Editing City Series:Volume4a Chapter 2 (section)

===Part 2===

'''7:21 PM

They were Words and they were sung in a female voice unlike the voice of that former enemy.

''Nobody takes the middle road

''Nothing lives or dies

''It all either falls into ruin or survives

''Everyone, everyone, everyone

The Words reverberated in the singer’s throat with a somewhat fast tempo and they contained a rumble much like thunder.

Shoui knew whose voice that was.

“Boss!?”

He turned around to find Taeko standing there.

“Were ya waitin’ long?”

“Eh? Yes, a very long time.”

“Ya sure are honest,” replied Taeko with a slight smile.

She laughed out loud and used her giant false left arm to grab Shoui’s collar as he sat on the ground.

“Ya really don’t change, do ya!? I wouldn’t have it any other way, though!”

He was quickly lifted up higher than her and he sighed while dangling down like his clothes were placed on a hanger.

“I’m glad to see you haven’t changed either, boss.”

“Of course I haven’t. In Nagoya, we take pride in the fact that we don’t change no matter where we go. More importantly…”

“?”

“Can ya go up on the Tsutenkaku this late?”

“They close at six. See?”

Shoui pointed toward the gate at the bottom of the tower that was only lit by the emergency lighting now.

Realizing the truth, Taeko sighed in obvious disappointment.

“Ahh, ahh. If only the meetin’ had ended sooner.”

“What was the meeting about? Or is that a secret?”

“Ixolde’s gonna be activated in two days, so they needed our final approval. Ixolde’s pretty neat on the inside.”

“Oh, you went inside?”

Taeko showed off her white teeth in a smile.

“Well, all the important bits were still closed off behind shutters. They showed us a room full of computers and stuff, though.”

“I see…”

“Is something the matter?”

“So all the Kansai Chancellors really are gathered at #2?”

“Not all. Kobe’s still a mess after that earthquake last year, so they haven’t selected a new Chancellor. And Kanazawa never responded to the request and didn’t send anyone.”

Taeko lowered Shoui.

Even when standing, she was about three sizes taller than him and she looked at him with a perfect look of indifference.

“Then again, yer precious Koto Chancellor didn’t show up either, sayin’ she had other business to take care of. I was hopin’ to say hi if I met her.”

“…”

“Have ya met her? Accordin’ to that Saki guy who was attackin’ ya, ya only just left the Mountain yesterday.”

“Yeah, I took my things here and moved into the dorm yesterday.”

Unable to look Taeko in the eye, Shoui looked down.

“And I haven’t met her yet. I haven’t contacted Nandaimon either.”

“Why not? Because I beat ya and become Chancellor?”

“Well…”

“Or because yer precious Koto Chancellor killed my brother? With that flash freezin’?”

“That was-…!”

Shoui looked up and started to say something, but Taeko smiled and patted his shoulder.

“Let’s just leave it at that.”

—''Taeko – Mind Tech – Take – Persuasion – Hit.

“I’m glad even a guy like you would try not to hurt my feelings.”

“I feel like you keep insulting me here…”

“Don’t worry about it. Now, how about ya go visit Nandaimon Shrine?”

“I plan to eventually…”

—''Taeko – Boxing Tech –Take – Headlock – Hit.

“Ow, ow, ow, ow!”

“What’s this ‘eventually’ nonsense? If ya don’t get goin’ right away, I’ll bully ya. I heard what ya really think back at the Mountain. I forced it out of ya, remember?”

“Yeah, that Boston crab was no laughing matter… But that’s not the- ow ow! M-my brains are gonna come out!”

—''Shoui – Gym/Dodge Tech – Multiple Counter-Take – Escape – Hit.

“Ahh, I think you changed the shape of my head.”

“It’s what ya get for not pullin’ yourself together.”

Taeko tapped his shoulder with the thumb of her false arm.

“I got this Eighth Dragon Emperor after our fight, but am I any different than I was before? Even the Koto Chancellor is-…”

“But Yuuki is different.”

“How?”

“She…”

“Because she killed someone?”

Taeko let out a deep sigh.

“Then ya should become a Chancellor, too. Then ya’d get permission to kill. And when it comes to the Koto Chancellor…well, I can see how yer thoughts get the better of ya.”

“But I don’t have my own Words. …And I let other people influence me too much. Like with that 1st Special Duty Officer.”

“Ya’ll find yer words somewhere eventually. Mine only came to me durin’ our fight…and they were the same as my brother’s. More importantly,” she added. “Lecutrin’ ya here isn’t gonna help, so just go meet her.”

“You’re probably right. …Then for now, how about we get something to eat? Where do you want to go?”

“Ya moron. I can’t do anything if ya don’t lead the way.”

“Do you not know your way around Osaka?”

[[Image:City_v04a_093.jpg|thumb]]

She shook her head, so Shoui accepted it.

“Then let’s walk around and find a dote-yaki place or something. They have large counters.”

As soon as he made that suggestion, he saw a light.

A bolt of lightning fell on Osaka.

“!?”

When they heard the deep, tearing Live rumbling around them, Shoui and Taeko turned to the west.

An electrical discharge filled the sky over the Yodo ward.

“Winter lighting? That sure was flashy.”

“No! That wasn’t lightning!”

Shoui took a few steps forward.

“!? Shoui!”

He did not turn back toward Taeko’s voice.

—''Shoui – Army Tech – Take – Projectile Recognition – Hit!

“What’s the matter!?”

Taeko ran up behind him, but he still did not turn her way.

He focused on a single point in the sky and spoke.

“I’ve seen this once before. That wasn’t lightning. It was ether being loaded from Suzaku Ver. 40!”

“Suzaku Ver. 40? You mean that combat satellite!?”

“Yes. Since they can’t use an orbital Word Particle Cannon in urban areas, Nandaimon has Suzaku Ver. 40 provide the ether that powers holy spells.”

“Um, so that means…what?”

“That light would only fall toward the person who can directly contact Suzaku Ver. 40…and that means Yuuki.”

Shoui slowly walked forward.

“Shoui!?”

When Taeko called after him, he reflexively broke into a run.

“Ya moron! Is that what ya do after worrying someone!?”

His shoulders tensed at her voice.

A sort of fascination filled his gut.

On that night two years before, the injury to his forehead had caused him to pass out for a few moments. By the time he had woken, her opponent had already been dead.

Not even a single drop of blood had stained the ground and only Yamashita Gihei’s right arm had remained.

With blood staining half his face, he had supported her as she nearly collapsed and he had called for Senga in the blowing wind of Sarusawa Lake.

Two years had passed since Senga had determined Yamashita had died of “disintegration” due to an impact after being flash frozen.

The hands that had embraced her back then were now tightly clenched as he ran forward.

Saki Seiji had called her Killing Holder.

Even back then, she had not showed her emotions much, so it may have been an appropriate name for her.

…''Are you still the girl I know?

He hid that question in his heart and ran forward to find the answer.

He ran to meet her.