Editing City Series:Volume8a Chapter3 (section)

===Aoe’s Sight Mode: In DT’s Central Detroit District===

'''<Aoe’s Over Reload>

After switching to Sight, Aoe saw an earthen wall before his eyes.

Before he realized that was the ground, his hands reached it and his body bounced upwards.

His feet were already on the ground.

So he raised his upper body.

'''“Run.”

He forcibly drew out his leg and back strength while collapsed forward.

He directed himself toward the end of the alley.

He ran in a rapid dash given 5 times the speed thanks to the thing Yuo had fed him.

He kicked off the ground and leaped forward in an instant.

“Whoa!”

He relied on his sense of balance and his vision. Instead of using his vision to see, he used what he saw with his vision to predict what would happen next. It wasn’t a difficult thing.

<The Kobayashi School is all about seeking pure power without relying on Techs and Rhythms.>

With that thought, he crouched lower as he ran.

The maximum human sprinting speed was a bit over 20mph.

With a program multiplying that by 5, air resistance became a real problem.

100 miles per hour was about 50 yards per second. At that speed, the air resistance created lift that threatened to carry him from the ground.

He leaned even further forward.

Instead of running, he was basically pressing himself against the ground and “climbing” the earth.

Two seconds later, he heard an explosion of dirt from where he had landed earlier.

He did not look back.

He knew what had happened.

<He’s after me!>

He heard a second and third boom too. His foe was accurately pursuing his 100mph run.

“Y-yes! Th-the knight is after us!”

“In what way?”

“Um, do you remember that movie we went to see together a long time ago?”

“Oh, yeah! That one with the eccentric female prisoner! That was a good one!”

“No, I mean the kaiju one! Wait, he’s getting really close, Senpai!”

“Mh,” he grunted before taking a leap.

He did not jump high. He made a low dive to bring him as far forward as he could manage.

He still flew above the rooftops and could see the sky again.

First, he kicked off one of the roofs rushing by beneath him.

The spear jabbed in, trying to scoop him up from below.

But he was already airborne, so he ignored it. The spear shattered the roof, creating an explosion of sound behind him.

He twisted around in midair, turning to face the enemy while continuing to leap from roof to roof.

He checked on the knight while also moving away from him.

The knight was about 50 yards away with the waves of rooftops at about hip height.

“Mh,” nodded Aoe, viewing the city and noting the Yard personnel marker Yuo had created had only moved a bit closer than before.

After spotting a flat rooftop, he stopped moving his feet.

“The Yard is taking too long. The evacuees must be delaying them. Yuo.”

The wooden roof bent below him as it negated his inertia.

And he asked a question.

“If I defeat that knight now, Yuo, it will mean you supported my fist – the fist that once killed someone and the fist of a Plus dropout. Are you sure you want to do that?”

“…”

Yuo said nothing, but he could sense she was shrinking down.

He listened to her silence while watching the giant black knight race toward him.

The 8yd giant would cover the 50 yards between them in no time.

The knight’s massive body trembled and hemorrhaged blood, but he did not let go of his spear.

The hands holding that spear possessed a power so much like Downloading. The grip was a bit loose, but the movements had real life to them. These weren’t the lifeless movements of a subprogram.

His charge was about to reach Aoe and Yuo.

But Aoe ignored that and opened a window to his right. He displayed the knight’s stats that Yuo had copied earlier. The very top labeled the knight an “NPC Body”.

The stats gave a brief history for the knight.

<A security company employee with a home in the south district. His family includes an NPC Body wife and child.>

Aoe sighed and asked Yuo a question.

“How do you think he managed to utter a Download Text earlier?”

“I don’t know. An NPC Body shouldn’t be able to do this, but he’s doing it anyway. You could say we’re watching the unknown. And unfortunately, the Yard has given Level 3 authorization.”

“What does that mean?”

Yuo nodded and explained.

“It incorporates both Level 1, authorization to destroy the knight, and Level 2, authorization for the highest ranking officer in the area to take limited command. But…”

He looked up at her as she trailed off.

Her eyebrows bent sadly and she hung her head, so he prompted her to continue.

“But what?”

