///
Outdoor field A2, like most facilities in this school are multipurpose due to the sheer necessity. Not only is there a need to use the field for various training that range from simple exercises to full-blown wargames.
On the other hand, there is also a big demand from different clubs that need appropriate space for the activities they do on campus.
It looks like the baseball club was having their morning practice before the announcement of the duel. Now all of the club members are sitting at the dugout near the field.
"Looks like the prez and her opponent are not here yet."
The announcement of the duel is gathering people at a quicker pace than usual. With every passing second, another group of students is standing near the field.
"Let's get closer to get a better view."
Soon enough it will get very crowded.
If I don't hurry to find a good place to watch from, seeing what happens might become impossible.
But watch from where?
I could stand near the stadium and watch from a somewhat comfortable distance.
It's just that standing around big crowds isn't something I find appealing. And the crowd will get very big soon enough.
Having a clear view at any point will be difficult, due to me arriving later. And I don't plan to climb any lamp posts for that. Even the possibility of seeing Koshimizu lose, isn't that important.
My motto is - the less effort something needs, the better.
So what place provides the best vantage point and reduces the number of annoyances to a minimum?
Hmm.
Ah, that's right.
The dugout near the field is a good place to watch from. The baseball club members are resting there right now after all.
They would usually kick out anyone trespassing on their practice. But they have been having practice since 5 am so they probably don't have any energy left for that. Yeah, that would be a good place to watch from.
I make my way through the quickly gathering crowd and enter the dugout.
The baseball club members seem tired. All of them are sweaty, sitting on the benches inside the dugout. Some are completely limp while the others are slouched on their seats. Their white uniforms are all covered in dirt.
Well, that just makes me glad that I don't have any clubs.
One of the club members raises his head and looks at me. His eyes are worn out and he is sweating profusely. His uniform is covered in dust as well as his face.
"Oh, you're that jackass from yesterday's practice."
It looks like these were the guys that were practicing yesterday, when I decided to use them as a 'shield'.
It was a different field but looks like their practicing here today.
"You got a problem with me being here?"
There is no point in sticking around if I don't get to watch the duel in peace. The people around the field already took up the entire surrounding area. Now male students are starting to climb lampposts and female students get up on the shoulders of their friends. People are watching from the surrounding buildings. While the others do their best to find a good spot to watch from.
If I get kicked out, I might as well just leave.
"If you came to apologize like the other guy, then no." He responds while wiping the sweat and dirt off his face with a towel.
"The other guy?"
Who could he be referring to? Apologize for what?
It has something to do with practice, right? But all I did was try to run away fro-
Oh no.
"Hey." Suddenly I feel someone resting a palm on my shoulder.
"You were waiting for me. Weren't you?" I spit out my accusation toward Kimura.
"How rude, I was here first you know. Someone has to apologize for what happened yesterday."
All I could do was kick myself internally for not seeing this coming. If the student council president is having a duel it's only natural that he would be here too.
And even if he was running after me through the entire campus yesterday, he will be too polite not to apologize later.
I bet he even apologized for me running around the library.
I turn towards the field, Kimura is smiling in my peripheral vision.
His glasses are clearly showing his uncomfortably sincere brown eyes looking at me. His face also has soft facial features. Short silky hair is stylishly combed.
He is popular among the student body for a reason. For both his appearance and attitude to be exact.
He's also head and a half taller than me. This is the part that gets to me the most.
Seriously what the hell did he eat to get that tall?
"Did you come here to apologize or not?" the same club member asks.
"No, I didn't," I respond.
"Then why are you here."
"You people seemed to have a good spot to watch from, so I let myself in."
"Not only a jackass but an asshole too?" He was sounding much more agitated than before.
"Now, now, don't get so heated." Kimura decides to intervene in our exchange.
"But…"
"I'll just apologize for the both of us then."
"No wait you don't need to apologize ag-" The club member had no interest in hearing an apology from Kimura.
But he get's interrupted anyway.
"We're sorry for disturbing you yesterday! Please accept our sincerest apology!" behind me a loud scream comes out of Kimura. A very sincere apology.
I bet he even bowed as deeply as he could.
"…Well if the vice-president of the school student council is going so far, I'll forgive that guy."
"Thank you." Kimura says in a relieved tone. And moves to my right. "Whew, he was almost ready to jump at you."
"Being annoyed doesn't mean you going to assault someone. I know from personal experience." .
