Editing City Series:Volume4b Chapter 3 (section)

===Part 5===

'''7:57 PM

“!?”

Before Shoui could ask what was going on, the owner of the presence gave a powerful roar.

“Yuuki Yuuki!! Answer me! Why does the Dragon Emperor see ya as good!?”

It was Taeko.

The Dragon Emperor produced a shallow sound of activation.

“Boss!?”

Shoui was conflicted.

Beyond Takada and Hisahide, he could see Taeko with the Dragon Emperor at the ready.

This was dangerous.

He knew that.

An atmosphere so intense it brought pain shot across the train car and ruled their surroundings.

But Shoui was conflicted.

Should he stop Taeko?

Should he wait for Takada and Hisahide to do something since they stood between him and Taeko?

Should he protect Yuuki?

This should not have been a hard decision to make, but the doubt in his heart filled him with indecision.

He doubted whether he really needed to protect a girl who knew she was the Killing Holder.

Just as Yuuki had forgotten his three-year-old promise, Shoui only knew Yuuki from before she had killed.

And so he hesitated.

He came to a stop and someone else took action instead: Hisahide.

He shoved Takada to the ground in front of him and slapped his MD’s switch in.

Shoui remained motionless as the Flame High user began to move.

He began a slow turn to face Taeko.

“You moron! I thought you weren’t gonna fight!”

–''Shoui – Mind/Sight Tech – Auto-Take – Decode Expression – Hit.

A look of both surprise and confusion came to Hisahide’s face.

Hisahide’s eyes turned to Yuuki behind Shoui.

…''What did Yuuki do!?

Shoui’s silent question was answered in an unexpected way.

–''Shoui – Sight Tech – Auto-Take – Spot – Miss.

An intense weight slammed down on top of his right shoulder.

“!?”

–''Shoui – Gym Tech – Take – Control Stance – Miss.

The blow knocked him to his knees and he saw something like a giant metal rod on top of his shoulder.

It was Housei. Yuuki was aiming the weapon with Shoui’s shoulder acting as a prop.

But that was not all.

–''Shoui – Hear Tech – Auto-Take – Listen – Hit!

The intro of some horribly clear music reached his ears.

It was the Cold High Rhythm.

Yuuki was preparing to fire a blast of ice rather than water at Taeko.

It was one of the Cold High Rhythm’s frozen shots that had once killed Nagoya Vice Chancellor Yamashita Gihei.

“Yuuki!?”

As if in response to the Dog God’s yell, flames enveloped Hisahide’s leg as Takada lay on the floor next to him.

A series of motions began with those flames.

Housei prepared to fire its ether light.

Hisahide swung up the leg covered in the Flame High while keeping an eye on Taeko’s movements behind him.

Shoui remained motionless as it all approached the conclusion.

Or it should have.

However, someone rebuked Shoui.

It was Takada.

“You can’t let this happen! Stop them, Shoui-san!”

She did more than just shout.

She stood up.

And with that simple action, it all fell apart.

The Harmonist could not react to the sudden movement.

And in accordance with the rules, Hisahide’s sideways sweeping foot pierced through Takada’s unexpectedly raised torso.

“…!”

All Shoui saw was the fact that Hisahide had kicked Takada.

As planned, the boy’s kick cut through Yuuki’s icy blast as it swept through Takada’s torso, rotated in a compact arc behind him, and kicked away Taeko’s lightning blast.

The powers of ice and lightning were turned to ashes. The same fate awaited Takada.

As she doubled over and collapsed, her body was covered in fire.

The first to burn away was her clothing.

Next came her hands and Taromaru on her shoulder.

“Takada-san…!”

Shoui stepped forward to support her as she collapsed.

But…

–''Shoui – Mind Tech – Auto-Take – Restraint – Miss!

His actions were stopped by an odd impulse inside his heart.