You Can Be a Hero Too

Chapter 21: Traitors

[Previously]

"HURRY UP!"

"I have the probability of being deaf for the rest of this match!"

[Spirit Realm Arc] Traitors

The assault subsided. They'd hidden behind some rocks. "If this continues, our eardrums will be shot," Jiro predicted. Jiro looked toward Kyo and the girl seemed to be spaced out.

"Hey...Hizuru-san?" She clapped her hands. 'Oh no! Did she go deaf!?'

'It worked!' Kyo thought.

She then raced toward Present Mic, taking out one of her feathers as a blade. Present Mic yelled at her and it fell on deaf ears. She swiftly flipped over him and hit him over the back of the head. 

"Team Jiro and Hizuru have passed!" the voice announced.

Later...

"Team Hagakure and Shoji, practical exam," said the voice. "Ready, go!"

Toru followed the taller boy between two lines of columns as they crossed their arena. Shoji was sending out arms with eyes and ears to look for Snipe behind corners of columns and walls. 

"Watch it!" exclaimed the masked boy. "He's..."

Toru shrieked and jumped back as a bullet struck the concrete column, generating loud sparks. Three more came soon after, vicious and unrelenting. 

POW POW POW POW!

"I'm going to attempt to make a rush for him," Shoji murmured, peering over the corner, then shrinking back as another round struck. "You run for the gate when I tackle him."

"No, Shoji-kun," Toru insisted. "He's going to shoot you a lot. It'll be a waste of time."

"I can build a forward shield out of my arms and sacrifice part of them. They will regrow."

"Snipe-sensei is aware of this! He's going to shoot for your legs or something! I..." Another round was fired into the pillar, causing them both to come to a halt and shield themselves for a brief while. 

"Come out," Snipe said quietly, his voice sweeping over them.

Toru took a deep breath and relaxed. Her heart was beating nonstop. "Shoji, pay attention. I should go ahead and tackle him."

"What? But he's taller than you, and..." Shoji turned around to see her removing her gloves and boots. "...Oh. That is your strategy. Alright. Give it your all."

Toru lifted her brows, which he couldn't see. "You don't have any problems?"

"I believe you, Hagakure-san. Attempting to coddle my students is not something I want to do."

Toru felt heat creep up her face. That was one of the good things about being invisible; it was easy to hide when you were embarrassed. "Well, alright then. Here I go."

She raced out the side of the pillar and into the clearing. Snipe continued to fire rounds in the direction of Shoji. He was obviously visible, standing between them and the exit gate.

Toru inhaled deeply. Fighting in her underwear was something she'd become accustomed to, but this was by far the most daring thing she'd done.

She dashed at Snipe, her bare feet beating too loudly against the concrete floor.

"I can hear you," he half-whispered and abruptly turned his rifle at her.

Toru screamed and crouched low, slipping to the floor and wincing as her flesh made touch with the ground. A bullet flew past her, wide and unfocused. He didn't know where she was, which was a good thing.