Chaos Mate ~Revenge In This Chaotic Academy~

Chapter 46: The Smile

Two Years Ago

Two years ago, an American private participating in a certain operation wrote vividly in his diary about a moment he remembered clearly. I’ll translate part of it into Japanese and record it here.

It was a cloudy day. At a base slightly removed from the battlefield, we were in despair. Our unit was small, and the enemy terrorists outnumbered us overwhelmingly.

There was no chance of winning, no hope of rescue.

In that situation, hope was nowhere to be found.

Some drank from bottles of liquor stashed in their pockets, others laughed loudly, and some opened lockets around their necks, endlessly calling the names of their loved ones.

Most of us, including me, had accepted death. It was our fate, we thought, and gave up.

That’s when it happened.

A young East Asian woman, maybe in her teens, with long beige hair down to her waist, holding a Japanese sword, pushed through our allies and stood at the front.

I later learned she was known to the higher-ups, respected by my captain and even the commanding officer above him.

No, perhaps “feared” is the better word now.

I warned her, “Hey, kid, it’s dangerous! You’re not seriously charging in alone, are you? You’ll die!”

She turned to me and said, “I forgot something on the battlefield, so I’m just going to grab it. If those guys messed with it, I’ll wipe them out, so don’t worry, old man.”

Looking at her face, I instantly recalled a name.

She wore a black eyepatch over her right eye, and her visible eye was a vivid ruby red, just as the rumors said.

Ignoring my protests, she charged into the enemy horde, and watching her fight turned my suspicion into certainty.

She drew her sword from its sheath, its dull gleam flashing as she faced enemies armed with modern weapons—machine guns and handguns.

Dodging their bullets with leaps and twists, she landed, gripping her sword reverse-handed, and slashed the necks of three terrorists in one motion.

She didn’t stop there. Crouching, she cut the legs of most enemies around her, immobilizing them, then severed their gun-wielding arms, torsos, or necks with single strikes.

I’ll never forget that scene.

Maybe because of the cloudy weather, the red blood spraying upward as she cut down enemies seemed to fall to the ground—or onto her and them—in slow motion, her movements were so fast.

It was like red snow falling only where she stood.

In that red snow, I finally understood the meaning of the one-eyed woman’s alias as she performed her sword dance.

The One-Eyed Red Snow Princess, Ice Queen.

The ultimate assassin soldier, capable of slaying enemies with unmatched prowess on a battlefield where blood snow falls.

Entranced by her sword dance, I grabbed my assault rifle and ran into the fray.

Inspired by her, morale soared, and every soldier charged into battle.

And that battlefield ended in our victory.

Later, I asked the Red Snow Princess, “Find your lost item?”

She gave a faint smile and said, “Yeah, got it right here. My sister’s photo.”

She happily showed me a picture of a woman with navy-blue hair in a ponytail.

※

Madoka Side

Most of my classmates are enemies. With Mogami as my only ally, I’m recalling the past.

Come to think of it, two years ago, I faced overwhelming odds too. Back then, I had a weapon, so I managed. Now, I’ve got nothing.

The only thing to rely on is that railgun Mogami’s holding.

Hiding in the gym storage, we build a barricade. I lean against the wall, and Mogami rests against a vaulting box, catching our breath.

“Thanks for saving me. That was seriously close.”

“No need to thank me. More importantly, what now? We know Sumeragi’s the culprit, but her Ability Tool makes her too dangerous. If we don’t deal with her now, it’ll be trouble later.”

That Ability Tool thing again… Probably something important…

Noticing me staring at the railgun, Mogami speaks up.

“I haven’t told you about this, have I?”

“Yeah, I’ve got questions, but right now, I want to know what an Ability Tool is and how to counter it.”

“Ability Tools are powerful weapons used in the death games set up by the Scarlet Phantom. Back then, they were called secret weapons. They’re activated by attaching this black smartphone. The railgun I use was my dad’s.”

“That Kouta guy’s weapon, huh? Brainwashing or shooting electric bullets… It’s beyond imagination.”

“There are others—ones that fire shockwaves or rifles that hit targets beyond a scope’s range. But I only have two. One smartphone can only use one Ability Tool. …You’ve got your black smartphone, right?”

“Y-Yeah. Since meeting you, I’ve been carrying it around… but I don’t have an Ability Tool. Is it even useful?”

“It’s not about being useful. We’re going to make it useful now.”

Mogami pulls another smartphone from her pocket and makes a call.

Who’s she calling in a situation like this…?

“Hey, it’s me. …Yeah, looks like we finally need it. Where is it? …Got it, the chemistry prep room, right? Okay, tell that person thanks… Don’t worry, I’m not dying here. Thanks, Yanayatsu.”

Yana… Yatsu!?

Yanayatsu—the one who sent me those cryptic emails about the academy.

“Mogami! What’s with Yanayatsu!? How do you know them…?”

“No time to explain. I get you’re freaking out, but focus on surviving. You can do that, right?”

Her words snap me back, and I switch gears.

“…Yeah, sorry. But if we survive this without being brainwashed or killed, you better tell me everything.”

She nods silently, puts on her headphones, and uses her ability to sense who’s nearby.

Then, with a bitter expression, she looks at me.

“They’re moving together. They’ll be in the gym soon.”

“Seriously? Should we slip out now?”

“We should split up. I’ll draw their attention. Sumeragi’s real target is me.”

“Why you? I’m the guy, I should do it.”