Editing City Series:Volume4a Chapter 8 (section)

===Part 1===

'''4:36 AM

Before sunrise, the early winter morning was indistinguishable from night.

Wind blew through the Koto region.

It was a wintery north wind.

The wind raced through the basin-like Koto plateau and cleansed the air of the night. As the process repeated, the air of the winter night became that of morning.

The wind blew from north to south, pushing the night air south.

That wind moved toward Nara Station to the south of the Koto region. It was a single-story train station, but it was large enough for limited express trains to stop at.

This early in the morning, the platform had only just opened for business. The lights were on, but no one was there.

The people were all gathered at another part of the station: the ticket gate.

About ten station attendants had gathered at the ticket gate despite the chilly north wind.

They wore the blue uniforms of the national railway, three of them were positioned inside the station, and the rest were placed outside. Based on the weapons they held, they were apparently making sure someone could not leave the station.

Their gazes were fixated on a man standing in front of the ticket gate.

The short man was dressed like a Buddhist monk.

He looked to be in his mid-thirties and he had strangely straightforward eyes.

Instead of a shaved head, he had short hair.

A red basketball bag hung from his shoulder and he wore basketball shoes on his feet.

Only his clothing and face looked anything like a monk.

He looked up at the three station attendants directly in front of him who were much older than him.

He looked straight ahead to the station master who had some white hair on his chin.

“I would rather not hit an old man. Move out of the way.”

Each word was well-enunciated and quickly spoken.

The station master cleared his throat and answered.

“Unfortunately, Iba-sama, a few organizations have – and I’m sorry to say this – requested that you be returned to Tokyo.”

“Organizations? You mean the Emergency Teachers and the Mountain?”

“I cannot say.”

“What will happen if I do pass through here?”

“Those waiting behind us will hit the emergency switch and the railroad police will rush here.”

“Why haven’t you already called the police?”

“If we do that, people will question the safety of our station. As a tourist-focused station, the police are an unwelcome presence.”

“A wise decision.”

The man named Iba stopped asking questions and the station master bowed toward him.

“I apologize, but if possible could you leave the Koto region and enter through a different route?”

“I cannot do that.”

“Why not?”

“I came here for my own objective. I have done nothing wrong.” Iba then asked another question. “Will you let me through?”

None of them answered his straightforward question, so he said more.

“Then how about this? You detained me here, but I escaped before the police could arrive.”

“We can’t do that. The request we received contained a certain statement.”

“What request?”

“We were told we must not allow you through here and that you must pass through here.”

“That is contradictory.”

“Indeed it is.”

“Now, let me tell you what that statement you mentioned was.”

The station master fell silent at that.

The one who spoke instead was of course Iba.

“Did it say my presence carried the risk of another Kinki Riot?”

As soon as he said that, someone behind the station master rushed forward to attack Iba.

—''Iba – Savate/Dodge Tech – Multi-Take – Jumping Dodge – Hit!

“Oh?”

Iba evaded the attack with a tone of slight surprise.

A station attendant stood before him with headphones in his ears and a sword in his hand.

He was one of those who had been waiting behind the station master.

Even through his blue uniform, Iba could easily imagine the powerful body below.

He rested the sword on his left shoulder.

“Nijou Makoto. My Dance Combat is the Youmon Nijou style.”

“Nijou of Youmon? You were the Koto Chancellor nine years ago, weren’t you?”

The man named Nijou nodded at Iba’s comment. The square face below his hat contained a slight smile.

“I’ve heard the name Iba. …You were Osaka’s 1st Special Duty Officer who stood between Osaka Chancellor Kuki Udai and Tokyo Chancellor Nakamura Midori during the Kinki Riot.”

“…”

“I thought you’d gone missing in the Tochigi mountains along with the two Chancellors, but are you working as a Mountain instructor in the Tokyo region?”

“Ask any more and this will develop into a fight.”

Nijou smiled bitterly at Iba’s expressionless tone.

“That’s why I came out here in the first place.”

“So if you are going to call the railroad police anyway, you might as well do what you can before then?”

Iba glanced over at the station master.

“It may be a bit extreme, but a wise decision all the same.”

The station master did not reply and looked to Nijou.

And…

“Don’t hold back.”

“He is already holding back a fair bit,” replied Iba.

Ibe held out a hand to stop Nijou from swinging the sword on his shoulder and stared straight at the man.

“You seem to have gone soft during your nine years away from the front lines. Your primary weapon is not the sword.”

—''Nijou – Mind Tech – Take – Prevent Disturbance – Miss.

“…What makes you say that?”

“Your previous slash was shifted slightly to the right. Even if you are right handed, no swordsman would do that.”

“I see!”

Nijou used his empty right hand to pull a bullpup SMG from his pocket. It had the characteristic white plastic body of the Izumo Company and a larger caliber than one would ever imagine from how light it looked.

It fired normal bullets, but Nijou sang his Words as he fired them.

''The words I send out carry the weight of metal

''The body that receives them carries the pain of metal

''It is all supported by the power of metal

The words and the attack both lasted only an instant.

—''Nijou – Shot/Metal High Rhythm – Multi-Take – Ether Rapid Fire – Hit!

Ether enveloped the eight fired bullets and they transformed into long metal spears.

They would cause far more than injuries if they hit, but Iba did not use any kind of Tech.

He did not dodge.

“Hit him!”

As soon as Nijou yelled, the eight metal spears touched Iba’s body and were deflected with a metallic noise.

“…!?”

Iba ran while ignoring the confused voices coming from Nijou and the rest.

He ran straight forward.

He was moving right up to Nijou, but he still did not use a Tech.

Nijou pulled the trigger of his SMG.

He did not hesitate to fire straight ahead at Iba’s face.

—''Nijou – Shot/Metal High Rhythm – Multi-Take – Ether Rapid Fire – Hit!

Metal spears were fired once more.

Iba only held his hand straight forward as he ran.

The metal spears were deflected every which way by that hand. They stabbed into the station platform or roof, but not even one stabbed into Iba.

“…!”

Nijou threw aside his SMG and jumped backwards.

As Iba continued toward him, Nijou moved forward for his own attack. Jumping back had been a feint.

—''Nijou – Sword/Dodge Tech – Multi-Take – Intercept – Hit!

But Iba slipped past Nijou’s sword and right up to the man.

“…What!?”

Iba answered Nijou’s question through actions.

His right heel stomped on Nijou’s right knee.

With a dull sound, Nijou’s knee bent at an odd angle and his body collapsed.

“I must compliment your willingness to aim for the face. As a student, I would have lost.”

As Nijou collapsed, Iba thrust the heel of his palm up into the man’s jaw at a diagonal angle.

“But that was thirteen years ago.”

The blow landed and Nijou’s face turned upwards.

The battle was over.