Origami Tobiichi, clad in a wired suit, gripped a massive Gatling gun with both hands.
She aimed and pulled the trigger, unleashing a barrage of bullets toward the school building.
Thanks to the deployment of her Territory, she felt almost no weight or recoil.
But that gun was indeed a large-caliber Gatling, typically mounted on warships.
As a testament to its power, the school building, bombarded from all directions, was already riddled with holes, its structure significantly reduced.
That said, it wasn’t anti-spirit equipment powered by a Realizer—just an ordinary weapon used to demolish the school and force the spirit to reveal itself.
“How’s it going? Has the spirit inside shown up yet?”
Ryoko’s voice came through the comms in her earpiece.
Though she was right beside Origami, the deafening roar of gunfire drowned out normal conversation.
“Unable to confirm yet.”
Responding curtly to Ryoko Kusakabe, Origami Tobiichi ceased firing and fixed her gaze on the school grounds.
The dust kicked up by the heavy firepower obscured her vision slightly, but for someone with a Territory deployed, even a paper pinned to the school’s bulletin board was crystal clear.
With careful observation, spotting whether the spirit had appeared wasn’t difficult.
“Origami, you were too reckless earlier,” came a voice, not through the earpiece this time.
Ryoko Kusakabe placed a hand on Origami’s shoulder, her low reprimand humming in her ear.
“If you were facing a more ferocious target, you’d be dead right now.”
“Mm,” Origami replied softly, her gaze unwavering under Ryoko’s close scolding.
It was true—she might have died earlier.
Though she didn’t care about sacrificing herself in a fight against a spirit, her actions had ultimately disobeyed orders.
Normally, Origami might have had something to say, but now, staying silent and accepting the reprimand was the quickest course.
After all, another calamity needing elimination was right there.
Class 2-4—her class.
“Hm? What’s that?”
Ryoko’s puzzled voice sounded beside her, but Origami had no intention of responding.
Her eyes widened, staring intently at the slowly dissipating smoke and the exposed interior of the damaged wall.
The spirit’s figure emerged, but what left Origami speechless was another presence.
A blue-haired boy in a school uniform—her classmate, someone she thought about daily.
His name was Shidou Itsuka.
He was in the same room as the spirit.
“What’s going on? A student who didn’t evacuate in time? Is the spirit attacking him?”
Ryoko frowned, trying to assess the situation.
Her captain’s words drifted into Origami’s ears, snapping her out of the shock that had frozen her body.
Danger. Danger. Shidou is in danger—
“…Origami?”
The girl shot to her feet, startling Ryoko Kusakabe, who was caught off guard by her sudden movement.
Without a word, Origami issued a mental command, ordering her Realizer to activate high-speed mobility.
“Danger! Avoid acting independently!”
The observation team’s urgent warning came through the comms, detecting her anomaly.
But Origami Tobiichi was already airborne, accelerating sharply—
“Are you insane, Origami?! What did I just say?!”
Ryoko, reacting faster, grabbed her ankle, yanking her back to the ground with a sharp turn.
“Let go.”
Her voice lost its calm.
The Gatling gun was discarded, and in her hand was the anti-spirit lightsaber drawn from her waist, clearly poised to charge forward as she had before.
“Sergeant Tobiichi, obey orders!”
Naturally, Ryoko didn’t let go.
Even as Origami struggled fiercely, breaking free from her hasty grip, Ryoko’s hand remained clamped on her ankle.
“I have to save him! Let go!”
There was no time for explanations or seeking permission.
Every second wasted increased the chance of Shidou coming to harm.
Without waiting for Ryoko’s response, Origami raised her sword, aiming to slash her own leg.
“—What the hell are you doing, you idiot!”
A fist swept through, brass knuckles deflecting the self-destructive lightsaber.
The moment Ryoko released her grip, she drove an elbow into the abdomen of the girl attempting to rise, pinning her down again.
Medical Realizers could heal most non-fatal injuries, and temporary bleeding control via Realizer was standard Self-Defense Force knowledge.
But seeing someone exploit that knowledge in this way infuriated Ryoko beyond reason.
“—You!”
A torrent of reprimands surged to her throat.
Glaring at the girl willing to sever her own leg to charge forward, Ryoko’s face burned with anger.
“Get a report on my desk by the day after tomorrow. You’re off training for the week!”
“Ryoko…?”
Momentarily confused by her words, Origami was yanked up from the ground by her captain’s forceful actions.
“Call me Captain! Now obey orders, Sergeant Tobiichi. Come with me to rescue that student! Everyone else, tighten the encirclement and provide cover as needed!!!”
“But Captain—”
“Shut up! Command is handed over to the field observation team. If anything goes wrong, report it as my failure to lead!”
“Y-Yes… Yes!”
…I can’t take it.
I really can’t take it… Why can’t these girls just follow orders in battle and act their age outside of it?
I’m so done.
Realizers weren’t suited for combat in confined spaces.
Obstacles and terrain limited their effectiveness.
Logically, they should continue suppressing with firepower to force the spirit out or clear obstacles to create a viable combat space.
With a civilian who hadn’t evacuated, the first option was undoubtedly the safest—waiting patiently for a chance to rescue them.
Not recklessly charging into an unsuitable battlefield.
Even if Realizers weren’t hindered much, a single squad lacked the strength to confront a spirit head-on.
Rushing in like this wouldn’t reduce the risk of harm to civilians—it’d likely provoke the spirit further.
Utterly hopeless…
“Attack from both sides simultaneously. I’ll hold off the spirit. You rescue your classmate. Understood?”
Without glancing at her subordinates’ worried or stubborn expressions, Ryoko issued orders through the comms to the girl beside her.
Silently, she commanded her Realizer to boost speed, charging ahead of Origami Tobiichi.
If a sacrifice was needed, it wouldn’t be anyone else first.
If I make it back, I’m giving her a proper lecture, this troublesome subordinate of mine.
Swallowing her frustrated sigh, Ryoko Kusakabe cleared her mind, steeled herself, and dove toward what might be her final, narrow battlefield.