Chapter 514

Machine World Arc Illegal is Illegal, No Two Way About It

The place was like a mountain range where junk mountains with various sizes, from mountain that was only as large as a two-story house to mountain with height that reached until the tallness of a ten-story building were stretching out. In a corner of such place,

「DIIIIIIEEEEEEE!!」

A word that nobody would want to hear coming out from a little girls mouth was uttered.

The girl with such extremely nasty tongue was Listy who was standing on the side of a junk mountain. She took out a round object from her waist pouch and tossed it before she herself also leaped up. Then she swung down her sword with a piercing cry.

It was like a tennis serve. The sword’s flat side hit the round metal lump, instantly turning it into a blazing fastball.

「Soft nano!」

Myuu held “Donneer” with both her hands and wordlessly narrowed her eyes. Those eyes, they were like hawk’s eye! It was like her usual soft and innocent eyes were just a lie.

The bullet she fired magnificently hit the round metal lump, bouncing it to another direction.

Right after that, *ZUDOONN* shockwave and fire blast burst out.

「「「「「Oi, that’s a grenadeee!!」」」」」

Ryuutarou and others let out their tsukkomi simultaneously.

This isn’t like in our imagination! We thought it would be like……something with the atmosphere of a bout and yet they’re blasting out killing intent too muchhh!

They thought. Those like Yuuka and Aiko were reflexively hugging each other while going 「Hawawah」.

But, Myuu who was the one almost getting bombed to death wasn’t showing even a shred of agitation.

「That’s how it gotta be! Nano!」

Rather, she was sporting a fearless grin. She truly looked satisfied by the degree of seriousness that Listy was showing.

And then, as though to pay back the favor she drew out “Schlaag” and shooting it immediately with a flowingly smooth movement.

The peerlessly accurate attack was aiming to shoot throught he forehead of Listy whose jetpack was blazing to violently attack in her descent!

In respond, Listy performed midair sliding movement just by slightly winding one of her wire anchors that sure enough she had fired out beforehand, evading the bullet.

But, the bullet was fired with that evasion already taken into account.

*DOOONN* Crimson shockwave surged out.

Special bullet “Burst Bullet”. It was only normal shockwave instead of spatial impact, even so Listy was hit by the extremely severe blow from the side which blown her away strongly.

「TSKKKK!!」

Her face grimaced in pain while she reflexively twisted like a cat before her body could plunge into the junk mountain’s opposite side. She properly landed on the mountain’s surface with her legs. She stabbed down one of the swords she was holding to fix her body in place.

*Peh* She spat out her saliva that was mixed with blood and glared at Myuu below. Myuu grinned. She holstered “Schlaag” and thrust her palm forward toward Listy.

The next moment, that palm turned over. She kept the back of her hand facing Listy with only her fingertips making “come at me” gesture.

*Snap snap* The vein on Listy’s forehead pulsed.

「I’m gonna make you bawl like baby-」

Listy leaped once more.

Remia and Mindy were speechless. They also looked at Hajime with faces that looked like they might cry for a bit. They quietly pointed at the battlefield.

The killing intent is too boiling. They’re really trying to kill each other

……Their expression seemed to say.

Kaori spoke to them in Hajime’s place. She smiled like a holy mother and spoke reassuringly.

「It’s alright! Remia-san! Mindy-san! I can revive them even if they die!」

No, that’s not it……

The two & Jasper and the children thought.

Two little girls trying to kill each other is a problem in itself isn’t it? That’s what we’re talking about here,

they thought.

「No, but well, they won’t stop anyway, and if we stop them they won’t be able to get it all out of their system and accept each other won’t they? Like, there’ll be still some murky feeling staying within them.」

「……Nn. Setting aside Kaori’s fake-holy motherness, we guarantee that their life won’t be in danger.」

「Let’s watch over them! This is also not a duel born from hatred after all desu!」

「Indeed. Even if they art children, no, exactly because they art children that sometimes a serious clash between them art also necessary.」

Tio turned her gaze with a wry smile.

「ORA ORA ORA ORA ORAAAAA!!」

「FUTILE FUTILE FUTILE FUTILE FUTILEEEEE!! NANOO!!」

Myuu and Listy were both locked on each other with their respective twin swords.

Military style swordsmanship that was drilled into the former upperworld residents who were candidates to be sword machine soldier used in adjacent with jetpack and wire anchor to form the 3D maneuver sword art and, the twin sword style that was a mix of Yaegashi-style & a god’s apostle style. The styles’ respective user clashed against each other with an impact that made it unthinkable the style users were little girls.

Both sides were serious. Their eyes were opened wide as though to say that they wouldn’t miss even the slightest opening. They were bursting with spirit. Their seriousness had reached the maximum degree.

「I see. This is certainly ain’t a “scuffle” but a “duel”.」

Ryuutarou nodded with a wry smile. Nobody raised any argument.

It was a fight because both sides recognized the other. No, it was a fight to make the other side recognize them.

They put themselves on display with all their strength to make the other understood!

In a sense, it might be a type of communication born from wanting the other to see them, and for them to see the other’s real self. Giving unnecessary meddling or fastidious rule to them here would surely be the boorish thing to do.

