Volume 4 -A Chapter 7 (2/2)
”Even movement on a microscopic scale requires some slight time. Using that theory, units of distance can be divided nearly infinitely, right? In other words, motion takes a nearly infinite amount of time.”
”He dodged using that paradox?”
”Of course he did! He's from the Zenon City! …You're from Tokyo, aren't you!?” shouted Saki. ”You're Tokyo Chancellor Nakamura Hisahide, aren't you!?”
”Correct.”
The enemy, Nakamura Hisahide, reached the bottom of the stairs as he spoke that word.
His gaze was three sizes lower than Saki's and one higher than Shoui's.
He pulled his hands from his pockets and let them dangle at his sides.
He gently raised his right hand and looked at the silver ring on his middle finger.
”Of course, the theory I'm using isn't quite that well put together. It's just the persuasion I need to activate my power. It's something like what they call an Override in England.”
With that, his right toes spun like a top on the floor and his left leg raced out in a straight line.
—Saki - Boxing/Dodge Tech - Multi-Take - Guard - Hit!
But for some reason, Hisahide's toes stabbed into Saki's side before he could guard.
”Saki-san!”
By the time Shoui shouted his name, Saki's feet had already left the floor.
7:59 PM
Shoui caught Saki's airborne body.
”Are you okay!?”
”He was probably knocked out. I heard something cracking inside him,” lightly commented Hisahide as he pulled his leg back with a compact motion. ”I just hope it wasn't a bone.”
”How irresponsible can you be?”
Shoui supported the taller boy with his shoulder.
In that moment, he heard a quiet voice.
”Hisaka.”
It was Saki's voice. He was using a Tech to speak remotely.
”Don't move. He'll notice. He's probably feeling pretty full of himself even though he only broke a spare spear.”
Saki's hand tapped Shoui on the back.
”I know this is selfish, but buy me some time so I can escape.”
”That was enough for me to know I can't win this. I'll run to the nearest guard station and get the security system back up and running.”
He took a breath.
”The cameras will at least capture him and the automatic defenses might even blow him away.”
As he listened to Saki, Shoui glanced over at Hisahide.
—Shoui - Mind/Sight Tech - Multi-Take - a.n.a.lyze Mind - Hit!
…Doesn't look like he's noticed. So what should I do!?
The enemy gave him the answer he needed.
Hisahide took a step forward.
Shoui fled on reflex. As Hisahide charged in from straight ahead, he escaped to the side.
He ran into the dorm room to his right.
”You're running!?”
Hisahide's shout was cut off by the sound of the slamming door.
Shoui locked the door behind him and shoved Saki toward the window.
Saki looked back for just a moment.
”Hizaka!?”
”Get going!”
Saki did not reply or ask anything more.
His nod was all the answer he needed.
His tall form left the window and vanished into the darkness.
Shoui remained in the silent s.p.a.ce.
He started breathing a sigh of relief at the fact that his split-second decision had worked and at the sudden change of scenery.
But then he slapped his cheeks.
The distinct sound woke him up, so he placed one foot out front and stood in front of the door.
…How is he going to come in?
The enemy had no weapon, but he had the kicking technique that had sent Saki flying, a strange evasive method, and absolute confidence.
That thought brought unease to Shoui's heart, but…
”I'm going to protect Yuuki, aren't I?”
So he had to ask this boy who had come to attack Kansai whether he was prepared to defeat Koto Chancellor Yuuki Yuuki.
”…”
He lowered his hips and held his right arm at waist height. His target was the wooden door.
Nakamura Hisahide had to be on the other side.
In the instant the boy started to open the door, Shoui would blow the door away to catch him off guard.
He would need to time this perfectly. He could not surprise his opponent without attacking just before the door opened.
Shoui thought about that opponent.
…Because I don't have Words of my own, I can sense my opponent's will, huh?
”Old Lady Senga used to say that all the time.”
He closed his eyes, read his opponent's presence, and then predicted that opponent's actions.
…Twenty-two seconds have pa.s.sed since I shut this door.
That was a long time and his opponent had been waiting silently the entire time.
Shoui thought about how long he needed to hide here.
And…
He opened his eyes and he began to move.
—Shoui - Boxing/Gym/Savate Tech - Multi-Take - Destroy Object - Hit!
A Rhythm would give away his presence, so he did not use one.
He simply stepped straight forward.
It was a quick movement.
He simultaneously stomped his foot and thrust out the heel of his right palm.
The sound of the stomp reverberated around him.
A blow struck the center of the wooden door.
The door bent as the sound of impact rang out.
In that instant, he mentally pictured what he needed to do next.
Whether Hisahide had dodged or was caught in the destruction of the door, Shoui would grab the collar of his mountain hoodie.
Once he grabbed it, the boy could no longer dodge.
His thoughts arrived there in an instant.
In a span of time so small it went out several digits past the decimal point, a strange recoil reached Shoui's hand.
The bending of the wood vanished.
…He pushed it back!?
His thought was cut off by a sound much like a crack of thunder.
The door had been split apart.
Instead of flying outward or breaking inward, the wooden door split in two and flew to either side.
As Shoui wondered what had happened, something touched the heel his outstretched right hand's palm.
It was a slightly heated flat surface that felt both hard and springy.
It was the sole of a shoe.
”Wha-…!?”
Nakamura Hisahide stood before him after throwing a forward kick.
The sole of his raised right foot was in the exact same position as the heel of Shoui's palm.
They had apparently both been thinking the exact same thing.
”Interesting,” said Hisahide as he lowered his leg. ”Your fist can negate my kick through a door, can it?”
Their gazes clashed with a slight height difference.
Shoui's plans for the fight fragilely crumbled in his mind.
8:02 PM
Hisahide moved swiftly after stepping inside the room.
First, he sent a right kick toward Shoui's gut.
—Shoui -Dodge Tech - Take - Dodge - Hit!
But he could not dodge it.
The blow audibly hit his solar plexus and brought him to the limits of his endurance.
His knees unexpectedly gave out.
As he tilted forward and nearly fell over, Nakamura's kicking leg came into view.
The foot wore basketball shoes, but it was the opposite foot from the one that had kicked Shoui in the gut.
…Just how fast can he kick!?
Before he could feel any surprise, Hisahide's toes slammed into Shoui's face from below.
Shoui no longer felt any pain. A strange floating sensation ruled his mind.
Hisahide was not done attacking.
After swinging his left leg straight up, he swung it straight back down.
And that dropped his heel onto Shoui's collapsing head.
”This might just cause the first death!”
Shoui's foggy mind was more focused on his enemy's raised leg than his shout. That leg brought on an odd sense of déjà vu.
His forehead started aching.
It was a heated pain as if from a slash.
…What!?
With a great weight, the pain returned to his forehead.
The pain somewhat brought him back to his senses, so he desperately tried to avoid the danger.
—Shoui -Dodge Tech - Take - Dodge - Hit!
But that technique did not work on Hisahide.
The boy swung down his leg and Shoui realized where the sense of déjà vu came from.
”Two years ago…”
On the night Yuuki had killed someone, he had received a similar attack and lost consciousness.
That nightmare was repeating itself.
He could not avoid it.
The powerful kick knocked Shoui to the floor.
The pain of the blow was joined by the sensation of blood spraying from his forehead.
Instead of a scream, a thought raced through his mind.
…Am I going to lose and accomplish nothing yet again?
He could not even check to see whether Yuuki was in danger or not.
The word ”powerless” came to mind as he lost consciousness.
He heard sirens, but they were so distant that he thought he was imagining them.
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