[Shouldering Darkness]
The mask broke and I covered the exposed part of my face with my right hand, but it was too late.
Rin is standing in my view.
“Kaza…to?”
I couldn’t answer the words she barely squeezed out.
I just thought, ‘I have no choice but to kill her’
I knew that one day this would happen, but still, I may not have been prepared enough.
I had decided to kill her if it come down to this.
However, she being here now makes my heart throbbing violently.
Resolving my heart, I silently aimed my palm toward Rin.
However, the Soundshoot that I tried to release ends in misfire.
I can’t fire. I couldn’t fire the Soundshoot.
Why? Dammit.
I cursed myself, but I knew the answer.
Because the other person is Rin.
If you have a decent nerve, you can’t kill your childhood friend.
I don’t hold a grudge against Rin.
Despite this, to kill her because of my position… is crazy. Really, I…
“Kazato… what does this…mean?” Rin reached out her hand to me and took one step ahead.
When I saw it, I unintentionally stepped back.
“Kill her,” but I felt that such a voice echoed in my head, and I was stuck in place.
Shut up. I’ll do that even without you telling me to.
I clenched my knife and slowly took a step forward.
And I close the distance with Rin in an instant.
“…!”
I slashed up from below.
Rin responded to the knife with her left hand.
I don’t know the name of Rin’s ‘ability to harden a part of the body’ ability.
Thanks to that ability, the knife doesn’t cut through Rin’s palm.
It was easily blocked and I realized that my attack was soft.
Hesitation, huh? Is that why my attack became dull
However, it is natural that I hesitate to do such a thing. I understand it now by facing the situation directly.
If you just think about it, you can do it as much as you want. It is also easy to come to that decision.
However, when the ‘moment’ arrives, whether or not you can act is a completely different matter.
Still, I have to kill her.
In order for me to live.
She firmly caught my knife in the palm of her hand and did not let go.
Our eyes… met.
I tried to pull the knife out from Rin’s hand, but my thoughts stopped for a moment when I met her eyes.
She also stared at my eyes and didn’t move.
As if time had stopped. Still, some time did pass.
“Are you really… Kazato?” Rin’s shaking… confused, unbelieving gaze pierces me.
It’s natural.
I, who was supposed to be someone who doesn’t have an ability, is wearing a tuxedo, is wearing Anonymous’ mask, and covered in blood.
It is wrong if you think that I’m Kazato. I’m a different person ‘right now’.
“You’re wrong.”
I’m not Kazato. I’m warning you.
“Why… how…?”
I’m not Kamiya Kazato.
I repeat in my heart.
I’m not Kazato.
“Anonymous… codename Shion.”
Don’t think about it. I’m Shion.
Kill the enemy ahead.
What did I come here for? It is for a mission, isn’t it?
Do I have time to spend time playing like this?
No. I don’t.
It’s personal feeling. It’s dependence. It’s my weakness.
Shion. I haven’t completely turn into you.
I can’t be ruthless. Even though I come here, resolving that I don’t need to live in isolation anymore.
Even though I had to be stronger.
I have to become stronger than anyone to protect myself.
So, something similar to the sense of accomplishment you get by killing enemy… that’s the thing that the current me wished for.
I started to understand myself by training with Yoiyami-san.
The moment of killing an enemy that threatens my life is a repose for me.
Only that moment will reassure me. Muttering ‘serves you right’ is to prove my strength.
Be aware of my strength, and confirm the absoluteness of my life in that journey.
It doesn’t matter who the obstacle is. Whether they are my childhood friend, or my best friend…
Even so, I…!
The light in my eyes is dimmed.
I stop thinking.
I have to quickly destroy a total of 4 antennas.
There are two more left.
I glanced at the third antenna.
I breathe out.
I pulled the knife out of Rin’s hand, and kick Rin away with a front kick just like that.
Then I kick the ground, drawing closer to her for the second time, and stab the knife into Rin’s hand.
*giin* it produces a strange sound even though it hits her skin.
Rin is not calm.
At least, she is not showing any sign of counterattack even though I attack her like this.
I once again swing the knife from above.
