章節 27: Chapter 2: The Witch-Hunter Moves Along With the Flames. Part 5

After climbing to the fifth floor, Kamijou and Stiyl arrived at a corridor.

Stiyl had completely memorized the diagram of Misawa Cram School, which was why they had gone to that floor. Using the parameters of the diagram and actual measurements taken through infrared and ultrasonic means, he had derived error spaces.

Halfway through the middle of the straight corridor, Stiyl lightly knocked on a normal-looking wall.

"…Even if we're right here, if we can't open it, we have to give up, right?"

"Yeah."

Even if it were a normal room rather than "secret", for Kamijou and Stiyl, as residents as the back, could not open the door. If they wanted to enter, they could slip in once a student of the front opened the door. However, if a secret room, students may not go in and out.

"But it's best to check out the situation. No matter how strong the boundary is, the caster is Aureolus. We can just force him to remove the boundary by threatening—or killing—him."

"…" Kamijou inadvertently stared at the other. It was a "battlefield," and Aureolus was the "enemy" to defeat. Kamijou understood this. Considering the imprisoned Himegami Aisa and the knight killed by Aureolus, one could imagine the precariousness of the situation.

However, even so, Kamijou could not say something like kill Aureolus because his actions taken on the knight was also self defense.

He had said "kill him" instead of "beat" or "stop", there was no ambiguity.

They headed down the wall nearest to the secret room and they arrived at the student cafeteria. It seemed they were mixing the people into the wide room to dilute the secret room's existence. It applied an allusion and there were no doors for secret room visible from the cafeteria entrance.

To prevent themselves from being caught in the crowded entrance, Kamijou and Stiyl entered the cafeteria.

The individuals on the back could not interfere with the people on the front. Boys fought for the few available seats and the girls carried trays of food and chatted away as they walked. People rushed about like bulls. Unlike a corridor, the movements in the wide cafeteria were unpredictable. Kamijou and Stiyl were carefully avoiding the crowd.

Since it was evening, many students were in the cafeteria. It was actually quite the refreshing experience for Kamijou to have others ignore his presence, a feeling unknown when moving in traffic jams. Those experienced in such matters would realize that surrounding people consciously avoid one another to prevent collision.

The secret room contained a counter and behind it a small kitchen. The large freezer and utensils made the kitchen feel even more cramped, causing others to be ignorant of the space's actual size.

"…Hm. It's my first time actually seeing a science religion but it doesn't look like much. It thought they'd at least put up the picture of some bishop."

"…It's true it doesn't look that dangerous." Kamijou looked around.

In the realm of science, there were indicators of a religion's fanaticism. For example, there include the level of acquiring funds from believers, the expansion level of indoctrinating new believers, the absolutism level where believers accept all orders even at risk of self-destruction, the dangerous item level where poisonous gases or explosives are produced, and so on. Religions that scored higher were deemed as decidedly more dangerous.

From a scientific viewpoint, Misawa Cram was unlike truly dangerous religions. As members were students, acquiring significant funds was unlikely and as a cram school, creating chemical weapons was not a feasible idea.

"…No. This really is a dangerous science cult." Kamijou said disdainfully.

Though the students were gathered in a cafeteria, the atmosphere was as heavy as an elevator.

It's to be expected, Kamijou thought. Everyone here might be talking happily but the conversations aren't. They had little else to discuss aside from things that belittled others like "how many I beat the last practice exam," "how many points my score went up," or "I don't understand how there're trash who won't study" for the sakes of self-gratification.

Kamijou examined an extremely ordinary cram school poster on the cafeteria wall. On it were two extreme sentences, "If you study hard now, you'll get into a great school and assure yourself a great future." and "If you don't study now, you'll end up at the bottom and meet misfortune."

This is just like chain mail. He thought. Chain mails were prank mails that promised good fortune or unhappiness with things like "If you send this mail to 7 persons within 7 days you'll be happy forever. If you don't you'll be unlucky." Such threatening intents were no different from radical religions.

"Hmph. This school's motto is something like 'extremely smart shall be those that study here,' right? Well. These teachers must be brainwashing the kids with things like 'this is something that'll definitely be tested. I'm telling you, those that didn't study here over the summer are inferior', huh?"

"How infuriating." Kamijou muttered with true disgust. He was unhappy that he could actually somewhat empathize for them. Exams tend to be involved in superstitions. Regardless of their sedulousness, students tended to attempt unscientific foods that increased concentration or would even bring to the exam hall talismans for becoming the top scorer.

