As Elteel leaped, Lonzder’s choice was simple.
“———”
She jumped onto the hound’s back.
Grabbing the belt around the beast’s neck with her right hand, she hooked her boots around its legs.
Then, using [Unsullied gem Anvil Maiden]’s mass manipulation, she lightened her weight to near-zero.
Simultaneously, the blood flung by the bomber carved a horizontal line across the floor.
Like a boundary separating the two from the bomber the instant after their leap.
By this point, Lonzder had already gauged the explosion’s range to some extent. Given Elteel’s jumping power and speed, she judged they could clear the spreading flames and shockwave before the blast fully erupted.
If they could manage that, they could close the distance in one go and force the fight into close quarters.
No matter how enhanced Whisper was, in a point-blank brawl, they held the advantage.
There was just one problem.
Whether the hell hound would allow Lonzder to hitch a ride on its leap.
Their relationship might have deepened after sharing a bath, but thinking calmly, it still felt suspicious.
Elteel had acted like she owed her something, which pissed her off—she’d grabbed her jaw and—now that she thought about it, she’d just yanked her closer, but the way her chest jiggled so dramatically was infuriating—and afterward, she had been surprisingly mild, even offering brandy-laced tea, which made her impulsively throw it across the room.
Objectively speaking, could this be called “getting along”?
…Very doubtful.
She’d never seen Elteel in her black hound form let anyone ride her.
Norman might have experience, but a hell hound that was both a loyal dog and a mad beast wasn’t a useful reference.
As anxiety crept in—Did I misstep?—
“——Woof.”
She heard the hell hound let out a laugh-like bark.
“…………Hah.”
She smirked.
Because—
“Today, you’ve been dragging me around nonstop.”
But—
“Well, not bad, partner.”
●
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Whisper saw two things.
One: the wall of flames birthed from his own blood.
And the other—
“Whoa, whoa……!”
—was Elteel, soaring over that wall of flames, with Lonzder clinging to her side.
The hell hound’s trench coat and the gem’s jacket fluttered in the blast.
Further, yellow flames flickered in Elteel’s eyes, while glowing crimson patterns etched themselves across Lonzder’s limbs.
Bathed in the dual-colored light, the badges on their collars and chests gleamed.
“Tch—…!”
Lonzder kicked sideways, abruptly altering their trajectory mid-leap.
Likely due to her gravity-manipulating ability. Elteel, pushed by her momentum, veered the opposite way—
“Hyaha~… I see, I see.”
—and the two landed, flanking Whisper between gem and hell hound.
“What’s this? The detective I wanted revenge on isn’t even here anymore? Never imagined someone equal standing by that woman’s side.”
“Just how evil were you, Lonzder-san?”
“Dunno. Forgot all that ancient stuff.”
“Damn, that’s cold. I never forgot, y’know?”
It had taken months—human experimentation to become a [Nine Herbs] bearer, training until she could wield [Viblade] freely.
All for revenge against the detective who ruined his life’s joy.
“…………But, well. Can’t be helped, I guess.”
“Oh? Giving up on revenge?”
“Yeah. Over it.”
“Hah?”
“Eh?”
The poised stances of the two, ready to pounce at any second, faltered slightly.
“Not uninterested in what changed your mind, but I’ll take ‘giving up revenge’ at face value.”
“……?”
Whisper spread his arms and shook his head, leaving the two bewildered.
“Uh… So, what now…?”
“Ah… Let’s keep it simple.”
Pausing as if debating his next move, he finally declared:
“Revenge’s off the menu—time for the bomber’s grand finale! I’ll blow you to bits for fun!”
gem and hell hound moved instantly.
●
Lonzder lunged forward, shattering the floor beneath her—and noticed the change in her condition.
The crimson patterns glowing across her limbs were proof.
[Critical Case – Stable State].
A control method for [Unlaw], devised and kept secret by Norman.
By expressing her ability’s activation level through luminescence, she could prevent them from running wild beforehand.
Even a [Rank Category I] could cause catastrophic incidents if allowed to rampage unchecked—let alone a [Rank Category III] releasing all restraints.
That’s why, as Norman always said, this light is nothing more than a control valve.
[Stable State] was tolerable, but exceeding it meant immediate immobilization—followed by an inhuman lecture. This, at least, was his way of showing love, so she endured it.
“Gear’s shifting up…!”
Her ability was undeniably strengthening.
In an instant, she closed the distance and drove a straight right punch forward.
“Hyaha!”
In response, the ex-avenger—now bomber—raised his broad [Viblade] like a shield.
