Unlimited Ambition

"I'm not interested in that woman who's past her loli expiration date and has no breasts or butt." I snorted and then snapped my fingers. The thug flew a long way and crashed into a trash can by the wall, never to climb out again.

"Damn ability user! Everyone, attack me!" one of the thugs cursed, then pulled out a steel pipe from his waist and swung it at me.

This guy... has neither magical power nor any so-called superpowers, and he hasn't even undergone ordinary training. Does he really want to die?

Thinking of this, I lost interest in drawing my sword. I rolled my eyes and shoved one down, taking them down in the blink of an eye.

"Okay, this female... um, female student?" I finally managed to come up with a word. Then I asked, "Actually, I'm a little lost. Could you please take me out of this place and find a supermarket—I mean, the kind where I can buy iron pots, stoves, seasonings, and meat—"

My words were interrupted by an extremely powerful bolt of lightning. Luckily, at the last moment, I cast a protective spell on myself, which prevented me from being injured.

"Who are you calling someone who's past their expiration date and still has no breasts or butt?!" The female student went berserk, screaming as if electric currents were coursing through her body.

Huh? Is this really what she cares about? I couldn't help but roll my eyes again. Women are such a hassle; they say they don't care, but they're actually incredibly concerned about their figures. Such hypocritical creatures.

I muttered to myself as I easily dodged the bolts of lightning. Seeing that the girl showed no sign of stopping, I grew a little tired of it too.

To be honest, my original intention was just to make a pot of braised pork, which would then lead to Index being captured. Why did such a simple task turn into so much trouble?! Did I catch Kamijou's bad luck from him?

No, no, I am the glorious angel under God's throne, the heir apparent of the earthly kingdom of heaven, the great and invincible His Majesty Baldwin XIII. Lord Jehovah will protect me no matter what.

Hmm... so much luck with women? I observed the girl opposite me again. She seemed a little unhappy that I had so easily dodged her attack in the narrow alley. She was pouting and staring at me with wide eyes.

It doesn't seem like she's having a stroke of good luck in love. What kind of female lead is this unattractive?

Come to think of it, this seems to be the first time I've ever witnessed something like superpowers. It's really nothing special. Those scientists are such big talkers, claiming to hear the will of heaven as non-gods. They bragged so loudly, but when I actually saw it, I realized it was all such garbage.

The girl opposite me seemed to have overheard my inner monologue. She glared at me and immediately stopped throwing lightning.

What, you're not going to fight anymore? It's good that you're not fighting anymore, anyway, there's no point in continuing.

Just as I was about to speak, I noticed that the female classmate reached into her breast pocket and took out a coin.

What is this for?

I looked at her with considerable confusion.

Immediately afterwards, a "railgun" shot towards me.

"Holy crap, looks like you really can't just say things carelessly," I cursed inwardly. But the coin crackling with electric current didn't give me time to think. Gritting my teeth, I unleashed the strongest defensive technique I knew so far, "Heaven's Sanctuary."

A divine light enveloped my entire body. Powerful light magic shielded me from the enemy's attacks. It even formed pure white wings made of magic, covering my face.

The Railgun has been declared a failure.

"What?!" The girl seemed quite surprised to see her ultimate move fail. I seized the opportunity, using the same shrinking-the-ground technique to instantly appear beside her. My sword sheath rose high.

The girl had just witnessed the power of my sword sheath. The pile of half-dead thugs lying on the ground was proof enough. Just as I raised my sword to strike her, the girl let out a cute "woof woof," then crouched down, clutching her head. If you looked closely, you could even see tears in the corners of her eyes.

...This...it looks like I'm the one bullying her. I rolled my eyes. I raised the scabbard high and gently lowered it. I lightly patted the girl's head. Then, feeling rather bored, I sheathed the sword, hung it at my waist, and turned to leave.

"Wait!" the girl shouted behind me. Her voice, trembling with tears, made her sound like a wronged woman who had been abandoned.

“Hey classmate,” I turned around, scratching my head in confusion, “I was just saying it offhand, could you just take it with a grain of salt? Besides, I’ve helped you out of a predicament—even if you’re capable and don’t need my help, I’ve been standing there getting beaten up by you for almost half an hour. You should be calmed down by now.”

The girl's expression softened considerably after hearing that what I said made sense. But she immediately added, "That's not what I'm concerned about right now."

"You don't mind? That's good. It's better to resolve conflicts than to let them fester. I have other things to do, see you later—" I said before turning to leave.

"Wait!" the girl called out to me for the second time.

"What is it?" I was getting impatient, and my tone became somewhat unfriendly.

"Just now... um... because I was afraid you'd get hurt, I didn't use my full strength—yes, it was because I was afraid you'd get hurt." The girl raised her not-so-large chest and said this to me.

"Really?" I looked at her with disbelief and continued, "That last coin toss move, I don't know what it's called... but it should be able to penetrate the frontal armor of the latest tank, right? Are you sure you held back?"

