"FINALYYYYYYYYYYYY!" the announcer yelled into his mic. It echoed around me, almost like his voice was bouncing against walls. "DOKUREMI KONAN, FED WITH THE DIRTY FOUL PLAYS, HAS DECIDED TO ACTIVATE HIS UNIQUE SKILL—THE VANISHMENT~!"
Not having time to think, I glanced around, trying to notice the closest circle of chalk around me. Fast, fast, fast-
Halfway rising, I was kicked in the abdomen. "HOW IS IT, SATO?!" Then a fury of fists caught me in a circle of pain. My abdomen was showered with hits, yet my face somehow wasn't touched.
HE'S PLAYING WITH ME—
Just as I tried kicking him, the punches stopped. A rush of air passed to the left of me. THERE YOU ARE! Spinning around, I tried catching him with a leg kick.
Nothing, just air.
In pain, I started coughing. Heavy amounts of blood fell from my mouth down onto the grass.
I won't be able to keep up much longer—
Suddenly, I heard a yell from the side I came through—from the south. Marianne yelled, "CHEEEEATER!"
CHEA— I DID NOTHING! SHE KISSED— No, no, no point in thinking about that.
Or does she mean me using the ability when he wants hands?
NO—STOP THINKING ABOUT THAT! I COULD BE ATTACKED FROM ANY SIDE AT ANY TIME! SHOULD I CREATE A BLADE? I CAN'T, IT WILL TAKE ME 50 MP! That's right, a weapon, any kind of—
Why did she call me over in the first place anyway? I glanced over at her; she continued yelling with her hands around her mouth, hoping I'd hear better through the cheers.
"REMEMBER THE PLAN, CHEATEEER!" Marianne yelled again as I glanced at her.
The plan?
I glanced at my wrist.
MP: 50
HP: 50
Creating that shield really took a lot of MP. Following the plan now… impossible!
I could create two—ARGHHH! Not having any more time to think, I got kicked in the back. Falling onto my knee, I tried to backhand anyone behind me. Too late—he was already on my side, moving the air with him. His palm connected with my left cheek.
That once again knocked me out. The distant cheering started blending in with the ringing in my head. Falling onto the ground, my eyes closed.
"IS THIS A KO!? WE WILL NOW PROCEED WITH A COUNTDOWN! IF CONTESTANT SATO DOESN'T RISE BY 0, CONTESTANT KONAN WILL WIN BY KO!" Those were the last words I heard before my memories drifted back—around twenty minutes earlier.
"Alright, that concludes the first part of the plan. Anastasia, you can enter the class now," Marianne said to someone, my eyes still closed.
What's this?
"Now second, Ryuzaki. This is where you come into play. The plan is as simple as it could get. Dokuremi's power is simple but deadly—vanishing, while Sato's is weapon creation. Right, Sato?"
She asked me. I tried answering, but it only came out in mumbles.
Suddenly, a voice almost the same as mine answered, "Yes, that's right."
WHAT THE—SERIOUSLY, WHAT IS THIS!?
My eyes opened. I was floating above them. I could see myself curiously looking at Marianne and Ryuzaki, wondering what they had planned.
THAT—THAT'S ME!?
"Sato, out of all the C's, Dokuremi is your natural enemy. The only person you could beat as an F rank would be him."
"How so?"
"Exactly because of his ability. The plan is seriously as stupid as it could get."
"So what is it?"
Ryuzaki sighed and leaned back against the wall. "Are you that dense? You simply create a long enough weapon and spin around like crazy. Mastery? Precision? Who needs that? If a spinning blade is coming at them, they won't have a way to counter it—at least Dokuremi won't."
I KNOW THAT, DENSE HEAD! HOW DO I DO IT WHEN I'M OUT OF MP!? TO MAKE ONE SPEAR, I'D NEED ONE HUNDRED MP!
I thought in a fit of rage.
"That's right," Marianne continued, "and as a bonus, I want Ryuzaki to create small safe zones—small enough to not be seen as outside cheating, big enough to be helpful. Made out of chalk, it will be seen if someone moves through them."
"And if something goes wrong?" I asked—not the one below me. I asked, floating from above. I was surprised I could actually speak, immediately holding my mouth.
Was that alright? I heard scary shit about stuff like this. I shouldn't have interrupted- Am I cursed now..?
Everyone below me stopped for a second. Me, down there, slowly vanished, as did Ryuzaki. Marianne looked upwards, straight into my eyes, slowly disappearing as well. I got a slight chill down my spine. Shi-
"Just run, run and run until you're out of breath," she said, vanishing into the darkness—as did my eyesight.
"Sato," someone said my name. "THREE!" someone else yelled. My eyes remained closed. All I could see was darkness.
"Sato."
"TWO!"
Still nothing.
"SATO!"
My ears slowly adjusted—the cheering, the cursing, the one yelling for me. Both Anastasia and Marianne.
No.
"ONEEEEEEE!" The announcer yelled, at the same time- "SATOOOOOOOOOO!" It was everyone from the south. Every F-rank student yelled out my name—even Ryuzaki.
My eyes opened.
"ZERO! IS IT OVER!?"
I slowly got onto my knees. "STOP THE COUNTING!! NOTHING'S OVER UNTIL I SAY SO, YA BASTAARDS!"
I've run my entire life—ran and ran and ran.
I glanced at my wrist.
I wanted to promise myself I'd never run again, ever…
MP: 65
HP: 50
Alright, thirty-five more. Thanks, Marianne, everyone.
"HE HAS RISEN! NO KO VICTORY FOR DOKUREMI KONAN! BATTLE CONTINUUUUUUUUUES!!!"
I promised…
The south went crazy. "SATO! SATO! SATO! F, F, F, F, F, F! SATO! SATO! SATO!"
I could even hear a window break—probably due to students trying to get a better view. Overcrowding against each other, they fell through.
I glanced back towards my side. Somehow, more makeshift flags appeared. Every second student was waving one beyond the window.
I promised myself… but I'll break it, just this one time.
Anastasia's usually stoic face was now struck with a smile of relief, while Marianne glanced at her with half-closed eyes and crossed arms. Ryuzaki was between them, cheering the hardest—for one reason or another. The boys, Akito's group behind him, even had drums.
That's why I promise to myself now.
"SATO!" Ryuzaki led the flags, left-right DRUMS "SATO!" left-right DRUMS "SATO!" left-right DRUMS "F, F, F, F, SATO! SATO! SATO!"
I rose to my feet, feeling the air slightly move towards me from the south. I entered a half-sprint towards the north.
THIS IS THE LAST TIME I'LL RUN—IF NOT FOR ME, THEN FOR EVERYONE CHEERING FOR ME!
Even with newfound confidence I couldn't help but think:
But seriously, what shitty choreography is that- Ryuzaki..?"
I smiled
Well it is something, alright..