The burning world still spreads its threatening hand.

What should have been flames strangely did not burn anything but instead existed like a mirage.

“…I don’t know what I did, but suddenly I want that body!”

Under the Professor’s control, Orthros rises and fires a simple shot.

Compared to the previous two strikes, its destructive power is weaker, but it is still powerful. A strike that sacrificed power for speed. Mizuhi glances at it and raises her right hand.

“You’re clever.”

The flames filling the ground surge upward, forming a wall. When the flames collide violently with the shot, they seem to devour the blast and grow even fiercer.

“W-What is that flame?”

“Do you see this as just fire?”

As Mizuhi waves her hand, the flames covering the ceiling descend like vines, wrapping around Orthros and its barrier. Orthros struggles to break free, but as the flames have no real substance, it cannot escape, and its body is slowly scorched.

“A magical barrier? Ridiculous. I’ll turn it into firewood.”

In response to Mizuhi’s words, the flames grow even fiercer. At the same time, Orthros’s barrier is burned away, and the flames reach the body itself. Helplessly watching Orthros writhing in pain, the Professor is unable to do anything.

“Impossible… That barrier is impenetrable even for an A-rank explorer!”

“It wasn’t breached. It was completely burned.”

Shieru immediately understands the nature of the flames controlled by Mizuhi and says:

“Her magic-based attacks won’t work. Magic only feeds her flames.”

“What nonsense…! Damn it, what is this magic depth?! This from a little girl!?”

The Professor screams as he looks at the data from the measuring instrument. It was something only someone with years of experience studying explorers could comprehend.

“This is no different from an S-rank! There’s no one like this in the Morning Star Project. She’s not part of the S-rank training program!”

The Professor slams his hands on the console. Then, from the blazing wall, several turrets appear.

“Reaching S-rank on her own is an astronomical probability! Such an irregularity shouldn’t be allowed to ruin my hero’s legend!”

Multiple blasts are fired at Mizuhi. She does nothing in the face of them.

The magical attacks strike Mizuhi, and the area is engulfed in black smoke from the intense explosions. Toa freezes at the sight, and Miroku turns her eyes away, looking pained.

“If you’re not aware, you can’t avoid them. You should be unable to respond to attacks from multiple directions.”

The Professor shouts triumphantly. But his expression distorts when he sees the black smoke burning away at the edges.

“—Is this all?”

“…Huh?”

The black smoke turns into flames and spreads. In the center, Mizuhi, covered in wounds, stands. She bears injuries so severe that she could fall at any moment, yet she looks at the Professor as if nothing happened.

“How… How is this possible? I know I hit you directly. Why… why are you still standing!?”

“I certainly took the hits. But that’s all.”

From her wounds, flames burst out. These flames, created from within her body like blood, burn the wounds away, growing even stronger. The Professor’s mind goes blank in the face of this impossible phenomenon.

“…Hey. What did you just do…?”

Mizuhi didn’t heal the wounds. She did something more fundamental. She burned away the wounds themselves, erasing them as if they never existed.

Mizuhi raises her hand to the sky. Then, flames flow down her arm, gathering and transforming into a gun.

“Still don’t understand?”

A red gun, designed with flames, forms in her hand. She aims it at Orthros and pulls the trigger.

“My flames burn whatever I wish to burn. Wounds, magic, your ridiculous hero’s legend—all of it will burn.”

“Interference with concepts…!? That means… you’re really an S-rank!”

A single bullet is fired. It is the reddest, most fiery, and blazing bullet in this world.

“Orthros!”

Under the Professor’s command, Orthros leaps forward. But no more shots can be fired at this monster. Its shooting functions were burned away to prevent it.

“It’s useless.”

The bullet pierces Orthros without any slowing down. Just one shot was enough.

Orthros’s body turns to ash and crumbles away. In front of this scene, the Professor can only scream, half-crying.

“Ah, ahhh! My creation!”

“It was just junk.”

“You!!”

“…What’s this? Do you want to be burned too?”

Mizuhi points the gun at the Professor.

“Eeek!”

The Professor, who had been so confident before, collapses to the ground in a pitiful state.

“E-eek! Damn it, damn it, damn it!”

Screaming in a pitiful voice, the Professor crawls away, retreating into the back of the room.

“…I don’t need to deal with someone like that right now.”

For a moment, Mizuhi considers chasing him down to kill him, but then quickly dismisses the thought. They came here to rescue Miroku.

“Miroku, how are you?”

With the burning flames behind her, Mizuhi stands in front of Miroku. Sitting on the floor, Miroku looks up at her in silence.

“I’ve become stronger to save you, to live alongside you. No more sacrifices are necessary. If the world insists on sacrifice, I’ll burn it all—every bit of it, even the world that asked for it.”

This is Mizuhi’s answer. A rebellion against a world that forces sacrifice. Her resolve, strong enough to be proven by the flames that flicker around them.

