Murakami walked.
He had no destination in mind. Only...
...This is not good.
His thoughts were directly linked to his body.
His gait was light and grew to a jog.
"..."
The next thing he knew, he had arrived at the stair-filled park near the Yagura Branch.
He had no intention of descending to the area below. Besides, the open grass half of the park had been destroyed during the Aftokrator invasion and so it had been under repair.
From his position, he could see that everything from that half of the park onwards, including the residential district, had been removed to the third row back so it could be repaired.
There were some surviving area behind that, but...
...It did a lot of damage. Even after time has passed.
By standing by the railing overlooking the park, he could tell just how large-scale the invasion's battle had been.
"It's good the building for the Yagura Branch survived..."
He could not say their battle had been a good thing. The scene before him looked more like destruction than anything.
But he did think they had kept the damage to a minimum and they were making an attempt to ensure everything was being improved as it was repaired. Also...
"—"
He placed a hand on his wrist.
His current outfit's was a short sleeved one for some mobility, so his skin showed through.
He could feel the strange chill of the Black Trigger Portion there and the pressure of the trion as it wrapped around him with surprisingly little restraint.
Then he had "petted" him.
Both had left their "mark" on his body. Leaving some kind of mark on his body felt so very important to him, but was that because he was loyal to his teacher?
But more than that...
...I am a member of Border.
He and his teacher had held a private temporary promotion ceremony.
That was a shared secret.
.
Murakami thought, Sensei and I have a part of our relationship that only we share.
Of course, everyone knew that he was his student and understood what that meant.
But only the two of them knew that it had grown deeper than that.
He had trusted Murakami enough to give a precious item for him to use. With that kind of action, he had shown that Murakami was not his student when it came to Border and was closer to his level.
He did not need to announce this as his teacher's student. He only needed to hold his head high and live his life as he had before.
It had been the same when he had decided not to fall behind his fellow student.
If that had been a way to remain his student...
"Hm. Heh..."
Then this had been a way for him to place himself by his teacher and fellow student's side.
There would likely be more instances of this in the future.
...I look forward to it.
He rested his elbows on the railing and placed his chin on his arms.
They were hot.
He could tell he was smiling uncontrollably.
And...
"Hm..."
His body was celebrating. Heat filled it and he felt restless.
His loosened body felt a bit better when he pressed his knees to the railing and lowered his body a bit.
"..."
He took a breath and let his body relax.
...Honestly...
He sighed and sensed a short figure to his left.
It was a basket.
A closer look showed Oshiro's dog was holding up the basket with his mouth and looking around the area nervously.
He seemed lost. He was only trying to get from the area to the Red Lightning, but there was too much construction at the moment.
After checking to the left and right, the dog seemed to notice him. It faced him with its paws sticking forward like a snake's head.
"Umm, it's that way."
When Murakami pointed toward the path to the outer city, the small dog nimbly twisted himself around and hurried in that direction.
It looked hesitantly back once, so he waved.
It waved the basket back and then hurried on its way without looking back again.
...I did a good deed.
Part of him thought he could not afford to get used to things like this, but that was his fate if he lived here.
He looked over and saw Sawamura on a temporary suspension bridge that crossed the stair filled park while it was under construction.
She was likely going to the Red Lighting.
She must have gone to the Yagura Branch after Murakami had left and she was now on the way to the other building.
"I'm glad his student did not show up after anyone else..."
Nothing could have been more pathetic, he thought as he saw the small dog catch up to Sawamura from behind.
Sawamura noticed it and looked back.
"—"
The dog must have told her about Murakami because she came to a stop and looked Murakami's way.
She raised her left hand and waved hello.
So Murakami did the same.
Then Sawamura resumed walking and Murakami sighed again.
...The heat inside me has calmed down a bit.
Rather than letting it cool, he may have simply grown accustomed to it.
When he remembered what had happened before, he felt like a child who had been praised by their parental figure, but it was still a happy thing at that level.
He would allow that feeling to stay inside him forevermore.
"But..."
His own Side Effect scared him sometimes.
He was honestly impressed he had rested for a bit to make absolute sure he would remember everything.
Even now, his body wanted him to close his eyes for a few minutes.
If he had been sitting with his teacher right now, he might very well have asked some pointless questions in an attempt to be praised.
He felt an odd temptation and allowance in his mind that told him there was nothing wrong with doing that.
He had only resisted earlier because his grownup pride had subconsciously kicked in.
But, he thought.
...Yuki is always holding back a lot when it comes to Sensei.
Murakami was only Akasora's student for academics, yet it was this bad for him.
Yuki was Akasora's student for both academics as well as a member of Border, so it had to be a lot worse. Based on what he had been told before, being praised and scolded as a member of Border felt much more like something was happening than when it came to school, so he had to be restraining himself quite a lot now.
Of course, it was also frightening how Akasora accepted that from Yuki.
He would constantly find ways to improve Yuki as a person, a student, and a member of Border when he knew how Yuki would act, so he was either pleased with the results or as dense as can be. Or does he just want to mess with Yuki?
Also, all of that seemed to have knocked a screw loose in both his friend and teacher, but was he only imagining that?
And when he compared his situation to that...
"...Huh?"
He realized something.
...Sensei is showing favoritism toward me too...!
At the very least, he did not doubt Murakami's abilities to use Shikifuku. He would acknowledge they were someone who might get it taken, but he would trust that they would not.
That was probably why Akasora had not given up on his two students. Because doing so would mean betraying the trust of someone he had helped.
The Yagura Branch director's pride would not allow him to betray the trust built up in the ones he had watch grown up, even if just a bit.
