Editing City Series:Volume4b Chapter 11 (section)

===Part 5===

'''7:20 PM

The clash between Hizaka Shoui and Nakamura Hisahide began wordlessly.

Shoui blocked Nakamura’s fiery kick with a Tech.

–''Shoui – Boxing/Dodge Tech – Counter-Multi-Take – Block – Hit!

The Harmonist’s power kicked in.

Taking that into consideration, Shoui moved further.

–''Shoui – Boxing/Dodge Tech – Counter-Multi-Take – Block – Hit!

He used the Tech a second time.

He normally would have been satisfied with just once, but not here.

This was only possible with abnormal reaction speed and a Tech he was intimately familiar with through intensive training.

His red right arm blocked the flames and the kick behind them.

There was an impact and a noise.

The flames scattered.

But his right arm did not burn.

Nakamura clicked his tongue.

And Shoui moved.

–''Shoui – Boxing Tech – Take – Punch – Hit!

Nakamura dodged with his Harmonist power.

But Shoui did not give up.

–''Shoui – Boxing Tech – Take – Punch – Hit!

Nakamura dodged with his Harmonist power.

But Shoui did not give up.

–''Shoui – Boxing Tech – Take – Punch – Hit!

Nakamura dodged with his Harmonist power.

But Shoui did not give up.

–''Shoui – Boxing Tech – Take – Punch – Hit!

And then he won.

After redoing it several times over the course of a single instant, Shoui’s speed caught Nakamura.

His fist hit the boy’s shoulder.

The impact of the blow ran through Nakamura.

His body wavered.

But despite that waver, he used the blow to spin his body around.

A kick flew.

–''Shoui – Dodge Tech – Counter-Take – Dodge – Hit!

:–''Shoui – Dodge Tech – Counter-Take – Dodge – Hit!

::–''Shoui – Dodge Tech – Counter-Take – Dodge – Hit!

Shoui fully dodged it.

He put some distance between them.

He exhaled while sensing Yuuki’s presence behind him.

…''This is scary.

Nakamura must have sensed that mental state because he snorted in laughter.

“Not bad.”

“Well, I’ll do the best I can.”

“But…”

Nakamura gave Shoui an upturned glance.

“You’re pretty exhausted, aren’t you?”

Shoui responded with silence.

Nakamura was exactly right.

Repeatedly using Techs so continuously wore down his strength.

The drain on his stamina was far greater than normal.

He already felt fear in facing the Flame High.

…''But.

He nodded while speaking in his heart.

He began to use his left hand to pull the bandanna down over his eyes.

“…”

But he stopped.

He had to keep his eyes on his opponent.

He focused himself.

He poured all of his focus into sensing his opponent’s movements and into the entirety of his body.

He felt his heart pound in his chest.

He could feel his own body. He could tell it had nerves running all the way to the fingertips and toe tips.

His body would move as he wanted.

He had a will of his own.

He had his missing memories.

He had an opponent.

And he had something to protect.

“…”

Shoui silently looked up.

Shoui and Nakamura’s gazes seemed to audibly crash together.

Shoui fearlessly maintained his fighting stance.

Nakamura also maintained his fighting stance.

They did not move.

The one to ask a question via words was Nakamura.

“What is it…that you want?”

This was the same question he had asked Souichirou during his attack on Ixolde.

It was a simple question based on curiosity.

And Shoui answered quietly.

“To protect.”

The answer was as simple as the question.

Nakamura asked another question without nodding.

“Do you like fighting?”

“…”

No response.

As they faced each other in silence, Nakamura asked again.

“Do you like fighting?”

He received a short response.

“I’ve never thought about it.”

“Why not?”

Shoui did not answer.

He simply moved.

Nakamura’s fire roared and flew in response.

Shoui slammed his own fist toward that fire.

He used his left fist instead of the ogre’s right arm.

…''I can do this!

He sensed the Storm High’s presence.

His heart remembered.

He remembered the girl who had given him a prophecy and the girl who waited for him.

He moved simply to protect.

“!”

The fist and the kick collided.

An explosion rumbled out.