It was a deficiency called insecurity. The religion of Misawa Cram exploited this gap and stabbed into it with a knife.

"Hm. Seems like you've been interested by the fanatical gas, eh? But, don't forget our aim. We need to find the secret entrance."

"Oh. Okay, okay! I got it!" Kamijou took a deep, calming breath and turned to examine the entire cafeteria.

Immediately, approximately 80 students turned to stare at him. Initially, Kamijou was under the impression that his loudly speaking resulted in attracting their attention.

"Well. This doesn't look good… Is this the first safety?"

Despite Stiyl's voiced seriousness, Kamijou could not react. "Ah? Eh?"

"Don't you understand the situation? The people on the front shouldn't be able to see those on the back. I see… so there's an alarm like this around the secret room?"

"…" Kamijou peered around.

Close to 80 students were without question staring at them. Their individual humanness had disappeared and was replaced with a blank, glass-like stare.

"Do-Don't tell me—" It was true. The students were residents of the back of the coin. "—a magician!"

As Kamijou shouted out without meaning, Stiyl had abandoned Kamijou and back away.

"The wings of the seraph shines brightly and the bright light is a pure white color that reveals all sins…" One of the students near the front began to mutter ambiguities.

"The pure white color is proof of purity, the mark is the result of one's actions…" An additional voice overlapped with the first.

"The result is the future, the future is time is uniform…" A second, third, fourth, fifth sixth seventh eighth ninth tenth eleventh twelfth thirteen fourteen fifteen sixteen seventeen eighteen nineteen…

"Uniformity is all, all is created by the past, the past is the cause, cause is one. One is sin, sin are humans. Humans fear, fear is guilt. Guilt resides within oneself. If in oneself there is something one despises, the wings of the seraph shall reveal your sins and purge it from within!"

An 80-person chorus, or perhaps a pugilistic verbal maelstrom created by the thousands within the building, echoed unceasingly.

Hovering in front of each student's forehead was a ping-pong ball sized blue-white glow. Perhaps the orbs were beginning to gather as they floated and even stuck to the floor below Kamijou, coming from the lower floor.

And then, like explosives or the sizzling of a strong acid, the orbs emitted smoke. Touching even one would have caused burns.

"Oi! Strongest shield Imagine Breaker! It's time for you to step up!"

"What? Oi!" Peering back, the uncountable orbs were closing in, blocking Kamijou's line of vision. "Uwah! With so many… HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO BLOCK THEM ALL?!"

With a mad dash to the exit, Kamijou chased Stiyl's back and overtook him. Stiyl, who had thought Kamijou would act as a shield, felt some panic and escaped behind Kamijou out of the cafeteria.

"Wh-Why are you running away?! You're the shield! Your right hand blocked Dragon Breath! Instead of using your right hand you're running away with your back exposed!? Are you crazy!?"

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!? I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THAT FROM SOMEONE USING ME AS A SHIELD! THIS IS A CASE QUANTITY NOT QUALITY! HOW CAN I NEGATE ALL OF THAT WITH ONE RIGHT HAND!!"

To analogize, it was like fighting something with four limbs. Even if one flawlessly guarded against two limbs, the other two could still strike. An individual's power was unlikely to make that of a group's.

With a boom, a large number of the orbs filed out of the entrance and flooded out the floodgates that were the cafeteria entrance. Kamijou and Stiyl could only run down the corridor.

"Tch. Speaking of which… this might be a replica, but to be able to replicate the Gregorian Chant means I underestimated Aureolus Izzard.

"What's this Grego whatever?"

"Once, it was the ultimate weapon… A grand spell that required 3,333 praying monks gathered in a cathedral. It was like running sunlight through a magnifying glass to increase output." Stiyl grit his teeth. "Though this's a replica with only 2,000 students, as the saying goes in this country, 'pile up sand and you can build a tower.' Its power can't be underestimated."

Kamijou was stunned. Though his understanding was limited, did it not mean they were not facing 2,000 opponents? It was a battlefield and he was in the midst of an enemy camp, this much he could understand, but the concept of fighting 2,000 individuals was despairing.

"Then there's no way we can beat this head on! Even if this place is huge, we'll still get caught playing hide-and-seek with 2,000 people!"

"Not quite," Stiyl said, still facing forward. "The emphasis is in the core. The Gregorian Chant requires the simultaneous controlling of 2,000 people or it fails. If we can find the core of the 2,000 people and destroy it, we'll end the Gregorian Chant.

