NABC Page 169
Page 169
This thing is a weapon specifically designed to deal with you; activating it once will consume the magic power of nearly a hundred mages.
However, we've already recharged nearly a hundred times, so even if you can still launch a spacequake, it won't make a difference.
This is where you will die today.
Holding her weapon high above her head, Mana Takamiya seemed to have victory in her grasp.
"Since you have nowhere to hide, you have no choice but to fight us, but..."
Even though Takamiya Mana didn't say it explicitly, Tokisaki Kurumi knew it very well.
What kind of enemy am I facing? Takamiya Mana is currently the strongest magician in AST.
Even without the help of others, she was one of the few in the past who could fight elves head-on.
Now, with upgraded equipment and the assistance of other team members, escaping from this situation is extremely difficult.
"I'd like to see how you manage to leave this barrier—"
However, before Takamiya Mana could finish speaking, something unexpected happened to everyone present.
The barrier that had been covering the city suddenly disappeared without any warning.
"what happens!?"
This time, it was Takamiya Mana who was shocked by the situation before her, after all, without this barrier...
Kurumi Tokisaki then easily escaped, and the shock only lasted for a moment.
Mana Takamiya quickly chose the optimal solution for the current situation without hesitation.
She immediately adjusted the kinetic energy of the thrusters behind her to the maximum, and in the blink of an eye, she was in front of Tokisaki Kurumi.
·· ···Request flowers······
Given that Tokisaki Kurumi could escape at any moment, all we need to do is kill her before she can react.
Faced with the sudden attack, Kurumi Tokisaki was slow to react.
There was no time to dodge the attack, and just as the tip of Takamiya Mana's blade was about to touch Tokisaki Kurumi's neck...
There was a crisp metallic clang when I looked up.
....... ........ .......
They discovered that there was an extra person between Kurumi Tokisaki and Mana Takamiya.
"Kanzaki-kun!?"
Both of them were momentarily stunned by Kanzaki Teru's sudden appearance, especially Takamiya Mana, whose reaction was particularly strong.
"who are you!?"
"Hey, at least remember your colleague's name."
"There are no helpers among us in the AST."
"Who says it doesn't exist? You just don't know it, or you don't want to face it."
"What did you say!"
"Furthermore, the commander's orders to you are not to deal with Tokisaki Kurumi, but to bring her back."
Upon hearing Kanzaki Teru's words, Takamiya Mana's eyes narrowed into slits.
It was clear that she was currently sizing up Kanzaki Teru.
"Captain, this is Kanzaki Teru! Have you forgotten!"
Didn't the commander also assign this task to people from other organizations? He was one of them, and...
The voice of her subordinate came through Mana Takamiya's earpiece.
Although Kanzaki Teru couldn't hear the specifics, he could guess the general idea.
Chapter 266: The Revelation of the Truth
However, Takamiya Mana had no interest in Kanzaki Teru's identity, since he was the one who hindered his campaign against the spirits.
"I appreciate your assistance, but since you've accepted the mission, why are you hindering my actions?"
Although I know what she means by "assistance," it would be rather difficult to actually ask her to kill Tokisaki Kurumi.
However, under such circumstances, it would be difficult for the other party to listen to other people's advice, but Kanzaki Teru still cleared his throat.
Then, in a deliberately relaxed tone, he read out the speech he had prepared long ago.
"Help you? Seven, eight, seven, you're wrong. I clearly helped you."
"If you actually kill Kurumi Tokisaki, who knows what kind of problems that would cause."
"What did you say?"
"Have you successfully hunted down a single elf so far?"
Why are you asking this?
"No, they didn't kill a single one, did they?"
"Your commander may have initially established the AST with the goal of eliminating the elves, but her orders to you have long since changed."
"what do you want to say?"
Seeing Kanzaki Teru rambling on and on, Takamiya Mana was getting a little impatient.
"Because she already knew the consequences of killing the elves, which were far more terrifying than a spacequake."
"Ha, I thought you were going to say something, but this is just a sensational rumor."
Takamiya Mana didn't believe Kanzaki Teru's words at all, but it was indeed true.
After all, if a complete stranger suddenly said such a thing to you, even Kanzaki Teru probably wouldn't believe it.
However, there are also environmental factors at play, as long as Takamiya Mana doesn't think when her blood is boiling.
She would probably believe Kanzaki Teru's words, but under these circumstances, it would be impossible to convince her.
"So, are you still going to kill her?"
"Of course. If you stand in her way, I'll take care of you too."
"Alright, in that case, I won't stop you."
"Looks like you're prepared for this, so you'll go with her... Wait! What!? Huh!? You're not going to stop her?"
Hearing what Kanzaki Teru said, Takamiya Mana also looked puzzled.
After all, Kanzaki Hikaru has been showing his intention to save Tokisaki Kurumi ever since he appeared, but now Kanzaki Hikaru's words are completely contrary to his actions.
Moreover, not only Takamiya Mana, but even Tokisaki Kurumi, who had been listening nearby, was stunned.
"Didn't you come to save me?"
"Save you? Why? What's our relationship?"
Ultimately, I was just doing what AST was supposed to do, getting paid to do it.
Moreover, you did not accept my proposal or establish a cooperative relationship with me.
So tell me, why did I save you?
During the brief pause in their conversation, the barrier that had disappeared returned to normal.
Tokisaki Kurumi was trapped inside again.
"In that case, I won't stand on ceremony."
Seeing that the barrier had returned to normal, Takamiya Mana completely ignored Kanzaki Teru, who was standing to the side.
They launched another attack on Kurumi Tokisaki, and the other AST members joined the attack...
As expected, Tokisaki Kurumi gave him a slightly angry look.
However, he never asked for help, and Kanzaki Teru just stood at a distance watching the situation unfold, all as part of his plan.
The trap has been set, leaving Kurumi Tokisaki with only two paths to take.
Obedience or—destruction.
This series of developments was almost entirely in line with his plan, which made Kanzaki Teru feel somewhat bored.
That's right, this was all part of Kanzaki Hikaru's plan.
This plan was already underway before Kanzaki Teru even met Tokisaki Kurumi.
The first step of the plan was to meet Kurumi Tokisaki and leave a deep impression on her.
Only by doing this can you make the other person remember you.
Interpersonal relationships can be compared to plants; the greater the impact of the initial encounter, the healthier the plant grows.
In this first step, Kanzaki Teru fully demonstrated his strength.
The second step of the plan is to ascertain Kurumi Tokisaki's movements and manage relationships accordingly. 5.1
The number of times you meet is directly proportional to the level of affection you have, as long as you meet enough times.
And as long as you don't do anything that will make others dislike you, you can generally improve the relationship between the two people.
Although Kanzaki Teru wasn't sure if his actions had disgusted Tokisaki Kurumi, after three months of observation, he believed there was no problem.
The third and most crucial step in the plan is to put the other party in a situation where they have no choice but to ask for help.
The person who put Kurumi Tokisaki in such a dangerous situation was none other than Teru Kanzaki.
Chapter 267: The Best Time
The assistance that Takamiya Mana mentioned earlier refers to Kanzaki Teru informing Tokisaki Kurumi of her movements.
Kanzaki Teru systematically compared all of Tokisaki Kurumi's recorded actions and discovered her patterns.
Although I can't predict things correctly every time, I can usually guess them pretty accurately.
Moreover, he had other companions helping him to access all the city's surveillance footage.
Even if Kurumi Tokisaki is very careful, there will still be times when she is caught on camera.
Then Kanzaki Teru predicted the opponent's actions based on the comparison of the map, and today's action was also expected.