"Still, Kaito-kun you should be more polite to the people around. That bad attitude doesn't do you any favors."
"I'm not changing my behavior for anyone."
"And that's why I respect you."
Respect me he says.
I don't get him at all.
"So, where's your girlfriend."
"Honoka isn't my girlfriend." Kimura deadpans. "She's was just finishing up with the paperwork for the upcoming expedition. One of the second-year students refused to join. Honoka is looking for a replacement before the duel starts."
Expeditions huh? Not something I look forward to after becoming a second year.
Going overseas for some sort of trip wouldn't be that bad. But going overseas to find out what military life means is a pain in the ass.
"Do you remember what I was talking about yesterday."
I don't respond.
"Hey."
Just keep ignoring him.
"Ignoring me again." Yes. "Oh well, you glanced at me, so I'm satisfied with that." Kimura says in a happy tone.
He is making me very annoyed.
At the centre of the field, a woman dressed in a tracksuit is standing. Akiyama-sensei is tapping her foot and glancing at a wristwatch.
She probably expects Koshimizu to end this duel quickly.
Akiyama-sense if I remember correctly is the assistant coach to one of the baseball clubs. Her father was a famous baseball player in the Japanese Baseball League and played for some very successful team. Akiyama-sensei probably has a good idea of how to train and manage the baseball club.
Well, that was all the trivia I know about her. It looks like she's going to be the one watching over this battle. There needs to be someone qualified to moderate no matter what.
"Sorry for making you wait. Finding a qualified replacement was harder than I expected."
I don't get to hear Koshimizu talk like that often.
"It's fine. Looks like Azai-san is as reluctant as ever." Kimura responds in an understanding tone.
Azai?
Azai… Azai…
I feel like I've seen or heard that name somewhere recently. Just before getting here but looks like I forgot.
Well, probably no one important then.
"I wish Azai-san had more confidence in herself." The conversation goes on with Koshimizu's voice sounding a bit disappointing. "Hiding behind Nishihara's back is a bad habit Azai-san has."
"Being strong doesn't necessarily make a person confident. Well, sooner or later she will need to toughen up mentally. Only she herself can do that."
"I hope that happens before graduation."
I take a glance in their direction.
Dark brown eyes that had much warmth behind them. Long jet-black hair tied into a long ponytail that reached her hips. She is wearing a hairpin that is in the shape of a star. It looks worn out due to the washed-out colors. But there was a thing that I find really infuriating.
Koshimizu is just a bit shorter than me.
Just… a… bit… shorter…
…
Maybe I should have been drinking more milk when I was a kid?
She's wearing a black tracksuit that is distributed to all of the students in the Academy. It looks like she's planning on taking this seriously. Usually, she just comes out in her school uniform for any battle, but not this time.
In her hand is a sword with a blade that's 150 centimeters long, the blade is a lot thicker than most European swords and Japanese katana's. The replaceable blade is attached to the handle that has a trigger. A Type-19 Sword Breaker. Other weapons like Tank Breakers have even thicker blades. It seems like she wants to use a weapon meant for real combat in this battle.
She's very serious for some reason. Does Koshimizu know her opponent personally?
The expression on her face is a very gentle one. I have to admit she is pretty, maybe even beautiful. Like a model that came out of an advertisement and is walking around regular people. Not that I get to see Koshimizu like this often.
She notices me standing behind Kimura.
As my presence registers with her, she shows 'that' face.
The one she usually has when she sees me.
How should I put it into words?
It's something like this.
She's looking as if I just broke into her house. Chained her, her parents, siblings, and pets to a very heavy rock. Then proceeded to defecate on her favorite carpet and set her house on fire with her and her family still inside.
It's that kind of expression.
For the first couple of times, she showed 'that' I found it funny.
Now it's just… makes me confused more than anything.
"…Why are you here."
Now imagine her having 'that' face and speaking in a very low but dead serious voice.
That is her 'talking with my would-be killer' voice. Meant exclusively for me.
I'm kind of honored that she thinks I have what it takes to even put a scratch on her
"To watch the duel obviously. You know that I watch all your fights, right?"
"Would seeing me getting hurt really make you happy." the hollowness of Koshimizu's voice makes this whole exchange extremely uncomfortable. Especially compared with the lively tone she had when speaking to Kimura or anyone else not named Kaito.
Koshimizu's description by the students is something like this. Kind and ready to help anyone in need. Strong but never holding it over anyone. Diligent and always putting effort into everything she does, whether physical or academic.