Impressive reflexes, she acknowledged, accelerating her fist to shatter both rod and defense—
“—────!?”
—GDOOONN!
A bizarre bass-heavy resonance repelled her strike.
“Ow—… not, but what!?”
It felt like punching a wall without her ability—yet [Critical Case] confirmed it was active. So why hadn’t it shattered?
“Hyahaha! Didn’t know!?”
The bomber chased the retreating gem, swinging his rod.
“It’s a metal called [Dordinium]!”
Lonzder blocked the face-seeking slash with her forearm.
Again, the heavy bassnote resonated—followed by an impact that rattled her.
Unfamiliar force disrupted her posture—
“Some special alloy developed by [Artisans], they say! Diffuses, amplifies, reflects force—harder than any known metal by orders of magnitude! Every part of this thing’s made of it!”
—as Whisper’s front kick slammed into her gut.
“Tch…!”
The damage was minor, but the sheer force hurled her back.
Yielding to the momentum, she flipped midair to regain footing—
“I wasn’t told this, Iris…!”
—complaining to the expressionless woman not present.
Then again, if this was nominally an [Anti-Unlaw Weapon], its durability made sense. It’d be useless if it broke easily.
But whether Iris omitted this out of spite or genuinely forgot was unclear.
Probably the former.
“Hyaha, ahh, that woman?”
“Hah? You know her?”
“Sure do. Thought for sure she’d come to reclaim it—”
As he spoke, Whisper reached into his leather jacket’s inner pocket. What he pulled out was the slender cylinder he’d stabbed into his arm during their first encounter.
He manipulated [Viblade]’s trigger. The emptied cylinder ejected from the hilt, replaced by one filled with explosive blood.
“—But for me? Worked out great! Fresh blood, here we go!”
Laughing, the bomber raised his rod—
“—!?”
—as a pitch-black shadow streaked between them.
●
“That was—”
For a split second, Whisper froze—alertness.
He’d seen a black shadow.
Not a metaphor. Literally only describable as such.
Amid lingering flames, a mist darker than void drank the surrounding light.
Within that blackness, twin eyes burning with yellow fire gleamed.
“hell hound, huh—”
The only one here fitting that description was Elteel.
But this was no inky-black beast—just an amorphous mass of black mist, demanding his full attention—
“—────《Unsullied gem Anvil Maiden – First Burst Extreme》”
—when the gem’s high kick slammed into him.
●
[Black Demon Dog Bratskdog – Night Curtain]: the name of Elteel’s ability variant.
The black mist accompanying its transformation from human to hound. By enveloping itself, it could obscure its entire form—a simple misdirection, really.
The base ability, [Black Demon Dog Bratskdog], was inflexible even for a [Rank Category III].
[Night Curtain] was typically used for intimidation, concealing attack vectors—but this time, Elteel employed it differently.
Just a basic distraction: exploiting the novelty of an unseen ability.
That’s all it was, yet—
“When you’re skilled, you can’t ignore the unknown.”
The hell hound murmured this toward Whisper, sent flying to the hall’s center by the gem’s kick.
Owen Whisper was strong.
To put it plainly—a master.
Whether through body modification or his specialized weapon, the fact that he could hold his own—even gain the upper hand—against both Lonzder and Elteel in close combat was not normal.
The number of people who could replicate this with [Dordinium] wouldn’t exceed a single hand’s count—including Norman. Having witnessed many [Unlaw] bearers over the past year and a half, Elteel could only sincerely praise his skill.
But something as simple as not being seen—that worked once.
Once the trick was exposed, he’d adapt immediately. Better to assume so.
Which was why—
“Went smoothly, Lonzder-san.”
—Elteel took position beside her, gaze fixed on Whisper.
The plan: Elteel distracts, Lonzder delivers the decisive strike.
A strategy discussed and agreed upon beforehand.
Neither had much experience coordinating with the other. Hence, they’d opted for simplicity and reliability.
But the words from beside her weren’t what she expected.
“………………Not quite, seems like.”
“Eh?”
“Look.”
Before being urged, Elteel was already looking.
“—HURRRRTS LIKE HELLLLLL!!”
Blood streamed from Whisper’s head—yet he stood, unharmed.
“You serious!?”
Elteel was stunned.
Lonzder’s [First Burst Extreme]—that was brutal.
Among the abilities wielded by the four [Elementary] members and their derivatives, it ranked among the top in sheer destructive power. Even [Rank Category III]’s Unlaw, specialized in direct combat, would be incapacitated or outright killed if hit directly. In fact, just last month, it had been used to destroy a museum.
And yet, Whisper was still alive.
The only possible explanation—
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