That was why he had decided to not given up on Yuki back then. Although what motivates him now may be a different matter.
"But then what about me?"
Something else occurred to Murakami.
...I went there because I was asked to go as a member of Border, didn't I...?
What did that mean?
"Umm."
...Can I ask him that...!?
He had to be considerate of a number of things. But if he ignored all that, this situation allowed him to be an equal. After all, that was supposed to be part of being "a member of Border".
Shocked, he shoved his face between the arms resting on the railing.
...I am getting to immature levels of Yuki!
He had thought he was ready for everything when he went to the Yagura Branch, but he felt like he kept running across unexpected conditions and situations.
What he did not know was how much of this his teacher was aware of.
But whether he was aware of it or not...
"I know what Yuki would say: 'That's what you're after, isn't it?'"
Murakami looked down.
With his head lowered between his arms, he could look down into the park below the railing.
Or so he assumed.
What he actually saw was his friend. Past the railing, his friend was dangling down from the railing's support bar and looking back up at him.
And before Murakami could react at all...
"Kō, you're happy about everything, aren't you!?"
His friend used just his legs to rapidly jump up the railing support bars.
He jumped to the top of the railing and flew in an arc while Murakami pulled his head back.
"That's the spirit!"
He got him in a headlock with all his might.
.
Murakami was quick to wrestle his way out of the rough grip around his neck.
Compared to someone like Arafune or Kageura, Yuki's grip was not the strongest. Even while using a Trigger, he seemed to be easy to escape from.
...Is that him going easy or his body making it happen?
Whatever the case, he was able to get out if the headlock with relative ease.
Placing a hand on his chest, Murakami let out a breath before glaring at his friend.
"What are you doing?"
The pale boy had the nerves to just grin toward him.
His gray outfit and straps gave away which body he was in right now, so Murakami could only guess that he was currently doing something for Border instead of himself. There were times when he liked to be in this body, but he had no reason to be at the park right now.
Unless...
"You left before I could get to you, you jerk. Were you just trying to ditch me without giving any sort of greeting?"
"I didn't even know you were there. I thought only Sensei, and maybe Shobu, were there."
"So you wouldn't have greeted Shobu then? That's even worse."
Murakami moved his hand from his chest to his forehead. Another breath was let out as he shook his head.
The accusation was a hollow one, he knew it, but he did feel bad that he did not consider greeting anyone else in the building.
Thinking about the building brought him back to everything that had happened and everything he had just been thinking about.
I can try to hide it from him, but I'm pretty sure Yuki already knows what I am thinking about...
True to his thoughts, Yuki's grin grew a bit more.
Murakami always found that particular grin a bit irritating to see, but it was far better to see it than for it to be gone. It was a way for him to know that everything was right for the moment.
That Yuki was still able to give such an expression.
"..."
The new thoughts just have reached Yuki since his grin lowered a bit before moving back to how it was.
His hand began to move and Murakami followed along until it reached his wrist. At that point Yuki had began speaking to him again.
"Well since Sensei gave that to you, why don't you try it out? Even you would have a hard time using it for the first time. Especially if it is an emergency. We should go and see what you will create."
"We can go back to the Yagura Branch if you want?"
Yuki waved his hand.
Murakami followed the motion closely.
"I just came from there and you just came from there. I say we go to your branch this time. Suzunari has some nice places to sit and watch, so it would be better. Besides, I'm sure you guys have even more things set up for being a longer standing branch."
"That is true. Okay. Just don't expect to see anyone else there. Everyone is currently out doing their own thing."
"Oh ho? Is that a nightly invitation, Kō? I'm flattered, really, but I don't think my body could handle such things."
Murakami could feel a small twitch start to form.
He could be as patient as possible when it came to anyone else, but the fact Yuki knew the perfect way to get to him was something he was both happy and mad about.
For now, he decided, they could just ignore the stupidity and make their way to his branch's office.
The sky was filled with the colors of the night and two lights could be seen in that night sky.
One was the lights of Mikado City's streetlights and the other was a collection of buildings that made up a part of Mikado City.
Outside of the window there would occasionally be clouds in the sky. From the direction of the wind, clouds would gather around each other and combine before continuing to move on with the wind in the sky.
Even thing was quiet, but there sometimes be sounds coming from outside. It could have been people walking around before it got too dark, or at times there were animal noises from some strays. From the sound of things, everything moving around tried to cause as little disturbance as possible around the area.
And occasionally there would be some loud ones walking by.
They were people from different parts of the city..
Sometimes it was just one and sometimes there were multiple, but they would all travel through the area or be returning.
The more quiet ones would alter their movements as if watching of the rowdy ones coming and going. As those ones took time to change their direction, they would be respectful. There was never a need to be rude to strangers.
However, a sound struck them and produced noise with no regard for others.
The noise that came was a small hum of a car that had a low pitch at times and a high pitch at others. It was of course audible to the people walking about, but inside the Mikado City buildings, people could also hear it.
There were a few special buildings throughout Mikado City.
One of those buildings was located just outside of the Forbidden Zone.
It was the Suzunari Branch.
"Kō, I think you can stop now."
.
Hearing that voice, the gray-haired boy named Murakami turned his eyes toward the speaker.
"Oh, Shor? Isn't Yuki still getting ready? ...And I am just about done here."
As Murakami turned around with a blanket draped over his shoulders, he saw Noah without his squad uniform and his goggles dangling from his neck.
Noah approached Murakami who sat on a couch. He had been the one to place the blanket on Murakami when he thought the older boy was asleep.
"Yuki has apparently been finished for awhile now. He said he just wanted you to get the best understanding of how to move."
"Yeah. That is very like him. So how is Yuki?"
