OST: [Blue Archive] Theme 74 - Tech N Tech (Hard Arrange) (KARUT)
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Hoshino's shield had always been used to protect her comrades. To Hoshino herself, however…
That shield was nothing but a burden.
Why use heavy steel to block bullets?
If she could simply dodge them all, wouldn't that be easier?
Even in the desert, where movement was limited, Hoshino's agility was ghostlike.
Surrounded by three juniors, in an open stretch of land with almost no cover, she effortlessly evaded most of the incoming fire. Even the few bullets that struck her body failed to make it so much as waver.
A student's Halo, or in other words, their [Mystery]: had three primary functions.
First, it resisted physical shock and explosions.
Second, it accelerated the body's natural regeneration.
Third, it imbued weapons and ammunition with supernatural force.
That was why even a few bullets fired by a student could pierce through solid steel.
However, halo power differed in strength from one individual to another.
Having long served as the vanguard, the shield, and the protector of others, Hoshino had almost forgotten her original style of combat.
Now, her fighting spirit reawakened. Every cell in her body sang with exhilaration, crying out with the pure desire to destroy.
Right, how could she have forgotten?
If she only needed to care about herself…
Then there was no need to hold back.
Tactics, defense, evasion. Those were concerns for when one faced an equal opponent.
But now...
A cruel smile curved across Hoshino's lips.
"Your attacks don't even tickle."
She stopped dodging.
A torrent of bullets? A storm of artillery fire?
Such things could no longer slow her down.
On the battlefield, Hoshino was like a tyrant. She ignored the hail of lead that rained upon her and, calm yet merciless, charged straight toward her first target.
Like lightning, she closed the distance, whispering softly.
"Nonomi, you use a heavy machine gun. Don't ever let your enemy get this close again."
"Eh! wait—"
Before the words could leave Nonomi's lips, Hoshino flipped her shotgun around and rammed the butt of the weapon upward.
The blow struck Nonomi's chin with brutal force. She stumbled backward, collapsing onto the sand. Hoshino calmly followed with a point-blank blast from her shotgun, knocking Nonomi completely unconscious.
Then she crouched down, picked up Nonomi's machine gun...
...and turned its barrel toward the sky, where an incoming support drone buzzed toward her.
That was why she'd taken Nonomi out first. A shotgun's range was too short to deal with the nuisance of an aerial support unit.
Ayane realized Hoshino's intent too late. She tried to pull the drone higher, but...
The machine gun roared, spitting fire. Bullets rained like a storm, sealing every escape route.
Rounds grazed the drone's wings, tore through its body, and shattered its inner circuits. It spiraled out of control and crashed to the ground.
"Keep your altitude! Wait for the right timing! Otherwise, this is what happens!"
Hoshino shouted loudly, her voice ringing over the comms. Ayane must have heard.
In moments, both the heavy gunner and the long-range supporter were out of commission. The only ones left standing were Serika and Shiroko, both armed with assault rifles.
The difference in power was staggering.
Or perhaps, after spending so long under Hoshino's protection, they had simply never developed the proper awareness of danger.
Either way, the outcome was already decided.
Hoshino didn't pause. She tossed the machine gun aside, switched back to her shotgun, and rushed toward Serika.
Serika grit her teeth, firing as she advanced instead of retreating, but that only hastened her defeat.
"Calmness is the most important quality in battle. Don't let anger cloud your mind. You should have fallen back."
Hoshino's tone was that of an instructor giving a lesson, but her movements were merciless.
Advance. Disarm. Strike. In an instant, Serika was down.
At last, Hoshino turned to the only one left.
Shiroko, who had lowered her weapon, no longer showing intent to fight.
They stood just a few meters apart, gazes locked.
Shiroko's voice was quiet. "Are you really leaving?"
"I am. Feeling reluctant already? It's only natural. Sooner or later, every child must learn to live without their parent's protection. It just came a little early for you all, that's all."
"…We'll bring you back."
"Oh?"
Hoshino smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying, and gently struck Shiroko unconscious as well.
"Ayane, cut the comms. I want to speak with Sensei alone."
"…Understood."
I stepped out from behind the ruins, facing Hoshino.
"See? Compared to me, those children are no match at all."
Her gaze was deep, steady. "So, let them go. Having me should be enough for you."
"You're really arrogant, you know that?"
Hoshino laughed softly. "Of course. I've earned the right to be. No one else is around to hear us now, Sensei, so why not take off that mask?"
"Even now, you can't trust me. Just like you can't believe there might be a better way to fix all this."
"Come on, don't make it sound like this Oji-san's been misunderstanding you all along, it's embarrassing."
Joking tone, yet she raised her gun again.
For the third time, she aimed at me.
"There's something from before that I still want to confirm. That device you mentioned, the one that deflects bullets. I wonder if someone as shameless as you could let me experience it for myself?"
Faced with that request, staring down the dark muzzle of her gun, every muscle in my body tensed with primal fear.
I took a deep breath and said quietly, "Go ahead."
Hoshino didn't hesitate. She pulled the trigger—
... and I moved at the same time.
With Arona's help, the bullet's trajectory bent away into the air.
In the brief moment of Hoshino's surprise, I stepped forward, grabbed her wrist with one hand and the barrel with the other, then twisted sharply.
Before she could react, her beloved weapon was in my hands.
[Infinite Martial Arts, SRT Academy's secret CQC technique - Disarming Maneuver]
I leveled the gun at her.
The tables had turned.
I smiled. "Now, can you believe me?"
Hoshino stared back, her expression void of laughter.
"…No. I will never believe you."
"Hoshino." I spoke her name firmly. "Your distrust has no cure."
"Say whatever you want."
"I swear," I said, "I will drag you out of that darkness. No matter what."
Hoshino said nothing. After a long silence, she cast one final look at me and turned away.
"Your gun!"
"If you like it, keep it."
And with that, Hoshino walked off into the desert,
until the wind and sand swallowed her silhouette completely.