Editing City Series:Volume2 Chapter 7 (section)

===Part 4===

Amon was slammed against the wall. He knew exactly why: he had been hit by that kick again.

He coughed up some blood and shook his foggy head. He cleared his mind and the sound of the bell reached his ears.

This was the eleventh ring of the bell. Once it ended, the chain lowered, and the hammer struck the bell again, the ceremony would be complete.

That ceremony would gather all of the voices in London.

He felt something throbbing in his throat.

It was his own voice.

His voice could hardly wait for the twelfth ring and wanted to burst out of him now.

Just as Ralf had said, the demon Horn used in the Babel Cannon was resonating with his own Horn.

…''This isn’t good. For once, I’m actually acting like a demon.

An instant later, a sharp kick from Valeath stabbed into his side. His body floated up into the air a bit, but he withstood it. He did not fall.

But…

“How disappointing.”

The Hound looked at and gave his judgment of the man who had been known as the strongest in his Urban Hero days.

“You can never win if you stay the same as me.”

“Shut up.”

Amon pressed his heels against the ground in a defensive stance.

Valeath attacked him without delay. The weighty attack sliced through the air and flowed into his next movement. His movements were quick and filled with intent to kill.

That deadly intention was fully Opened and they were the words held by Valeath.

Amon blocked the kick and Valeath’s intent to kill directly shouted at him.

…''Why can’t you dodge this!?

He ducked to avoid a sword strike.

…''Why won’t you start attacking!?

The attacks overlapped and his words grew more intense. Amon could not catch his breath, so he replied with his own Open Words.

…''What’s wrong!? You have no time!

…''Shut up, you deadly bastard!

Amon kicked. Valeath raised his leg to block it and shifted into a kick of his own.

…''Is that all you have!? You can’t do any more than that!?

Amon did not answer. This meant he could not attack.

But Valeath did. He sent out attack after attack without using his sword. The barrage of blows and kicks carried murderous intent and words into Amon’s body.

…''Why!? Why can’t you do any more than this!?

…''Can you do nothing more than me!?

…''Can you only be the same as me!? Can’t you do anything else!?

A sharp attack came. It was a right kick.

It connected.

Amon had blocked, but he was knocked through the air and he read Valeath’s words.

These words had more power than any of the others.

…''Was I doomed to become what I am no matter how hard I struggled!?

That may have been what Valeath truly thought.

Amon regained his footing on the edge of the hole Moyla had fallen into. He somehow managed to remake his fighting stance.

Valeath also took a fighting stance from a few steps away. But he now raised his sword instead of his fists or legs.

“It is time to end this.”

Amon heard the chain begin to move behind him. It raced downwards while it gradually picked up speed.

…''I can’t believe this.

He muttered under his breath in self-deprecation.

“I need to do something.”

He was shocked by his own words.

His mind had grown somewhat unclear, so he Overrode it and his body. That brought the pain back to his body and woke him up.

He spoke the same words again, but this time as a question.

“I need to…do something?”

That meant he wanted to win.

That meant he would break out of this situation.

It meant he did not wish for death.

…''Why do I want this?

He suddenly noticed the gear he still held in his right hand.

He recalled the words of the girl who had left it with him.

“See you again someday.”

What had she meant?

“…”

He squeezed the gear and closed his eyes.

He thought some words as if speaking to himself.

…''Don’t try to show off.

He thought on those words and let out a forceful sigh. He glanced at the large hole behind him.

Why had Klausl thrown herself into that hole?

He felt like he knew the answer.

He tightly squeezed her gear and Opened a thought.

…''It’ll be okay.

In the corner of his vision, the chain was approaching its limit.

Valeath was also approaching.

“This ends here!”

A powerful strike came to slice Amon’s torso in two. He had no way of avoiding it.

But he avoided it regardless. He leaped back into the darkness at the bottom of the hole.

“Are you following after your woman!?” shouted Valeath.