Editing City Series:Volume8a Chapter9 (section)

===Aoe’s Continued Sight Mode: On DT Castle Grounds===

'''<Aoe’s Over Reload>

Aoe maintained Sight Mode as he jumped out and found himself approximately 16 yards up.

A water-filled moat awaited him below.

One of the castle wall’s viewing pathways was approximately 6 yards down and to the left, but the door into the tower was closed.

He stuck both hands into the backpack he held in his mouth and immediately selected the items he needed.

He chose a thin rope and a flashlight that had been part of the disaster supplies.

He tied the end of the rope to the flashlight inside the backpack.

A moment later, the tower wall exploded behind him.

That was the result of the artillery strike. The shockwave from the sound pressure hit him before the flying rubble could.

“Mh!”

He didn’t allow himself more than a grunt while twisting his falling body to face the castle wall.

<Is Yuo watching?>

He visually confirmed the viewing pathway sticking out from the castle wall to the left. The passageway extended due north, but it branched to the left partway through, connecting to the castle itself.

The white-walled castle was visible to the southeast. It appeared to be a square fortress.

He saw knights on the three-way junction connecting the castle wall’s viewing pathway to the castle.

Those were reinforcements for the tower.

'''“Not a problem.”

He once more Downloaded his right hand and grabbed the flashlight in his spread fingers.

The thin rope was tied to the middle of that and he threw it forward, toward the top of the viewing pathway.

The flashlight flew around 10 yards forward – toward the floor of the viewing pathway there.

His body drew out a parabolic arc as he fell.

He held the other end of the unraveling rope in his left hand. His right hand put the backpack on his back while he avoided the rubble catching up from behind.

He dropped lower than the top of the castle wall.

The stone wall seemed to be rising on his left. A single metallic clank came from its top. That was the flashlight hitting the viewing pathway.

“Please work!”

He spoke his wish out loud while pulling in the thin rope.

Still falling, he pulled on the rope without feeling it catch.

But just before he reached the water below, he felt the rope go taut.

He looked up.

'''<Aoe’s Over Zoom>

The fully extended rope was tight against the edge of the wall 10 yards above.

A sharp tug pulled it even tighter.

So he swung his legs. He used his swinging feet like a pendulum to accelerate himself forward while hanging just above the water.

“Mh!”

He kicked at the water’s surface to bring himself toward the wall.

Pieces of the broken tower fell into the moat as they caught up from behind.

The water splashed while he ran in his dangling pose.

Pulling with his left arm shortened the pendulum and increased the inertia.

He used that momentum to move left and plant his feet on the wall.

'''“Go for it!”

A shattering glass sound came from both his legs.

A black emblem briefly appeared on his feet before disappearing again.

He stood perpendicular from the wall and he ran up it. Up toward the sky.

He sprinted, his left arm reeling in the rope, always accelerating to avoid losing his momentum.

The 10 yards of vertical distance didn’t even take him 10 steps.

With his right hand, he peeled Monkey from his leg and placed him on his shoulder.

“Food!” he shouted and Monkey handed him a x5 chocolate bar from his backpack.

After confirming it was the strawberry flavor, Aoe tore the wrapper open with his teeth. By the time he shoved the entire bar into his mouth, he had arrived at the top of the wall.

His acceleration had been sufficient.

Just before leaping from the wall into the sky, he focused on his vision.



'''<Aoe’s Over Zoom>

In that instant, Aoe saw the three-way junction atop the castle wall.

The passageway leading to the castle’s 2nd story was directly in front of him.

The other two directions were the pathways along the castle wall.

Four knights stood on the left side of the junction. They were running toward the tower he had jumped from.

After noting that, he forced his body up and leaped.

He propelled himself toward the spot behind the running knights.

His accelerated body flew high to circle behind them.

He used that instant in the air to tug hard on the rope in his left hand.

The flashlight attached to the other end of the rope was now 10 yards behind him and it flew like a whip at his tug.

The flashlight acted as a counterattack on the knights trying to reach the tower.

He saw them try to dodge. They ducked low with well-coordinated movements.

The flashlight passed above their heads.

Then they followed the flashlight’s movement to turn toward him.

He smiled as all four’s eyes landed on him.

Instead of catching the incoming flashlight, he let it fly behind him and swing around him.

The rope swung with his arm as its fulcrum, so the flashlight took a large circular path.

The knights stood up and tried to turn to face him.

But it was too late.

The rope anchored by the flashlight had already reached them. It caught all four of them at the hip.

“…!?”

Once the rope’s circular movement was stopped by the knights’ bodies, it rapidly wrapped around them.

By then, Aoe had let go of the rope.

He leaned forward, crouched low, and ran toward the knights.

The rope wrapped around them hindered their movements, so Aoe approached one of them and used his left hand to swipe the submachinegun from that one’s hip.

He used the one hand to switch off the safety, made sure it had ammo in the magazine, and looked to Monkey on his shoulder.

Monkey nodded. The firearm control program had already activated, beginning its time limit.

If he pulled the trigger, bullets would come out.

“Mh.”

He aimed the submachinegun toward the neck of the knights’ defensers.

Four gunshots rang out.

The control devices on the backs of their necks were all destroyed.

That kept the defensers from operating, effectively immobilizing the knights.

“Because Yuo would probably cry if I killed you.”

[[Image:DT01_399.jpg|thumb]]

With those parting words, he turned his back on the knights and took off running. A beat later, the knights started shouting protests, but he ignored them and directed his feet toward the castle’s entrance.

He worked his mind while running one step at a time.

He recalled what that man named Excel had told him in the communications tower.

<They plan to erase Yuo’s current Plus-related memories and bring back the Minus Yuo?>

He released his willpower on a level exceeding mere thought.

'''“I won’t let you!”

A shattering glass sound came from his feet and he accelerated.

He cleared the junction in mere moments and prepared to enter the Top Page inside the castle.

The inside looked dark from the outside.

But he did not hesitate to run in.

“I don’t have to be the strongest. You can call me deadly, a fake, or a dropout all you want.”

He definitely clenched his right fist just as he was entering that darkness.

'''“Grant me strength!”

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