Rin reacts to it and barely blocks it. I launched a kick on her opened flank.
“Guu!”
Rin loses her posture. I stepped into Rin’s bosom with a kick and fired a Soundshoot at close range.
Rin’s eyes are wide open at the shock wave.
――Roaring sound.
Rin, who was hit by the Soundshoot up close, was blown away and slammed against the wall.
A crack ran on the wall and it partially collapsed. The building behind shook greatly.
“…”
There was a response, Rin was still breathing. Apparently, she used her hardening ability in time.
However, it was certain that she was fatally injured as she coughs out blood from her mouth.
In order to finish her, I quickly walked up to Rin.
Buried in the rubble, Rin opened one of her eyes and looked at me as I approached her.
Tears are accumulated in that eye.
The half-baked damage must have pained her, I guess.
I have to ease her right away.
Holding the grip of the knife in one hand, I thrust the blade into her chest.
It seems that Rin’s hardening power was no longer left, and the knife pierced deeply into her chest.
The spurt of blood is spattered on my mask.
“…”
I quietly close my eyes.
Something warm flows down my cheeks. It flowed down my cheeks without stopping. I bit my lips strongly.
Dammit, I’m too soft.
I spit out a curse in my heart.
And when I tried to pull out the knife,
“Ka… zato… I’m… sorry…”
Along with such a voice, Rin holds on to my hand holding the knife that was still stabbed in her chest.
I was surprised and opened my eyes. My view was blurred, but Rin was certainly looking at me with her eyes half opened. Tears mixed with blood flow down those eyes in large drops.
The knife is certainly stabbed in her vital.
She shouldn’t have ability to speak.
Still, Rin speaks with all her might.
“I’m…sorry.”
“…Why?”
Why do you apologize? Why?
I kill you y’know. I also killed the lieutenant general who was dead there.
You have no reason to apologize. Rin is not wrong at all. The one who was wrong is me. I did it because I like it. I’m evil.
You are the hero who bravely confronted the evil(me). Even though you can die while cursing me. Even so, why do you apologize?
At least die while hating me. Don’t let me think.
I don’t want to… think about it anymore…
I can’t do it without making reasons and excuses to kill you.
“It must be… hard… right…”
*cough* A large amount of blood gush out of Rin’s mouth.
I shook my head unintentionally.
I wanted to take my hand off the knife and draw back, but Rin was holding my hand firmly.
“Sorry… I’m… sorry… Kazato… that I… didn’t… notice…”
Rin spoke as if she was squeezing air out of her lungs.
Rin continue her words with a frowning, crying, messy, and pained face.
“Please stop… I don’t want to hear it…!”
It seems that my voice did not reach Rin.
Tears spilled from my eyes in large drops. The drops drip onto the ground through the gaps in my broken mask.
“I’m… really… sorry… I’m… the… worst…”
Don’t say that…
Like you understand it. Don’t say it like you understand…
What is with you being the worst? The one who is the worst is me, isn’t it?
“I can’t… do… anything…”
At last I got on my knees.
“It’s natural… that you can’t do anything…!”
I didn’t rely on you. You all.
I didn’t want to hear it.
But I couldn’t even close my ears. Even though I should have that power.
“Rin…!”
By the time I said so, Rin had already died.
Contrary to Rin’s stopped heart, my heart was throbbing.
With a little dizziness, I stood up. I pull out the knife stabbed in Rin’s chest and swipe it to shake off the blood. The blood spills on the dry rubble.
I stood for a while, holding my exposed face in the broken mask with my bloody hands.
My heads hurt as if it was split.
When I lowered my hands, Rin’s blood stuck to my exposed face.
I breathe in and out deeply several times.
Rin is dead.
I killed her.
I am the worst. I’m a trash.
However, this is fine.
I don’t need to sit on the fence anymore. Even if I hesitate, I had to persist.
To drown out the growing hesitation in me, I stabbed the knife in the hand that Rin was holding.
The knife pierces the glove and I felt a sharp pain runs through my hand. And I opened my eyes wide.
I can’t be like this.
This means… that I’m too weak.
Just because of this I…
…No, let’s drop it.
