As Clara and Kimetsuji ran up to the driver, rage filled their expressions. Their clothes were tattered, scratched, and torn, exposing parts of their bodies. They were face-to-face, ready to strike the driver with a powerful punch, but he responded by stretching his arms wide, T-posing.
"So this is how rankers react when their lives are on the line," the driver muttered, moving his hands upward in unison. He clasped them together tightly, then struck the ground with bent knees, causing Clara and Kimetsuji to halt in their tracks. They looked around cautiously, as though expecting an ambush from shadows lurking nearby. With fierce determination in their eyes, they charged toward him once more.
As they closed in, the distance shrinking to eight meters, their hope of landing a hit was shattered.
Whoosh, whoosh—the sound of rushing air filled the space. Suddenly, pillars of ice shot up, reflecting the sunlight as they stretched toward the sky. Kimetsuji dodged backward, while Clara charged forward, delivering a powerful kick to one of the ice pillars. She continued kicking, again and again, shattering the pillar piece by piece.
Bam, bam—the ice cracked and splintered under Clara's fierce strikes. Finally, with one last kick, the pillar broke apart, shards cascading to the ground as spears of sunlight burst through, illuminating the scene.
Clara lunged at the driver, aiming a sharp heel at him, but he moved at a speed far faster than before, evading her and slipping behind her as her leg descended. As he stretched his arm toward her, it glowed with a light as blue as shimmering water in morning sunlight. Just as his hand was about to touch her back, Kimetsuji hurled a lightning spear between them, blasting them apart. Clara slid across the ground, rising with a fierce glare, while Kimetsuji gave her a confused shrug at her expression.
Clara's face softened as she straightened, holding out her hand as if about to catch a ball. She focused, noticing purple spots flickering in the driver's aura, which surrounded him like armor on a mystic knight ready for battle.
She dashed forward, a purple-glowing staff materializing in her hand. She gripped it, then swiped it across her palm, as if sharpening a blade. The driver's face showed a flicker of shock as she charged, electricity crackling at the tip of her staff. He, too, readied himself, and a light glow formed around his hand, materializing a gauntlet.
Clara stepped forward, slashing at the driver. He slid his foot back, deflecting the blow, and moved to grab her by the side. She blocked with her staff, twisting to deflect him again, and he retreated as she launched a flurry of strikes. They danced in a heated exchange of attacks and deflections.
Finally, Clara swung a kick at him, but he raised his arm to block, bending back slightly as he was propelled away with immense force. An unexpected sound filled the air—the blaring of sirens, echoing down the street like a rock concert's finale.
The driver glanced back at Clara, but seeing the police approaching, he turned away. Clara and Kimetsuji pursued him, but as they closed in, he dodged and sprinted toward a nearby building. Then, the air filled with a strange, otherworldly music as a portal opened.
The driver leapt into the portal with a sigh. "Guess I couldn't finish my job. What a pain."
Clara and Kimetsuji, sensing his escape, dashed into the portal with him, gusts of wind trailing behind them.
They emerged in a misty blue space that resembled a grand concert hall. The driver stood ahead, but a new voice rang out—a soothing, poetic tone. "Ohoho, we have guests… hmmm." The mysterious figure sat on a stool upholstered with rich leather, a grand piano before him. Its dark wood gleamed as he began to play, the delicate notes reflecting a master's skill.
The musician paused, rising with a delighted smile. "Goodbye, my dear guests. That's all you can witness today." Another portal opened between Clara, Kimetsuji, and the driver, pulling them through before they could react.
They found themselves back at the original battlefield, like employees reluctantly transferred to a new location. Police had arrived, investigating the area and searching for any trace of the driver.
Scorched earth and scattered ice shards were all that remained.