"Right," said Noah with a nod and a glance toward the hallway he had come from. "He looks like he's fine enough to move around. I was talking to him a bit while doing some homework as he worked on whatever he was working on. I don't know if it's because he can't let go of them or something, but he asked me to help out Toby. Apparently Minoru was suppose to do that, but he is busy. I have no complaints about it, especially since I saw what was happening firsthand, but I am not too sure I am the best person for the job."
"Having pressure put on you like that is tough." Murakami smiled moonlight filtered in. "But you are a great friend to him, right? And Yuki told you what Minoru had agreed on with Toby, right? So then you know that you are actually great for the job."
"I guess so. But my balance will be the only thing going for me there. Oh, but I guess it still won't be anything compared to having to deal with Yuki, right?"
"Yes. We both have some wild friends."
The two boys lowered their heads, but Noah recovered first. He sighed and shrugged.
"At any rate, you guys seem very busy. I get that something is going on and won't pry too far into it. Even I can figure that this must be something really important since you two are setting something up and you specifically are watching some videos of Yuki fighting. I have not seen him really fight expect for his display to the reporters, but even I know that this is something else entirely."
"Yeah," said Murakami with a gentle sigh.
Just like Noah, he was not in his Kuruma Squad uniform and his posture was relaxed, but he had also removed the Black Trigger Portion. However, he hid it below the blanket draped over him. He smiled with a hint of bitterness.
"After the next few days, this specific busy work will come to an end."
.
"I see," muttered Noah with a sigh of his own. "I really am just a newbie at these kinds of things, so you guys have much more to think about than someone like me."
As they were in the Suzunari Branch, Kuruma Squad was far more experienced than Shor Squad who had been formed this year. If they tried to catch up to such a team, it would fail and be seen as arrogant. It could be used against them during matches, so they had to be careful to not step on any toes and go at their own pace. Kuruma Squad would naturally help out however they could, but they had not gone easy in the slightest as the older team in the Suzunari Branch.
"From what I know, it doesn't matter when you joined for formed a team. Just take a look at Tamakoma. Yagura even."
"True. But as someone originally thinking of going to Tamakoma, this situation is a bit humiliating. I would prefer if they viewed me as more of a stranger."
"That would make you sad, wouldn't it? You had said before that you are friends with Tamakoma's Mikumo and Kuga, right?"
"Yeah," answered Noah. "With the exception of some special people, I feel fine when I lose, when someone wins, or when I know that I am weaker, it doesn't particularly bother mean unless they are sore winners. But... That makes me bad as a captain." Noah stopped speaking for a moment, but finally continued. "Most of you have something going for you in that you have Side Effects, know how to properly plan, or are just strong by your own merits. While I do have a Side Effect, it really isn't much. Being able to keep my balance is not particularly that great. My planning skills are probably below average. And I am pretty average when it comes to fighting. There really is just so much to keep up with that I am not too sure that I can help out someone like Toby. Or even my team for that matter."
"So you are experiencing what a normal person does?"
"I guess. But wouldn't you say that I am too normal after seeing all the people you have and fought everyone you have?"
Murakami thought for a moment before answering.
"You have things wrong."
.
"Eh?"
"I may not be the best for this since I only have what I have been told by captains," answered Murakami from beyond his blanket. "It may be a bit much for me to say this kind of thing since I am the #4 Attacker and have a Side Effect like mine, but I do want you to hear me out. All that stuff you just said, I have also seen it with other people. Kuruma-san and Yuki have questioned their abilities as captains, what they can do for their teams. People like Kikuchihara and Lee, someone you know well, have rather simple Side Effects, but they manage just fine with those. Some people fight even without them, so you are technically lucky there. As for planning and the simplicity of yourself... Well, there really isn't that much to say. Planning isn't always something someone needs to do alone. That is why you have a team. Even if you just come up with a simple outline of a plan, you can have your team build on it and create something great. Also, saying that you are plain is a bit insulting to some others, don't you think? From what I have seen from Tamakoma alone, Mikumo seems plain as well, but look what he has done."
"I see," said Noah.
As a someone who has been in Border longer, Murakami could easily figure out what to say after having seen such things before. He was rather unique when saddened, but there was never a time when he did not bounce back because of one thing or another. Each time, he had gained something from his experiences.
...Well, I'm not about to compare myself to him. And that's why I should stop being such a downer over here.
Murakami was speaking as someone looking out for an underclassman, a fellow member of Border, and simply as a friend. And once Noah realized that, he found that he could not argue against what he had been told.
...But is there a real reason to argue in the first place? I may just realized why he can get along so well with some certain people.
"...What is it? Why are you lowering your head like that?"
"Oh, it's nothing."
Why are you worrying him? thought Noah with a bitter smile.
Murakami had never spoken to him about anything like this before. It was likely due to the time, the place, and the fact that they were alone. But...
"You really are a nice guy. I can't even say you would do otherwise if things changed a bit."
"I guess I wouldn't. It's just something that occurs when dealing with some people."
"Right. So I guess I need to pump myself up to help out Toby. I have seen firsthand what is going on with him. If both Yuki and Minoru are trusting me with this, I can't let them down."
"Who was thoughtful enough to bring you in?"
"Taichi was the one who suggested we join you guys, but Mr. Tatsuya can be pretty understanding."
Murakami's expression changed. His eyes opened in surprise, but they soon bent in a smile.
"You don't need to add that kind of honorific. I am sure he is fine with just his name being said, so don't worry."
"You know him so well!"
Seeing Noah's slight smile brought a smile to his own face.
For the past hour or so, they had to wait for Yuki to set up what he wanted. He had gotten permission to work with the equipment and had been using his time for himself. However...
