Chapter 290: Same but Different Dream 22
Naomi, who had released all her power without restraint, went to Avos immediately. She tried to get to close range. She had analyzed his ability already and deemed it would be fine to make contact with it now.
Sacrificing one arm to analyze Avos’ ability was a low price to pay. But in the middle of her way, she noticed two Esper pressures that were originally on the island were gone. Those were the Executives, leaving only Lucilla behind, who faced Mischa and her father inside the mansion.
She stopped her advance in the sky as she realized that and laughed.
“Hahaha, what a sly guy. You used yourself and my mother as bait, so I will come to this place, huh? Let me guess. Currently, the dolls and the Executives are leading attacks on Germany. Am I wrong?”
“As expected from you. You’re correct, but what would you do? This area…” Avos looked at Naomi, and then he tapped his right foot twice against the ground.
A light blue dome-like area was visible around them, and Naomi was within it already. The dome was spread around 100 meters with Avos as the center.
“…has been shut off since the start.” He continued.
“That’s why I felt something strange,” Naomi said. “But also, thanks to this, my body adapted rather nicely. I should thank you for that.”
“Huh?”
Avos let out a confused voice at Naomi’s nonchalant reply. He had expected a… bigger reaction from the worst Esper after he took out her arm and way to escape from this place.
This reaction made him frown. Naomi still had a confident smile on her face.
“If you think locking me here will make you win, then…” Naomi extended her only arm toward Avos, using her Telekinesis on the air around him and putting him in place.
She imitated Julia’s gravity ability, but she used her Telekinesis to compress the air and put more weight on Avos. Even when an invisible barrier surrounded Avos’ body, the effect was still apparent as he bent his knees, trying to stay up and glaring at Naomi.
Naomi smirked. She liked her opponent’s reaction. Hate was clear in his eyes.
Then she continued. “…That means you’ve underestimated my subordinates too much. Two or three Executives and some dolls are not enough to defeat my subordinates.”
“Ugh!”
***
Back to Mischa and Tetsuma, they put their backs together and looked in different directions. Lucilla kept circling them in the narrow space, but the duo couldn’t do anything dangerous because the hostages were still inside with them.
Many options were restricted, but Tetsuma already had a plan in mind to rescue the hostage as long as Mischa did her job.
“Can you see her moving?” Tetsuma asked, to which Mischa answered with a nod.
“I can, but I need time to get used to it.”
“That’s amazing. I can’t see her at a–“
“What are you talking about?” A chilling voice rang from Tetsuma’s side.
Then it was followed by a wind-cutting sound. He couldn’t react in time, but fortunately, Mischa pulled him to the side before a silver blur passed through.
That blur was made by a blade belonging to Lucilla, who showed herself holding two daggers in her hands before she disappeared again and returned to unconscious Mizuki's side.
“Please stop your futile resistance. I will immediately kill both of them if any of you show any kind of aggression, so please die quietly in my hands.”
The only female Executive of the Esper Association threatened them with an icy gaze. Normal people would cower under that gaze and Esper pressure, but Tetsuma and Mischa were not normal.
“Mr. Tetsuma. Can I count on you to rescue the hostages when I hold her off?” Mischa whispered in a low voice, taking a stance as she took out a dagger from her back and held it tightly with her right hand.
“Alright.”
Tetsuma didn’t need to ask anything more. Comrades trusted each other. They were still in the middle of a battle, so it wasn’t like they had time to argue. Not to mention, his role was actually easier than Mischa, so he just nodded in the affirmative.
Mischa nodded back. Then for the first time, she initiated the attack without being scared of the hostages being hurt.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Lucilla moved her hand, which held the dagger in a slashing motion toward Mizuki’s neck.
As Mischa had expected, her movement was slower. There was a lag before she could fully use her ability to the maximum without moving her legs.
“Mr. Tetsuma!” Mischa shouted as she took out a gun from the holster on her chest and pulled the trigger immediately after she pointed it at Lucilla.
“On it!” Tetsuma shouted back as he stomped the ground with his feet.
The Executive narrowed her eyes and moved away without finishing her attack as the bullet flew toward her, and the Earth rose from her feet, trying to put her in a cage. She reappeared at the corner of the room, but a bullet had been waiting for her already.
It was Mischa’s. She analyzed Lucilla’s movement and shot another bullet before she stopped her ability.
“Kuh!” Lucilla grunted as she jumped to the side. The bullet grazed her left arm; blood trickled from the wound.
That gave Tetsuma enough time to use his ability to make a pit and get the hostages underground.
“As expected,” Mischa said, looking at Lucilla, who had been glaring daggers at her. “You can’t use your ability repeatedly. There is a second delay before you can use it again.” She said.
“Mr. Tatsuma. Please leave it to me. I am now familiar with her style. It’s the standard fighting style used by everyone in the Esper Association.”
“I will leave her to you!” He said before he dug into the underground himself. Their priority was to save the hostages, not to defeat any Executive.
The ground was fixed again after the three of them disappeared, leaving Mischa with Lucilla alone in the room.
“Betrayer!” Lucilla hissed as she glared at Mischa. She pointed her dagger toward Mischa, her gaze filled with hatred.
“I am not a betrayer,” Mischa responded calmly as the corner of her mouth rose a little. “I am just a girl who wants to help my loved one. To help her, I need to kill you right here and now.”