「So this is the level of the one wanting to become Myuu’s little sister! Nano!」

「Who is!」You’re the little sis here!!」

「The ranking is decided not by actual age but by mental age and length of daughter record nanoo!!」

「That might be the case for daughter record but you’re completely wrong with the mental ageee-!」

「Are you calling Myuu childish!? Die nanooooo!!」

「I don’t but, you snapping there proves your childishhhh!!」

「Even though you’re tinier than Myuuuu!!」

「!? Don’t bring up the heightttt!! I’m still barely higher than you-!!」

「Nooope! Myuu is 1 cm higher nano!!」

「Nooope-, you’re the pipsqueak here!」

「Listy is the pipsqueakk!」

「Myuu’s the super pipsqueak heree!!」

Atsushi looked at Ryuutarou and spoke.

「Isn’t it a scuffle?」

Ryuutarou didn’t know where to look. In exchange Suzu spoke her impression with a wry smile.

「But, the fight itself is amazing. I can’t believe that this is actually a fight between children under ten years old.」

「Myuu-chan, she has gotten this strong.」

「We too just can’t lie around on our ass huh.」

「Besides Lis-chi who’s keeping up with her is also totes crazy」

Taeko and Noboru sounded impressed from the bottom of their heart. Next, Nana’s impression made Myuu’s sword instructor, Shizuku and Kaori to nod deeply.

「This two swords style, it’s faar more difficult than everyone think. It might be better still if you just focus one of the swords for defense, but something like using both as offenses and defenses simultaneously is next to impossible. In fact, Yaegashi-style doesn’t have any official two swords style. In exchange we use aikido with bare hand though……」

「Moving right and left hands disconnectedly and also accurately, your head can’t keep up with that anymore unless you do it based on your sense. If I didn’t trace Neunte’s experience, perhaps someone like me wouldn’t be able to learn something like twin great swords style.」

Ahead of their gazes, there was Myuu who was continuously parrying Listy’s attack.

Fundamentally it was just as Shizuku said, Myuu’s style was using Kotetsuu in her left hand for defense, and Muuramasa in her right hand for counter.

Listy was also using twin swords style, furthermore, she was properly launching attack from the opposite direction too. It was really something to see.

Even though, she wasn’t doing that in an unbroken chain of movement within the instantaneous sword fight, and using her jetpack for high speed movement and wire anchor to perform tricky hit & away where she was resetting her stance each time she did that, she understood the strong point of twin swords.

Therefore, originally Myuu too would have to defend using two swords.

But, she managed to defend with just one side by sliding movement of her feet to position her body and accurately launching counter. It was a technique that was unthinkable coming from a seven years old.

And yet, that wasn’t all.

As soon as she created an opening using Yaegashi-style’s technique, continuous two swords style attacks assaulted Listy. Listy couldn’t deal with the two swords style that was far smoother than hers and came attacking from definitely different direction. Even though she was getting wounded, she had no other option than to fire her jetpack to forcefully open the distance.

「Amazing……she look like a first class swordswoman. Her attacks is chaining from one to the next really elegantly……it’s beautiful……does Myuu-chan has talent for swordsmanship?」

Even to Liliana who had watched the kingdom’s orthodox knight swordsmanship from close by for so long, it seemed that Myuu’s flowing combo deserved admiration. She was so surprised that her eyes were wide open like saucer.

「Uu~n. According to Shizuku-chan, it seems that Myuu-chan’s sword talent isn’t high by all means though……」

「True. It’s not like she doesn’t have talent but, two swords style isn’t something you can just handle with one year of training. Even so she’s able to reach the point of making her Yaegashi-style and the apostle’s twin swords style usable is because……」

「According to Myuu-chan, apparently it’s “the same like fighting game’s combo”.」

「……She inherited Hajime’s game brain too.」

「Aa, I get it. I also often used them as reference desuu」

「No, I don’t get it at all though.」

Yuuka’s tsukkomi was given strong nods from Ryuutarou and others. Of course, Liliana looked like she didn’t get it.

「In short, all that Myuu is doing is just her doing the form.」

Of course, she was able to do basic attack. She had compact foundation. But, when it came to combo attack she wasn’t doing it adaptionally based on the situation.

Basically she was looking for an opening while defending, then when she switched to offense she would launch a combo that she had assembled together beforehand depending on the situation. She only had four such moves.

It was a method that Myuu thought up herself in order to make her two swords style usable with such short training.

No matter how much she had worked hard, she wouldn’t be able to wield two swords like Shizuku-oneechan or Kaori-oneechan in just one year and some months. Or rather, even just using one sword was impossible.

Even so if she wanted to learn two short swords style to a usable degree before the trip……

This is ittt!!

She hit upon the idea when playing fighting game with papa.

「Don’t think invincibility work on Myuu! Nano!!」(Translator Note: Refers to invincibility state mechanism in Street Fighter game)

「What’re you prattling about!」

「Parry- and theeen~~anti-air combooo!!」 (TN: Referring to perfect shield/parry system from Super Smash Bro)

「Fuck dammit-, how can you react with that just noww!!」

「Myuu is the type who properly execute anti-air! That even papa somewhat snapped dealing with iiit~!」

Myuu used her short boots’ “Air Force” ability to execute a midair combo at the same time. Certainly, it was a move that had been dyed in the color of fighting game.

「S-she’s really doing it like in a game huh……」

Yuuka looked completely speechless from hearing a part of the secret how Myuu obtained strength in just one year to a degree that Hajime allowed her to come in this trip.

