Vol 2 Chapter 1 (2/2)

“Hachitama is advertising the Dive Device’s Reading Company. The latest forms of entertainment can be seen and touched. Hachitama Electronics supports the Colosseum.”

They were even adapting to it.

They were riding this sudden wave and even egging it on.

“In a way, this is even uglier than the Bright Cross itself.”

“Shall I bring down the power in this area?”

That would have been oh-so-satisfying but ultimately meaningless.

I entered the station and boarded a train.

The electronic advertis.e.m.e.nt above the automatic door displayed the following text:

“The Circe Witch vs. the Man-Eating Mermaid. The billionaire’s countdown has reached 43:20. Buy your ticket now!”

When had the world gone insane?

I didn’t want to think it always had been.

I wanted to believe something had caused this. That I could fix the broken gear to return everything to normal.

After arriving near the broadcast station, I found a commotion there too.

But it looked different from a simple gambling frenzy. I don’t know where they got it from, but a group had blown up a photo of Itou Helen and placed it all over the panels and placards they held.

“Helen-taaan! Can you hear us cheering for you!?”

“Ohhhh! We’re on your side!! We’re praying for your victory!! Go, go, Helen-taaaan!!”

What do you mean you’re on her side?

If you really were, you wouldn’t push her toward an actual fight to the death!

“User, reaching the broadcast station is easy enough, but how do you intend to get inside?”

“I’ll rely on you.”

I walked right up to the front gate.

The guards on either side naturally glared at me, but…

“Good evening.”

With that, I pressed my palm against the ID panel on the side of the automatic gla.s.s door.

…With my smartphone still in my hand.

It was probably a vein scanner like at a bank ATM, but that didn’t matter with Maxwell’s machine power.

With a standard beep, the entire panel glowed green to show I was approved.

The tough-looking guards nodded at me.

“Good evening.”

“Yes, yes.”

After that, I walked right through the gla.s.s gate.

“It would be best to slip in as a part-time janitor. Labor standards ban anyone under 18 from working past 8, so it would be easiest to pa.s.s you off as a baby-faced college student.”

“Seriously? So in the data here, I’m older than Erika? I can’t imagine living in a world like that.”

What I needed was data on the Colosseum’s live broadcast.

“Hacking station intranet…” said Maxwell.

The results were displayed 30 seconds later.

“There are records of a great quant.i.ty of materials being delivered to the 2nd song hall. The format is much like that of an MMA tournament.”

“Where is the waiting room for contestants?”

“I searched for records of one, but did not find anything. However…”

“What is it, Maxwell?”

“The delivery list contained two large animal cages. They are the type used by vets and circuses and are built to contain even a Bengal tiger.”

“G.o.dd.a.m.n them!!”

At any rate, I had to get to the 7th floor.

If I was lucky, the cages holding Itou Helen and her opponent would be there, but if not, I could still gather information from any computers or phones I found.

Or so I thought.

Until I actually rode the elevator up to the 7th floor, that is.

“Ah.”

I stared blankly for a moment.

It was right there in the middle of the hallway.

As if they had hired a moving company, a girl in a cage had been carried in by attaching wheels and handles to the box.

I didn’t count how many men were standing around it.

My eyes were drawn to the tearful blonde girl curled up in the cage.

There was no sign of the baggy white sweater or chocolate-colored miniskirt from before.

Instead, she wore a short black dress, a pointed wide-brimmed hat, and a thick cape. She used both hands to hold a gla.s.s wand that looked like a complex collection of clear tubes and protuberances. She looked just like a witch from a children’s picture book, but I doubted Itou Helen would choose to dress like that after being abducted.

So what had happened here?

What had happened to her original clothes?

The answer was obvious.

They had been stripped from her.

By the many hands gathering around her.

“Ohh.”

I couldn’t maintain my thoughts beyond that point. In fact, I was amazed I managed it that far.

“Owwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!”

I yelled.

I let out a roar.

The various stubbly men finally turned around to see what was going on, but I was already charging straight toward them. I tackled one of them to the ground, punched him in the face, and bit at another man’s arm that reached for me from the side. The curse in my heart hoped to see the bone.

“What’s wrong with this kid!? He’s gone insane!!”

They kicked me in the back.

As I writhed on the ground, the soles of their shoes pressed down on my gut, my chest, my back, and my head. They pummeled me from all sides.

To be honest, I could not stop the fire burning inside me. So I wasn’t even pretending to be tough; I honestly couldn’t feel the pain.

Before long, I heard a shrill scream. It wasn’t mine and it wasn’t from the sc.u.m kicking me.

It was the girl in the cage.

The witch threw down the gla.s.s wand someone had given her and grabbed the cage’s bars with her small hands as she cried.

Not at her own circ.u.mstances, but at seeing me being punched and kicked.

I learned for the first time that my anger could kick into an even higher gear.

“Maxweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!!”

“Sure.”

His response was immediate.

I heard something popping and bursting from the chests and hips of the men around me.

It was the lithium batteries of their radios and cellphones.