"You can keep relaxing, Kō."
"But I haven't seen what Yuki is doing just yet. It is a lot of trouble, but I have no choice."
He smiled, but his requirement to stay away from Yuki weighed most heavily on him.
...He must be worried since he knows more about Yuki than anyone else.
The wait was a bit agonizing and it continued to hold out for the two of them. There was no one else in the building, so it was lacking someone else to talk to at the moment.
Even those like Noah who was not angry when there was no one to talk to and those who preferred to know what was going on like Murakami would bee oppressed. But there had been one saving grace.
"You two, I'm done over here. It's time for some promised action, so get up and come over here."
Yuki had finished.
.
Noah turned toward the approaching boy who did not wear his uniform like a ninja outfit.
...The scary part is that I hear ninjas dress normally to blend in better in Japan.
He knew that movies and other media were nothing to go on and that there would be no way a real ninja would expose their secrets, but watching Yuki for the last how had convinced him that there was definitely the more to the boy. More was added to that fact when he thought about his friend.
And so he nodded toward him.
"Glad I was able to help a bit."
Yuki stopped five feet away and lowered down in preparation to flee at any second.
"Y-you're plotting something, aren't you? You are, aren't you!?"
"...What have Tetsuji and the others been doing to you? Are you okay?"
"And if we were plotting something, why would we tell you?"
"I suppose that's true. ...Wait. Why aren't you denying it?"
"Just calm down," said Noah while waiving his hands.
...But it really is thanks to him that I even got to meet someone like Toby.
After all, he had heard from Toby about how he had joined Border to follow Yuki.
But he had undergone a lot of training and he held the position of Yagura's second-in-command. He had acted on his own, earned trust from multiple people, and prioritized others ahead of him.
And once he had realized that, he found a lot of respect for the boy who had managed to grant him a strange team who was currently making their way back up.
Thinking back, that had only happened after an incident.
...An incident he had caused himself.
When the former Tsukiko Squad had been split apart, it created something dangerous in the former members. Something that had lead them to a disgusting place.
Meanwhile, people like him, people who cared about that group, had tow tines such a disgusting sight. A sight of seeing people like them destroying themselves for a reason that they had not expected.
The boys had primarily gone to destroying themselves on a harsh manner, the Attacker seeming to be a savage mutt and the Shooter showing no care to the world around him. The girl had primarily kept to herself and quietly self-destructed.
The other members of Border had tried their best to help those three out. Noah, Kitora, and Kōchō had acted as mediator for Toby when he was on a rampage, when he refused to speak, and when he had gone too far. There had not actually been anyone for Takeshi, when he thought about it. Suzume had been confronted a few times, but only put on a bitter smile. The three of them had caused a good amount of trouble.
"I never thought we would be so helpless for them."
.
Noah saw Yuki scratch at his head and smile bitterly.
"Well, those three can be very stubborn at times, meaning it takes a lot of effort to get through to them when something like that happens. I really need to thank you for not giving up on Toby and them because if his they acted."
"It's fine. I never thought that Toby would get like that, but it had happened. It's not much different from a wild animal, but you knew what kind of person he really is, so you didn't give up. Another reason why you are perfect for helping him."
"Right," said Noah with a nod.
By staying by Toby's side during such a time he had gained something from it. Kōchō had a hard time dealing with it, so he had taken it upon himself to stay by the boy's side.
Kitora had done the same thing, so he knew that she had also gained something from the entire ordeal that was going on with Kotowari Squad.
As far as he could tell, no one had been around for Takeshi. He had been a bit of a loner before, but this had made things worse. If not for having to stay by Toby's side, he would have gone to the Shooter to try and help. There had been times when he saw the Hatohara Squad Operator get close before having his attention taken away or the youngest Ōji Squad member move toward him before being pulled away by someone else.
There was also his Trigger. It had been a factor in people keeping away from him and he been used to show just how destructive it could be. That had allowed others to brand him to easily keep a distance.
...He had things the worst since other people don't always know the full story.
Because if this, people had started referring to the Trigger as "the great destruction" and "the monster beam". Recently, he had heard talk from passing Shooters that it had actually gained some popularity due to the different ways Takeshi had been using it. That was apparently due to his own match with Kotowari Squad.
"But their lives are really improving now."
"Yes. Even though it was your fault to begin with," muttered Murakami with a sigh.
"I really am inexperienced," said Yuki with a bitter smile.
"Is that for what I said before? But you are right. The two teams you have lead were filled with people who were took strong for you to handle." Murakami turned to Yuki. "I am thankful you helped Senpai after helping your former team. You are the last person I need to tell this to, but you seem to be the only one who can take care of her."
"Jin is also up there. He has somehow become the leader of some of her fans," said Noah. "They've started placing bonchi bags and drinks in front of Tamakoma as offerings. The other day, they were making offerings with a giant stone currency they made at some point, but I made them throw those away. Too weird."
"They are getting really rowdy, aren't they? I guess that is to be expected when he is one of the three people who has managed to actually get close enough to touch her. Be it butt or breast."
"I need to beat them up," cut in Yuki. "Jin stopped himself from doing that last time. He is also our 'watcher', so I can't say much against him. But those guys are just being idiots."
Noah and Murakami exchanged a glance and they both nodded.
"Why has such a considerate guy never had a girlfriend?"
.
Noah's question led to the two boys exchanging a longer glance.
The moon was out, but the night was still quite dark as they spoke. The lights had not been turned on in consideration of Murakami relaxing.
"It's probably that gray outfit. A guy who wears that and would discard it so easily would be out of the question."
"Yeah. I see. The flaw was so large I didn't notice it at first."