Also, she replied 「Developing practical combo for real battle, is soo~ fuu~~n nanoo~?」 to Remia and Hajime and others when she got so absorbed in training that she even forgot to eat and sleep.

「This is truly, an example of “the greatest secret to growth is having fun” isn’t it.」

It must be something that Aiko was endeavoring to do in her own class. She was nodding half in admiration and half in understanding while finally speaking the question that had been bothering her the whole time since some time ago.

「By the way, just what’s the matter with Jasper-san and everyone? All of them are looking like they’re at their wits’ end like that……」

Yes, actually Jasper had been holding his head this whole time since some time ago. The children too were having a distant look in their eyes. As though they were being faced with a shocking truth.

「Most likely, they’re feeling shocked or something seeing Listy so murderous like that aren’t they?」

「…….That’s not it……boss」

Apparently that wasn’t it. Jasper’s voice that sounded weak for some reason resounded between the *Clang clang clang clang-* fierce sword fight, and the shockwave and flame blast from the grenades that Listy sometimes threw.

「Look……at the cleanup post battle……we collected everything. Of course it wasn’t just the firearm, but also the explosives. I also ordered everyone to report it in case some more got discovered afterward……their usage is regulated with licensing system……」

「Well that’s, you guys got no external enemy anymore, and it’ll be troublesome if someone bring out firearm in an argument after all…………ah? Wait a second」

*DOON* Explosive sound thundered. The wind from the explosion caressed the skins of Hajime and co.

「……That child, is openly using them though?」

「E~rr, does that mean you gave her permission? For her duel with Myuu-chan?」

Yue pointed, while Shia tilted her head in confusion. Jasper shook his head left and right.

*DOOON* Explosive sound thundered. Pebbles flew in the air. Hajime and co got a look that said

Uwaa~h

on their face. Because, in other word that……

The top of the organization who was controlling and managing dangerous objects, no, the top of the country had a relative who was proactively dirtying her hand on an illegal act……

「It’s amazing they can fly so accurately when you hit them like baseball nano! Looks like you’ve gotten a lot of training in grenade batting! Nano!」

「I dunno what’s this baseball thingy you’re spouting but it’s pointless if it doesn’t work! It’s hard to find and hide dangerous object and also reusing them just so you know! Yet you just casually deal with them!」

A confession echoed through the battlefield. Jasper-oniichan covered his face with both his hands. The children looked up to the sky. The corner of Mindy-san’s eyes rose……

「Could it be, that jetpack and the other items art also illegal?」

「No, those are permitted. It was Listy who improved them so they’re usable even on human body for work at high places, and also thinking the idea to use them as anchor. In fact, they’re being widely used at the top.」

Apparently there still wasn’t anybody who could use them as well as Listy, but apparently this too was one of the contributions that Listy made for Coltran.

The faint wounds all over her body, perhaps those were the proof that she had trained with them more than anybody else.

「It’s not illegal if nobody know……those are words that Hajime-san always said desu! In a sense, maybe she’s fitting to be his daughter.」

「……Nn-. Anything that happen here won’t leak outside! The concealment is perfect!」

「Illegal is still illegal, no two way about it」

Jasper’s voice became tearful, so Shia and Yue dejectedly backed down.

「Haa~, I’ll question her later about the dangerous items……」

Jasper-san let out a big sigh with the atmosphere like a middle-aged salaryman with acute exhaustion.

「E~rr, in other words……what? Based on what everyone is saying Listy isn’t gonna win this?」

Jasper asked with a troubled voice.

When they noticed, Listy who was getting a lot of small cuts forming on her body was starting to breath hard. Her small talk and insult were also decreasing as seconds passed by.

But, in contrast Myuu was composed. Although she was lightly sweating her breathing was stable. There was also calmness that could be seen in her expression.

The difference in base strength was starting to be visible.

Coupled with the talk of swordsmanship too just now, it must be making Jasper to think like that. Even while he was getting to his wits’ end by the rule violation of his youngest little sister, in the end, that matter was the one that was bothering him the most. It was truly the hallmark of him as a big brother.

「We focused teaching defense to Myuu. After all her most important objective when fighting is to protect herself.」

「O-ou?」

Hajime answered him without taking off his eyes from the battle.

「Each of us taught her the basic of fighting but, the content of the training for actual combat we gave her──was to continue enduring our attack. Even I myself thought the training was harsh.」

The harshness of the training could be conveyed from the fact that it was done with the preparation for regeneration and resurrection readied to be cast at the drop of hat.

Myuu herself wished for the training, and everyone used that method because it was the best thing for Myuu’s sake, but even Yue and others who recalled the training at that time got conflicted look on their face.

Doing something like continuously attacking Myuu who they loved so much like that, it was truly an act where they had to turn their heart into demon in order to do.

「……Nn. Remia was a bit scary when she watched over the training.」

「Ain’t that right. Remia whose default face is her soft and sunny smile was making a serious face the whole time.」

「She never asked us to stop, she also didn’t protest, and it wasn’t like she was radiating anger or anything but……that actually instead, you know.」

「M-my my……forgive me. Of course I harbored no resentment or anything for everyone but, as expected I was unable to keep a normal presence of mind……」

Remia-san blushed in embarrassment. Everyone didn’t want to see her having a completely blank expression like that time anymore……

Surely she would be like that too during the training in the future. There was no doubt that the anxiety of papa and the Onee-chans would be increasing even more than Myuu.