Hearing me say that, the girl's face turned bright red, and she immediately shouted, "Who told you to keep dodging and hiding, instead of letting me chop you down?!"

Hearing her say that, I got a little angry too, and yelled back at her in a voice no less loud than hers: "If I saw lightning striking me, why wouldn't I dodge? I'm not stupid! Not retaliating is already being very kind, okay?!"

Immediately afterwards, the girl let out a "woof woof" sound like a bullied little animal, and then said, "Whatever! Anyway, you won this round by cheating! I didn't lose to you!"

"Whatever," I rolled my eyes and started to walk away, thinking to myself, "There are really a lot of weirdos in Academy City."

"Hey! Wait!" the girl continued to shout from behind.

Come on, the first and second time I paid attention to you was because I didn't know the situation. If I pay attention to you again this time, I'll be stupid.

With that thought in mind, I continued to move forward without hesitation.

When the girl saw that I didn't intend to stop, she stood up and ran behind me.

The girl followed me closely, saying as we walked, "Of course, I'm a generous person. If you beg me, I can give you another chance to challenge me."

"Sorry, not interested," I replied curtly.

In her haste, the girl blurted out the truth: "How can that be! You defeated me once and now you want to run away without giving me a chance for revenge?! There's no such thing as a free lunch!"

I stopped immediately and looked at her with a smile in my eyes.

The girl, visibly embarrassed by my gaze, blushed deeply. "Anyway, this doesn't count! Let's play again! Tonight! You have to come!" she cried. After saying this, she seemed afraid I'd refuse, and quickly ran off, only to stop halfway and turn back, shouting, "You have to come!!!"

After the girl's figure gradually disappeared into the distance, I gave her the middle finger in the direction she disappeared: "She didn't even say where she was going, who's going back? You're crazy." Then I walked away in the opposite direction.

Chapter Ten: The Car Thief and the Madwoman

As a result, after the flat-chested, flat-bottomed classmate ran away, it took me about an hour to get out of the alley. It was completely dark by then.

The weather was still a bit chilly in early spring. Although Academy City seemed to have an advanced temperature control system, a slight breeze still gave me goosebumps. I huddled up and pulled my cloak tighter, and then I felt a little hungry.

Fortunately, there was a crepe shop by the roadside. I went in and ordered something to fill my stomach.

It was pitch black outside, with only a few lights shining from under the streetlights. I chewed on a tasteless pastry. Suddenly, it occurred to me…

Index, are you hungry?

Index, who was wandering aimlessly in the deserted park, sneezed, then felt a sudden lightness and collapsed: "I'm so hungry and so cold. I'm really going to die like this... Someone save me!"

※※※

After finishing my crepe, I examined the so-called "limited edition Gekota phone charm" in my hand, feeling conflicted. What is this thing? Do people in Academy City all have such poor taste?

And the sales clerk next to me kept babbling on and on: "The limited-edition giveaway was supposed to start tomorrow, but it's already midnight. It's practically the second day now. That's why we're giving it to you." As if I'd gotten some huge bargain. What a jerk!

I rolled my eyes, and then, right in front of the shop assistant, I threw that idiotic phone charm into the trash can. After that, the shop assistant kicked me out.

I wandered aimlessly through the streets. I'd just asked someone at random, and they said Academy City isn't open to the public, so there are no hotels. This made me groan again. I should have listened to Kanzaki and brought her along. At least I'd have a lap pillow…

Forget it, I'll just find somewhere to spend the night.

So I wandered around aimlessly for a while longer, watching the moon begin to set; it was already late at night. I still hadn't found a place to sleep.

After yawning a few times, I was just about to make do with the night on a roadside bench—when I spotted a small vehicle, seemingly for disabled people, parked by the riverbank. It was empty and locked. But that was no problem for me. I snapped my fingers and cast the spell "Hermes' Hand."

Immediately, the electronic lock recognized the thief as its father and clicked open. Hmm, who says science and magic are incompatible? See, this is quite useful!

I opened the car door, humming a little tune: "Back in the day, I was a prince of the Holy Land, a glorious angel—sleeping in golden quilts; wearing silk robes; eating dragon liver and phoenix marrow, drinking the finest nectar—who would have thought, so abruptly, who would have thought that today, for a little nun, Index, I'd have to leave my homeland!"

Then comes the second verse: "Leaving home, taking a ship, coming to Japan, entering the academy, I never expected that little brat Astray, taking advantage of my youth, would deceive me with sweet words, blah blah blah~ No hotel, no cotton, nowhere to go, I'm freezing—I had no choice but to unlock the car door, please forgive me~ If you want to find someone to yell at, there's a crazy woman over there who said she'd meet but wouldn't say where—go get her, I'll fry, stir-fry, and cook her without complaint~"

A short tune from Tokyo drum ballad was sung in Latin. It was a perfect blend of East and West, full of charm. Only then did I open the car door, ready to get in and take a nap.