The explosion in their pockets and right next to their skin was enough to smash the bone.

As the men screamed and writhed in pain, I slowly stood up.

The cage’s lock…was a.n.a.log. I thought it was called a dimple lock, but I didn’t know the details and I couldn’t just leave it to Maxwell.

Then it didn’t matter who.

I grabbed one of the men by the collar and slammed his back against the hallway wall.

“Gah!?”

“Where’s the key?”

“I-I don’t know. We’re…ow…we’re just bottom level ADs! I don’t know about any key!!”

“Maxwell.”

“Sure. User, please press your smartphone against the target’s ear.”

“Are you going to use ultrasonic waves?”

“No. This is a mobile phone, so I can directly use microwaves,” calmly replied Maxwell’s message. “An international health agency has reported that a conversation of more than 20 minutes increases the risk of a brain tumor. If the microwaves are redirected to focus inside the target’s cranium, we can plant the seeds of the invisible grim reaper there. Let us induce cancer cells in an entirely inoperable location.”

I was pretty sure this was a bluff.

But part of me didn’t care if it wasn’t.

“W-wait! You’re kidding, right!?”

“You can believe it or not. But do you really think this is an innocent prank after I blasted your leg with a cyber-attack?”

“I-I really don’t know! C’mon, I’m sorry! So, waaaaaaait!?”

“Cancer risk…30%...40%...50%...”

“This is taking too long. Maxwell, kick it up to 100% right away. We can have him talk after we’re sure he’s gonna die. Just like a head blinking after being removed with a guillotine.”

I heard a loud thud.

The man’s eyes had rolled back in his head and he crumpled to the ground. I’d prefer to leave out this detail, but he also p.i.s.sed himself.

“He didn’t talk even after that, so he really must not have known,” surmised Maxwell.

“I’m not so sure.”

But even without the key, I had made it to Itou Helen in her cage.

As long as I could keep her from entering the Colosseum studio, I could save her. I could even cart the cage outside of the building.

Itou Helen sobbed in the cage.

“Um, Senpai, um, uh, why…?”

“I don’t know. What do you think? Is this also just like your ‘Onii-chan’?”

“…”

“Anyway, leave the rest to me. Once I get you out of the TV station-…”

I trailed off.

A voice spoke from the broadcast equipment in the hallway.

“Ding dong dong dong. The legal gambling Colosseum will begin airing in 10 minutes. All staff gather in the studio. I repeat…”

I checked my smartphone’s clock and saw it was nearly 10.

d.a.m.n!

All the doors around me opened. Men and women exited them. They all looked at Itou Helen who picked back up the gla.s.s wand and held it to her flat chest as she cowered inside the cage. They were approaching!!

“Maxwell.”

“You are outnumbered. The battery attack is not almighty.”

“I wasn’t asking for that. How far have you made it into the TV station’s system? Can you place a fake ID for me in there?”

“Sure. But you have no time. Make your order quickly.”

That was when I threw my hands in the air and shouted at the arriving staff.

“What is the meaning of this!? Are you even thinking about the condition of my fighter!?”

“Who are you…?”

“Amatsu Satori.”

I was hesitant to use my real name with these monsters, but I didn’t have time to sit around thinking up a cool fake name.

“You can check if you want, but I’m from that witch’s school! I’m here as her second!! I know you’ve probably paid a lot of money to put on this TV show, but don’t you forget that I’ve got a ton of money riding on this too! Don’t treat her so carelessly! How is she supposed to win like this!?”

I had to buy some time.

Until Maxwell could finish his work.

“Or what? Is this whole thing fixed from the start? Ohh, so that’s it. Well, how about I go reveal it all on some message boards, blogs, and SNSs!? If it turns out this new legal gambling was fixed from the very first match, all those drunks spending all their money on tickets are gonna riot, don’t you think!?”

A heard a quiet beep from my smartphone.

At the same time, another staff member sighed after confirming my ident.i.ty on their tablet.

“He really is the Archenemy’s second. We also have a record of him entering the studio.”

“Our apologies.”

As the female staff member relaxed, I clenched and unclenched my hands in front of my face.

“I’m glad you understand.”

“Amatsu-san, the broadcast time is approaching. Please follow us to the stage.”

“Fine. But! Next time!! Don’t you dare approach my golden-egg-laying goose without my permission!”

I grabbed at the handle of Itou Helen’s cage as if s.n.a.t.c.hing her away from the staff who had given me a lame apology.

The small animal style of blonde witch looked confused, so I secretly showed her my smartphone screen.

It said:

“Sorry. I promise I’ll get you out of here, so please focus on surviving this one match for now.”

And…

“We’re in this together. I won’t abandon you. Let’s both get out of here alive.”

The studio was close by.

As soon as the soundproofed double doors opened, I was. .h.i.t by an overwhelming deluge of noise and light.

“Ladies and gentlemen!! It’s time for the Colosseum, the game that is sure to excite any reasonable adult!!”

The backlight was too bright to see anything.

Finally, a square ring came into view through the blinding spotlight.