They wished that the illusion Endou-kun from the training artifact would work harder. After all it was the most relaxing when illusion Endou-kun was being used to test the training result.

Getting back on topic.

「Aa~, boss?」

「My bad. In short, Myuu’s proficiency in offense isn’t at the level of her defense. Her attack power is fundamentally relying on artifact. Her attack style is centered on counter and the combo you saw just now.」

「Err, in short, what do you mean?」

「She fundamentally can only attack exactly as she has trained, especially in close quarter. Exactly like playing game.」

In short, there was opening that could be taken advantage of if the opponent could see through the combo’s pattern. That what it meant.

「Listy too looks like she’s aiming at something. Now it’s a matter whether she can land an unexpected attack that surpassed Myuu’s adaptability, or whether she can notice Myuu’s opening……」

「Anyway, you mean that Listy too isn’t out of the fight?」

「Well, my daughter’s shooting sense got gold star award though! She also know about her combo’s opening!」

「Why did you say that now?」

Mindy and the children also smiled wryly and nodded 「I see」. Then they focused on the fight of their youngest sister again. Perhaps her chance to win was thin. But, her desperate figure that scattered sweat mixed with blood everywhere she moved naturally caused the voices 「Do your bestttt-」 to cheer on her.

Listy could hear their cheering voices, however, her expression was still bitter even then. Because even though she couldn’t hear what they were talking about, she had been made to understand better than anyone else from the offense and defense until now.

(Shit, this gal……is too tough!!)

She had run out of explosive. The 3D maneuver combat was something that she had practiced hundreds, thousands of times where she often slammed on the ground, plunging into the junk mountain, or falling and rolling down until she learned it. Even though she had managed to grow until she could win even against adult with combat occupation, it didn’t work against a girl who was younger than her.

Her attacks were blocked, dodged, parried. And then counterattack accurately came back at her. The one getting wounded here was only her who had been attacking incessantly.

Frustrating. So much so that she was gritting her teeth so hard it felt like they would crack.

But, at the same time an emotion that felt similar with joy “This is how it has to be” welled up inside her.

(As I thought, she at least gotta be cool like Nii-san!)

She couldn’t care about appearance at this stage. A faint smile that was a mix of frustration and happiness tugged her lips.

Right after that, her stomach was kicked powerfully and she was blown away. Although she used her jetpack and wire anchor to avoid getting hit by pursuing attack, her anchor’s piercing tip was shot by bullet and her balance crumbled. She was blown away even further due to the centrifugal force and rolled on the ground painfully.

「This is the end nano!」

「Kuh」

The left gun that fired special bullet had two remaining shots. The right gun was empty right now.

She had watched that person’s weapon with all her focus. Simply grasping the imitation guns’ number of reload and remaining bullet was only natural.

And then, even with her body in tatter with all her fierce attacks not working, she had ascertained one fact──that her opponent didn’t have sublime godspeed reload like her father. Just knowing that was still better and she forced a smile on her lips.

「I’m not gonna let it end yet!!」

She strongly kicked on the ground at the same time, no, just ahead of “Schlaag” having its trigger pulled. The iron plate that was hidden by gravel sprang up from the leverage and blocked the Burst Bullet.

The iron plate was blown away. Listy also got bounced backward. But, the damage wasn’t that much. Just as planned.

「I won’t give you time to reload-」

「Myu!?」

She threw her sword even while getting sent flying. The two swords rotated while attacking Myuu menacingly.

Myuu felt slightly surprised that Listy let go of her weapons, even so she cartwheeled aerially to be level with the ground while easily dodging.

But, it seemed that the aim wasn’t Myuu.

There was the sound of the swords stabbing the ground. At the same time there was also a disquieting sound *click* resounding.

「Ah──」

The ground exploded mightily at the same time when Myuu let out her voice.

「Landmine!?」

「Wai-. Is the spot we’re standing on alright!?」

Atsushi reflexively screamed, while Nana looked around the ground under her feet uneasily. Jasper pressed his hands on his face again. The children yelled 「She went that far!?」 with shuddering expression while Mindy-san’s eyes rolled back until the white of her eyes almost showed.

「How’s Myuu-chan!?」

Yuuka’s worried voice reverberated. The cloud of dust rising from the shockwave covered the sight. No, it wasn’t just because of dust cloud. It was because of black cloud.

It seemed the landmine also had secondary function as smoke grenade. The black cloud spread out instantly.

Myuu flew out through the smoke from there.

「Myuu!」

「It’s fine Remia-san! She’s unharmed desu! She’s just a bit sooty!」

「But, did she let go of Schlaag I wonder?」

「She also fired Burst Bullet to the ground and neutralized the blast. At the same time she also jumped along with the shockwave to dodge.」

「No no no, Kaorin and Shizushizu are getting impressed like it’s normal but, what she did was superhuman okay!?」

Suzu’s tsukkomi was of course agreed with a nod from Ryuutarou and others despite their twitching expression. Her instantaneous judgment making and response were too monstrous. Like she was a veteran soldier.

The harshness of “training just for surviving no matter what” that Hajime mentioned was acutely conveyed through this.

Even while that was going on, Myuu unsheathed “Kotetsuu” with one hand while skillfully extracting out the cylinder of “Donneer” with her other hand. It was to reload by exchanging the cylinder itself. By putting in the fresh cylinder on her waist gunbelt──

「Thanks a lot! You finally stand there for me!」

Listy’s turn still wasn’t over. When they noticed, there was Listy slamming a hand on the ground. It was like, Hajime when using transmutation magic.