Anyway, I have to destroy the antenna now.
Remembering my original purpose, I tried to move away from Rin’s corpse.
At that time, feeling a killing intent from behind, I looked back vigorously.
“…!”
The guy who was approaching without sound, approach me in a step and added an upper kick from the side.
I use both arms to block it and jumped behind.
And I took a distance just like that.
“Dammit! Rin…! It’s a lie right? …Oi! Rin!”
As soon as he made me retreat, he knelt beside Rin and held her body.
Tsurugi.
I almost called out his name, but I swallowed it.
Blood drips from my hand that I stabbed.
“Rin! Why? Rin…! No, Rin…! In such a place… you’re joking, right? …please stoop…”
Tsurugi shout out Rin’s name again and again while crying.
Rin does not answer. Because she’s already dead.
“Aahh…! AaaAAhh!”
For some reason, I was standing still and watching Tsurugi’s wails.
It was a chance to attack, but I didn’t do it.
Although his ability is unknown, there is a high possibility that it doesn’t purely affect his attack power.
Rin might have been saved if Tsurugi rushed a little earlier.
Thinking about such a thing irresponsibly, I ridiculed myself.
This is the breakpoint.
I glared at Tsurugi who eventually stood up staggeringly.
Tsurugi was staring at the empty space diagonally below him.
“Are you the one who did it…?” Sunken voice. The voice was so quiet that only I could hear it.
“Ahh.” I answer clearly. Our relationship as best friends also ends here.
Anything and everything were already broken.
“You are… Shion, right?”
I felt uncomfortable hearing Tsurugi said that.
Did Tsurugi not realize that it was me…?
I finally noticed. Half of my exposed face was covered with blood.
I see, he hasn’t realized it because of this, huh.
I can just wipe it, but…
In that case, it is fine.
“Ahh.”
Tsurugi turned his body this way and released a dreadful killing intent while looking down.
Of course, that killing intent was directed at me.
Because his childhood friend Rin was killed, his anger was immeasurable.
Possibly… his anger and killing intent was darker than at the time when he saw his father’s death.
“I see… Then, die.”
“You sure are.”
Is it because I was half in despair that I replied? Is it to assert that I was evil? I don’t even know.
At least I didn’t think that the exchange, which would be called ‘useless’ if I ask Tameiki-san, was useless for my emotion.
At that moment, Tsurugi’s body shook.
Tsurugi instantly disappeared out of my sight.
I turn my body to the right and try to keep Tsurugi in my sight. I still can’t hear his sound.
However, it is possible to determine his position by grasping the space with sound waves.
All of the sound waves proceed as if avoiding Tsurugi.
That is doubtful in itself, but I can grasp Tsurugi’s position by that.
That’s enough.
As long as he doesn’t move above the speed of sound, I can cope with him.
While thinking so, I fire a Soundshot at the running Tsurugi.
It hit and cracked open the ground as if avoiding Tsurugi.
Soundshot doesn’t work too after all.
The shock wave doesn’t hit only Tsurugi.
It is neither countered nor blocked.
It is probably that kind of ability.
I try to catch the fist of Tsurugi who is approaching vigorously with my palm.
However, his fist slipped through my palm and struck into my belly.
“Haagh!”
“Gugh…!”
Although I retreated far behind, Tsurugi’s attack continued.
My body was struck by Tsurugi’s fist many times.
The damage I got accumulated in combination with the damage from the previous battle.
However, Tsurugi is not calm. He’s just attacking in anger.
He must be trying to tormenting before killing me. Otherwise, he would use a weapon.
“Aaaaahhhhhhhh!!” I scream and fire Soundshot in all directions.
Even if he was hit by it, Tsurugi’s attack wouldn’t stop.
Once again, Soundshoot. Soundshoot.
While receiving Tsurugi’s onslaught, I repeat the Soundshoot.
Cracks run around me and Tsurugi, and the ground made of concrete collapses in a crater shape.
“Guoooooooooo!!” Tsurugi roared. Then he stepped back and took a distance from me.
“Haa… haa…”
“Haa…! Haa…!”
