Sweat poured down Tahiko's face, but he didn't slow down. Instead, he flashed a determined and defiant smile. He found it impressive that Hideki could so easily dodge his attacks.
"It's impressive that you can still dodge, but that only excites me more. And I haven't even used my technique yet."
Before anyone could react, the rapid firing of a machine gun echoed, specifically from an AR-15.
Ratatatata! Ratatatata!
Captain Williams suddenly appeared, unloading the AR-15 in Hideki's direction. However, something unexpected happened.
"These human weapons don't work," Hideki said, brushing off his arms and cleaning his clothes. He hadn't suffered any damage.
"Oh, crap," the captain murmured, perplexed. His eyes were paralyzed, and his hands trembled slightly as he held the weapon. "What is this thing?"
At that moment, Hideki felt an energy emanating from Tahiko, who was preparing to counterattack.
"Évros: Natural Amplitude!" Tahiko exclaimed as he stood up and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Natural Amplitude elevated all human attributes and characteristics to their extreme peak, transforming the user into a superhuman being. With enhanced strength, speed, endurance, and intellect, the user could perform extraordinary feats. This ability provided an unparalleled advantage in combat, exploration, and strategy. However, it required control and discipline to avoid excessive wear and exhaustion.
A powerful aura surrounded Tahiko, exponentially increasing his speed and strength. In the blink of an eye, he positioned himself behind Hideki, delivering a devastating blow.
However, Hideki moved with lethal grace, dodging each strike with disconcerting ease. He watched Tahiko with an analytical, almost bored look.
"Don't you think you're wasting your time?" Hideki asked, seeing no justification for Tahiko to risk himself for the humans. "Are you trying to prove something?"
The battle turned into an incessant chase, but nothing Tahiko attempted, even with Amplitude activated, could hit Hideki.
Hideki took the opportunity to do something.
"Sound Inversion," he said, followed by a single word, "Switch."
With this command, Hideki inverted and redirected the sounds so that instead of dissipating normally, they were sent directly to where Tahiko was.
He focused on the origin and destination of the sounds, specifically on the sound of the civilians' bodies hitting the ground, dead. Tahiko heard the sound of bodies falling clearly, as if he were where the civilians were, despite being physically elsewhere.
Instantly, not only Tahiko but also Williams heard and expressed utter despair. Williams kneeled, his strength seeming to vanish completely. It was possible to hear the last breaths of the people and then their bodies hitting the ground, lifeless due to the intoxication.
This time, Tahiko's pride was shattered, crushed, dead. His thoughts focused on one thing.
"Riley... Riley..."
The boy's presence was of enormous importance, balancing the madness within Tahiko. However, there was no longer anger inside him, but pure, relentless hatred.
His eyes, full of fury, signaled an imminent threat. The pulsation of anger in his muscles showed his loss of control, while a large fake smile spread across his face, trying to mask his hatred.
"I've rarely felt so much hatred."
Swiftly, Tahiko advanced toward Hideki. His speed was such that it left wind trails in his wake, but his attacks didn't land as he wanted. Hideki continued to evade Tahiko's desperate and visibly forced attempts, who struggled, sweated, and tried his best to hit his opponent.
"How? How can't I hit him? Even with the Amplitude," Tahiko shouted, impatient, breathless, and sighing with rage, staring intently at Hideki.
Meanwhile, Hideki observed his opponent calmly, determined to fight for the civilians. He reflected on Tahiko's Natural Amplitude technique.
"It's a great technique for someone with a great physique like his, but his inexperience is evident. He certainly doesn't yet understand the use of external energy... when he does, he'll become a problem."
As already explained, external energy was used solely to enhance physical capabilities, raising them to the peak of human capacity. Meanwhile, internal energy was used exclusively to sustain the technique. Therefore, every minute Tahiko used his Amplitude, he consumed his internal energy due to the technical nature of this ability.
The use of external energy enhanced physical capabilities to the extreme. When used together with Natural Amplitude, it made the bearer far beyond what he imagined, surpassing all limits of his understanding, reaching even the speed of sound if necessary.
"It seems he's a beginner, probably from the last class," Hideki observed serenely, dusting off his hands while analyzing Tahiko's weakened state coldly.
Outside the 800-meter prison created by Hideki, someone finally arrived in the military base region. Unassumingly, Koji reached the southern part of the city, with cuts and blood all over his body. He was quite injured but still felt the need to reach where he should. Upon encountering the large structure made by Hideki, he stopped, confused.
"Is there a bearer here besides Tahiko and Saik? What's going on, Spherea?" He tapped on the structure, intrigued and worried, trying to understand what was happening.
"A bearer superior to them and you," Spherea responded.
Inside the prison, Tahiko couldn't stay on his feet. His effort had surpassed all limits, and exhaustion completely overtook him. His weakened legs couldn't support him, and he fell on his back onto a large piece of concrete, one of the many debris in the devastated scene.
Hideki, a few meters away, just looked at him with a serious and serene expression. Not far away, Captain Williams completely collapsed, falling to the ground without strength or reaction, affected by the intoxication.
Tahiko surveyed the scene around him, lost and defeated. He could no longer stand up, let alone fight; his defeat was confirmed. His eyes reflected frustration and complete exhaustion. He couldn't keep his head up. His capability had been shattered and thrown away.
He didn't know how he could change the situation he found himself in, a result of his excessive confidence in himself.