"Wait, Ravyn!"
Yu shouted to the purple-haired girl who was again running outside the department.
"You can't just go out whenever you want, like that!"
…Why is she in a rush? The Airburst is about to carry out the bomber capture operation in just an hour…
This time she decided to follow Ravyn.
######
A few minutes ago…
"Returned from that situation all in one piece like this, aren’t you interested in moving to work at the building next door?"
With slight sarcasm, Intel's Goatee leader asked. Hearing this, Ravyn was reminded of Pim.
… "Look how an astonishing young man helped a kid from the 4th floor. The Airburst of that city is such a hunk."
The hoarse-sounding drug store owner admires a handsome man in an ultramodern uniform on TV.
"Just people using strange tools to perform acrobatics for rescue volunteers broadcast every week. Is it that good?"
Little Ravyn asked.
"A child like you doesn’t understand. It’s about their charm, their personality, impeccable style, and big and strong muscles. Good for the soul.~"
Pim wiped her mouth as she drooled over the star of AB Weekly on-screen.
"Well then, when I grow up, I’ll be an Airburst."
"Little lady, don’t even think of stepping into the holy gardens of single women!" …
"No, I'm good. Information is all I need right now."
Ravyn, who had come to herself, replied with a slightly embarrassed expression.
"Okay.. Anyways, you are very lucky to make it out alive. The green aura and ability that seemed to control the persistence of surrounding objects was no doubt "The Rabid" Fowler’s technique. Do you remember last year’s half-city illusion phenomenon?"
Charles asked.
"You mean the strange incident when a good number of residences in Themeise suddenly disappeared. The experts concluded that it was due to the sudden heatwave… Wait, you've got to be kidding me."
"You’re right, it was his doing. At that time, he was barely escaping from the capture of our Airburst. But because there’s a risk of thousands of lives being his hostages at any time, Fowler is considered one of those people we have a hard time dealing with. And with his mysterious discipline of knowledge and his savage beast-like habits, he became the executive of the locals, Donke.."
The goatee department head covered his mouth after accidentally mentioning a name that should not have been heard by Ravyn.
"I see."
The purple-haired girl clenched her fist tightly.
######
"Here, you still haven't forgotten my demonstration of this, right?~"
Yu gave a small communicator to Ravyn, who was waiting for the AB elevator.
"Thank you."
She took the small in-ear device, put it on, and then got into the lift. But when Ravyn turned around, she saw that Yu was inside with her.
"It's embarrassing for me if you look at me like that~"
The spectacled girl spoke as her finger pressed the button to close the door without looking back.
"Why?"
Ravyn wondered why the senior, who was lecturing her on the importance of safety the other day, came with her.
"Working alone is boring.~ Aren’t there two possible target locations? You can leave another one to me.~"
The brown-haired glasses-wearer said what she thought, which made Ravyn a little worried about her. But she didn’t refuse Yu’s help.
"I’m going to the Themeise Hospital."
"Then I’ll go on to another point."
Yu ended their conversation and subsequently got off at the next station to take another AB elevator.
######
A purple-haired girl in a black suit cautiously walked around the hospital. She scanned the lobby for the man with long, unkempt hair and the man with an unusually large stature.
"What are you looking for?"
Ravyn felt a chill run through her spine when she heard a whispered sound from behind her. Turning around, she saw Drew’s massive, muscular physique. Ravyn’s legs responded by quickly spinning a kick towards the side abdomen of the opponent.
And of course, it could hardly do anything with that rugged body.
"What a sharp reflex you had. It seems like this time I’ve caught the little cat from that warehouse red-handed. "
Drew didn’t move in the slightest, but not for the liquid in the glass he was holding. It splashed but quickly evaporated before even hitting the ground, and for the part that hit the big man’s hand, it gave him frostbite on his skin.
"Drew Sturgess, you sabotaged the city three times, killing 67 lives and injuring over a hundred... All of that, including this time, why are you doing this?"