Yes, her excessively thick glove that was linked with cord to her waist’s equipment.

Apparently the landmine’s surprise attack was just for smoke screen in the end. Bluish white light could be seen surging through the ground and rushing to a corner of the junk mountain in an instant. At the same time when they saw that,

「Hidden weaponn!?」

「Drop dead!」

Sound of explosion like cannon fire thundered. The next moment Myuu was blown backward.

Furthermore, the ground of the surrounding area burst open as though there was heavy rain hitting the area and cloud of dust rose thickly.

「W-what? Just now, what happened……」

「Aiko-san, it’s that desu. Nail driving device. An electrically powered one.」

「Looks like it was improved to fire countless nails all at once like shotgun but……she built something really vicious there.」

Naturally, that included the power and range. Looking closer at the ground, there were numerous extra large nails driven in. It was buckshot type improved nailgun, no, perhaps it ought to be called as nail cannon already.

「That’s barely safe! It’s not illegal if I said it’s not!」

「No, Nii-san……certainly the nail driving device itself isn’t illegal but……I think that’s illegal modification……」

Big brother was getting concerned by the number of criminal charge his youngest little sister was piling up from this construction of outrageous things in the junk mountain. Big sister’s expression had also gone past a circle to look enlightened now.

「This isn’t the time to chat carefree──wait she’s alrightttt!!」

Yuuka-chan unconsciously spoke in Kansai dialect.

The remodeled nail cannon dealt direct hit. Everyone else looked anxious from wondering how Myuu could possibly endure the hit with just a short sword and gun, but Myuu herself was plainly unharmed.

「Oo! It’s finally the turn for “Pikko Piko Hammeer” desu!」

Shia who was the instructor for combat technique using hammer hopped *pyon pyon* happily.

Most likely, she did what she learned from this teacher while shouting 「Impudeent!」.

Buckshot attack is coming? It’s no problem if you blow them away altogether with shockwave!

That was the idea.

Of course, it wasn’t accomplished with inhuman strength like the teacher, but the function of “Pikko Piko Hammeer” firing out shockwave.

Myuu dispersed the nails with a wall of shockwave while also retreating backward with the recoil. Ryuutarou and co were impressed when they learned that. Jasper family were also patting their chest down in relieve.

「……Even though she let go of her sword, it’s impressive that she quickly switched to hammer.」

「Her speed in taking it out from the treasure warehouse art also excellent.」

「Based on how she didn’t equip it from the start, Myuu must be treating it like a trump card which she was forced to play. Look, she’s making a bitter expression.」

Myuu showed an expression like she had swallowed a bitter bug for a moment, but she immediately switched mood. A shadow fell over her. Listy was already closing the distance.

「Don’t block someone’s trump card casually like that!!」

Was it just their imagination that the voice sounded a bit teary? Perhaps that attack was a precious trump card that she had been saving.

Listy fired up her jetpack just for a moment to do a great rotation midair before swinging down her new weapon from above her head with a lot of cetrifugal force and her frustration filling it.

*GOONN* The shockwave sound shook the air.

「Shit, using that kinda cute hammerrr!」

「How about Myuu cutify that unrefined hammer too! Nano!」

「Rejected!」

Yes, Listy too was carrying a hammer that she had taken out from somewhere. The hammer’s head was excessively big, however, the handle was only as big as a normal hammer.

That unique shape was clearly unsuitable for work, but the reason for that immediately became clear to see.

Listy pressed a part of the handle even while hammer and hammer were fiercely colliding against each other. The hammer quickly got electrified. The head part was definitely installed with some kind of electric generation gimmick.

However, it wasn’t effective as expected.

「Na?ve nano! Electricity can’t pass through Myuu’s piko hammer!」

「Then eat this too!」

She retreated with a backflip. At the same time she put on a goggle midair. The light attached on the rim of that goggle let out a blinding flash. It wasn’t just flashlight but also seemed to have the effect of flashbang.

It seemed to be for one use only so the lens part cracked and smoked, but that effect was enough.

The flash dyed the sight white.

Listy threw her hammer at that opening. Surprisingly, it flew with a speed like cannon ball.

「Myuu can see nano」

Myuu didn’t pursue the retreating Listy because she saw her wearing google midair. As though to say that, Myuu’s eyes were already covered by a single lens sunglasses too.

Although she was surprised by the hammer that was approaching with unexpected speed, she could avoid something like that just by shifting her body aside.

Then she immediately charged. She swung up the fancy hammer that looked like something a magical girl would possess and approached Listy.

Listy fired her jetpack and retreated toward the junk mountain.

「You won’t get away nano! Pul – verize!」

「Whoaa!」

Listy immediately jumped up as soon as she landed on the junk mountain’s side. An instant later, the mountain surface below got wholly blown away.

That power gave her shudders, even so she rolled midair. She launched a counterattack with the new weapon that she had pulled out from the junk mountain before its surface got caved in.

The instant she blocked “Pikko Piko Hammeer” with that, *Grrk grrk grrk grrk* Metallic sound reverberated. And then sparks scattered wildly.

「Chainsaw!? Even something like that!」

It was a small rotating blade. Undoubtedly a chainsaw. Hajime and co’s gazes snapped toward Jasper. 「Safe!」 That was what came back.

