Part 139: Panic sonic roller coaster

Music: Nightmare





…The wall.
The wall I was standing in front of until now is smoking.
And…
To be more precise, there are three fist-sized burn marks on the wall.

""
It's a projectile weaponno, that thing is a "curse" that'll infect the target with a disease.



But Tohsaka's Gandr Shot is made with such dense magical energy that it looks like a bullet.
The problem is, its power is like that of a bullet as well.

Wow, as expected of Tohsaka.
It's such a brutal use of force, making a slow curse into an immediate curse.

Music: Stop

Video: Gatling Gandr (mirror)

"Wait, is she trying to kill me!?"
"I told you so!"
I hear her running after me.

Music: Clashing Souls

"!"
I instantly get myself together.
There's no time to think. I have to run for now…!













She shoots the Gandr Shots through the hallway.
It seems she shot it right after she ran into the hallway…!



"Damn, I can't fight against that thing…! How can she tell me to fight!? I'm no match for her…!"

I look around the room in a hurry.
Is there any protection?
Isn't there a shield, an armor, or a bulletproof vest in here..!?

"Crap, she's here!"
Her footsteps stop in front of the classroom.
…I'm sure she saw me run in here.
Then she must be wary of my setting up an ambush

"No way. Am I an idiot!?"

I run.
I run from the back of the room to the door in front of the room. In that instant…



The Gandr Shots are mercilessly shot into the classroom!





Geez, she's shooting them like crazy.
The bullets go through the walls, hitting everything in the classroom.

"…! Ouch, it skimmed my back!"
It would've gotten me if I hadn't moved.





We're about four meters apart, in the front and in the back of the classroom. We glare at each other againno, there's no time for that…!









"Ou, ou, ouch…! Damn, are you serious!? I won't be all right if I get hit with that thing!"
"Of course not…!
Stop if you don't want to get hurt! I'll finish you off quickly if you do stop!"









"Wait, are you really shooting Gandr Shots!?
I can only hear murderous intent in that sound!"

'murderous intent' is the new 'completely different level'.




Tohsaka says as she fires.

"Man! This is like giving a knife to!"
"Hey, that's it!!"

Well, now I'm curious. Like giving a knife to what?





The sound of firing echoes in the hallway.
But I made it.
I reach the stairs in the nick of time.











Some veins are showing in Tohsaka's forehead now.

I'm convinced that Shirou is either enjoying this or he really wants to get shot.









"Damn, you're still following me!? You're persistent, Tohsaka! Give up already!"
"You're the persistent one! I won't kill you, so give up already…!"



"Hii…!
This isn't the time to be worrying about such things!"
Being more powerful means that the bullets are bigger.
The "curse" that was just hot when it scraped me, is now burning everything it touches.















Music: Stop

"A boundary field…?"
The instant I notice that the boundary field has soundproof effects, I figure out what Tohsaka's going to do.

Music: Breach



I feel a strong magic being activated.

I crouch down, tip over a desk, and hide behind it.

This isn't like the Gandr Shots she fired up till now.

I close my eyes and place my hand on the desk.

She's casting a spell.
Even though she has help from the Magic Crest, Tohsaka is casting her spell.

Will I make it? No, I have to make it.
I skip every manufacturing process, the process of making another nerve in my spine, and frantically pour magical energy into the desk…!

"Fixierung, Eile Salve!"

"Trace, on!"











I don't know what kind of a "curse" is in the magical energy, but it's strong enough to be visible to the human eye.
As it has mass, it destroys everything it touches.
The desks are running crazy like a person on fire.
My eardrums are already screwed up from the sound of the dancing desks and the echoing bullets.



This is more like a battlefield than a dance floor.
But still, I don't see any cracks in the windows.
It must be the boundary field Tohsaka set up.
This room is a closed space now.
It seems one can enter this space, but not leave.

The bullets fired in here are no exception, as the sounds don't escape this room.
…Geez.
Tohsaka's angry, but she's still acting like a magus!

"!"
I put as much magical energy as I can produce into the desk used as a shield.
The only magic I can use is the "strengthening" magic. I strengthen the desk to defend myself against this rain of magical energy.

"Guh!"
But it's only for a brief moment.
My strengthening magic will only endure this barrage of bullets for about three seconds.
As a result, I have to redo the strengthening magic right when it wears off, and repeat this process





"Damn, does she have infinite magical energy!?"

The rain does not stop.
…Maybe Tohsaka knows what's going on in this classroom.
She might be still attacking because she knows I'm blocking her attacks like this.
Then this rain would stop when

"…When my magical energy runs out, huh?"
I slump my shoulders while concentrating on the desk.
…Well, let's compare our endurance!
Let's have a match to see who'll give up first!



Music: Stop





"It's the leg of a chair. She really did destroy this place."
Well, I guess it could be used as a weapon.
I pick up the stick and put my remaining magical energy into it.

"It worked. Wow, I'm perfect when it really counts."

Sounds like the opposite of a certain someone else in this scene.

I swing the stick I "strengthened".
…Well.
It won't do me any good to just stand here. I'll be dead if she attacks again.
Maybe I used too much magical energy, as I can't even stand up.

"Gah, kah."
And this smoke isn't letting me breathe.

"She's smoking me out, huh? She's got it all down."
Tohsaka is experienced in fighting.
She'll just corner me if I stay here.
…I know she's waiting for me in the hallway, but I can't escape out the window because of the boundary field.

""
I make up my mind and head to the hallway.
My feet are still numb. I move the wreckage of desks and crawl into the smoke before me.
And on the other side is…









Tohsaka is waiting for me, her shoulders heaving.



The numbness in my feet is temporary, so I think I could move them if I wanted to.

But it's not like running would do me any good.
Tohsaka's just tired from running, and she has plenty of magical energy left.
Unlike myself, whose magical energy is depleted, Tohsaka's just out of physical energy.
If we resume our battle, I'm sure she'll shoot me down without hesitation.


"It's over. Throw away that weird weapon. You can't win now."


Tohsaka declares her victory.

"……"
Oh, that pisses me off.
I know it's reckless, but I can't help it if it makes me mad.

"…We won't know until we try. Don't say such a thing when your shoulders are heaving like that, idiot."
I raise the leg of the chair to show that I'm resisting to the very end.



All right. I was going to be kind to you if you were going to give up, but I guess that was unnecessary courtesy. Let me apologize to you beforehand."
She smiles.
I wish she wouldn't make an ominous smile like that.

"Why apologize? I won't forgive you for this even if you apologize."





I can't hold back if you're resisting, right? I can't apologize to you if I happen to kill you accidentally."

"……!"
She's serious…!
Well, she did seem serious, but I guess that made her really serious. I finally realize that I'm in a hopeless situation…!


"Oh, did you finally realize the situation you're in? I'm glad. If you said something absent-minded even in a situation like this, I would've done something."
"UghWhat do you mean by 'something'?"



I guess this is what she meant by being absent-minded.

Music: Premonition of a Storm


"This is your final warning.
Throw away that weapon and give me your Command Spell. It'll rip off the nerves in your arm in the worst case, but it's better than losing your life, right?"

""
Give up my Command Spell?
My Command Spell isn't something I can hand to her, and most of all

"…No. I can't do that."


"…I see. Let me ask you why."