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"Oh shit!!!"
Seeing figure in jeepâNatsuki's heart jolted.
Orange-silver uniform. Oversized helmet. Cane gleaming silver in passenger seat... Identity: unmistakable.
Dan MoroboshiâUltraseven!
Third brother among Space Garrison Ultra Brothers. Former Earth Ultra Guard member, MAC Team captain. Ultra warrior who loved humanity unconditionally.
To every Space Garrison member except Leo: Seven was steady, benevolent figure. But Leo's memory alone: Seven had another face.
Devil instructor who devised hell training.
Current scene: exactly what Seven used training Leo.
Back thenâcountering Planet Kali alien (special move: high-speed horn ramming), Seven devised training method: drive jeep, continuously ram Leo's human form, force mastery of evasion.
Sounded demonic, absurd. But Leo really trained that way.
"Wait, Seven!"
"I'm not Leoâlook clearly!"
"I'm Natsuki!"
Watching jeep close inâNatsuki shouted frantically.
This training for Leoâwhat's it got to do with me?!
Beepâbeepâ
WHAM!
Whether other party hadn't heard or chose ignoreâ
Either way, after muffled impact: Natsuki went airborne.
"Don't blame me, Lias."
"My appearing here means you made wrong choice."
"Alsoâme here is energy clone. Understand it as program cooperating with Hikari." Dan Moroboshi watched Natsuki tumble into sand. Pushed car door. Limped over with cane.
Expression completely seriousâas if hell training wasn't his intention.
But Natsuki couldn't listen.
"Bullshit!"
Rose from sand. Eyes full resentment. Spat sand. Roared furiously.
"If you hadn't voluntarily provided energy and data, could Hikari summon your clone from thin air?!"
"You're settling personal grudges!"
"So what if I beat your son when little? There were reasons! That brat showed no respectâpractically lawless! Even Captain said I was right!"
"That kid grew upâfather didn't care, mother didn't love. Only I was bored enough to play with him. Now grown, closer to me than youânot my fault at all. If you ask me, you failed as father. If you'd shown even tiny bit more affection, would he have touched that damn tower?"
"And that nameâI've abandoned it. Call me Natsuki from now on!"
"Let me tell you, SevenâI remember all your embarrassing moments. For example..."
Pointed at Dan Moroboshi. Spoke with righteous fury.
At firstâDan Moroboshi seemed ready argue back. Years ago, certain matters made them quite at odds. But as Natsuki said moreâswallowed words back.
This old bastard had too much dirt.
Finallyâ
Could only sigh helplessly.
Pointed at countdown in air: "Stalling useless. Conversation time doesn't count toward training."
Hearing thisâNatsuki froze.
Looked up: motionless countdown.
Murderous intent rising!
"Hikari, you Babarue!!!"
Now understood why hell training called punishment.
Truly torture!
Still had to get rammed by broken car two hours?!
Just kill me!
"System Hikari developed can genuinely help your strength advance."
"Training just formality. Key: re-awaken potential within." Dan Moroboshi patted shoulder.
"Pull yourself together, Natsuki."
Limped back to jeep.
Left Natsuki standing. Expression drained of color.
"Use psychokinesis stop moving jeepâmain training content." Dan Moroboshi fastened seatbelt. "With current psychokinesis level, probably can't even precisely control Eight-Point Wheel trajectory anymore."
"Executing missions outside means encountering danger. Better master more abilities."
"Oh, reminderâ"
"This training: can't transform. Other abilities restricted. Only psychokinesis."
That explanationâNatsuki realized why mere car sent him flying.
After backing car upâDan Moroboshi's gaze sharpened.
"Get readyâtraining begins!"
Slammed gas. Jeep charged aggressively.
This timeâ
Natsuki not particularly panicked.
Mouth corner lifted. Called out: "Think this can stump me?"
"Let me show how I fight!"
With thatâ
Grabbed toward both sides. Under psychokinetic control: large sand amounts lifted, scattered into air. Dust filled sky!
Vision blocked. Natsuki's figure disappeared.
"Clever tactic." Dan Moroboshi drove jeep some distance. Missed target. Watched dust settleârevealed Natsuki other side, provocatively beckoning. Offered praise.
Then mouth corner also lifted.
"Howeverâreason this called hell-level."
Reversed. Launched another charge.
Natsuki again used psychokinesis lift sand as smoke screen.
But this timeâ
Beepâbeepâ
WHAM!
Natsuki's figure flew out again.
Jeep precisely found him through dust storm. Struck from behind like phantom.
Aimbot!
Hacks!
How playable?!
"So you're not playing fair either, Seven?!"
"Leo never got this treatment!"
Rose from sand again. Pointed, cursed.
Using Ultra vision track positionâif not hacks, what is?!
"Don't run away!"
"Try hard stop car with psychokinesis!" Dan Moroboshi started jeep. Shouted.
Natsuki ran front. Jeep chased behind.
"Seven, you're Babarue too!!!"
"You and Hikari sit same table!!!"
Hell-level training continued full two hours.
Reality.
4:30 AM.
Lying bed in Shatterdome rest room. Natsukiâdrenched sweatâslowly opened eyes.
Bloodshot eyes: full exhaustion, fury.
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