Editing City Series:Volume4b Chapter 5 (section)

===Part 4===

'''4:11 PM

After stepping out of Osaka Station, Yuuki did not head for the Nanba house.

There was something she had to do first.

She started walking west from Osaka Station and crossed the track to the north.

She was a very conspicuous presence in her Nandaimon Academy uniform and with the giant staff Housei in her right hand.

She could feel the people’s eyes on her, but she did not look back and continued walking.

She heard some quiet voices behind her. The women and children were making excited comments about the Dog God that continued to follow her.

But she realized that those were not the only voices.

There were a few voices with a duller and heavier tone.

“If this is how it’s going to be, I might not be able to get to the Nanba house today.”

After that quiet comment, she made a call at a nearby phone booth.

She called the Osaka Prefectural Office.

As soon as they picked up, she rattled off a few keywords to prove her identity.

She pressed her thumb against the phone’s camera.

The phone’s small display immediately reacted.

“Match confirmed.”

She swiftly explained what she needed and hung up.

As soon as she left the phone booth, the city’s Fourth Alarm began sounding.

She nodded in satisfaction.

“They react quickly.”

It did not take long for the current of people to change in response to the alarm.

The Fourth Alarm was used to evacuate people from regions where damage was likely to occur.

A citywide broadcast loudly announced where that was.

As Yuuki walked about a block, the flow of cars and people gradually changed direction.

The people passing her by were expressing their doubts about the alarm and what was about to happen.

It was an undeniable commotion.

The people were guided slowly but surely away from the location of disaster.

The academy rules had established separate legal enforcement measures for students and normal citizens, but everyone would be hurt in a disaster. Adults and children both intended to evacuate.

They could watch on after arriving somewhere safe.

The people passing by were arriving from in front of Yuuki.

The alarm continued to sound.

Yuuki fought the current of people.

She was on her way to the location of upcoming damage.

She had called the Osaka Prefectural Office and predicted that damage.

That location would soon be a battlefield.

She could see it now: the Umeda Sky Building.

It was a 170 meter observation tower.

A bridge-shaped floating garden was supported by two identical tower buildings.

She walked toward that building.

There was a hotel out front and the Umeda Sky Building itself had several tenants inside.

People were slowly flowing out of them.

It was like a wave.

Yuuki bumped into the wave of people as she walked.

–''Yuuki – Mind Tech – Take – Detect Presence – Hit.

She sensed a powerful presence behind her.

It was not the Dog God.

It was further back than the Dog God five meters behind her and it was more powerful.

She did not look back to see who it was.

She simply walked.

The tall tower was already right in front of her.

The wave of people was gradually thinning and the commotion was dying down.

The Fourth Alarm sounded all the louder.

The citywide broadcast urged people to evacuate, but it was meaningless to Yuuki.

There were no longer any people in front of her.

The two tall towers stood in her way like a giant glass wall.

Instead of passing between the towers, she walked east to circle around the Sky Building.

Passing between them would have meant walking through a nature park.

She chose the spot with a clearer view.

The presence behind her gradually grew.

The owner of the presence was waiting for her to arrive at the battlefield.

Yuuki knew what would trigger the battle: looking at her opponent.

But she did not look back yet.

She climbed some stairs and walked across the plaza in front of the Sky Building.

She passed by the Sky Building’s east tower.

She was headed for the entrance to the west tower.

She continued walking.

Then she stopped in front of the glass doors of the large entranceway.

Two presences stopped behind her.

One was the Dog God.

And the other…

“A grudge from the past,” said Yuuki.

Her quiet breath contained a hint of exhaustion.

At the same time, she prepared Housei in her right hand and turned around.

And she called a name.

“Nagoya Chancellor Yamashita Taeko!”

Her enemy was already on the move.

By the time she fully turned around, Yuuki saw a giant metal fist.

–''Taeko – Steel/Boxing Tech – Multi-Take – Dragon Emperor Strike – Hit!

:–''Yuuki – Spear/Gym/Dodge Tech – Counter-Multi-Take – Block – Hit.

The Dragon Emperor’s fist collided with Housei’s frame, producing a heavy metal crash.

Yuuki had blocked the attack, but the fist and shield had different masses.

Yuuki was thrown backwards.

The impact and inertia slammed her inside the Sky Building.

She did indeed see Taeko with the Dragon Emperor raised.

“It’s time to settle this!” shouted Taeko.

At the same time the Dragon Emperor gave a draconic roar.

The roar mixed with the Fourth Alarm, creating a horribly low and long noise.

The battle had begun.

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