“Well, even in this state, that knight is still an NPC Body. He either underwent some kind of Break or someone intentionally changed him, but he has a personality of his own.”

“So you want me to save him?”

<Not possible.>

Aoe responded with his thoughts and his voice.

“My specialty is a deadly power. Keep that in mind when you ask me to do things.”

“I understand that. Your power is to fight, not to protect.” She took a breath. “Anyway, Level 3 authorization includes support from the DT Yard commander. That means Commander Telyb and Lieutenant Fooblicky will use their joint Grandload to activate their Demigod Program. Then they will install their power into you.”

“What is a Demigod Program?”

'''“Help: Demigod Program

'''“The unique programs given to each of the 13 Demigods. They are linked to the OS and thus unreproducible.

'''“Non-Demigods can use them, but it requires special authorization and a massive amount of virtual heat energy.”

“Now, Senpai. I have a question for you.” She took a breath. “When ‘not possible’ appeared in your window earlier, what tone were you thinking it in?”

“Well…”

He was hesitant to answer and heard her laughing quietly. When she spoke, there was exasperation in her voice.

“Hee hee. You don’t have to answer. I’m a little scared to hear the answer myself.”



'''<Aoe’s Over Reload>

Aoe faced forward without answering Yuo.

The giant knight was right in front of him.

The knight was two steps away. In that time, he heard a footstep behind him.

Yuo had canceled her coordinate setting and landed on the roof.

He turned just his head to look her way and saw her standing motionless.

She gave him a serious nod and opened her mouth.

“Let’s do this!”

'''<Yuo: Ranged Effect: Function Expansion: Wide-Range Control & Precision Magnification: Run>

Light raced along the surface of the cloth keyboard spread out over her shoulders as arching armor.

The green light drew out a grid.

'''<Function Expansion: Distributed Control: Celestial>

The glowing grid left the arches and expanded, forming a 2yd sphere surrounding her.

Light green letters and function keys appeared all across the spherical grid.

'''<Yuo: WAV Word Race Special Ability: Limiter Off: Activating High Quality Voice Output>

“I will now release the restrictions on your Word Race special ability, Senpai. Then I will create an attack restriction release program so we can both use our Grandloads.”

Aoe heard a pulsing tremor run through his body.

The cause was displayed on the window open in front of him.

'''<Aoe: ASB Word Race Special Ability: Limiter Off: Activating High-Speed Movement Resistance>

Then Yuo sang her Text.

She sang a voice input program that accelerated the spherical strings typed out by her fingers.

''The distributed lines go to the multitude. The variable numbers bring us all together.

''The power I produce goes to your pure arms and pure legs.

''You carry no restrictions. This city has forgiven you. I have forgiven you.

''I use the forgiveness of all as the signal for the running program.

She slowly moved her hands and feet to touch the spherical keyboard as she sang.

Like a dance, her movements and voice worked in harmony to send more strings flowing out into the air.

Her fingers and voice produced a program.

The program was created at twice the usual speed and its characters raced out along the celestial orbit.

She spoke from the center of all that light.

“Senpai, I will be providing sub support for your Grandload. I will be using a Text we both know, so try to keep up.”

“What Text is that?”

“The song of the Chancellor’s Officers League. Sing it with me to help create the Load Emblem.”

She opened her mouth and he followed suit.

They sent out their Texts at the exact same moment.

It was a Text they had once sung together.

'''I shall move ever forward.

A moment later, a black spear emblem appeared clearly on Aoe’s hands.

The emblems gave a roar. The high-pitched sound was like breaking metal.

A similar shattering sound came from Yuo’s throat.

With the glowing orbits surrounding her, something appeared behind her head along with a great wind: a transparent green emblem.

It depicted a prophet goddess facing left – the face of a divine princess who speaks only Texts.

Yuo’s voice rang far louder than before.

“I will directly release your attack restrictions! The program is a rush job, so it will only last 30 seconds!”

'''<Safety Unlock: Target’s Full Attack Approved: Time Limit: 30 Seconds>

A white transparent countdown of 30 seconds appeared over his head.

Then she signaled for him to sing with her.

“Sing the song of the forward march!”

––'''I shall move ever forward.

