Yu Haibara, who was patrolling the school grounds, encountered an elderly man dressed in traditional work clothes. The man immediately deployed shikigami in front of and behind himself the moment he noticed Haibara. His actions suggested he was a curse user somewhat accustomed to combat, but he was, quite frankly, a bit too much of a 'curse user.'
"That outfit... are you an escort for the Star Plasma Vessel?"
In response to the man's leisurely inquiry, Yu Haibara's choice was simple: 'fire.' He drew an S&W M360 from its holster and fired without hesitation. This action was entirely 'unexpected' for a curse user. The shikigami the man had instinctively shifted into a defensive position was effortlessly destroyed by the overwhelming power of the .357 Magnum, reverting into a mere paper charm.
Of course, being a shikigami user, the man immediately moved to redeploy them. However, the unexpected shock of being shot was enough to skew his thinking entirely toward 'defense.'
'That was one shot! He's using a handgun, so is he a non-sorcerer?! No, he can clearly see my shikigami! What should I do? Close-quarters combat? But...!'
Hesitation, vacillation, and confusion.
In the midst of that, Haibara reinforced his arm with cursed energy and threw something at the man.
Traumatized by the previous gunshot, the man's chosen response was to put everything into a defense using his shikigami.
However.
Unlike Haibara, who had cast a barrier around himself and the 'entire hallway' the moment he threw the object, the old man merely 'blocked the projectile with his shikigami.' He failed to realize that the thrown object was a 'flashbang'!
Immediately after, a flash and a roar erupted.
The explosive sound, exceeding 160 decibels, and a million-candela burst of light mercilessly stripped the old man of his sight and hearing. Dizzy from the intense shock of light and sound, the man was, to put it mildly, wide open.
Haibara mercilessly slammed a dropkick into the man's face. After kicking him to the ground, he stepped on and crushed both of the man's collarbones, robbing him of the ability to breathe easily. He then delivered a heavy soccer ball kick to the jaw, completely knocking him unconscious with a severe concussion.
[This is HY. Intruder eliminated in the connecting corridor.]
[This is GS-1. An evacuation order has been issued because everyone heard the gunshots. Over.]
[This is GS-2. Currently accompanying students during their evacuation. Over.]
[This is FT. I handled the emergency broadcast. The students are evacuating to the field. We've informed the school that an intruder was spotted. We've framed it as an attack by a terrorist group being tracked by the Public Security Bureau, so they should be sent home in groups shortly. Over.]
[This is NK. I've confirmed the broadcast arranged by FT. Moving with the Star Plasma Vessel.]
[ZN. Curse user intercepted. Eliminating. There are five of them; looks like clones.]
[This is FT. ZN, keep pressure on the clone guy. There's a high probability other curse users have infiltrated. The rest of you, stay sharp. ...Hey, you. Kuroi, was it? We're going to meet up with the Star Plasma Vessel.]
[This is GS-1. Engaged with a curse user. The 'Lady' just fired a rifle.]
[This is GS-2. We've split into two groups, leaving the 'Lady,' NK, and the summoned cursed spirits behind. GS-1 and GS-2 will handle the Vessel's protection. The students are in a panic.]
[This is FT. I'm heading your way with Kuroi. If the students panic, yell at them and make them listen. The evacuation point is still the field. Once attendance is taken, the homeroom teachers will lead them to the nearest station to go home. Over.]
Radio chatter buzzed back and forth as Renjiki Girls' Academy was gradually swallowed by a vortex of chaos.
Meanwhile, new battles against curse users broke out in two other locations, inevitably accelerating the students' confusion.
---
"Opening with a gun? That's quite a greeting! Are you in the business too?! That hundred million is mine!"
"What should I do, Nanami? I shot him."
"...Well, it's fine. We managed to take the initiative, even if he blocked it."
Kento Nanami spoke as he drew 'Blunt' from behind his back, while the 'Lady,' Shoko Ieiri, leveled the 'Express' she had hidden under her long skirt.
Their opponent was a thug-like man holding a sword that appeared to be a cursed tool. True to his yakuza-like appearance, he seemed to have some knowledge of 'guns,' as he had used his blade as a shield to block the shot Shoko had aimed at his torso. He was an opponent who couldn't be taken lightly.
However.
That was only if Shoko were facing him alone.
After a split second of stalemate, Kento Nanami moved first. The swing of 'Blunt,' powered by his well-trained physique, followed a straightforward path as if daring the opponent to block. As expected, he struck the enemy's 'sword' at the 7:3 ratio point, snapping it in two.
His Ratio Technique was far more refined than it had been when he first entered the school. That single strike had been perfected into a powerful, peerless technique that guaranteed a 'critical hit.'
"It broke?!"
As the man screamed in shock at his weapon being destroyed, a powerful punch was driven into his chest.
If a human body is divided into a 3:7 ratio from the top, a 'weak point' appears almost directly over the heart. By striking that spot, Nanami's blow became a heavy impact that easily crushed the sternum and put intense pressure on the curse user's heart.
Even if he instinctively tried to defend with cursed energy, he couldn't possibly stop such a strike. The curse user promptly lost consciousness and was neutralized.
"Oh, nice work."
"...It seems he's unconscious. Shall we strip him and tie him up?"
"I have a scalpel. Should I cut both his Achilles tendons just in case?"
"Please do."
The fact that they could discuss the destruction of the human body so casually was a byproduct of the tutelage they received from the sadistic superhuman serving as their PE teacher.
Ever since Toji took his post, Kusakabe and Yaga had been worrying about how the students were becoming more specialized in fighting curse users than fighting cursed spirits.
However, it was also a fact that in this specific escort mission, those skills were proving to be a definite advantage.
Having efficiently dealt with the curse user, Nanami and Shoko quickly left the area to head toward Gojo and Geto.
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