

I want to hug her, but this is not the time for that.

We have to escape from here.

In the distance, the battle between Utsusemi-san and Chiyaku-san continues. But he probably doesn’t need a support.

“By the way, where is Boss?”

Suddenly, Hikisaki-san says as if it just comes to his mind.

I also completely forgot about Boss’ existence because of the urgent situation.

That’s right. Boss hasn’t returned even though Shido-san’s Infinite Corridor has been unraveled.

Why.

Just as that question came to my mind.

“It’s a good time, huh.”

It was Boss’ voice.

We look back at that voice.

At the same time as I was surprised, a new question emerged in my head.

Looking back, the one who is there is certainly Boss.

He is quietly standing as though he is there from the beginning.

However, the figure of Boss wearing a jet-black coat and the trademark strange mask, is not there.

“Why……”

What we see there is Boss dressed in white military uniform with three stars shining on his chest.

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I suspected that he also betrayed them and was cooperating with the SDF at most, but this is quite unexpected…

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