This too was actually something that Listy salvaged and repaired. Apparently it was extremely useful for house construction and the like. Of course, it wasn’t a weapon. It mustn’t be pointed toward human!

「Shit, it doesn’t get a single scratch even with this──as expected from the weapon created by Ani-san!」

When they completely thought that perhaps she would say

It’s unfair!

, Listy-chan was making an admiring expression instead. Kaori muttered 「Ah, she’s praising there……」 in admiration hearing that.

Listy already knew from the start that Myuu’s weapon would be of Hajime’s quality make. Including how there would be the difference of heaven and earth in quality and the like compared to her own work.

She was making the challenge even knowing all of that. Surely she didn’t have even the slightest inkling to cry foul or the like while pointing at the factors outside the duel at this point.

Rather, it was as though she was screaming,

I’m fired up exactly because of that! It’s a worthy challenge!

「But, I’lm gonna be the winnerrr!」

「Just try it nano!」

Listy’s glove sparked.

Myuu was on her guard thinking that it might be stun gun, but that wasn’t it. There was a faint wind slicing sound.

Ah,

someone said.

Myuu’s instinct that had been developed from enduring the numerous attacks from papa & Onee-chans commander her to dodge using everything she got.

「Nnnii!?」

She released all her tension with all her strength. She spread her legs 180 degree to plop down on the ground. Instantly, something passed through above her head. And then, there was the sound *Swip* of something getting caught.

「Do you have eyes behind your head or something!」

That hammer was mercilessly swung down.

Myuu rolled backward like doing a backflip to dodge before getting up smoothly and took a distance.

「S-seriously……somehow that’s super like Mjoln*r isn’t it!? So cool desuu!!」

Shia’s eyes sparkled. Perhaps because it was a movie that she had watched recently. Her rabbit ears were going *myon myon*.

Certainly that hammer, whether it was its shape or electric function, then its returning ability too, it greatly resembled the weapon of the “lightning god” from that famous Marvel hero.

Next Listy held the cord on the pommel before swinging it around where it was making *Voon voon* sound, so the resemblance became even more excessive.

Hajime and co, especially the boy got fired up. *Hyuu-* Some even whistled with high tension. They had completely turned into spectator.

But of course, the fighters themselves couldn’t even pay attention to the excitement of the outsiders with how serious they were.

「Magnetism, guidance?」

「Don’t see through it instantly! I put three years into it!!」

Listy leaped aside with her jetpack. And then, she let go of the hammer that she had rotated plenty. It was a fast throw with just that, but when she also touched the ground with her glove at the same time when landing,

「It curved!?」

The trajectory changed like a fast slider. The hammer curved and attacked Myuu.

Most likely there was a dedicated magnetic force generator underground. She must be activating it through the power cable buried in the ground as expected. She poured the electricity through that sparking glove.

The hammer itself was undoubtedly made from material that specially reacted to magnetic force, or there was a magnetic generator installed inside the hammer head. Of course, the glove had it too.

With that, acceleration of throwing speed, trajectory change, pulling back the hammer to her hand, and so on were possible to some degree.

This territory was truly a place that Listy had been using for years.

Even Hajime showed admiration to those gimmicks. However, Myuu dodged it like it was only natural. There Listy closed the distance with a chainsaw in one hand.

「To create something like this yourself……what an outrageous fellow nano!」

「It doesn’t make me happy even if I hear that from ya!」

Myuu bounced back the approaching chainsaw with her “Pikko Piko Hammeer”. Listy’s hands were raised up to the sky from the impact and her chainsaw was also flying away in an arc.

That fact, and the bitter expression that Listy couldn’t fully hide made Myuu narrowed her eyes.

When she executed a roundhouse kick here, Listy wasn’t able to dodge and her body somersaulted from getting hit on the chest.

She immediately rolled and took a distance while getting up with her left hand stretched, but Myuu got between her and the drawn in hammer and hit the hammer itself with all her strength.

The hammer flew away to the other side of the junk mountain with a speed that might cause

Homerun

cheers to break out. As expected the magnetic force didn’t seem to reach that far and the hammer showed no sign of coming back.

「Your hand, doesn’t have any grip strength anymore nano. Your movement is getting slower too.」

「So-, zee- haa-, what huh!」

She fired her jetpack and moved even more backward. The ground exploded when her foot hit the ground and cloud of dust rose up.

She fired the jetpack at full force and charged forward once more to push through the sand cloud. Her hands were holding swords once more. They must be spare buried underground.

Myuu pulled out “Donneer” and pulled the trigger. It wasn’t a fast draw shot. Therefore the firing line was easy to read.

Listy dodged just by shifting her body weight while keeping her fierce charge without dropping speed.

Before this, Listy would have something to cushion the blow, or prepare something for feint or anything, but there was no such thing this time. The damage and exhaustion she had accumulated was finally dulling her thought at this point.

And so she noticed too late. That Myuu intentionally didn’t do fast draw to make her read the shot’s trajectory. That the course she was on right now was the optimal and worst course Myuu had chosen for her.

Even she herself must have realized she had been had. Her cheeks spasmed. At the same time, Myuu accelerated using the shockwave of “Pilkko Piko Hammeer” as propulsive force and closed the distance several times faster than Listy’s estimation.

