"What are you talking about?"
Sudo could sense the threat in Amane's words.
As a human being.
His instincts were screaming warnings at him, going absolutely wild.
The person before him was dangerous. Sudo felt the pain in his elbow from the earlier impact and he could understand.
Amane's strength was truly unfathomable.
Yet, Sudo still made a fatal mistake.
He trusted his eyes.
The girl standing in front of him. Was just a shrimp, shorter than 170 centimeters, compared to him.
If he just threw a punch.
He could win easily.
Was that really true?
No.
Deep down, Sudo already knew how strong Amane was. But his masculine pride wouldn't let him back down.
Even if he was beaten to a pulp, it had to be because he was knocked down, not because he knelt voluntarily.
Especially not conceding defeat to a girl.
He couldn't do it.
You could say he was protecting his ego, even to the death.
Sudo didn't plan to deny that about himself either.
However, the consequence of protecting his ego to the death was this.
He was about to experience the most terrifying nightmare of his life.
"Didn't catch that? Too bad, I don't like repeating myself." Amane slowly closed the distance between her and Sudo.
It had to be said. Amane's body proportions were perfect. Especially her long legs. Though not tall, her catwalk-like stride was peculiarly alluring.
Sudo, however, had no mind to appreciate her gait.
He was desperately trying to regulate his breathing. The earlier flurry of all-out attacks had drained his stamina significantly.
He had to seize every second of rest.
Finally, Amane, completely unconcerned, stepped into his attack range.
And stopped.
Sudo frowned.
This distance was subtle for him. It was right at the perfect range for him to launch an elbow strike.
If he attacked now. Whether with a punch or a kick, he'd need to chamber it first, pull back, before he could hit Amane.
Making such a large, telegraphed movement against a powerful opponent...
Sudo had a premonition he'd be taken down in the first exchange. Amane showed no intention of moving.
She was forcing Sudo to use a brute-force, physical attack.
Even an idiot knows.
You should never do what your enemy wants you to do. But Sudo had no way out now, he could only...
"Such trash."
Amane's lips curled into a faint smile.
Sudo's eyes began to burn red again.
Yes!
Yes!!!
This woman wore the exact same smile Horikita had when she mocked him. That condescending, looking-down-on-him smile.
What gave them the right to look down on him, Sudo?
He had to, he absolutely had to wipe that smile off their faces!!!
The last frayed thread of Sudo's rationality, already strained to its limit, snapped.
His last thread of reason had shattered.
He had lost all reason.
Commonly known as losing his mind.
"You piece of garbage, stop looking down on me!"
Sudo hurled filthy insults, raising his arm high and throwing a punch at Amane.
Whoosh—!
There was no doubt about the force behind Sudo's punch. The sound of it tore through the air by Amane's ear.
In the instant before the fist connected.
Amane tilted her head slightly.
Sudo's decisive punch met only empty air.
Carried by momentum, Sudo's body stumbled forward a few steps. Amane seized the arm Sudo hadn't yet retracted.
Executing a perfect shoulder throw, she slammed Sudo heavily onto the ground.
Thud!!!
"Argh!"
A pained cry escaped Sudo.
Even when Horikita had punched him squarely in the eye socket, Sudo hadn't made such a wretched sound.
But now, from just one throw from Amane, his body was curled up in agony.
"Amane, you..." Horikita covered her mouth, hardly able to believe what she was seeing.
Sudo had to weigh at least 80 kilograms, yet before Amane, he seemed as flimsy as paper, being tossed around effortlessly.
"Catch."
Amane pulled something from her pocket and tossed it to Horikita.
Horikita moved to catch it.
But it was too fast.
It smacked right into Horikita's face.
Amane facepalmed. She'd thrown the tissue packet like a projectile. Couldn't really blame Horikita for missing it.
"What is this..." A dazed Horikita, having been hit, finally saw the small packet in her hand was actually tissues.
Did Amane still have the presence of mind to be concerned about her condition right now?
"Get up."
Amane walked over to Sudo, looking down at him from above.
"Die!!!!"
Sudo roared in humiliation. Countless times, he had used his own height to look down on those he considered shrimps.
He never imagined he'd be the one humiliated by such a gaze.
Staggering to his feet.
Sudo threw a weak, powerless punch at Amane.
Amane caught it effortlessly with one hand.
Then, repeating the technique, she gave him another shoulder throw, slamming him onto the ground on the other side.
"What's going on in there? Is someone fighting?"
Bang, bang, bang.
Violent knocking came from the door.
It seemed Sudo's earlier roar had alerted the librarian.
Kushida, as if waking from a dream, moved to open the door.
"Get back here." Amane shot a glance at Kushida. Kushida instinctively raised her hands.
"A-Amane-san... Let's stop for today, okay?" Kushida forced a smile, trying to placate Amane. But no matter how she searched, she couldn't detect any emotion on that expressionless face.
She couldn't see through Amane at all.
Heck...she was even starting to wonder if this person was really Amane?
The Amane in her memory wasn't just different; she was completely unrecognizable.
This terrifying version was one she had never seen before.
And unlike the look she herself had accidentally revealed moments ago, Amane's eyes were filled with arrogance and confidence.
Or maybe it was conceit.
"Get back here."
Amane said for the second time.
Kushida could only shut her mouth and stand aside, leaving the librarian to continue pounding on the door.
Finally, the pounding stopped.
Probably gone to get the key.
In that case, they had to finish this quickly.
———!!
Sudo, taking advantage of Amane talking to Kushida, suddenly wrapped his arm around Amane's neck from behind in a chokehold.
"Aha ha ha! I still won! I still won! What use is studying?! What use is all your skill, you bitches?! You still lost to me in the end! Ha ha ha ha!"
Watching Sudo's hysterical shouts.
Amane's expression finally shifted.
"You really are pitiful."
Pitiful.
Sudo's fragile heart seemed to be struck.
Pounding violently.
A surge of immense power erupted from Sudo's whole body as he desperately tightened his arm.
He wished he could snap Amane's neck right then. He had gone completely mad, but Amane, utterly unconcerned, simply placed her hand on his.
And then———.
Crack.
Sudo's hand bone bent backwards at a grotesque angle.
"AAAAAGH! My hand! My hand—!" Sudo released Amane as if electrocuted, howling in agony as he clutched his injured hand.
"Your hand is fine. It'll pop back in. But... you probably won't be playing basketball or anything like that anymore." Amane's tone became soft.
"Tell me, do you often use violence to make others suffer? Now it's your turn, Sudo-kun."
Sudo Ken's gaze became vacant.
Can't play basketball anymore?
She's lying, right?
She has to be lying...
It's impossible.
How could something so cruel happen?
He hadn't done anything wrong!
What right did those weaker than him have to lecture him?
Why.
Why did an innocent guy like him have to suffer this?
Amane slowly raised her fist.
Took a deep breath.
Let's end it here.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.