"S-stop! Don't discuss this like I'm not even here! And how would you two know what a girl likes!?" Yuki folded his arms. "Also, I have already decided my girlfriend will be cute and have a modest chest."
"Is that so?" Noah exchanged another glance through the darkness with Murakami. "Hey, Kō. Why do guys like him set up needlessly high hurdles for themselves? Even I won't be picky with anyone I can get."
"Yeah. It may be that when they do that, they can delude themselves into thinking their failure is due to no one meeting their standards rather than due to their own unpopularity."
"I see. What's the point of having pride like that? I don't understand it at all, but should I feel sorry for him?"
"Nwohhh! You guys don't show any mercy, do you!? Kō is one thing, but I thought Noah would be cool!"
"Calm down." Murakami held up a hand to stop Yuki and then smiled. "How about you focus on your job later on with us? One of the representatives should clear your hurdle."
"I can tell the difference between a hurdle and a gantry crane," commented Yuki.
Murakami smiled at that.
"Well, you do help out a lot. Is it tough fulfilling your role as a Yagura Branch representative?"
"No. I always carry the tools I need for training."
"Tools?" Noah tilted his head. "Do you even use actual tools to train? For example, I thought you trained your jumping strength by jumping over a growing stalk of cannabis. Like ninjas, you ninja-boy.
Noah was correct. As a child, Murakami had read Masked Ninja: English Akakage. In that story, the ninja had cultivated fast-growing cannabis and jumped over it every morning to naturally train his jumping strength. That alone could not possibly be enough to train, but a group of freaks who hid their faces for their entire lives likely had a secret method.
Yuki nodded in agreement.
"I'm not a ninja, but that training method was used up until my shitty, pieces of crap, useless and heartless father's generation."
"Really?"
At the prospect of learning a ninja secret, the two boys leaned forward with intense curiosity. Yuki nodded again and explained.
"To start with, while he was no ninja, he had actually been a bit of an otaku because his dad and so on were and shoved it right in his face. ...Apparently. I didn't pay too much attention to him, but he did tell Kushi and me some things he use to do for training. Most of them were from some manga he read, others were the real stuff."
Yuki looked nonchalant at the topic, but Murakami had noticed the way he tensed up a bit.
"My father's generation grew a large amount of cannabis in the area's planter because they thought they could use some if it for their own personal training. But they accidentally brought it back to their rooms, accidentally grew a whole lot more, accidentally rolled it, and accidentally smoked it. They naturally ended up in the magistrate's office and-..."
"I get the feeling I'm about to hear something that will get me in trouble, so stop there. And for future reference, did adding 'accidentally' to everything hold up in court?"
"No, no."
Yuki shook his hands, so Noah decided to pretend he had never heard any of it.
Yuki sighed at the expression and shifted his gaze to just behind him.
"Anyways. Why don't we get started? There is a lot to do."
"Hm? What did you need to do anyway?"
The ninja-like boy grinned.
"I set up two training sequences for Kō."
Kuruma was curious when once he arrived at the Suzunari Branch's training room.
...Oh, so this is where they were.
He had been out discussing with his parents on what would be coming up, that being going to the sponsors of Border.
But he had noticed something odd while Betsuyaki ran up to the boy sitting in front of a monitor and when they had seen the Sniper and Operator of Shor Squad come in.
"Why hasn't Kō or Yuki come out at all? And..."
Kuruma looked over to the monitor.
The screen on the desk was illuminated by what was happening in the training room.
There was a large amount of straps on the floor which seemed as if they had been thrown to the ground instead of falling to the ground.
"Those are...Yuki's, aren't they?"
Sora identified it as he moved over to his captain while focusing on the others. Shirogane agreed.
"Perhaps he went 'splay!' in there after being hit by one of Kō-tan's harsh attack."
"How can you say things like that after eating tomato in your udon for lunch? But anyway, we can ask the people here what happened."
Kuruma noted when Kon and Shashin came onto the scene. He made sure they were ready to leave the room at a moment's notice and then called out to the ones in the training room.
"Yuki, Kō, what's going on here? Are you guys messing around before we have to go off, even if it is in our training room?"
"This one is on me, Kuruma-san. Besides wanting to mess around with Kō for a bit, I need to set some things straight here."
His usage of "wanting to mess around" led Shirogane and the others to shift their feet.
They were prepared to move. Everyone knew which way they would get out. That was just how much battlefield experience they had when it come to him. So while they might not be certain, Kuruma felt confident they were not in danger either.
"One question, Yuki. How exactly do you want to 'mess around' with Kō?"
"Right. It doesn't have to be long. I just want a quick fight so I can check on something. Once I've seen what I want, I will let him really practice."
Then Yuki started moving forward. He crossed the distance until he was behind Murakami and facing the camera for the others to see.
...Is he doing something?
"What happened here?"
"Curious?"
"Yes. We know you must have done something for those straps to be there."
"You noticed that, did you? Fine, then. I was just showing Kō something I tend to do now. The performance should have helped him out."
Kuruma thought about what that meant.
...For him to want to show Kō something means that he wants him to try it out, doesn't it?
It could also be seen as a small conflict for the branches. There was no reason for such a thing, so he had thought that was off the table. So...
"Did you fight Kō or Noah here?"
"Sorry about this Kuruma-san, but the result is none of your concern. All I will say is that it was the result I hoped to see." Yuki raised a hand and pointed at someone. "Alright, Kō. This time I am actually your opponent."
.
Murakami was listening to the conversation between his friend and his captain when his eyes narrowed at Yuki's statement.
"So you want to get started?"
It was why he waited. There was a connection between him and Yuki.