Both of us are heaving our shoulders up and down.
However, the one who took damage is me and Tsurugi was virtually intact.
However, backing down now is equal with showing me a chance.
There is no need to draw back if he was fine. He drew back because my Soundshoot worked.
He seems to have not receive any damage, but I can conclude that his ability can nullify attack.
The reason he can slip through wall because he has a penetration ability as well as another ability, meaning that he is a dual ability user.
This guess can be wrong.
I understand what he can do one by one. That alone will give me a clue to defeat him.
Anyway, what I’ve learned now is that he can’t nullify attacks indefinitely.
There is no one who can continuously use their ability forever.
It may be inefficient, but I knew how to win. I just have to make him keep using his ability to the limit.
I also can’t fire Soundshoot endlessly, but let’s compete on our endurance. My best friend.
Now that I think about it, even though we are a best friend, I have never had a fight with you.
Somewhere in my heart I might have hoped that we would clash like this.
Tsurugi took a deep breath once again and exhaled it.
Then he took out a dagger from the holder and took a stance.
It seems that he has regained his composure.
This is troublesome. Should I fight from a long distance?
While adjusting my breath, I measure the distance with Tsurugi.
*gokkuri* When I gulped, a hand was placed on my shoulder from behind.
I reflexively swing my fist, but it was stopped.
The one who was there was Yoiyami-san.
“Haa… haa…”
“Time is running out. Leave it at that, Shion.”
I glared at Yoiyami-san.
Don’t get in my way.
“Did you forget your mission?”
That word returned me to myself.
That’s right, the antenna…!
“…I’m sorry.”
“Enough. I have destroyed the remaining antennas.”
Since when…?
Did I forget the surroundings that much?
“I’m sorry…” I apologize again.
“We’re going back.” Yoiyami-san said.
I glanced at Tsurugi. As expected, even Tsurugi is restrained by Yoiyami-san’s killing intent, and can’t move.
Yoiyami-san turned his back on me and walked ahead.
After that, my view ‘darkened’ in black haze.
Until the end, both of Tsurugi’s eyes pierced me.
[Shouldering Darkness]
The mask broke and I covered the exposed part of my face with my right hand, but it was too late.
Rin is standing in my view.
“Kaza…to?”
I couldn’t answer the words she barely squeezed out.
I just thought, ‘I have no choice but to kill her’
I knew that one day this would happen, but still, I may not have been prepared enough.
I had decided to kill her if it come down to this.
However, she being here now makes my heart throbbing violently.
Resolving my heart, I silently aimed my palm toward Rin.
However, the Soundshoot that I tried to release ends in misfire.
I can’t fire. I couldn’t fire the Soundshoot.
Why? Dammit.
I cursed myself, but I knew the answer.
Because the other person is Rin.
If you have a decent nerve, you can’t kill your childhood friend.
I don’t hold a grudge against Rin.
Despite this, to kill her because of my position… is crazy. Really, I…
“Kazato… what does this…mean?” Rin reached out her hand to me and took one step ahead.
When I saw it, I unintentionally stepped back.
“Kill her,” but I felt that such a voice echoed in my head, and I was stuck in place.
Shut up. I’ll do that even without you telling me to.
I clenched my knife and slowly took a step forward.
And I close the distance with Rin in an instant.
“…!”
I slashed up from below.
Rin responded to the knife with her left hand.
I don’t know the name of Rin’s ‘ability to harden a part of the body’ ability.
Thanks to that ability, the knife doesn’t cut through Rin’s palm.
It was easily blocked and I realized that my attack was soft.
Hesitation, huh? Is that why my attack became dull
However, it is natural that I hesitate to do such a thing. I understand it now by facing the situation directly.
If you just think about it, you can do it as much as you want. It is also easy to come to that decision.
However, when the ‘moment’ arrives, whether or not you can act is a completely different matter.
Still, I have to kill her.
In order for me to live.
She firmly caught my knife in the palm of her hand and did not let go.
Our eyes… met.
I tried to pull the knife out from Rin’s hand, but my thoughts stopped for a moment when I met her eyes.
She also stared at my eyes and didn’t move.