But with me, it's as if she's talking to some sort abusive husband. She is asking me what am I doing. Accusing me of plotting something ominous. And looking at me as if I hurt her feelings or something.
I can't tell if she's trying to convey something or what.
"There is probably nothing at this moment that would give me more satisfaction than seeing you on the ground."
"…" And she does her usual thing.
For less than a second maybe even less than a millisecond.
The expression on Koshimizu's face changed.
It looked like she was sad. As if something just wounded her entire being.
"Then I'm heading off." In a second, she was back to her usual self, talking to Kimura. My presence becoming irrelevant to her.
"Good luck. Well, it's not like you'll need it." He was completely confident in her victory.
She threw a final glance at Kimura. Her face returning to the 'gentle' expression that is known around the school.
Then she makes her way to the center of the stadium with a Breaker in hand.
"Honoka seems agitated by something." Kimura says with his girlfriend out of earshot.
"Isn't that something me being here?"
"Usually I would agree with you but that's unlikely." he lets out an exasperated sigh.
Kimura probably knows something that I don't.
Soon enough another girl enters the field.
She was wearing the school uniform with a white ribbon.
The first thing I take note of…
Is that the girl is shorter than Koshimizu. Which means shorter than me.
Whew.
Even though this is a duel, she seems to have come completely empty-handed.
That has to be Harumi.
Her light brown colour does not reach her shoulders. The transfer student's expression is vacant at best and completely emotionless at worst. A skin tone that is fair, not too pale nor too tanned. And her eyes are… red?
Why does she have red eyes? She doesn't look like an albino.
Very unusual. Those eyes are very unusual.
"She's the one who's going to transfer into your class." Kimura felt the need to inform me.
"I don't care." My only interest in this girl ends and starts with what she does here.
She could be the emperor's long lost daughter or a walking rocket for all I care. Anything beyond what happens here is none of my business. Even if we end up in the same classroom the fact that we have nothing in common, makes that a moot point.
As the transfer student comes up to face Koshimizu, there is a murmur among the crowd.
Coming to fight the number one ranker in the school? And not bringing a weapon? Does she intend to lose?
Even Akiyama-sense looks a bit puzzled, but she doesn't do anything to warn the transfer student. Akiyama-sensei your bias towards Koshimizu is showing.
So, the girl plans to fight completely empty-handed after all.
Was coming here a waste of time? There's no point in fighting empty-handed against another superhuman with a weapon.
Akiyama-sensei starts to back away from the two. Giving the two combatants enough room so they can go at each other without worrying about bystanders.
Koshimizu is raising the sword overhead? Not only that her posture stiffens a bit. And aiming for the head in this situation is pointless. The abdomen or the sides are more vulnerable.
What is she thinking?
Huh? That rare, she looks extremely tense. Her usually relaxed and regal posture is stiff. I guess Kimura was right that something was bothering her.
Harumi wasn't doing anything special she was standing in the same posture. She's completely open with no weapon, looking as if she doesn't even plan to fight back.
It looks like me being here was a waste of time.
The crowd goes silent in anticipation. Most people here, no, all people gathered here have no doubt that the famed Student Council president will win.
A whistle, the duel starts.
Koshimizu charges forward with the sword in her hands ready to swing it down on her opponent.
The sword will just make a strong impact on the transfer student's skull. Even someone of Koshimizu's skill won't be able to cut through another superhumans head. At worst, the girl will receive some brain damage, superhumans are extremely sturdy after all.
The strike seems full of desperation and fury. Even though she understands that there is no way to kill another superhuman with a weapon like that. Koshimizu strikes with an intent to kill. Something driving her to go all out.
That what it looks like to me.
Harumi has no weapons so she can't even block the sword swing. She's not even taking a defensive pose for a counterattack or preparing to take evasive action. The outcome is obvious.
There's nothing left for me to see here.
Looks like Koshimizu will still be undefeated.
But as I prepare to leave…
Instead of sword meeting bone, Koshimizu is thrown back. Her body flowing through the air and violently hit's and rolls on the ground.
She rolls on the ground, using the Sword Breaker she stops the momentum of her body. Now she's just lying on the ground.
What just happened?
Turning my attention away from the fallen Koshimizu I turn it to her opponent.
The girl's right leg returned to the ground, I completely missed what she just did.
But since Harumi's leg seemed raised, I can only guess that she kicked Koshimizu?