So Yuki was pointing straight at him.
Kuru-ma: "Why are you two fighting?"
Black Wolf: "Sorry, Kuruma-san. I need to explain after this."
8 Skies: "Perhaps Tsukiko-san really likes Murakami-san."
Platinum: "Timeline-wise, those two would make a really good male-male couple."
Mi-Kon: "Why does the most pointless trivia have the biggest impact?"
Shore: "Well, if you want a simpler explanation, Kō is going to be busy and probably exhausted out of everyone here."
That's true, thought Murakami. He even had to practice with Shikifuku.
...But that is also why I am doing this now.
While making a mental note of that, Murakami finished preparing himself and took a breath. He then turned toward Yuki and stepped forward.
"Kō, go ahead and use Kōgetsu for the moment," said Yuki in front of him.
Murakami nodded his head and activated his own Trigger. He gladly grabbed Kōgetsu and squeezed the grip in his right hand.
He did not go for Raygust on his other side. Yuki was trusting him on this.
So he raised Kōgetsu in front of him.
"As the Suzunari Branch's ace, I, Murakami Kō, accept your challenge."
"You sound so cool. No joke. I appreciate it. That lets me test what I need to test."
Test? wondered Murakami.
Yuki immediately began to move. He leaned forward, and...
"...!"
He took his first step. In that instant, Murakami saw something in front of him.
Yuki's body split into five copies of itself.
.
...Copies!?
A classic ninja move, thought Murakami.
It was such a classic that some manga included standard countermeasures for body copying techniques.
But those kinds of things should not have been possible in real life, so what he was seeing caused a small lag in his actions.
Even in certain cases, a copy is said to be made as afterimages of high-speed motion. It would look like multiple copies, but the enemy would be moving along a fixed loop and he would only see the afterimages. So even if the number of attacks would appear equal to the number of copies, they should each be the midpoint if a single flow of motion, so stopping one should stop them all.
But that kind of thing should not happen.
This guy could be capable of such a thing though...
Since that seemed to be the case here, it led to the standard countermeasure:
...Launch an attack along the loop!
Murakami moved forward. Five Yukis were rushing toward him, but he stabbed Kōgetsu between the one in front of him and the next one to the right. He placed the blade in an intermediary point of the loop.
"How about that!?"
Just as he asked that, the five Yukis all turned around. And they did so while circling behind him.
...Eh!?
Strange, thought Murakami. If they had all turned around at once, it meant he had made a full loop of the copies, yet Murakami felt nothing hit his blade.
"...!"
And Yuki made a sword strike with the bladed Idōgetsu as he turned around.
.
Noah heard quintuple clashing swords.
That was not a sound that a looping afterimage copy technique from manga could create.
"Is that what he was working on the whole time!?"
Noah cried out in surprise.
Yuki was launching sword attacks on Murakami in quick succession. The five copies of him moved at once to attack from every direction.
Each of the blades had real weight behind it and blades flew around Murakami when he blocked them.
This was not a copying technique that used illusions or great speed to create the appearance of multiple copies.
Yuki was using their technology to create solid copies.
...So that's why he didn't want us to watch him in here.
Minubuki-sama: "Is Minubuki-sama going crazy here!? How does that stuff work?"
Shore: "Right. Yuki used the system to basically create was is considered a trion soldier. So when he made them he must have made it so they synch up with him completely to make it look like his own copies."
Yes, the trick was technology. The tactics was more thought out and reversible than simple high-speed movement.
"Even so, you could think that someone like Yuki could pull it off. You get it, right? Like when you move your arm super fast and see two or three extra images of them your arm. I guess that wouldn't really be possible, since even Idāten only leaves a flash instead of an image. Even so, this looks like it slows him down since he synced the other four up with his own mind."
But Yuki had sped it up and he could even use different actions between copies.
That was like moving your fist to create multiple copies and then changing the way you clenched your fist at each point along the vibration.
How much thought had he out into this simple training test?
Mi-Kon: "Shor-kun, you let him set this kind it thing up?"
Shore: "You all seem really fine with him, so I let him in when he said I can't see...but I guess I really should have waited with him."
He had not thought it through.
But Yuki setting this up was a different matter. He had five copies, they were perfectly coordinated, and they targeted Murakami's blind spots and weak points.
"...!"
And they sped up even further.
.
Yuki split himself apart and ran.
The biggest advantage of having five copies was not the increased number of attacks; it was the widened field of vision. Since he could observe his opponent from multiple angles, it was child's play to tell where their blind spots were.
The Suzunari Ace currently held Kōgetsu in his right hand and was focused on defense. That concentrated his defense to the right and it left his left side open, but...
...Sticking to a one-handed grip was a smart choice.
If he held the sword with both hands, he could keep the sword at the center of his body. That was ideal for blocking weighty attacks and allowed him to protect the center of his body, but that was meaningless at the moment. He was being attacked from all angles, so a two-handed grip would weaken his ability to swing the sword to the left or right and it would prevent any bursts of speed. Plus, there would always be a blind spot below his arms.
So instead, the Suzunari Ace turned his right side forward and swung the sword with his right hand. He made light movements of his right wrist to deflect Yuki's attacks with quick sweeping and stabbing motions.
He also used his left arm to deter Yuki. When Yuki circled to the back or front of his sideways body and attempted an attack, he would raise his hand or swing it behind him to give the illusion of a coming Kōgetsu attack in that direction.
He was good at this.
His movements were solid and he also had the technique to handle multiple opponents like this. Plus...
...Nice job, Kō! You're using the information on me that only you know!
.
Murakami reacted to the attacks.
He used steady sword fighting technique, but he was assisted by his in-depth knowledge of Yuki.