As if time had stopped. Still, some time did pass.
“Are you really… Kazato?” Rin’s shaking… confused, unbelieving gaze pierces me.
It’s natural.
I, who was supposed to be someone who doesn’t have an ability, is wearing a tuxedo, is wearing Anonymous’ mask, and covered in blood.
It is wrong if you think that I’m Kazato. I’m a different person ‘right now’.
“You’re wrong.”
I’m not Kazato. I’m warning you.
“Why… how…?”
I’m not Kamiya Kazato.
I repeat in my heart.
I’m not Kazato.
“Anonymous… codename Shion.”
Don’t think about it. I’m Shion.
Kill the enemy ahead.
What did I come here for? It is for a mission, isn’t it?
Do I have time to spend time playing like this?
No. I don’t.
It’s personal feeling. It’s dependence. It’s my weakness.
Shion. I haven’t completely turn into you.
I can’t be ruthless. Even though I come here, resolving that I don’t need to live in isolation anymore.
Even though I had to be stronger.
I have to become stronger than anyone to protect myself.
So, something similar to the sense of accomplishment you get by killing enemy… that’s the thing that the current me wished for.
I started to understand myself by training with Yoiyami-san.
The moment of killing an enemy that threatens my life is a repose for me.
Only that moment will reassure me. Muttering ‘serves you right’ is to prove my strength.
Be aware of my strength, and confirm the absoluteness of my life in that journey.
It doesn’t matter who the obstacle is. Whether they are my childhood friend, or my best friend…
Even so, I…!
The light in my eyes is dimmed.
I stop thinking.
I have to quickly destroy a total of 4 antennas.
There are two more left.
I glanced at the third antenna.
I breathe out.
I pulled the knife out of Rin’s hand, and kick Rin away with a front kick just like that.
Then I kick the ground, drawing closer to her for the second time, and stab the knife into Rin’s hand.
*giin* it produces a strange sound even though it hits her skin.
Rin is not calm.
At least, she is not showing any sign of counterattack even though I attack her like this.
I once again swing the knife from above.
Rin reacts to it and barely blocks it. I launched a kick on her opened flank.
“Guu!”
Rin loses her posture. I stepped into Rin’s bosom with a kick and fired a Soundshoot at close range.
Rin’s eyes are wide open at the shock wave.
――Roaring sound.
Rin, who was hit by the Soundshoot up close, was blown away and slammed against the wall.
A crack ran on the wall and it partially collapsed. The building behind shook greatly.
“…”
There was a response, Rin was still breathing. Apparently, she used her hardening ability in time.
However, it was certain that she was fatally injured as she coughs out blood from her mouth.
In order to finish her, I quickly walked up to Rin.
Buried in the rubble, Rin opened one of her eyes and looked at me as I approached her.
Tears are accumulated in that eye.
The half-baked damage must have pained her, I guess.
I have to ease her right away.
Holding the grip of the knife in one hand, I thrust the blade into her chest.
It seems that Rin’s hardening power was no longer left, and the knife pierced deeply into her chest.
The spurt of blood is spattered on my mask.
“…”
I quietly close my eyes.
Something warm flows down my cheeks. It flowed down my cheeks without stopping. I bit my lips strongly.
Dammit, I’m too soft.
I spit out a curse in my heart.
And when I tried to pull out the knife,
“Ka… zato… I’m… sorry…”
Along with such a voice, Rin holds on to my hand holding the knife that was still stabbed in her chest.
I was surprised and opened my eyes. My view was blurred, but Rin was certainly looking at me with her eyes half opened. Tears mixed with blood flow down those eyes in large drops.
The knife is certainly stabbed in her vital.
She shouldn’t have ability to speak.
Still, Rin speaks with all her might.
“I’m…sorry.”
“…Why?”
Why do you apologize? Why?
I kill you y’know. I also killed the lieutenant general who was dead there.
You have no reason to apologize. Rin is not wrong at all. The one who was wrong is me. I did it because I like it. I’m evil.
You are the hero who bravely confronted the evil(me). Even though you can die while cursing me. Even so, why do you apologize?
At least die while hating me. Don’t let me think.
