Chapter 87

Chapter 87

Feeling utterly exhausted mentally and physically, Layla and Jack kneeled on the ground as they gasped for air.

"Crap…" Jack gripped the ground, looking frustrated as he continued to pant.

Ryan shuts down his ability, falling to the ground, he began gasping for air, "I never had to keep my ability that strong for a long time before… I never expected it to take so much out of me…"

Jasper took heavy breaths, lying down on the ground, seeing the flag beside Yukina, "I guess we lost… oh no, I feel like I'm about to faint…"

"That's kind of anticlimactic," Anya said, approaching Yukina.

"Sorry… I have to go!" Yukina said as she runs away, "please take care of them for me!".

"Wait!" Anya said, trying to stop Yukina as she runs away from a distance, "what's wrong… you've been acting weird since earlier…"

Glancing around, she notices Jasper breathing heavily from a short distance.

As she approached Jasper, his vision began to fade as all he could see was a faint light and a silhouette of a person.

"Hey,"

Jasper glances, not being able to move, barely being able to see the person standing in front of him. "An angel?" he said in a faint voice, "I see, am I going to die…?"

"Like I'd let you! I'll be called a murderer if that happens!" Anya said, surrounding Jasper's body with water. leaving only his head, she lifts up his body from the ground in a bubble, "I think I have enough to bring him to the clinic,"

Glancing beside her, she notices people in white, symbolizing the medical team, heading towards her direction with a stretcher.

"I got this one! Go ahead and tend to the others!" Anya commanded.

The medical team bowed and then went on their way towards Erina, lying unconscious at the far corner.

Other medical teams spread throughout the area, on their way to tend to the needed.

Hanazawa walked towards Jack, still kneeling on the ground, "stand up, you all did well in this test, I applaud you all," he said, reaching out for his hand.

Jack ignored his offer, standing up on his own. Looking frustrated, he avoided eye contact and walked away.

"oooft, looks like we got some stuck-up freshmen too, huh?" Ash said, smiling beside Hanazawa, "anyway, what's up with him? I noticed how I completely forgot about that guy," pointing at Ray, looking clueless and confused as he was surrounded by the medical team.

"oh…"

Ash tilted his head, "Hanazawa?"

Flashback.

As Ash got entrapped within the walls made from the ground, Hanazawa rushed over towards his area. "Crap, the moment he caught me off guard with that blinding light, he ran straight for Ash, huh? I let my guard down…" he thought.

Dash*

Suddenly, Ray dashed forward, blocking his path. Locking eyes with each other, Hanazawa stops in caution.

"this person… he seems to be having fun," Hanazawa thought, noticing Ray's eyes and expression, looking as if he's enjoying himself.

"If you're enjoying this, then I too must…" Hanazawa thought, letting out a smile.

Suddenly, Ray's expression changed, the moment he dashed towards Hanazawa.

Noticing this, Hanazawa felt a sudden burst of pressure coming from Ray, "what's this? This pressure! If I let him get close to me this way…!" as if time had slowed down, Hanazawa felt pressured as his instincts continues to scream danger for every step Ray makes towards him.

"Get yourself calm! BREATHE!" He thought, countering the pressure.

Hanazawa took a deep breath, pulling his Katana from its case in an instant. as gushes of wind surround his entire body, he quickly dashed forward beside Ray. Being a lot faster than he was, he swung the katana straight towards the back of his neck.

As the katana was inches away from Ray's neck, both of them locked eyes with each other, being shocked towards one another.

SMACK*

"That was… too fast…" Ray thought as his eyes rolled up, losing consciousness, and falling to the ground.

"This guy…" Hanazawa thought, looking at Ray, fast asleep on the ground, "Oh, right! Ash!" he said, running towards Ash.

End of flashback.

Hanazawa glanced away, "he got too arrogant, so I put him asleep in an instant,"

Ash tilted his head, "In an instant…? no way… you mean you got serious towards him?"

Hanazawa continues to glance away.

"WAIT, ARE YOU SERIOUS!?"

"…"

"Don't worry, it's not that I'm looking down on you, so don't act like that please," Ash laughed, "as a matter of fact, I'm surprised someone actually forced you to go serious, this last batch was very interesting!"

"You say that, but weren't you holding back a bit too much,"

"oh, don't be like that," Ash smiled, "We both know… what could happen if I go even a little bit too much,"

Hanazawa glances away, feeling slight fear in his eyes, "that is… True,"

Ash laughed, "though I might have had to go a little more if Yukina hadn't ended the match so abruptly.

"Yes, that was truly unexpected, even from us,"

"Hmm, she isn't even the type to show off too. also, she has been acting weird since earlier, you noticed too right?"

Hanazawa nodded, "yes, she even spun her metal pole from the beginning of the match so she can gather momentum for the end, maybe she was in a hurry?"

"Oh, So that's why that pole was so fast!" Ash reacted in surprise, "Hanazwa you sure are observant!"

"were you just not paying attention?"

"I was fixated on the enemies in front of us so I didn't notice,"

Sigh, "is that so? By the way, where is Yukina?"

"Hm?"

They both looked around the stadium.

"she's not here, maybe she was in a hurry?"

Meanwhile.

Running through the busy streets of the central in City A, Yukina ran as fast as she could, looking intensely worried, avoiding any collision with objects and humans as she passes through them with skill.

"I need to hurry and get to an open area, that way I can activate the bag and turn it into a jet pack,"

After a short moment, she reached a farm field, "there are no huge buildings and people," she thought, looking around the open rice fields, "if I launch myself here on the middle of the road, I should be able to not damage the crops,"

Her mechanical bag quickly transformed, forming metal wings as the under of her bag began to let out a certain amount of heat.

Swoosh*

Launching herself in the air, she began to move forward at an insane speed.

"I finished the whole match to avoid some suspicion, but I ended up taking so much due to the circumstances. Though I had no choice, I just can't let this feeling go on even further, at this point, I can't even call this FEELING anymore, it's instinct driving me to worry, like something bad is going to happen."

She increases her speed as she thinks back, "It didn't bother me at first, but if I take all that happened into account, it all just connects! Gabriela suddenly disappeared, in my case, it's not too big of a deal, but after hearing Erina tell me Yuji's message I began to have doubts, it was only in the second round when I became so sure when Ms. Liz said the same exact message Erina told me, along with the letter that came from Gabriela. Luckily, I know exactly where that place of best apples is,"

Dashing through the fields, Yukina spotted a forest nearing the city wall, "there! Maybe making those two tell me that message was him asking me to go there, assuming I know what Gabriela was talking about. In the end, all of this might just be me overthinking, and I sure hope that'd be the case…"