「Shaoraa!! Nanoo!!」

And then, with perfect timing and angle, the fancy but extremely brutish war hammer went full swing.

What Listy could do was her only barely crossing her swords in front of her.

「Guuhhh!?」

Naturally, the hammer couldn’t be blocked with just that. The impact pierced through. Her consciousness blacked out even with the weapons between her and the hammer.

The next time her consciousness came back was the moment she felt impact and intense pain on her back. *Gara gara* There was a grating sound. It was like there was firework in her eyes. She couldn’t breath well. Her body felt numb and couldn’t move.

(Aa, I crashed on the mountain huh……)

She vaguely understood only that. At the corner of her sight, she could see Mindy covering her mouth with her hands looking like she was going to cry. Her brothers and sisters were also yelling something.

Right near them, she could see that person looking straight this way.

(Aa, it’s not like that. I still haven’t lost. I can still fight. Wait a second, I’ll stand up right away.)

She intended to say that, but what actually came out was only a pained cough.

Even so she lifted up her body with guts and stubbornness. She pulled out her arm that was almost buried under the rubble and came out from the crumbling junk mountain crawlingly.

From being on all four on the ground, she struggled to stand up while her legs were shaking like a freshly born fawn.

Her nemesis was walking her way. The excessively cute hammer, wasn’t there anymore. In exchange, that hand was only holding the weapon that looked exactly the same like that person she looked up to.

「Not, yet. It’s still not ove──」

She clenched her fist to push the button on her glove. It was the switch to activate her jetpack.

But, it seemed Listy wasn’t the only one who had reached her limit.

*Boof* The jetpack only made such flat sound before falling silent. She kept pressing the switch on her glove. And the switches for her other gimmicks too.

But, the electricity didn’t flow anymore even a little.

The electricity to activate her weapon had run out.

「Ha, haha……」

There was a footstep. Myuu stopped walking some distance away from her and pointed her gun at her.

It was a pretty thing. It didn’t have a single scratch unlike her.

「……So this……this is “that person’s daughter” huh」

*Click* There was the sound of the firing hammer being cocked.

She unconsciously smiled. Myuu didn’t get careless or show an opening even at the last moment. She wouldn’t get any closer to her because she was wary that she might be planning something.

Also, there was no pity or sympathy or joy in those eyes.

She did what she ought to do to win and won. Listy even felt such firm atmosphere from Myuu. That figure, her figure as she pointed the gun at her, she could see the shadow of that person overlapping over Myuu.

That was, she wondered why. Even though she felt frustrated to death, even though she felt like she was going to burst into tears even now, she thought of her as “cool” no matter what. For some reason she felt unreasonably happy.

「Say you surrender.」

It was an ultimatum. Surely Myuu would pull the trigger if she didn’t say it. She wasn’t someone who would hesitate at this point. There was no way she would do such thing that looked down on her like that.

She was convinced of that.

That was why,

「Yeah」

Strength left her body and she rolled to her back with a flop. She looked up to the clear blue sky. The weather was so nice it was irritating. It was a bit unfortunate that there seemed to be blood in her eyes that the color was tinged red.

「It’s my…………」

Nothing worked. Most likely, Myuu still had some hidden cards remaining. She had strength to spare. Everything that she had polished up to the best of her ability in these five years, they were able to make her nemesis got serious but couldn’t make her showed everything she got.

「Defe──」

Then let’s accept it. Graciously, accepting her defeat he──

「Is that what you think I’m gonna say! Stuuuupidd!!」

「Nn!?」

Actually there was just one small grenade that she saved until now. She forcefully moved her agonized arm and tossed it. To a spot where it would almost definitely swallow her too.

At the same time, she aimed her wire anchor at the spot near the junk mountain’s peak and fired. The one time use only reserve battery that would only last for ten seconds! Always kept insurance in place! This too was something that she had learned from Hajime!

As expected, Myuu prioritized shooting the grenade.

Flame and explosion spread out. The flame acted as smokescreen and she used the blast to move forcefully.

Just as expected Myuu immediately fired the second time but, being blown away by the explosion while also relying on her instinct to twist her body allowed her to get away with only her shoulder getting shot.

(She still hit even through that……damn monster!)

She gritted her teeth from the intense pain and operated the winding mechanism. Next an impact and intense pain hit her leg at the same time when her body floated. But it wasn’t lethal.

The third shot grazed her cheek. Listy got cold sweat from the impact while her body got dragged up with the speed like a reverse bungee jump. She took off the jetpack on her back and lowered her weight drastically.

Her body bounced on the mountain side and became even more battered even as she──grinned broadly toward Myuu who was mercilessly aiming at her.

Eh?

Myuu looked puzzled for a moment.

「Get through this somehow, Myuu!!」

Listy hadn’t become optimistic or carefree by all means even after Mother was gone. And so this was the trap that she had prepared for emergency. Her greatest insurance.

Multiple setup had been planted here and there near the peak of the junk mountain. She plunged her hand into the gap between some junks and activated one of them.

That mechanism for crushing external enemy by collapsing the mountain, or perhaps for blocking the path to buy time.

Yes, she was using planted explosive to cause “junk avalanche”.

「Are you stupid nanoooo!? You don’t need to copy papa until that far nanoo-」

There was a terrific sound of explosion and the junk mountain burst like volcanic eruption at the same time. Debris of various sizes big and small rained down like meteor shower. The mountain too naturally collapsed like snowslide.