“So, come back.”

She reaches out her hand to Miroku. It’s no different from the familiar sight of two childhood friends reaching out to each other.

“Do you still think you have no meaning after all this? You still say you have no value?” “But I’ve been so selfish, now I—”

Mizuhi smiles helplessly, as though it’s nothing new.

“You really are a pain. Every time we fight, it’s like this. In the end, we always make up, so it’s better to do it sooner rather than later.”

“…What’s that supposed to mean?”

Mizuhi forcibly grabs Miroku’s hand and pulls her close with all her strength. Before Miroku can even refuse, she embraces her.

“At times like this, ‘sorry’ is all you need to say, you idiot. I don’t want to lose anyone important to me anymore.”

“…Sorry.”

Her voice is small, barely audible over the crackling flames, but it signifies the end of a certain ordeal.

“You’re smart. You end up seeing things you don’t want to see. …Don’t say things like you have no value or role anymore. Just being you, Miroku, has meaning.”

“Mizuhi…”

When Miroku calls her name, Mizuhi hugs her even tighter.

“…Thank you.”

Miroku hesitates for just a moment, but then slowly wraps her arms around Mizuhi’s back.

■

“Kawasedrftgyfujikolp!”

“What?”

I never thought I’d get to see something so wonderful…!

Money…! Where do I pay!?

This is it! This is the shining beauty of a natural-born, destined-to-be beauty!

Is there anything brighter than this?

No! Because it’s the radiance of a beautiful girl!

It’s shining so brightly, even the sun would be intimidated and cry!!!

Right!!!

“Hey, it’s so noisy.”

By the way, what’s up with Mizuhi-senpai?
Isn’t she way too cool!? Does a beautiful girl also have this level of coolness!?
My beautiful girl is making my heart race!
The way she’s so strong and dependable, just like a beautiful girl!
I really admire how she can kick reason aside and stick to her own principles!
I want to learn from her unwavering resolve!
I’ll study!

“Calm down, …huh? No way, hey! Wait, wait■ again■■!”

Considering the relationship with Miroku-senpai, it’s great that Mizuhi-senpai was there to help!
The energy of the beautiful girl vibe that only arises when two people with opposite personalities are childhood friends was overflowing!
There are some things only childhood friends understand!
I mean, the odds of two beautiful girls being childhood friends are crazy!
Thank you, world! I’ll dedicate my thanks to you!

“■■■■, ■■■■■■■■■…”

The final hug was insane!
It was so pure that I thought my eyes would disappear!
They must have pulled each other back and stopped each other when they went overboard like that before, right?
They’re hugging so naturally, so maybe that was some sort of reconciliation ritual?
Reconciliation between beautiful girls—it’s already beautiful, but with a hug…!
Hey, hey, hey! The world is giving birth to something new!
How many births is this now? Happy birthday!!!!!!

“■■■■”

Ahh, Fectom General Academy is so great!
It’s the best!
I’m so glad to be alive!
Wait, didn’t I die once?
Then, dying was worth it! Thanks to the truck driver!
Alright, this is getting exciting, so let’s go ahead and—

“Partner!!!!!!!!!!”

So loud.
What?
What’s going on?

“That’s my line. I was panicking because I suddenly lost connection with you. This has never happened before. If I hadn’t been here, the camouflage would’ve worn off, and you’d fall straight down, so be careful!”

Really?
Sorry, I was getting overwhelmed by the me inside of me and was about to take on a beautiful girl’s form.

“I don’t understand what you’re saying, but anyway, we should move soon. There’s something we need to do.”

Ah, that’s right!
After seeing this through, I’ve got two things to do.
One is to get to the spot where Mizuhi-senpai and the others first parted ways, looking all beaten up.
The other is to steal the professor’s experimental records.
These records are valuable.
In fact, Mikage Academy even ordered Toraku and the others to infiltrate just to get their hands on them.
Since their infiltration mission got completely messed up, I’ll deliver them in their place.
This will make the original story match up.
I’m such a clever strategist.

“Clever… clever?”

Don’t question it.
Oh, by the way, did you manage to mark the professor?

“Yeah, no problem. It’s not as precise as Eina’s, but if I wanted to catch him, I could do it anytime.”

As expected from the Starwatching Wand.

“Should I kill him now?”

Nah, not today.
It’s rare to end with such a beautiful, beautiful friendship between girls.
I won’t taint this with the blood of villains.

Also, we’re planning to hand the professor over to Purification, so we won’t kill him.
Let Purification handle all the hatred towards Fectom Academy from her side.

I don’t even know why she hates them so much.
Well, if she’s okay with being a beautiful girl’s punching bag, then I guess that’s fine!

“As usual, you have no sense of ethics.”

I do have a sense of ethics, what are you talking about?
Ethics is about beautiful girls.

“Huh?”

This is why amateurs…
Anyway, I’m going to steal the experimental records now and get ready!

“Okay.”