Chapter 46 — The Witch Unleashed

“GRAWWWWWWWWWWWW!”

Gluttony’s gigantic jaws lunged toward Yuki. Her vicious mouth had expanded to such an enormous size that it was now larger than Yuki’s entire body.

“Transform!”

Yuki shouted as her clothes instantly dissolved into countless particles of light, replaced by the sleek white armor of the Ice Braver.

“Ice Cage!”

She thrust her hand toward Gluttony’s enormous jaws, which were rapidly closing in on her.

CRACKLE!

A wave of freezing energy surged from Yuki’s hand, instantly encasing Gluttony in ice. Within seconds, the Witch’s entire body was trapped inside a massive block of ice, suspended in midair with her gigantic jaws still wide open.

“...Haaah... Haaah...”

Yuki struggled to catch her breath. Gluttony’s sudden attack had completely caught her off guard, and she fought to suppress the fear that had taken hold of her. If she had reacted even a second later, she would already have been dead.

“...Colonel Yuki, are you all right?”

One of the soldiers asked worriedly, never lowering his Stellar Energy rifle from Gluttony’s frozen body.

“...I’m... I’m fine...”

Yuki muttered, slowly raising her gaze toward the enormous block of ice.

“...Sa... Saki...”

She stared at her former companion, whose frozen figure remained suspended in midair. Gluttony’s gigantic jaws were still open, and her glowing yellow eyes remained fixed on the spot where Yuki had been standing.

Yuki was completely shaken. After meeting Wrath, she had already realized how drastically her fallen friends had changed. Nevertheless, she had still hoped that, at the very least, she could reason with Saki.

But Gluttony was different.

What stood before her barely resembled the cheerful friend she had once known. Saki had become something closer to a wild animal, seemingly stripped of every trace of reason.

“TZZZZ!”

Suddenly, a strange noise interrupted Yuki’s thoughts.

“TZZZ!”

“TZZZZZZZZ!”

Her eyes widened as she noticed tiny sparks of yellow electricity flickering around the block of ice.

“EVERYONE, GET AWAY!”

Yuki shouted in a panic.

The soldiers turned toward her in confusion, unable to understand what was happening.

Unfortunately, it was already too late.

BOOOOOOM!

The block of ice exploded.

Blinding yellow lightning erupted in every direction, tearing through the cafeteria and illuminating the entire room.

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“ARGGGGHH!”

“GYAAAAAH!”

Yuki watched in horror as several soldiers were struck by the lightning. Their bodies convulsed under the electrical discharge before they collapsed to the floor, smoke rising from their burned uniforms.

Gluttony had broken free.

Her head and jaws had returned to their normal size, and she dropped to the floor, landing on all fours like a beast. The sight was deeply unsettling... a tall girl wearing a black cropped sailor style uniform with a yellow ribbon, her long blonde ponytail whipping wildly behind her as she crouched like a predator.

“GRRRRRRRRRRR!”

Gluttony growled, her round, glowing yellow eyes and vicious grin turning toward Yuki.

“FIRE!”

One of the commanders shouted.

More than a hundred soldiers unleashed a relentless barrage of Stellar Energy bullets.

“RATATATATATATATA!”

Hundreds of brilliant projectiles streaked toward Gluttony. In response, countless black tendrils emerged from her uniform, whipping through the air like living tentacles. They spread around her body, forming a barrier against the incoming fire.

“ARGHHHGRGGG!!”

A guttural groan escaped Gluttony’s throat.

Some of the Stellar Energy bullets pierced through the black tendrils, striking her body and burning her skin.

“IT’S WORKING! KEEP FIRING!”

The commander shouted.

“RATATATATATATA!”

The soldiers continued their relentless assault, pouring everything they had into the barrage. More tendrils were torn apart, and additional bullets struck Gluttony, leaving burns across her exposed skin.

For a moment, it seemed as though their attack was working.

Then Yuki noticed something change.

Gluttony’s mindless, ravenous grin slowly twisted into an expression of pure anger.

“TZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!”

Yellow electricity surged around Gluttony’s body, growing more intense with every passing second. The air crackled as countless sparks danced across her skin and the black tendrils surrounding her.

Yuki’s eyes widened beneath her visor.

“ICE WALL!”

She thrust both hands forward.

A gigantic wall of ice erupted from the floor, forming a barrier between Gluttony and the soldiers.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

The cafeteria was engulfed in a blinding flash of yellow light.

Relentless bolts of lightning crashed against the ice wall, sending violent tremors through the floor. Cracks spread across its surface before the entire barrier shattered into countless fragments.

When the light finally faded, pieces of ice rained down across the cafeteria.

“Cough! Cough!”

The soldiers struggled to recover from the shockwave, coughing as the dust and lingering mist slowly dissipated.

“...Is everyone all right?”

Yuki asked, quickly turning toward them.

“Yes, Colonel Horikita!”

The commander answered.

The soldiers had escaped the devastating discharge without further harm. If Yuki hadn’t raised that ice wall in time, all the squads could easily have been wiped out.

“GRRRRRRR!”

Yuki turned back toward Gluttony, who was crouching on all fours and glaring at her like a cornered beast.

Just like Wrath, Gluttony seemed capable of using the powers she had possessed as a Braver. However, one question continued to trouble Yuki, although It was still uknown how the Witches where able to use those powers without their Braver devices.

She had no time to dwell on it now.

Of all the Bravers, Saki's powers had always been the most dangerous to wield. Her lightning was incredibly powerful, but it was also difficult for her to regulate its voltage. That was why she had generally restricted herself to releasing it in short bursts.

But Gluttony had just unleashed the full output of her lightning. And if she continued fighting alongside the soldiers, the casualties would only increase.

“...Everyone, retreat. Leave this battle to me.”

“...?!”

The commander stared at Yuki in shock.

“...But, Colonel Yuki...”

“...That’s an order.”

Yuki’s firm voice left no room for argument.

The commander lowered his gaze. He understood what she was asking of them, even if he hated the idea of abandoning her to face such a dangerous enemy alone.

“...Everyone, we’re securing the other areas! Follow me!”

He shouted.

The soldiers hesitated for a moment, glancing between their commander, Yuki, and the monstrous girl crouching across the cafeteria. However, they eventually obeyed, following him toward the exit.

Their footsteps echoed through the ruined room before gradually fading into the distance.

And then, silence returned.

Only two figures remained in the cafeteria.

Yuki Horikita, the Ice Braver.

And Saki Nidou, the Witch of Gluttony.

“...Eaaaaaaaaaat...”

Gluttony muttered, saliva dripping from her enormous grin as she watched Yuki.

Yuki slowly raised her hands, settling into a battle stance. Her white armor gleamed beneath the cafeteria lights as she prepared herself for the fight ahead.

“...Saki...”

Her voice was quiet, but her resolve was unwavering.

“...I’ll stop you. And I’ll make sure your powers never hurt any more innocent people.”

Gluttony responded with a low, feral growl.

Yuki tightened her fists.

She had once promised that Saki could always count on her.

Now, she intended to keep that promise, even if she had to fight the monster her friend had become.