I don’t want to… think about it anymore…
I can’t do it without making reasons and excuses to kill you.
“It must be… hard… right…”
*cough* A large amount of blood gush out of Rin’s mouth.
I shook my head unintentionally.
I wanted to take my hand off the knife and draw back, but Rin was holding my hand firmly.
“Sorry… I’m… sorry… Kazato… that I… didn’t… notice…”
Rin spoke as if she was squeezing air out of her lungs.
Rin continue her words with a frowning, crying, messy, and pained face.
“Please stop… I don’t want to hear it…!”
It seems that my voice did not reach Rin.
Tears spilled from my eyes in large drops. The drops drip onto the ground through the gaps in my broken mask.
“I’m… really… sorry… I’m… the… worst…”
Don’t say that…
Like you understand it. Don’t say it like you understand…
What is with you being the worst? The one who is the worst is me, isn’t it?
“I can’t… do… anything…”
At last I got on my knees.
“It’s natural… that you can’t do anything…!”
I didn’t rely on you. You all.
I didn’t want to hear it.
But I couldn’t even close my ears. Even though I should have that power.
“Rin…!”
By the time I said so, Rin had already died.
Contrary to Rin’s stopped heart, my heart was throbbing.
With a little dizziness, I stood up. I pull out the knife stabbed in Rin’s chest and swipe it to shake off the blood. The blood spills on the dry rubble.
I stood for a while, holding my exposed face in the broken mask with my bloody hands.
My heads hurt as if it was split.
When I lowered my hands, Rin’s blood stuck to my exposed face.
I breathe in and out deeply several times.
Rin is dead.
I killed her.
I am the worst. I’m a trash.
However, this is fine.
I don’t need to sit on the fence anymore. Even if I hesitate, I had to persist.
To drown out the growing hesitation in me, I stabbed the knife in the hand that Rin was holding.
The knife pierces the glove and I felt a sharp pain runs through my hand. And I opened my eyes wide.
I can’t be like this.
This means… that I’m too weak.
Just because of this I…
…No, let’s drop it.
Anyway, I have to destroy the antenna now.
Remembering my original purpose, I tried to move away from Rin’s corpse.
At that time, feeling a killing intent from behind, I looked back vigorously.
“…!”
The guy who was approaching without sound, approach me in a step and added an upper kick from the side.
I use both arms to block it and jumped behind.
And I took a distance just like that.
“Dammit! Rin…! It’s a lie right? …Oi! Rin!”
As soon as he made me retreat, he knelt beside Rin and held her body.
Tsurugi.
I almost called out his name, but I swallowed it.
Blood drips from my hand that I stabbed.
“Rin! Why? Rin…! No, Rin…! In such a place… you’re joking, right? …please stoop…”
Tsurugi shout out Rin’s name again and again while crying.
Rin does not answer. Because she’s already dead.
“Aahh…! AaaAAhh!”
For some reason, I was standing still and watching Tsurugi’s wails.
It was a chance to attack, but I didn’t do it.
Although his ability is unknown, there is a high possibility that it doesn’t purely affect his attack power.
Rin might have been saved if Tsurugi rushed a little earlier.
Thinking about such a thing irresponsibly, I ridiculed myself.
This is the breakpoint.
I glared at Tsurugi who eventually stood up staggeringly.
Tsurugi was staring at the empty space diagonally below him.
“Are you the one who did it…?” Sunken voice. The voice was so quiet that only I could hear it.
“Ahh.” I answer clearly. Our relationship as best friends also ends here.
Anything and everything were already broken.
“You are… Shion, right?”
I felt uncomfortable hearing Tsurugi said that.
Did Tsurugi not realize that it was me…?
I finally noticed. Half of my exposed face was covered with blood.
I see, he hasn’t realized it because of this, huh.
I can just wipe it, but…
In that case, it is fine.
“Ahh.”
Tsurugi turned his body this way and released a dreadful killing intent while looking down.
Of course, that killing intent was directed at me.
Because his childhood friend Rin was killed, his anger was immeasurable.
Possibly… his anger and killing intent was darker than at the time when he saw his father’s death.
