Chapter 21: The Twins' Debut

How's the stream going?

With that thought in mind, I quickly checked my smartphone from my pocket.

[I see my brother over there tf?]

[WEEEE FLYYY~~~~~~]

[Yo missed the stream cus work can some1 fill me in pls]

[^^ Missed epic fight scene L]

[^^ Check clips]

[^^ *link* there ya go]

[JUST GOT BACK WTF CAMERAMAN CAN FLY!?!??!?]

[@Truthseeker09 Ugh why you stalling just get on with the fight already]

[^^ Hey don't rush Mr Truth!]

[^^ Yeh if all the action just happened in five mins then it'd get boring quick lol]

[ - - You have received a donation of $5! - - ]

[ - - Yo big T can you press the detonator sometime soon thx thx loving the stream so far tho - - ]

[❌Killing bad❌Don't press it❌Killing bad❌Don't press it]

[Where can I buy floating camera]

[^^ It's a drone moron]

[Dono is paying money to see people die what a psycho]

[^^ you are here watching ppl die too idiot]

[^^ Classic hypocritical viewer]

Hmm, they seem to be doing fine.

Set off the explosives, though, eh...? There's a time and a place for everything, chatter, and my performance is top-tier. Learn some patience.

In any case...

"Are you sure you don't want to give up? Avon Laura. Surely, you do realise what situation you're in right now, don't you?"

Her face hardened as she glanced between me and the twins on either side, and then again at the audience around her.

To concede and leave, saving the lives you can, hanging by a thread?

To continue resisting me, not giving up on the mission assigned to you?

"What will it be?"

I'm awaiting your decision, Avon Laura.

"...You... How could you..."

She may be able to see the future, but even an ability like that wasn't enough to oppose me―

"What is currently at stake―I'm sure you are more aware than anyone else."

―She is going to grit her teeth and stay faithful to her mission to capture me, ruefully sacrificing who knows how many innocent lives in the process.

"You can think as hard as you want, look at the future all that you want, but in the end..."

Right?

"Your decision at this moment has always been the same."

And so...

「Yes. Avon Laura cannot abandon her mission」

――Without any warning, she lunged in my direction, landing but a few metres away from me in a single step.

Shiing~!

Thrusting her white longsword towards me with a sudden drive of her arm, its razor-sharp edge grazed my cheek.

"If you continue to run your mouth, you'll regret it," She spat with a glare.

...Pesky.

She thought about every possible future where she would jump at me until she found one where she happened to avoid stepping on a mine. Just like that, she gradually figured out the locations of all the mines in the arena around me.

Tsk.

There was no time for me to mock her or playfully mess around in this situation, as her skill with the blade was not something to take lightly.

―She wasn't going to let me take any breaks, either.

Ignoring the stinging pain and trail of blood on my face, I pushed myself backwards and rolled to the floor, narrowly avoiding a second strike.

"Girls!" With a quick shout, I made as much distance between the two of us as possible. Answering my call, the twins threw the camera into the air, making it float with telekinesis, and stood in between me and her.

"...Move."

"Ah, ah, ah! Sona, Sana, I'll grant any one of your wishes if you do well here!"

I was confident the twins wouldn't dare to revolt or refuse to obey my commands anyway, but when faced with death, you can never know how or when a person may behave unexpectedly. Thus, I provided them with a promise of additional rewards.

"...You monster, using children as your shield. How deplorably expected of you."

Oh, but can you honestly tell me there is a difference between using a child and an adult as a meat shield? Without bringing nonsense like morals and ethics into it, I know you can't.

If anything, a child is just a superior meat shield if compared to an adult, right?

Faced by the twins, Avon Laura lowered her sword slightly.

"...I do not wish to harm children, especially those who are victims. Moreover, there is no reason for why I should have to. However, if you continue to stand on the opposing side―that person's side―then I will have no choice but to brand the both of you as enemies as well."

How laughable.

Something like that wouldn't convince them to stand down.

The twins have been through hell itself; being told all their lives that no one will come to save them, that the rest of their lives will be untold misery, and that the entire world sees them as abominations.

―Do you truly think they would consider standing against the person who rescued them from all of that?

The one who, ignoring everyone else, focused on them and them only.

The twins, who have never experienced the thing called affection in their lives, rely on me above all else.

You think they care about being seen as enemies by the likes of you?

Avon Laura, you are naïve.

"Sona. Sana. Show her-- no, show the world what you are capable of."

As soon as I said that, I felt the temperature of the arena's atmosphere begin to steadily rise. At the same time, Sana backed up to the rear.

Meanwhile, Sona stepped forth, and in the next moment, could be seen with a glistening sheen veiling her body from head-to-toe. She took a fighting stance.

"...You've made your choice, I see."

Despite what I was saying about taking the spotlight, today was not the day for me to shine.

"It is lamentable, but you will soon come to see just what it means to stand on the same side as that monster behind you."

―This was the day of the twins' official debut.

One second of waiting passed before Avon Laura disappeared from where she stood.

"This is a result of your foolish decision, but I will remember your deaths as being those of the victims' in this situation."

Reappearing feet before Sona's nose, her sword moved in a flash.

Before anyone could even know it...

"...I am sorry."

The blade's unforgiving edge connected with Sona's neck.