Ravyn asked, trying to buy some time as she looked at the remaining liquid in the glass that continued to evaporate. Another man’s absence was also in her calculation, assuming from their conversation not long ago.
…If it was just this guy, I might be able to extract the information about Donkey from him…
The purple-haired girl was confident that she could handle the monster-like figure in front of her.
"You don’t really think I’m going to answer that to any strangers, do you?"
Drew calmly replied, while what Ravyn was worried about had already happened. A trash can about ten feet away suddenly started to burst into flames. That gas is the igniter. Only the diluted amount being blown into the air could create such a raging flame. The girl, realizing something, immediately taps the communicator next to her ear to contact Charles.
…If the trash can contains the same clear liquid as the sample I picked up.. This is bad! The researchers are in danger!...
*ring*…*ring*…*Toot*
"What’s going on, Ravyn?"
"Do not let them have liquid samples come into contact with pnictogen gases!.."
As soon as the call was answered, she immediately told Charles as concisely as she could. But it was too late.
*Boom!!*
The first response sound from the other end of the line turned out to be a loud explosion that gave a ringing in the purple-haired girl’s ear.
"Damn it!" she cursed.
"You already know too much. But whatever, I have no intention of letting you get away this time."
Drew threw his log-sized legs at the exposed little cat that was looking for him.
*swoosh*
In which his target jumped back and narrowly avoided it.
*beep!* *beep!* …
The hospital fire alarm sounded as people chaotically fled and evacuated amid the mist of raining sprinklers. There was a young girl running to dodge the massive, muscular man’s consecutive attacks.
…The bin in the middle of the building must contain a clear liquid that reacts to the explosion... These sprinklers can barely extinguish this level of fire. At this rate, there are at most 2 minutes before things get out of hand. I've got only one chance…
As she moved, Ravyn had come up with a plan and decided to turn to face Drew.
"Done with your running already?"
The big guy asked, along with his fist launching at her. Using superior agility, the girl jumped onto Drew’s arm and ran over his head. Ravyn ran towards one of the walls of the hall while Drew leapt in close behind. The purple-haired girl who had her back against the wall slipped under between the legs of the one who had been chasing her in the right distance. When Drew turned around, he saw Ravyn’s floating knees darting towards his face.
*Smash!!*
The impact from the rushing attack pushed him against the wall hard enough that the cement cracked. Yet, his body was still unscathed.
"Nicely kneed!"
Without notice, the giant grabbed Ravyn’s ankle and threw her to the ground.
*Crash!*
Two of Ravyn’s ribs were instantly broken by the huge blow.
"Ugh!..."
…What a monstrous strength…
Despite being so choked up that she didn’t want to move, Ravyn had to shake him off before being hurled again. She gritted her teeth, slamming her heel with her other free leg into Drew’s fingernails where there was vulnerable skin underneath. He released the girl and shook his hand in pain. Ravyn didn’t waste any seconds, dashed forward to grab a trash can containing explosives and toss it at Drew.
"Kaboom!!"
The trigger substance that the rugged man carried in his body mixed up with the reactant, causing them to explode with a reverberating sound. Drew was thrown off the building by the force of the explosion. Ravyn, who was crouched against the reception counter, suffered a slight explosion wound.
…Fortunately, the main structure is outside the effective range, so the hospital hasn’t collapsed. They really intended to turn this place into dust. How cruel!…
The only girl left on that floor supported her wounded body out of cover and followed Drew down, jumping down the balcony floor by floor.
######
On the ground near the hospital building...
The sight in front of the girl made her realize the danger of the actual mission the Airburst had to face.
…Isn’t this too much?…
The severely damaged body, revealing the bones and muscles of the burly man, gradually had fibers and skin grow out of synchronization until his body was completely restored.
"You are in my way."
Drew expresses his displeasure to the person who ruined his plan.
"I have some important questions to ask you."
Ravyn raises her guard.