But it was not surrounded by ropes like for boxing or professional wrestling. It was a giant 15 meter bug cage made of transparent reinforced gla.s.s. That was the stage for the deadly battles.

And the cheers came from the stepped stadium-style seating surrounding it in every direction.

It was not all that different from the setup for professional wrestling or mixed martial arts.

But where had all these people come from?

This was a Colosseum where people would really fight to the death. The location was supposed to be a secret.

My question was answered by the bunny girl standing on top of the bug cage.

Her long hair and the bunny costume were both the bright blue of a rainforest b.u.t.terfly.

She stood tall with microphone in hand and she vied for everyone’s attention as the flood of light seemed to stab down toward her.

“Good evening, all of you who won the strict lottery based on your ticket number! But, but! Are you sure that was a good thing? This gamble is entirely decided on the result of the battle itself. I hope you didn’t use up all your luck just getting here.”

I couldn’t believe them.

There was something wrong with both the blue bunny girl and the cheerful crowd! There were so many of them. When they were sent the location through email or whatever, did none of them run to the police? Really? Not even one!?

“On one side we have the motivated Itou Helen who has been certified as a witch! How does it feel to have deceived all your friends at school for so long? But tonight let’s throw out those lies and fight with everything we’ve got! We need a real battle between monsters!!”

…You!!

My undercla.s.sman cowered down in the cage as the many strobe lights and camera lenses turned her way, but did she really look that wicked?

I clenched my teeth.

“Maxwell.”

“Sure.”

“Turn my smartphone’s HD mode on. It may be silly now that she’s standing in front of the TV camera, but I want to record her face. I’m not letting her be forgotten.”

“Understood. I will also record her behavior and stance and create a color chart for her face. That way, I can search for her even without a front-on shot.”

“And if they’re going to throw out their morals, I’ll just have to do the same. If that domineering bunny is going to look down on me, I’ll just have to get some low angle shots of her crotch!!

Isn’t it strange how the tighter the fabric over a girl’s crotch, the puffier it looks!?”

“User, I must question your character here.”

Meanwhile, the situation advanced.

There was no escape now, so we would have to overcome this rather than avoid it.

“We might have a lovely image of mermaids, but they’re more like the gangsters of the sea. These man-eating monsters mercilessly bare their fangs against drowning humans. Please welcome Kuroyama Hinoki!!”

On the other side of the giant bug cage, an identical cage was carted in. It contained a girl with long black hair who looked the same age as if not a little older than me. And her hair really was long. It looked more than ankle length. That hair was wrapped tightly around her bare legs to create a silhouette much like a fish’s tail fin.

She was not wearing any clothes. Her chest and lower stomach were hidden by the hair wrapped around her torso.

“What…is that? That’s a mermaid?”

“Sure. There are a variety of theories as to the origin of mermaids, but one says they normally wear the skin of a seal and a naked woman emerges when they arrive on land. This may be that subspecies.”

Even if it was a part of her body, this Archenemy covered her body with something other than her own skin to achieve new function while moving through the water.

“And if the seal skin is taken from her while she is on land, the mermaid must marry that person. While naked.”

“Dammit, just a.n.a.lyze this opponent. Dammit!!”

“User, please do not tap the shutter icon so quickly while pointing the lens at a naked hair-wrapped girl. People might question my character as well.”

Among the many staff members on that side, one young man had a tense expression.

That was probably her second.

He was the one and only person who had decided to take the side of the monster in the cage. Unlike the foolish prince from the fairy tale, he had realized what the mermaid was and still accepted her.

“…”

“…”

Our eyes met for just a brief moment.

His eyes showed hopeless panic but also hostility.

“Is everyone ready? Are you clutching your tickets? Then let’s get started! Let’s begin this new entertainment and new industry that is sure to usher in a new age! j.a.pan’s dawn is nigh. Fly into the world, Colosseum! The first battle of that brilliant vision begins now!!!!!!”

[Search Engine] From a Security Company Intercom [Absolute NOAH]

“Onii-chan left,” said Ayumi in the entranceway. “Onee-chan, you understand that Onii-chan has no chance of winning, right? He’s almost certain to fail and then his life will be in danger.”

“Well, it is true that real life isn’t like a melodrama.”

But Erika had more to say.

“But how could we stop him? Weren’t we both always hoping and praying for this when we were trapped in that dark s.p.a.ce underground? Hoping and praying that a knight in s.h.i.+ning armor we had never met would come to save us?”

That knight had not arrived in time for them.

Erika and Ayumi had bravely paved their own way to survival.

But what if someone was becoming that knight now? And what if there was some other girl who had no choice but to wait for that knight in s.h.i.+ning armor?

“There’s really nothing we can do about this.”

“Yeah, but what if Onii-chan is captured by the Bright Cross?”

“Oh? I think you know exactly what we do then, Ayumi-chan.”

The sisters smiled cheerfully together.

And those residents of the night answered in unison.

“If it comes to that, we’ll have to drown the world in a sea of blood.”

“If it comes to that, we’ll have to drown the world in a sea of blood.”

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