Jasper finally collapsed with her eyes rolling back. The children screamed

GYAAAAAH

as though they were witnessing a calamity. All emotions fell off from Mindy’s expression. Of course, Hajime and co were blocking everything so their safety was guaranteed but……

Myuu who was nearby the mountain side thought that she should focus on defense as soon as she evacuated.

However, Listy who didn’t even have her jetpack couldn’t possibly be unscathed by the explosion’s effect even if she evacuated right before it went off. After seeing her falling down powerlessly together with other junks, there was no way such option could come up in her mind.

Listy could be revived even if she died. In the first place they were having a duel right now, and if it was necessary she wouldn’t hesitate to even pull the trigger. Those were the logical thinking, which was blown away along with the explosion.

She activated “Air Force”. She leaped with all her strength! She cleared away the raining down debris by shooting them with “Donneer”, altering the trajectory, even so it didn’t seem like she would be able to reach listy so she took out “This is a whip desu” and swung──

「Catch you! This idi-──nmyu!?」

「Heh, carelessness, is the, enemy……」

The whip wind around Listy and Myuu pulled her body toward her midair. The moment she tried to hold her body, pain ran through her face. She got hit by Listy’s slap.

Myuu stared at the widely grinning Listy in her arms while her mouth unconsciously hung wide open.

Instantly, shadow fell over them. Myuu gasped in realization but it was too late. A particularly huge rubble hit other rubble and came flying like a pinball.

Ah……cra-……

Her eyes widened with such thought──and then.

「You two are too reckless.」

The rubble stopped still. It was supported by metal that spread out like dark grey net. No, looking closer all the rubbles were caught by metal net that spread out like spider web that stopped them in place. It was also the same with the junk mountain’s collapse.

「Papa!」

「Oto──Ani-san……」

Hajime held Myuu and Listy in one arm each and landed on the ground. The liquid metal was piling up the rubbles on the collapsed mountain one after another.

「Good grief……did you think this is the only way you got if you want to at least land a blow to Myuu who won’t come near you?」

「Eh? Ah, yeah……if it’s this gal, Myuu then she absolutely gonna save me.」

「How can you declare that nano! As expected this is──」

「Because, you’re Oto──Ani-san’s daughter right?」

「Tsu, that’s-…………………true! But still!」

Why are you asking something so obvious,

Listy’s puzzled expression looked like she wanted to say that. Myuu’s face turned bright red and her mouth mumbled unclearly because of that.

「Besides……it’s irritating but……you’re, good person after all」

「Guu……and you Listy who used the conscience of that good person, how’re you feeling right now nanoo!?」

「That hand mark on your cheek, it makes you the cutest, I’m satisfied! Like that I guess?」

「Papa, let go. Myuu can’t kill her like this!!」

「Calm down.」

「What’s with ya. If it’s Oto──Ani-san then he would also do it right? In short, Myuu too would do it. Something like this, if it’s needed.」

「That’s-……kuuuuuuuh…………true! But still!!」

Strange. Even though the one who won was Myuu no matter how they looked at it, it was Myuu who looked so frustrated that even now she looked like she was going to stomp on the ground, while on the other hand, it was Listy who was looking extremely refreshed. It formed a really strange picture to see.

Yue and others who came running, and the children who were dragging Jasper who fainted from too much stress also reflexively looked at each other after seeing that.

「And? Are you still going to continue?」

Hajime asked the question with a gentle gaze as though he had known what the answer would be after seeing Listy’s expression.

Listy stared at Hajime, then she stared at Myuu, then she shook her head with a listless expression.

「I accept it. Right now, the best I can do is just leaving that hand mark. I absolutely am not giving up but……yeah, I accept it.」

Listy faintly shined from receiving Kaori’s regeneration magic while staring straight at Myuu and asserted those words. The words that declared the conclusion of the duel where the girls’ important feeling and pride were put on the line.

「Myuu, it’s your win. ──Just, for, nowww that is!!」

「Hmph. The words at the end are unnecessary nano.」

Listy who was baring her teeth and Myuu who was folding her arms smugly.

Remia and Mindy looked at each other with relieve. Yue and others were also enveloped in a warm and soft atmosphere. Meanwhile Hajime, seeing the two like that,

「Fuwaa!? Papa!?」

「Awawawah, Oto──Ani-san!?」

He tightly hugged the two of them together. And then, with an extraordinarily kind tone,

「You two──great work out there. That was so cool.」

He gifted them those words of praise.

Both blinked together. Myuu and Listy looked at each other over Hajime’s shoulders, then a second later,

「Myu!」

「Yeah!」

They both sported a broad smile that was bright like the sun.

.

AN: Thank you very much for reading this every time.

Thank you very much too for the thoughts, opinions, and reports about misspelling and omitted words.

Myuu VS Listy is too much fun that I wrote too much. I think I can end the machine world arc next chapter. Perhaps (I’m sorry that there’s no guarantee)

※A notice. The sale of volume 14 got postponed to next month. My deepest apologies to those who have been looking forward to it but, it’ll be a great help if everyone can wait for a while more. Best regards.

※Material introduction

– Ora ora ora ora & Futilie futile futile futile

From [Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure]

– Papa, let go. I can’t kill her!

From 「Onii-chan move aside, I can’t kill her!」 of [S県月宮事件] (TN: S県月宮事件, an internet game that doesn’t seem to have any English version)