Shizaki didn't have time to think, barely any time to act. Thankfully, someone else noticed what was about to happen in an instant.
Slightly rotating his head and extending his hand out, Sencho Neo prepared to meet the attack. With a power that can activate even faster than the swing of a sword, he was ready to counter.
Seeing sparks of a flame ready to burst forward from Neo's hand, the male figure immediately retracted his right hand that held his sword and made a fist with his left while bracing himself. A crystallised shield of white instantly materialised on his left arm as [Flash Flames] shot out. The unknown attacker managed to protect himself from the blaze just in time, but was instantly pushed back by the force of the waves of fire. Then, the shield disappeared into thin air.
All of this happened in just the span of a bit more than a second.
Shizaki had tripped over himself and fell while stumbling back in fear, and gasps of bystanders arose as the group turned around to understand just what was going on.
Many people around the scene gave mixed reactions. Some clutched onto their sheaths and weapons, as they seemed tense as to what was happening. Some others briskly stood back and displayed fright. Still others seemed a bit excited about what was unfolding.
As noise arose and commotion began as spectators started surrounding the scene, Kamazaki snapped, gathering King's attention abruptly.
"What…..what the hell?!"
"What's going on? What happened, Kamazaki?"
"I just barely saw it, but that guy just tried to kill Babyface!!"
"What?"
King, immensely shocked at what he had just heard, immediately glanced to where Shizaki was and not to where Kamazaki was pointing out the attacker. Finding him safe and sound, he ran over to him instantly, along with Yukino and Aya.
"Shizaki-kun!! Are you…..?!"
Shizaki couldn't answer.
Kamazaki, Ren and Neo kept their eyes fixated on the figure in front of them.
He was about their age, with a spectacular attire of blue and white. His face resonated an extremely frightened and hostile face, and he was not staring at anyone else but only on Daizen Shizaki.
Aya immediately tried to advance toward him, her eyes filled with an unusual sense of rage.
"You damn-!"
King tried to hold her back quickly, in fear that things might escalate even further, but he too was immensely agitated.
The young man didn't move. His eyes remained still on Shizaki, and vice versa. The former seemed to tremble, and he took deep, long breaths, in and out. Shizaki could sense something within that guy, something horrifying from the killing intent that he just had.
Was it unexplainable hate, rage, fear?
Maybe it was all of them at once, all aimed at him. He had no clue why.
".....You..."
He finally spoke. And yet, his facial expression remained.
".....You are..."
"Hey, hey, hey, hey, heyyyy!!!"
Kamazaki nearly shouted to the top of her lungs, prompting the attacker to finally turn to her. His expression relaxed a little, but a slight display of nervousness still remained.
"You can't just turn up here and decide to attack someone for no reason, dammit! Seriously, what's wrong with you?!"
Kamazaki was serious, probably the most serious she had been for her entire journey with the group, and for good reason.
"No….."
"No…?"
Confused by his reaction, and speech, she tilted her head in confusion, while the young man turned back to face Shizaki.
"Why…..this can't…..be right."
He wasn't making sense.
Aya exchanged glances with Shizaki, who knew exactly what she wanted to ask.
"....I don't know you….so why?"
The entire group and bystanders eyed Shizaki, who finally talked. The young man lingered back, drawing his sword. Aya, King, Yukino and Kamazaki all prepared for a fight, but Neo made no movement, only muttering under his breath.
"I did not anticipate this."
There was only silence. The person slowly moved, not forward, but backward. He eventually turned his back to them with a pained and anxious face. Walking away from the midst of the crowd who tried to stay away from him, he finally made his way to the gates of the Royal Guild, and then faded into the passers-by.
The crowd soon went into an uproar of emotions and tense conversations.
"That was scaaary!"
"What…..just happened?"
"Hey, boy, are you okay?"
Some tried to advance to Shizaki, but the latter simply got up, checked to make sure the attacker was out of sight and briskly walked forward, withAlexandriya Aya and Satou Yukino trying to go after him.
"Shizaki!"
"Shizaki-kun!!"
He clutched his shirt to where his heart was and gripped it tightly.
What the hell….is happening? Why?
Unsolved questions loomed into his head. An answer was all that Daizen Shizaki wanted, but he never seemed to get it, at least, not yet.
It had only been three days. Since three days ago when that supernatural vision appeared to Shizaki in Sekoto Forest, his entire life had changed instantly.
The unnatural wolves of Sekoto Forest.
The attack in the Royal Guild.
Why? Why is all of this happening to me? Why now?
Of course, everything is linked back to the vision itself. But for things to happen this early….it was too much for Shizaki to keep up from his point of view.
Had the enemy already made its move? Do they somehow know about him trying to change fate, and how? Will things continue to be like this? How could he save everyone he loved in the future if he was constantly attacked in the present? Why was he being targeted now?
No….nothing…..is making sense…think!"
The person seemed more scared of him than he himself was of his attacker, which was surprising as he really had no clue who that guy was.
Who was he? Why did he try to kill him?
Questions led to more questions, and the more they became unanswered, the more irritable and scared Daizen Shizaki became. He placed both hands on his head as he gripped his hair tightly with his fingers, closing his eyes and trying to gain peace of mind.
"Shizaki-kun, hey!"
Shizaki was disrupted by his thoughts as King and Yukino came close to his face in a consoling manner.
"Just slow down, bro. Everything's all right now."
"That guy tried to lunge at you…for no reason!"
Finally, the entire group had caught up to Shizaki, who had nearly run ahead of them.
The tour guide looked perplexed and anxious.
"Young man, are you alright?"
"...Yeah…"
Not at all, actually, but when in a horrible situation, he would normally lie to ensure that nobody else worried about his struggles.
Kamazaki, still visibly irritated, clicked her tongue.
"I still don't get that guy, what a psycho. Are you sure that you've never seen him before- wait, come to think of it….you've been acting nervous ever since we got here, Shi-mii."
She was clumsy, comedic, boisterous, and a bit rude at times, but she was also a very observant and sharp girl.
Shizaki's eyes shot upward, then slowly tilted to the right to meet her interrogative gaze as he finally let his arms down, but King stood up for him.
"Well, obviously. We're in the Royal Guild, about to take on the Selection. Of course he'd be nervous."
Despite this statement, Aya still drew close to Shizaki with a puzzled expression.
"Shizaki, are you sure everything is okay-"
"I'm fine…..I'm fine. I just….need a little space right now. I have no idea why things are happening the way they are. Right, a walk. I'll just take a walk for a bit, and I'll meet you guys at the Duel Arena for the Selection. Sorry about that."
"But-"
Trying to speak, Kamazaki raised her voice, but King placed an arm on her shoulder, and shook his head, signalling that she should keep quiet. With a slightly empathetic look, she nodded."
"....Alright."
Ren adjusted his monocle and disclosed:
"You should have a good thirty minutes left before the Selection begins. You will have to state your name as you get to the arena, and the registered names would be picked in random order, so please be present when they start announcing participants to come up to the stage. I'm sure that your friends will be there waiting for you there."
"Thanks."
With a slight nod, he said nothing else and walked aimlessly on and into the now calmer yet cautious crowd.
Seeing him off, Kamazaki closed her eyes and sighed before declaring:
"It still makes no sense, unless of course, that person was a complete madman."
"Who knows? Maybe you're right."
Neo replied, scratching his mask with his index finger.
-
-
-
Maybe you're right.
-----------------------------------------
(Chapter 23: Dead Man Walking.)