Yuki's copies were created from the technology of the Suzunari Branch but were synced with him, so there was a time lag between his actual moment and the propagation of his body. But the range of the body allowed Murakami to generally measure the enemy's distance, speed, and range of movement.
Knowing the range of movement was most useful. That let him avoid moving more than necessary when striking back.
...From there, I just have to figure out his current rhythm!
...Oh, I should apologize to Suzume later on for that comment.
There was always a rhythm to people's movements. He had once gotten a small lecture by Suzume on that fact. When someone swung a sword, they had to pull it back before they could attack again. Even with multiple copies, they were not all constantly attacking.
So Murakami only had to assign a single sound to each of the attacks and pull-backs. And for each of the five Yukis movements...
"Nn."
Two attacks arrived.
"Nn, nn."
One arrived and two returned.
"Nn, ah, ah."
Each of the five Yukis had two sounds. So the rhythm was decimal in nature.
"Nn, nn, nn, ah, ah, nn, ah, nn, nn, ah, ah."
The Black Wolf hummed. He read his opponent's attacks and defenses, he sang, and...
"Ah!"
He inserted his own attack into the mix.
.
...Kō is sometimes a monster.
The wolf counterattacked at a rate of once every five times.
Yuki had of course expected interference with his copies, but he had expected something less steady and more forceful.
But this was different. The enemy had worked out his attack tempo, yet he was not conforming to it.
If anything, this enemy was moving to deflect Yuki's attacks.
Yuki realized how dangerous this was. The Suzunari Ace was most likely using ideal movements without even meaning to.
He was reading the gap between attack and defense and then using that for his own offensive ideal movements. He had come up with the idea in this battle and had begun to actually implement it.
...He can be very dangerous.
Yuki remembered just what kind of threat this boy could be for other Attackers.
And he remembered something else: what Taiyōko Kiyoshi had said in his final moments.
...There would never be a change for me to win if we were to fight fairly.
That was the statement. Yuki was currently assisting the creation of a powerhouse. He was not some great teacher and he could not become one ever, but he was helping create one of Suzunari's strongest members.
And he heard something.
The wolf's "nn" transformed into an "ah".
And each time he heard it, he saw more lights and his blade was deflected.
He realized his enemy was surpassing him once more. This time he had even used something he had learned from a female Sniper. So...
"How about this!?"
.
Murakami was suddenly hit by an enemy's attack.
A Yuki circled to his right and attacked with a blade.
That alone was the same as the previous attacks, so Murakami sent Kōgetsu toward it with a light snap of the wrist.
But as soon as the light slash hit, Yuki twisted his arm. He shifted to an attack that struck with the forearm more than the elbow.
But Murakami had already swung his blade. As a result, Kōgetsu dug into Yuki's arm and sliced 1cm deep into his forearm.
...Eh?
That was a real result. He had successfully injured Yuki. However...
...Oh, no!
Murakami realized what Yuki was trying to do. It was his sense of sight that told him.
A green gas sprayed from Yuki's arm and that filled the surrounding space thanks to the high-speed movement he was known for.
.
Yuki intentionally let a few more groups of trion move through the air as part of his trion mist.
More than the trion, he was interested in letting his trion gather there as a decoy for the Suzunari Ace.
...Now, how about that?
How far could this enemy go?
And he wondered if these people were capable of not giving up.
To not give up was to be indomitable. And that required something.
The most important thing was the willpower to never wish to give up.
But that alone was not enough. Willpower was meaningless if you were defeated or lost.
So you also needed the skill to keep that from happening.
When he had visited the Tamakoma Branch in the past before, he had been defeated by their preparation. The final attack from Kizaki and the Operator had required a certain level of organization.
They had put together a tactic that kept them from having to give up.
But giving up was not something you could always see coming and deal with it or crush it in advance.
The spontaneous desire to give up was the most dangerous kind.
That kind arrived when you least expected it – when everything fell apart despite all your preparation and organization.
These branch members had strength. They had the strength to surpass their opponents. But...
"Show me whether or not you have the skill to constantly tear down the desire to give up!"
Yuki targeted his enemy's back. He sent two attacks from the front while also making three stabbing attacks from behind.
The enemy spun around and tried to dodge, but it was too late. Yuki could see his wide-open back. So...
"...!"
Yuki threw his entire body forward to hunt down this wolf.
.
Just as Yuki used every one of his actions to strike down his enemy, he saw the Suzunari Ace's decision.
The wolf spun around to forcibly turn himself sideways in relation to the middle one of the three copies attacking him from behind. But that was not a problem. The two on the left and right could still stab him. However...
"What!?"
The Suzunari Ace threw his body toward the middle copy behind him.
He used a light burst of speed and he did not even turn around as he did so.
...He's jumping right toward my blade! Is he trying to get himself killed!?
This did not seem like an acceptable "answer" to Yuki.
The desire to give up had to be crushed with strength, but this answer was entirely reliant on luck. However"
"—"
Yuki saw a stream of trion scattering from his right arm as it thrust the blade forward.
And the two Yukis attacking from the front saw the Suzunari Ace's face.
His eyes were closed.
While not having the same level of hearing as Kikuchihara, he had concentrated on the sound of the footsteps and his knowledge of Yuki to track the moments of the five trion copies. And he had shut his eyes to sharpen his sense of hearing enough to distinguish the movement of the trion leaking out and scattering from Yuki's own movement.
The propagation of the sound was of course slower than their movements, but attacks began with a preparatory stance.
Even if the sound propagated slowly, he only had to detect that stance to know the attack was coming. And...
...He read my copies' stances to accurately charge right toward me!