“I see… Then, die.”
“You sure are.”
Is it because I was half in despair that I replied? Is it to assert that I was evil? I don’t even know.
At least I didn’t think that the exchange, which would be called ‘useless’ if I ask Tameiki-san, was useless for my emotion.
At that moment, Tsurugi’s body shook.
Tsurugi instantly disappeared out of my sight.
I turn my body to the right and try to keep Tsurugi in my sight. I still can’t hear his sound.
However, it is possible to determine his position by grasping the space with sound waves.
All of the sound waves proceed as if avoiding Tsurugi.
That is doubtful in itself, but I can grasp Tsurugi’s position by that.
That’s enough.
As long as he doesn’t move above the speed of sound, I can cope with him.
While thinking so, I fire a Soundshot at the running Tsurugi.
It hit and cracked open the ground as if avoiding Tsurugi.
Soundshot doesn’t work too after all.
The shock wave doesn’t hit only Tsurugi.
It is neither countered nor blocked.
It is probably that kind of ability.
I try to catch the fist of Tsurugi who is approaching vigorously with my palm.
However, his fist slipped through my palm and struck into my belly.
“Haagh!”
“Gugh…!”
Although I retreated far behind, Tsurugi’s attack continued.
My body was struck by Tsurugi’s fist many times.
The damage I got accumulated in combination with the damage from the previous battle.
However, Tsurugi is not calm. He’s just attacking in anger.
He must be trying to tormenting before killing me. Otherwise, he would use a weapon.
“Aaaaahhhhhhhh!!” I scream and fire Soundshot in all directions.
Even if he was hit by it, Tsurugi’s attack wouldn’t stop.
Once again, Soundshoot. Soundshoot.
While receiving Tsurugi’s onslaught, I repeat the Soundshoot.
Cracks run around me and Tsurugi, and the ground made of concrete collapses in a crater shape.
“Guoooooooooo!!” Tsurugi roared. Then he stepped back and took a distance from me.
“Haa… haa…”
“Haa…! Haa…!”
Both of us are heaving our shoulders up and down.
However, the one who took damage is me and Tsurugi was virtually intact.
However, backing down now is equal with showing me a chance.
There is no need to draw back if he was fine. He drew back because my Soundshoot worked.
He seems to have not receive any damage, but I can conclude that his ability can nullify attack.
The reason he can slip through wall because he has a penetration ability as well as another ability, meaning that he is a dual ability user.
This guess can be wrong.
I understand what he can do one by one. That alone will give me a clue to defeat him.
Anyway, what I’ve learned now is that he can’t nullify attacks indefinitely.
There is no one who can continuously use their ability forever.
It may be inefficient, but I knew how to win. I just have to make him keep using his ability to the limit.
I also can’t fire Soundshoot endlessly, but let’s compete on our endurance. My best friend.
Now that I think about it, even though we are a best friend, I have never had a fight with you.
Somewhere in my heart I might have hoped that we would clash like this.
Tsurugi took a deep breath once again and exhaled it.
Then he took out a dagger from the holder and took a stance.
It seems that he has regained his composure.
This is troublesome. Should I fight from a long distance?
While adjusting my breath, I measure the distance with Tsurugi.
*gokkuri* When I gulped, a hand was placed on my shoulder from behind.
I reflexively swing my fist, but it was stopped.
The one who was there was Yoiyami-san.
“Haa… haa…”
“Time is running out. Leave it at that, Shion.”
I glared at Yoiyami-san.
Don’t get in my way.
“Did you forget your mission?”
That word returned me to myself.
That’s right, the antenna…!
“…I’m sorry.”
“Enough. I have destroyed the remaining antennas.”
Since when…?
Did I forget the surroundings that much?
“I’m sorry…” I apologize again.
“We’re going back.” Yoiyami-san said.
I glanced at Tsurugi. As expected, even Tsurugi is restrained by Yoiyami-san’s killing intent, and can’t move.
Yoiyami-san turned his back on me and walked ahead.
After that, my view ‘darkened’ in black haze.
Until the end, both of Tsurugi’s eyes pierced me.
