RE:START! Second Chance in Assault Lily as a Girl

[Chapter 2: Just Why?]

Shijima's POV

Perched on a random tree branch, I surveyed the unfolding scene below. Three girls were engaged in a fierce battle against a grotesque mechanical monstrosity, a fusion of machinery and eldritch horror. Its bladed, extending legs and eerie, glowing blue lines that traced its flesh gave it an unsettling appearance.

'Why am I here again?'

I was just peacefully attending the venue earlier where the entrance ceremony was to be held when Izue-sama suddenly appeared before me. She had ordered me to shadow the three Lilies dispatched by the Garden to pursue a live subject that had managed to escape.

"Haahh, no use complaining about it." I let out a sigh, my eyes never leaving the chaotic scene below. The Huge unleashed a flurry of tentacles, aiming to impale one of the girls with alarming speed.

"Well, thanks for giving me the chance to enter the fray, Huge-san," I thought with a sly grin. With the cover of a smokescreen that the Huge dropped, I had the perfect opportunity to eliminate it without any witnesses.

"Allow me to reward you for your wonderful cooperation~" I whispered as I rose to my feet on the tree branch. I propelled myself towards the airborne Huge, using the tree's structure to reach it quickly. Once I was within striking range, I drew Eisdrachen from its sheath and unleashed one of my subskills, "Magie Burst."

Swinging my blade in a horizontal arc, I sent forth a brilliant blue sword wave that effortlessly cleaved the mechanized beast in two. Mid-air, I sheathed my CHARM once more, executed a swift rotation, and delivered a precise kick to the Huge's dismembered body to propel myself back to the ground. I landed with agility and immediately retreated, taking cover behind one of the towering trees.

Suddenly, a resounding thud reverberated across the area, dispelling the smokescreen that had concealed the battlefield. I cautiously peeked over the tree trunk and beheld the Huge's bisected corpse, resting within a deep crater, its eerie blue blood oozing from its severed flesh. Nearby, the three girls stood still, their faces reflecting a mix of shock and disbelief.

"Welp... mission clear, I guess?" I chuckled awkwardly as I surveyed the aftermath. With my phone retrieved from my skirt's pouch, I dialed Shinobu-sama's number, and within moments, she answered the call.

"[Did you already finish the mission, Shijima?]" Her voice, that of the renowned dualist, echoed through the phone.

"Yes, Shirai-senpai, and the other two Lilies are currently overseeing the Huge's remains," I replied, my gaze fixed on the serene blue sky above. Birds glided gracefully through the peaceful heavens, unburdened by thick clouds or the menace of the Huges.

'Oh, to be a carefree bird,' I couldn't help but wish silently.

[Ha...Let me guess, you killed it without showing yourself to them right?] I let out a startled gasp as she figured out what I did without problems.

"Gah! How did you know-" My words were cut by her immediate reply.

[You've already done it for more than ten times, what makes you think I wouldn't know?] She said with a hint of exasperation.

"I-I have no words for it." I sweatdropped as the memories of the time I did it flashes right before my eyes.

[*sigh* You can return now, I'm gonna send someone to pick-up the three.]

"U-understood." I abruptly ended the call and let out an exhausted sigh. Suddenly the ground quaked intensely for a moment which caused me to almost fall to the ground thankfully I managed to hug the tree. I looked towards the three and saw them standing near a rocky terrain with numerous small entrances on it and large pieces of rock descending from it.