A kick? Was that all? No, it seemed like she did or was about to do some sort of spinning motion.
It looks like it's going to be a fight after all.
Koshimizu is starting to move.
She's conscious and should be able to get up.
But to my and everyone else's surprise, she doesn't.
She raises her face of the ground and Koshimizu's facial expression is easy to read.
It's one of resignation, acceptance that this was the best possible outcome in this fight. It was also a face of despair as if she realizes that some things are unavoidable.
"Blood?" Kimura whispers next to me.
Koshimizu's nose starts leaking red liquid after a second.
Blood coming from the mouth? Very unusual. Since that means her organs are damaged.
If that's the case then it's over. If one superhuman is bleeding because of someone, then he or she is weaker than whoever inflicted the wound.
Akiyama-sensei just stands for a moment as if her feet are glued to the ground. She did not see this coming, no one did.
But it was obvious who won. One of the fighters does not seem to have any strengths or willpower to get up. Just after one kick to the abdomen.
For a few moments, there is nothing but deafening silence.
The one who broke the silence was Kimura after seeing Koshimizu cough up a large amount of blood.
"HONOKA!" he runs out from the dugout to his wounded friend.
"KOSHIMIZU!" Akiyama-sensei realizing what happened makes her way to the defeated Koshimizu.
Screams of various students start to fill up the surrounding area.
Various emotions are going in among the onlookers. Confusion at what just happened. Shock at how quickly this battle ended. Discussing the implications of this defeat.
As for me, I take my phone.
Proceed to point it towards the field.
Turn on the phone's camera.
Make sure the angle is good.
Make sure the image is clear.
And press the button.
Click.
Instantly turning my entire attention at the phone to see how the photo turned out.
Koshimizu is being attended by Kimura, Akiyama-sensei, and some blonde girl. The same facial expression of resignation and despair on her face.
The immense feeling of schadenfreude fills up my entire being.
There's only one thing that I can do with this picture.
>Set as wallpaper
///
"The trip to Tokyo sure was something. I've never seen so many people in one place before. And Tokyo itself is massive."
"What should we do for the culture festival that we're having in a month. Do you think the priests will let us use the campus shrine for the test of bravery, like last time?"
"My dad came back from Keijo yesterday and brought one of their traditional dresses. I tell you the dresses in Korea have their own appeal. Look here's a picture I took yesterday."
It looks like the duel from this morning was already at the back of everyone's mind. People were already having lunch and talking about whatever.
Fashion, politics, video games, food, sports, travel.
And an endless number of topics that I do not care for.
There were many different subjects as there were people. Each having interest in one thing or the other.
Since I came here earlier than all the other students, picking a place to sit down was easy. Skipping classes is bad, but not if you do it for a good cause.
I put the cream bread and the yakisoba bread down on my lap. The bottled green tea is going to be my drink for lunch today. Bottled green tea naturally is not as good as the one that you brew yourself.
I open the bottle and proceed to gulp down the tea.
Unwrapping the yakisoba bread form the plastic wrapping I take a bite.
From time to time I take another drink of green tea. Just gazing at the buildings on campus.
As I continue to chew, I take note of the atmosphere on the roof.
For some reason, it got to quiet all of a sudden.
"Hey, isn't that the one who beat Koshimizu?"
"Just one kick was enough to send the prez to the hospital."
"Isn't she just a huge weirdo, I thought her self-introduction was funny."
I keep ignoring all of the whisperings from the students, but one of the comments catches my attention. Specifically, the 'send the prez to the hospital' part.
Apparently, that kick was bad news. I saw Koshimizu bleeding from her nose and mouth after she was knocked away. Did her organs get that badly damaged?
Very unusual.
A creaking sound comes from the bench.
Someone sat down next to me.
I look to the right.
Brown hair. Red eyes. And a blank expression.
Looks like the new transfer student and the new number one ranker in the Academy just decided to sit next to me.
Her lunch is a bit strange. The transfer student is eating what seems to be like some sort of military-grade energy bar. No drink or side just the bar.
Well, whatever.
Without giving her any more attention I finish eating my yakisoba bread.
"Excuse me, but could be you Harumi? Malan-san is asking for you." Someone apparently started speaking with the girl.
But really that is not any of my business.
Right now, all my attention is focused on enjoying the short lunch break I get.
Reaching for the cream bread and unpacking it, I take a bite and proceed to savour the taste.