'''I shall move forward to accomplish something or to solve a problem.

'''No matter the strength or speed of my foe. No matter the destiny carried by my foe.

'''I shall move ever forward.

'''My hands shall tear down my foe’s every barrier and my feet shall trample their every trap.

'''I wield the defensive power to block any wind. I wield the offensive power to tear through any wall.

'''My power is a manifestation of my will.

'''My Lives carry all this power with them.

'''They carry the power of my hands, legs, head, and even the minute power of the tip of my toe.

'''I shall draw on all that power and surround myself in my own willpower.

'''I can fight.

'''I can fight.

'''So I shall move ever forward.

'''To accomplish something or to solve a problem.

'''That is why I sing this marching song of progress.

'''Any goal is achievable if you never give up.

'''<Multiple Load Emblems: Black Belt & Wish Bringer: Preparing for Simultaneous Use>

More sound roared from Aoe’s fists and Yuo’s back.

Hundreds of windows opened around them in an instant, whipping up the wind as they did. They displayed the program and authorization text needed to load reality into this false world.

There was no reason or need to refuse.

[[Image:DT01_157.jpg|thumb]]

The Grandload began.

'''<Activation authorized for 256M Lives within the virtual space>

'''<Load Emblem: Activating: Run>

A window that said “run” opened.

Then text ran from the emblems on Aoe’s hands, reaching the back of his elbows.

■Type-AA0765: God-class: Black Belt■

'''<Activating Grandload of Aoe’s arm strength: Loading full Lives and releasing upper limit on striking power>

Three diskettes appeared on the ■s at his elbows and began to rapidly spin.

Yuo’s Grandload began as if responding to Aoe’s.

Strings raced out from either side of the emblem surrounded by a square on her back, circling toward her shoulders.

■Type-WB0573: God-class: Wish Bringer■

'''<Activating Grandload of Yue’s voice: Loading full Lives and releasing upper limit on voice strength>

The text rippled and shined once before two giant diskette programs opened above the emblem behind Yuo.

Her emblem was a collection of 2D images that rapidly spun with its character strings stretching out like wings.

A black line of light extended from the ■ at the end of their Emblems and joined together.

Their link was established.

It only took a moment.

A sound like shattering glass came from Aoe’s hands and feet and an impact ran through his body.

His hands stiffened at the vibration and he his body shook for a moment, but then…

“Gasp! My strength…my strength is back!”

Then he tensed his entire body. He had strength in his arms. He hadn’t felt this definite arm strength since arriving in DT.

…''I can punch!

With that thought, a dull light washed across the texture of the emblems covering his hands.

He looked down and viewed the emblem and letters floating above his right fist.

<nowiki><I</nowiki> have called you to this false world, my Plus dropout fist!>

He opened a window and looked back to meet Yuo’s gaze as she stood somewhat crouched within her celestial keyboard.

She glanced up and read his window, but…

“Senpai. You might be mad at me for saying this, but I don’t see it that way.” She shut her eyes. “This reminds me so much of the past. Of the mere 3 years I spent in Japan 600 years ago for me. Of the short time when someone actually had a need for me.”

She traced her fingers along the inside of the celestial sphere.

“What about you, Senpai? Can’t you trust in this moment as a Plus person?”

He froze for a moment.

He felt a gentle pressure in his fist. He felt his Load Emblem’s link with Yuo’s Load Emblem.

He placed his fingers on that faint power as Yuo asked again.

“What about you, Senpai?”

He hesitated.

His hesitation was broken by the grip strength he felt in his fist.

He felt his strength continuing to grow, like it threatened to break through his fingers from within.

But he also felt something else on his hand. He felt Yuo place her hand on his.

He doubted she would let go no matter how much strength there was in his fist.

So he frowned and lowered his gaze somewhat.

<nowiki><I…></nowiki>

Before he could continue that thought, Yuo saw his window and changed her expression.

She lowered her eyebrows and gave him an exasperated smile.

She shook her head, telling him he didn’t have to answer.

Seeing that, he stopped his line of thought and focused fully on his fists.

A few lines raced out into the sky as if in response to his shift in focus.

'''<Aoe’s Sight Mode has ended>