The Devil Is a Part-Timer!, Vol. 2 by Satoshi Wagahara Page B

don’t know if you’re human or a demon or whatever, but why are you attacking me in public like this?!”
    Emi began by giving her attacker her honest opinion.
    “I don’t care about myself, but if you’re going to hurt the people of Japan, don’t expect any mercy from me!”
    Bringing Better Half level with her body, she kept it high as she leaped off the roof.
    “Rrnnnngh!”
    The fall was driven by more than just momentum. It was an all-out bullrush toward her foe, powered by the maximum amount of force the Cloth covering her legs allowed.
    But her assailant remained still, scythe at the ready, before swiping it downward in a grand arc.
    Emi had predicted the move; her sword was deflected, but she used the momentum to twist her body around and unleash a rear kick with her left foot.
    The Cloth-powered kick, stabbing with Emi’s full strength, rammed into her opponent’s left shoulder.
    Even though she had this foe off guard, simply flailing away wouldn’t end the battle. Aiming for a KO, Emi prepared to rush at the dazed burglar, targeting the solar plexus.
    Then, at just that moment, the scythe-wielder released a flash of light from beneath the ski mask.
    The purple, beamlike flash would have seemed like a terrible ’80s direct-to-video special effect to the casual observer, but Emi, feeling a cold rush down her spine, cut through the blast with her sword.
    Something within Emi said that under absolutely no circumstances should she let that beam touch her.
    But what happened next was far beyond anything Emi could imagine.
    “Huh…?!”
    The holy sword was robbed of its light.
    Better Half, the sword that resonated with the holy force inside of Emi, began to flicker like an almost-spent lightbulb, shrinking down to the size of a long dagger.
    Emi brought the sword back, trying to return it to its original “phase one” size, but the scythe-wielder continued with the barrage of purple light, all too ready to overwhelm her.
    “Wh-what the hell
is
this?!”
    The blasts were not that rapid in succession, but Emi had never heard of a force powerful enough to literally shrink her holy sword. She was at a loss to imagine what a direct hit would do to her body, but she was no longer able to brush the attacks off with her sword. In a moment, the tables had turned.
    Emi found herself in a panic at this unexpected attacker, someone who she surmised must have been an assassin from Ente Isla. But the battle against this light-emitting, scythe-slashing maniac ended in equally unexpected fashion.
    “Ngh!”
    Suddenly, the scythe-wielder groaned as the barrage of purple light ceased.
    Surprised, Emi looked over to find that the assailant’s drab-colored ski mask had transformed into a fluorescent orange, right down to the eyes themselves.
    “No!”
    Now it was a round, orange blast of…something that crossed Emi’s line of view, accompanied by a male voice.
    The ball struck the scythe-wielder on the shoulder, spreading bright orange across most of the assailant’s Windbreaker.
    Emi flashed a quizzical look back at the convenience store.
    There stood the clerk in his full glory, now outside of his shop and throwing antitheft paintballs at the assailant.
    Emi’s assailant was unflinchingly on the offensive during this entire battle, but now was lying on the ground in agony, face covered by a hand. Some of the paint must have seeped through the ski mask.
    “Hey…”
    This show of brute courage threw Emi. Having pride in one’s work duties is fine and all, but those paintballs were meant to help pursuefleeing criminals. Apart from the special scent agents they were laced with, they couldn’t have packed that powerful a punch.
    If the scythe-wielder decided to lash out against this new attacker, Emi had little means to stop the attack. Emi turned toward her assailant—
    “Huh…?”
    —only to find her powerful opponent fleeing, back turned, stumbling wildly back and forth across the street.
    “…Uhhhh.” Emi