The cream bread is not so bad. The vanilla cream inside the bun is very sweat, I can tell it's not of the highest quality, but it tastes good. But the dough that they used has a somewhat 'fake' sensation. It has a smell and tastes that says it was made on a production line, not an oven.
"Suzuki Yuta?" a response, a disturbingly flat tone.
For a moment it felt like someone was calling me until I heard the name.
Well if it has nothing to do with me might as well just focus on eating my cream bread.
Speaking of cream bread, the bakeries around Nagasaki have much fresher products. Since they bake it at the shops. The cream that they use as the filling is probably fresher than the ones at the cafeteria.
I should probably have some before I head back home.
Still, nothing beats the dairy products at my home prefecture.
The freshness of cream that feels like it was made specifically for you. Ice cream made of the best milk in the country. And fresh cheese sold by local farmers who put their blood and sweat into making it.
That reminds me, why didn't I travel back to Sapporo for the winter break again?
Ah, that's right, Grandpa left for Tokyo. I can't remember why though I swear it was something very important.
"Yes, how do you know-"
Then a sound. A sound I haven't heard in a while. As if something soft and wet was thrown against the wall.
It was loud enough for the entire roof to hear it.
The cream bread I was holding in my hand is covered in a red liquid.
As if some crazy artists took some red paint and decided to use me as a canvas. I can feel some viscous moisture on my face and clothes.
This is blood, isn't it? The overwhelming smell of iron is enough for me to understand.
Yes. This was a really excessive amount of blood.
I haven't seen this much blood since…
Since…
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///
"** *** ****. ****, *****, **** *** ***** ** * *** ***** ***."
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"***. *** *** ***** *** ****. **** * *** **** **** ****."
///
No.
That's wrong.
I've never seen this much blood anywhere in my life.
Yeah, there's plenty of it in movies and video games. Some practice in this school can be hellish, so I tend to bleed from time to time. Even other students can shed blood if pushed to their limit.
But I've never seen this much gore in person.
How am I supposed to eat my bread now? Should I just go and buy a new one?
Wait whose blood is this anyway?
I look to the right to get my answer.
A red spot. Just a red spot. There is no corpse of the one killed. No clothes of the victim left.
Just a red spot.
What could have been the cause of such a sudden death?
A rhetorical question. The perpetrator is sitting there with an empty expression on her blood-covered face.
It takes the people who witnessed this a couple of seconds to process what happened. All of them remained silent.
Why?
Why do these people who train to kill react this way to death?
I know why.
There isn't a scientific explanation of what Superhumans are. What makes us stronger than other 'lesser' humans. Everyone in this school is an enigma even to themselves. We look human, we act human and yet we are something different.
But this girl?
She defeated the person everyone in this school thought to be unbeatable.
A victory so decisive that everyone here began to doubt themselves. What would they do differently to win against an opponent like that?
Then the same person just annihilated a person into nothing. What did she do? I don't know. Even the people who saw Suzuki's final moments aren't sure.
How could anyone even think of fighting something so ridiculous? Something that came out of nowhere. Something that broke their understanding of who they are.
Soon enough everyone on the roof was panicking in their own unique way. Some were screaming, others froze in place, and while the rest started to run away from the roof.
Because these people understood something. Superhumans are a product of the unknown.
And this girl was a monolith that overshadowed all present here. Everyone in this school understood what it means to be a lesser being.
I guess the best way to describe my convoluted way of thinking is this.
Today, the people in this school for the first time since they were born remembered the true meaning of fear.
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It's quiet now.
The roof that was filled with lively conversations, people laughing, and relaxing suddenly changed.
Silence and quiet reigns supreme. The only other noise comes from the people on the campus. People who are not aware of what transpired here.
I'm finally alone up here.
Finally, I got the peace that I wanted.
No that's not true. I'm not alone yet.
There is still one other person here besides me.
Still sitting there with the same expression on her face, like she never moved a single inch, to begin with. She's not looking at anything. Her red eyes are devoid of any emotion.
There is nothing that drives her to do this. Yet a person disappeared because of her actions.
Incomprehensible, nonsensical, irrational, impossible.
Nothing can describe this girl except those words.
The girl keeps sitting on the same spot, blinking from time to time. Eating her energy bar.
And just keeps staring at nothing.
As I look at her, I come to understand something.
Now only two things were breaking my peace on the roof.
The irritating bright spot and the girl.
///