Then a somewhat unfamiliar voice shouted, "You damn thief! You're the crazy one!!"

Huh? I stole the car—I mean, I checked before I asked for lodging, and there was no one around.

After that, I looked in the direction of the sound and saw it was that crazy woman from dusk. She must have been lying in the grass on the riverbank, which was why I hadn't seen her. Tch, getting involved with this woman never ends well. I rolled my eyes and slammed the car door shut. Then, whistling, I walked back down the street.

At this moment, the girl I remembered as mentally ill was both angry and anxious. Originally, after we parted at dusk, she had only taken a few steps when she suddenly remembered—she hadn't told me where we were.

If I don't tell that person the location—that person can't find it—it doesn't prove I'm better than him—instead, I'll be called an idiot—no, I have to go back and find him!

After completing this thought process, the girl immediately ran back, but by then I was already far away, still wandering around the alleyways. And let me tell you, the alleyways of Academy City are like a maze. Even though the girl was a local, she couldn't find me after wandering around for a while.

Hehehehehe.

The girl was immediately conflicted. Naturally strong-willed, she was extremely bothered by the thought of being easily defeated by me. Even though she knew it was highly unlikely, she still came to this riverbank, the place she had already designated as the duel location.

The girl sat down right there. Braving the biting wind, the pitch-black night, and the danger of being discovered by the terrifying dorm supervisor, she waited for the man who was almost impossible to come. She felt like the biggest fool in the world. She almost cried again.

And so, the girl, a mix of strength and idiocy, muttered complaints about the man's lateness, clinging to the hope that things might turn out alright, and eventually fell asleep...

Because she had something on her mind and her sleeping environment was really bad, the girl was a light sleeper—and was immediately awakened by a strange little tune. The girl opened her eyes and saw—it was him?! Heavens, you really have eyes! The girl immediately burst into tears.

Before the girl could even finish being moved—I'd already sung the last line, "I'd have no complaints about frying, stir-frying, cooking, and braising." The girl wasn't some bad student like Touma Kamijou. She was quite fluent in Latin. Although my melody was rather strange, the girl still understood it.

That bastard… he actually called me a crazy woman?! This is outrageous! The girl was furious. She quickly scrambled to her feet, ignoring the dust and dirt on her clothes, and pointed at me, yelling.

When she shouted that, I thought to myself, "What bad luck!" Then I slammed the car door shut, pretended nothing had happened, and drove off whistling.

"Damn it! At least look at me! I've been waiting for you here all night!!!" The girl panicked and pulled out a coin without thinking, thinking: "You're ruthless, so I'll be ruthless too. I'll smash you to death with this one coin!"

Damn! This girl changes her mind faster than flipping through a book. I cursed under my breath, turned around, and cast another defensive spell, "Heavenly Sanctuary." White wings of light flashed again; thankfully, I didn't become the first person in the world to be killed by money.

"What are you doing, you crazy woman?!" I snapped, pointing at her and yelling.

"You're the crazy one! Your dad's crazy! Your mom's crazy! Your siblings' crazy! Your whole family's crazy!!!" the girl shouted hoarsely.

Damn it! This damn woman needs to be taught a lesson!! I was furious too. I drew my sword—and then sheathed it. Forget it, this place is hostile, not friendly; let's kill as few people as possible.

The girl saw my sword at a glance—she ignored me when I sheathed it.

"You have a sword, and so do I!" the girl shouted. Immediately, electromagnetic force extended into the ground, and two black, tentacle-like objects, which upon closer inspection appeared to be composed of iron ore sand, were summoned.

"Are you a magical girl?" I asked.

“I am a superpowered person!” the girl replied.

I nodded, not delving further into this rather taboo question. Immediately after, I unleashed a Flash of Light, External Style: Dragon Slayer Technique. It severed both tentacles—but to no avail.

"Hahaha, you idiot! My Sand Iron Sword is controlled by electromagnetic force! Even if you cut it in half, it will quickly close up again. Don't waste your energy!!"

...What kind of people are these? Who would be distracted during a fight and tell others about their moves?

I rolled my eyes.

Can't we cut it off? Then let's try again.

Heavenly Flame-Shaped Sword!

Soon, the Heaven-Slaying Sword burst into flames, enveloped in a heavenly fire that, though devoid of heat, could incinerate everything in the world. It was still the same move: Instant Flash - External Style - Dragon Slayer Technique.

"It's useless! No matter how many times you try—uh…" The girl's arrogant voice abruptly stopped. As the Heavenly Flame poured down, this swing melted the two tentacles into molten iron.

Before the molten iron even hit the ground, and while the girl was still in surprise—he unleashed the Heavenly Flame Sword, shrunk the earth to an inch, and unleashed the Dragon Fang Strike! The Heaven-Slaying Sword was already at the girl's neck.