He was not relying on luck. He had used his own abilities to adlib.
While turned to the side, the Suzunari Ace slipped between the three stabbing blades of the three copies.
None of them hit him. You could call it a Flat Chest Evasion.
...Way to go, Kō! That kind of solution will make Suzu happy!
Instead of giving up on any of Yuki's attacks, this enemy had used the trion trap to arrive at the correct answer. Meanwhile...
"Dammit!"
Yuki knew he had moved too close. It had been necessary to defeat this opponent.
But when that opponent rushed toward him, the distance between them seemed to vanish.
"—!"
Yuki let his five copies' slashes and jabs hit him while he seemed to embrace the Suzunari Ace.
It almost looked like he was holding the enemy close while protecting him.
.
Murakami felt the strength draining from Yuki's body.
He took a step back and saw just one Yuki standing in the clearing trion mist.
He had several stab and slash wounds, but...
"Yuki. What all did you really want from this anyway?"
Yuki looked over at him.
And he smiled.
Then he waved a hand back and forth as if to say "I'm leaving".
With a sigh from him, both Yuki and Murakami left the training room to join the others. Both decided to stay in their trion bodies instead of going back to their real ones.
Yuki made the same hand motion as before while continuing.
"Don't worry about it and get going. If it was really important, you know I would tell you...Kō."
"Are you sure, Yuki?"
That question came from Kuruma. And Shirogane followed suit.
"What will you do now, Tsukion, um..."
"Um?"
Shirogane held out her right palm as everyone watched her.
"I know a weather is next."
"Yeah," said the Shor captain while leaning his entire body on the chair. "It's a really simple name to read correctly."
"Heh. Do you really think that is enough of a hint to clue me in?"
Is that something to brag about? the others wondered before hearing bitter laughter from Yuki.
"I'm going to head home and get some rest. Sorry for using your stuff guys. If I stayed involved any longer, I would hate how much of a nuisance I was being. Also..."
He looked to Murakami and then to the ceiling.
"I was of some small use. That's good enough for a job before something major," he said. "So forget my stupidity. I can send you the second thing I set up, if you want, but I should get going anyway. If I don't leave right away, Shiro and Mei will be worried. Plus, I want to avoid seeing anyone particular before I head home."
Murakami felt like he could trust the bitter smile in the boy's voice.
...And I can also see just how much he cares for Senpai.
In a way, the two seemed to be together already.
Not that that was too surprising.
But Murakami's captain spoke to Yuki.
"You were preparing us for later, right?"
"I was not preparing you. ...I simply tested you and approved of what I found."
Yuki let out a sigh and his feet started moving toward the exit. His phone also gave off a sound.
"I'll be going, Suzunari. It's time I started thinking about what we will be doing. So seeing me off will mean you want to be dragged down with me."
He left in a single instance of teleportation.
Yuki landed on the ground after his teleportation. He thought he saw the others waving to him, but perhaps he was imagining things.
Still, turned off his Trigger and sighed.
And then the color red sprayed from his mouth.
"Yuki-san!"
Some branch members had come to him after a message, so they cried out in alarm. But even as he endured the blood coming out in time with his coughs, he raised a hand telling them not to worry about it.
"Going from the commentary to a fight was a bit much when I was already down in the morning."
Not all of the blood staining the floor was from his mouth.
Yuki had been hit too. Also...
"Kh."
Blood gushed from the three slashes on the left side of his body.
No part of his mouth or side was untouched by the red. Several bandages could be seen to try and stop the bleeding, but how long would they stay like that?
He sighed again and then inhaled quite forcefully.
He had trained his body to the point of pulling off some great feats, so he could stop the bleeding by tensing his muscles. But more than that...
...This isn't always going to last.
He peeled off a bandage applied below his outfit. It had some anesthetics that allowed him to take action without any pain.
Without that, he never would have gone to Border to give commentary, knowing full well what his real body was like. But for that commentary, he had at least shown his pride in his former team. The Suzunari Ace may have noticed due to knowing him so well, but that may have been why he had gotten through to the boy.
He held great pride in the people he could help.
The commentary had been for his beloved former team and the fight had been for his beloved friend, but which one was more beloved?
"Someone go and tell Sensei something. Tell him Murakami Kō will be absolutely fine. Request that he stop fussing over such things since I have proven that someone so unneeded was beaten. Once that goes through, I will go see him and make fun of him for being so doting over us."
"Yuki-san!"
"Ha ha. Don't listen to that, okay? That kind of thing should not be heard at your age."
He laughed, leaned his back against the edge of the wall, and looked up at the night sky through the open window.
"I will be taking my leave later. I'm heading home."
He thought back.
"My house is close to Mei's. Did you know that area is known for its kind people? It's a small area, but there's lots to do there. The people around make good tea too. You should visit sometime."
"How can you say that after telling us not to listen to you!?"
He answered their reply with laughter. And he lowered his gaze. He looked out at Border base and the Forbidden Zone set up around it for them to fight Neighbors and he saw a few lights were others had been.
Everyone else was getting ready.
The branch member began to move as he watched those lights. The visible area of land vanished as his vantage point fell.
No, wait, he thought. My vision is actually lowering a bit.
He was slowly slipping off the wall.
"Yuki-san!"
"Don't worry about it," he said. "You're coming to visit me, aren't you?"
As the others ran over, he pressed his back against the building's wall and sat back up. He somehow even managed to cross his legs.
"But that won't be for a while. We still don't know what will happen with the sponsors, so we might all have more work to do."
Yes, he thought. If this becomes a part of history, then they'll all come to visit.
And he thought of himself as a turning point for others as Border made their next move.
"Go learn what is best, okay?"