The two of them ran down the long corridor and finally arrived near the staircase. At the same moment, they noticed a large number of blue-white orbs deluging in. They were pincered.

"The stairs! Move it!" Kamijou and Stiyl frantically ducked under the stairs beside them. Kamijou intended to inquire whether they should go up and down the stairs, but he realized something was amiss.

"You… You've been looking so calm for a while. Do you have some secret plan?" It was true. For someone who had barely escaped the jaws of death, Stiyl seemed much too calm.

"Hm. I do have a plan. I've just been wondering whether I should use it."

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? IF YOU HAVE ONE, HURRY UP AND USE IT!"

With an "oh", Stiyl happily looked at Kamijou's face. In face of the abnormal smile, Kamijou inadvertently held his breath and became more alert.

Don. Stiyl pushed Kamijou down the stairs.

"What…" Before he could even react, he had lost his balance and had tumbled down the stairs. The numerous stabs of pain surrounded him and it was impossible to even cry out, for if he did, he would have likely bit his tongue.

"Bad luck, scarecrow." Stiyl's joyful voice was audible from above. Dazed, Kamijou could see him running away in the opposite direction, upstairs. Then, the flood approached and split both ways, and rushed at Kamijou like flowing water.

"That bastard!"

Kamijou dragged his pained body and ran downwards. Stiyl's words passed through his thoughts. They were in Aureolus' stronghold, a place filled with mana. Like an entirely red picture, if any blue (in this case Stiyl's) paint was added, the enemy would soon realize something was amiss. On the other hand, if Stiyl avoided using magic, he would go unnoticed.

However, it was different for Kamijou. His Imagine Breaker endlessly erased the red color. Stiyl had the option to use or not to use, but Kamijou was like a perpetual transmitter.

All in all, Kamijou was brought there to be a convenient decoy to abandon. He had thought Stiyl's lack of planning was irrational but in truth this reasoning lied at the heart.

…Damn it! Eh. Hold on, something's not right. Kamijou's heart rang an alarm but he knew not why. As the current Kamijou could think of no reason, it must have been the pre-amnesia Kamijou warning him.

As his thoughts raced, a fresh set of footsteps interrupted him, coming from below… and blocking his escape route.

"…!"

The deluging orbs continued to converge onto Kamijou, but he could not possibly stop. So, instead he dashed and peered downstairs. There was a girl, one whom he had never met and whose uniform was unfamiliar, awaiting Kamijou. She was perhaps a candidate, one or two years older than Kamijou, with black braids and rounded spectacles. In all honestly it did not seem that she could fight, let alone use magic.

"The flames punish sin; purgatory governs the flames. Purgatory was created to burn sinners, the only violence God recognizes."

What came out of her cute lips caused Kamijou unhappiness. Each time she spoke, the blue-white orb in front of her grew in size. It seemed the front and back of the coin had flipped. The girl should have been a student on the front but became a magician on the back. This was perhaps true for every Misawa Cram student. Though in truth, Kamijou could have easily knocked the girl down.

I can win this…!

Kamijou clenched his right fist, and, though he could not definitively defeat 2,000 individuals, one or two of the orbs were no threat. Kamijou clenched his fist tighter as if to confirm the existence of Imagine Breaker.

Then, with a "crack!" the girl's face exploded as if fire crackers were planted beneath her skin.

"What…?"

Simultaneous to Kamijou's shock, the girl's fingers, nose, under the cloths… released miniature explosions, one after the other. The explosions were small enough that they only burned holes a few centimeters wide on her skin.

"Violence… is the affirmation of death. Affirmation is… recognition. Re… cog… ni…" Each time the girl spoke a single word, her body cracked further. Her lips eventually began to crack as well and blood flowed out of her mouth, showing her innards were severely damaged. Despite the damage, she continued to speak. In reality, it was more like she could not talk. She seemed like a frog being controlled by a machine, her leg muscles twitched against her will from the continuous electrocution.

Don't tell me…

Anxiety rose up in Kamijou's stomach and his knowledge was informing him, though he knew not where the ridiculous information came from.

Espers can't use magic. Though espers and magicians were similar in their abilities to utilize supernatural powers, the applications were different. The "circuits" in espers were different from those of ordinary humans; even if they attempted to imitate a magician, they would be unsuccessful.

That in mind, they were in Academy City. All students there had undertaken some esper development curriculum. With this assumption, what would have happened if espers unable to use magic… did?

