[A/N: Chapter soundtrack: The Who - Pinball Wizard]
Deciding not to waste another second, his body reacted in the fastest possible way, with no time to think, as if it were on autopilot.
Grabbing the person falling next to him, Aybel pushed off their back, performing a rather clumsy backflip.
The backward spin generated enough power, giving him enough height to accelerate his fall.
Now falling headfirst, Aybel positioned himself to grab a hold of a falling person's ankle.
The person struggled against his tight grip, their face contorting in shock as they stared at the person holding them.
"Gah... What the hell... What are you doing?! Let me go already!"
"Sure, in a second."
With a sharp yank, he hurled them upwards while throwing himself in the opposite direction.
The outcome was definitely positive, yet it was not exciting, at least for him.
Still, to think it's only been a matter of seconds since I came up with this plan, but it's already paying off.
Just then, somebody reached out for him, their hand grabbing a hold of his shirt.
Or at least had tried to.
Aybel quickly ducked under the surprise attack, the person's desperate attempt resulting in their hand simply grabbing onto empty air.
"Wait, please! Help me!"
"How about no?"
And with that, his entire body thrusted downwards.
Okay. I'm starting to realize that this whole 'using other people to survive' thing is going to be a bit more difficult than I thought.
The first two people I tried it on didn't even notice what I was trying to do, though now, it seems others are getting ideas...
A few seconds later, Aybel was met with a sprawling figure with outstretched arms, the figure was gigantic in comparison to his relative petite size.
Ah? Everyone is capable of being useful, no matter their size.
Gripping the figure's broad shoulders he launched himself forward, unfolding his body, executing an airborne flip.
A girl directly in his path tilted her head back, presenting a seemingly seductive invitation.
Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, he planted his foot firmly on her forehead.
And to Aybel's brief dismay, she froze in shock at his sheer audacity.
Dismissively, he leaped off the makeshift springboard, sending her body spinning aimlessly.
Faster. I need to fall faster.
Beneath him now, a passed out person lay flat on their back.
Instead of ignoring them, an immediate idea crossed his mind.
Well, isn't this quite straightforward?
Without giving the idea a second thought, he held on to their outstretched arms, bent his knees, and with all his might...
He pushed down, using the figure's large stomach as a trampoline.
The bulk beneath him compressed in an ugly sight. However, he ignored the hapless body as he launched himself downwards.
His expression remained utterly blank, despite the life-or-death situation he was facing.
Eyes sweeping across the noisy crowd once more, this time, they zeroed in on a girl in a basketball jersey struggling nearby.
On a sudden whim, a wave of darkness washed across the crowd.
Aybel lost sight of her.
A chorus of screams erupted from the masses.
In the literal blink of an eye, the beast opened its eyes again, bringing back the light.
As the crowd reappeared, his mind snapped into focus once again.
The next targets - a boy desperately trying to maintain his grip on the forearm of a girl nearby.
Seems like they're a couple.
He guessed from their matching bracelets and uniform.
They've found themselves, even in this mess... Not everyone is as lucky as them.
A flash of sadness crossed Aybel's eyes as the boy's grip began to loosen.
A trust that's stronger than love.
But the boy was at his limit.
Yet she has complete faith in him.
With a vicious indifference, Aybel stamped on the boy's wrist, forcing him to let go.
The boy's horrified gaze followed the girl as she fell into the abyss.
All I'm concerned with is saving Aria...
Nothing else.
As if those words reinforced his actions, Aybel dived ever closer to the chandelier.
Every bit of his strength had left him completely. And still, he pushed forward on pure adrenaline alone.
Like a sick game of pinball, he bounced off bodies, despite the guiltless consequences of his actions.
Yet, the closer he drew himself towards the chandelier, the quieter their voices became...
Still airborne, he gripped the head of his next unsuspecting victim firmly.
"Wh-Wha...?!"
Oblivious to the person's cry, he wrenched their neck back - a potentially fatal move.
Shocked, the person squealed like a dying banshee.
"Kyaahh!!"
They tried to swat their assailant.
But before they could utter another word, Aybel bent and released his knees, shooting downwards like a human catapult.
Not long after, searching the panic that surrounded him, an electric spark trailed his gaze, mapping the road to take.
At a distance, an unfortunate kid tumbled headfirst towards him.
Whoever is closest will have to do. Aybel resigned.
Knowing no other alternative, he displayed his creativity in the most disturbing manner...
Acting quickly, he positioned himself below, waiting for the perfect moment...
As the kid's flailing body came within reach, with absolute disregard, he deliberately planted a well-placed foot on the poor victim's face.
"Gahh..."
An alarming number of teeth loss and a critical nose bleed followed.
"Gahhhh!!"
In an instant, the kid went flying.
The calculated face stomp served as a reverse somersault sending Aybel with remarkable speed in a downward drop.
It's not as though I'm hurting them on purpose...
I just have a goal.
Aybel's eyes stared dead ahead at his target, his expression vacant.
Well, that's not good. The chandelier's fall is already too great; catching up to it is completely out of the question now...
Unless I have something of an equal weight.
However, looking around...
...Empty... He had exhausted all 'tools' in the shed.
A sudden voice, sounding out of place in the storm of screams, drew his attention.
Aybel spun around.
His eyes widened in surprise as a large silhouette loomed over him.
The familiar sight was so unexpected that he utterly froze.
To Be Continued...