Episode 20: “The Experiment of Madness”
The battle inside the gymnasium intensified.
In the midst of the fight, Konbaku created a clone, splitting Soma and the others into two groups.
Soma unleashed his orange Gōrin, and together with Touka, they were supposed to turn the tide.
But suddenly—
Konbaku released a white Gōrin, and both Soma and Touka lost consciousness.
It seemed like Konbaku had won.
――But at that moment, Touka began to transform into something no longer human.
And thus, the deadly clash between Touka and Konbaku began.
---
(I can’t read her ability yet… I’ll keep my distance and attack from afar.)
“Soul Barrage!”
A storm of spiritual bullets rained down toward Touka like a machine gun.
Touka ignored them and continued advancing.
Even as she was struck, her wounds began to close—like they were being stitched back together.
(Reverse-phase stitching…! But stay calm… there must be a drawback…!)
Yes—there should have been a drawback.
…Yet Touka showed none.
(No cost at all…!? Unlimited regeneration…!?)
Touka closed the distance and thrust her blade.
It pierced Konbaku’s right eye.
(Too fast…! I couldn’t stop it…!)
“But it doesn’t reach my soul, does it?”
――The next moment, Konbaku coughed, visibly shaken.
“…What is this…? Something is affecting me…? Poison that reaches even the soul…? Another natural enemy…!”
In this state, Touka’s poison could reach the soul.
Touka raised her blade to finish it.
But their weapons locked together.
“Oh? I’m starting to break it down little by little… sorry about that.”
Though slowly, Konbaku was adapting to the poison.
She countered with a strike.
“Gōrin…!”
White sparks burst as the attack hit Touka.
Touka was pushed back—but immediately charged again.
(She only knows how to attack head-on… this is simple to read…!)
In this state, Touka had lost her reason.
She simply destroyed whatever stood before her.
But her speed was overwhelming.
Her slash cut through Konbaku’s arm.
“…It’ll recover.”
But the regeneration was noticeably slower.
(It’s slower… that poison must be interfering… but if I take enough of it, I’ll adapt… I can overcome it…!)
Touka struck again—piercing her neck, then shoulder, then chest.
(A triple strike… impressive…!)
Then Konbaku laughed.
“This is fun…! Keep going…!”
The battle escalated further.
Touka kept attacking, endlessly repairing herself.
Konbaku continued regenerating.
An endless clash with no clear end.
――Yet Konbaku enjoyed every second.
---
Meanwhile, in a mental space, Touka wandered alone.
“Where… am I…? This is bad… I need to get out…!”
But there was nothing but darkness.
Then—
Memories flooded her mind.
Voices she couldn’t save.
Feelings she couldn’t protect.
Every time she healed, more memories poured in.
Her mind was being worn down.
All she wanted—
――was for it to stop.
“AAAAAH!”
At the same time, her transformed body roared in the real world.
“GRAAAAH!”
“Such a loud voice… I don’t dislike it.”
Konbaku prepared to escalate further—
――when suddenly, the gym doors burst open.
Standing there were Kei and Shikanosuke, covered in injuries.
“…We took it down…”
“Soma! Touka! We’re here!”
But when they saw Touka—
their expressions froze.
“...Touka… what happened to you…?”
Shikanosuke rushed forward—
but Kei stopped him cold.
“…What?”
“What are you doing!? We have to stop her!”
――And then, Kei remembered.
His lover’s final words.
Her voice, fading.
“…A purple armored warrior… like a scorpion… poison user…”
Everything matched.
The figure before him—
was the same.
“…I finally found you…”
His voice trembled.
“You killed her… I won’t forgive you!”
He charged.
“Kei!”
But it was too late.
His blade pierced Touka from behind—
yet her presence alone blew him away.
He crashed into the wall, coughing.
Touka approached him.
(Damn it… my revenge…!)
---
In that moment, Kei remembered his past.
His weakness.
His failures.
The words that told him he would never reach the top.
(I’ve trained for years… and still… this…?)
“AAAAAAH!”
He roared.
“Kei! Stop!”
But before Shikanosuke could act—
a voice spoke from behind.
“Don’t interrupt. This is getting interesting.”
In an instant—
Shikanosuke was struck down by something unseen.
Blue sparks burst.
He collapsed, stunned.
“…What just happened…?”
It was the man with glasses.
“Konbaku. Continue.”
“Got it.”
---
Touka raised her hand toward Kei.
But Konbaku stepped in.
“Wait. I’ll make this more interesting.”
A white Gōrin struck Touka and pushed her back.
“She won’t die from that. That’s fine.”
Then Konbaku reached toward Kei.
He grabbed her wrist weakly.
“…Don’t… I haven’t… finished…”
But she forced through.
“…Soul Alteration.”
She rewrote his soul.
――But instead of dying—
his wounds were completely healed.
Kei stared in shock.
“…What did you do…!?”
“Relax. I fixed you.”
Then she smiled.
“You want revenge, right?”
“…Then go ahead.”
Kei raised his blade.
“…I don’t care what your goal is.”
“I will have my revenge.”
---
Soma watched from the ground, barely conscious.
(Everyone… I can’t move…)
Once again—
he could only watch.
The boy who couldn’t fight.
――And now, the true “experiment” begins.