"Stop… it…" Kamijou muttered, forgetting his personal situation.

The circuitry was incompatible, his brain told him this. Though Kamijou himself knew little magic basis, the feeling may have been like a generator meant to run on batteries being run through an alternating current. Though the current might flow and the circuit might work, such an unreasonable method would burn out the circuit.

"STOP IT! YOU CAN TELL YOUR OWN BODY IS IN TROUBLE!!" He had forgotten to even clench his fist. At that moment, though it felt like there was a gun pointed at his head, he dashed down the stairs without a thought.

"…tion. Re… st… with… in. Within… refers… to… the world. Connect your inner… self with the outside… world." The girl suddenly let out a deep sound and went silent.

The bridge between her eyebrows exploded and the blue-white orb she casted disappeared, leaving behind a fresh red wound. Her last sound seemed to betray the fatality of the wound while the girl swayed about and tumbled forward on the stairs.

Kamijou's mind was informing him… A human body is heavy. Even a girl of petite size can be truly heavy if carried around like luggage. If you're burdened with several extra kilograms, evading the flood of orbs will be impossible.

Kamijou's mind was informing him… This girl's even an enemy. There will be no merits to saving her, you might even be attacked. If you consider life as the largest priority, leave this enemy behind and escape.

Kamijou's mind was informing him… Most importantly, a severely wounded casualty like her can't possibly be saved. Not only are her wounds obviously fatal, she's been poisoned by a religious science.

"…" Hearing the voices in his mind caused Kamijou to gnash his teeth. "STOP MESSING AROUND!"

Kamijou still decided to rush down the stairs and reached his hand out to save the girl that was ready to collapse. It was true that the girl was heavy and it was also true that it was already difficult for him to make an escape and it was again true that with extra luggage, he could not possibly outrun the tidal wave of orbs. The girl was an enemy, a physically and emotionally wounded one at that, and Kamijou understood it.

Even so, there was no reason to abandon a wounded girl and let her be devoured by the coming deluge of orbs. Even if he searched the entire world, he would never find a reason to justify such an action.

Most likely, the girl had not intended for it to happen. She believed she was just joining an ordinary cram school but upon enrollment was soon manipulated by the science religion. Unknowingly, she became a pawn.

Kamijou remember the knight who had died in front of the lift. Most people could not have possibly left the injured there alone, even if an enemy.

"Guu… Damn it!"

Don! The girl collapsed onto Kamijou's chest and she seemed even lighter than expected, even if this were only true from the perspective of people. As luggage, she could have been considered extremely heavy and, as this happened halfway down the stairs, Kamijou almost fell down as he attempted to maintain his balance.

Carrying the bloodied girl, Kamijou intended to continue his run down the stairs and he checked behind himself.

"…"

The flood had already appeared before him.

Kamijou began to frantically swat at orbs with his right hand while he rushed down the final steps with the girl cradled in his left arm. An unconscious person was quite a bit heavier than he had expected, as if he were swimming with a metal ball weighing him down.

He wanted to jump, but his body was grounded by the extra weight. That slight lag allowed the thousands of balls to form a swirling vortex around him.

"…!!"

Kamijou reflexively shut his eyes and began to think. With the girl under his protection in mind, he could block a few orbs with his body, but it was impossible with thousands chasing them. Kamijou's body would be eaten away by the balls like metal in acid… devoured by uncountable worms…

"…?"

Nothing had happened. For some time, nothing happened. There was a strange sensation of stopped time and Kamijou did not dare open his eyes recklessly. He was in some fantasy world that would have broken if he opened his eyes and time would flow again. Regardless, it was imperative he did open his eyes.

With a fearful sensation, like for someone disarming a bomb, Kamijou carefully opened his eyes.

"…Ah?"

He could see, but he could not understand. It was like time stopped. The phenomenon he was witnessing could only have been explained by time stopping. The vortex of orbs that was about to swallow him had stopped as if it were a still image.

After a moment, the seemingly impatient orbs began to move. However, instead of swallowing Kamijou whole, they slowly deliberately dropped to the ground like apples from a tree. Upon ground contact, they submerged.

Then, a new set of footsteps was heard. Kamijou did not understand. Even so, he sought the footsteps that he heard coming from below and stared down. The stairs were linked to the entrance of a corridor where the shining sunset gleamed into the dark emergency staircase.

From there, Deep Blood Himegami Aisa observed upward, as if in the bottom of a well.