"Bastard!!!"
I shot my hand out and intercepted Kawasaki's punch.
"Looks like you're having fun, huh? Why didn't you invite me?"
I can get a rough idea of what happened, but at first glance it looks like they had a little free-for-all. Watanabe lying unconscious on the floor certainly supports that.
Without answering my rhetorical question, Kawasaki launched a roundhouse kick at my head.
I thought we were getting along reasonably well…
Well, it's not like I'm here by choice — I'm just being a good Aniki, so to speak.
"Stay still for a moment."
I used my left arm to deflect her kick; it lacked her usual momentum and power, so it wasn't difficult.
Caught off-guard by how easily her attack was repelled, she left herself exposed, so I extended my right arm and tapped her forehead with my fingers.
"Kya!"
Kawasaki made a cute sound as her body recoiled until she was leaning against the wall behind her.
Just by looking at her, I could tell she'd had a rough time. But did she really end up like that just by fighting those two?
I'm not overestimating Kawasaki, but I seriously doubt she'd be that messed up from them.
"Rest… baka."
I gave her a light scolding, then stepped past her to stand in front of Tanaka.
"So then, Tanaka-kun, this could be considered grievous bodily harm, which is a crime anywhere in the world. Any excuses?"
Am I too calm for this situation? Well… why shouldn't I be?
Connections and relationships don't form in a few days — don't expect me to pretend to be someone I'm not.
"WHAT are you doing here!!"
Seeing him so euphoric is strange, since this guy usually keeps a calm, serious expression.
"I'd normally say I got lost on life's roads, but that'd be a boring line to repeat, so I'll just say I have no idea." I shook my head.
One thing you should always do is pay attention to your surroundings; you can use even the smallest detail to your advantage.
For example, Tanaka, standing in front of me, had his right hand in his pocket.
Kawasaki showed no cuts, so a knife was out of the question — therefore, he had something hidden that allowed him to gain the upper hand on Kawasaki.
Several handheld weapons come to mind, but without knowing which one it is, the best I can do is keep it in mind.
"Don't bullshit me!!" Tanaka clenched his fist. "You're nothing but a—"
"Save the talk. I genuinely don't care what others think of me; otherwise I'd be a copy of you, and that would honestly sadden me." I waved my hands, indicating his opinion didn't matter to me.
"I'll make you eat those words!!"
A rule every trainee learns: never let your emotions take over in a fight — it's the worst thing you can do.
Just as I expected, when Tanaka got close to me he pulled out what looked like a stun gun and pointed it at me.
The difference between general fight training and competitive fighting is that in competitions your opponent won't pull a weapon from his pocket. So the methods for neutralizing someone with a weapon are taught — especially if your sensei is a former member of the Japan Self-Defense Forces; that's a bonus in the instruction.
I was lucky — or unlucky — that the place where I trained for several years was run by someone of that caliber. According to him, it's good for young people to learn all sorts of things, including how to deal with an armed opponent. My body remembers all too well the feeling of having a joint lock applied and being thrown to the ground.
And thanks to those experiences, I know the best response to this kind of attack.
I stepped back and sidestepped Tanaka's strike.
People who don't know how to use these weapons think charging straight in is best — they couldn't be more wrong, because doing that can lead to something like this.
Taking advantage of how exposed and vulnerable Tanaka was, I grabbed his arm and slammed it into my knee.
An all-too-familiar crack echoed in my ears when Tanaka's arm broke.
Before he could process what happened — his face already a mask of confusion — I snatched the stun gun he'd dropped out of the air and pressed it to his neck.
I flipped the switch and watched Tanaka's body convulse under the shock.
I don't know much about how these things work, only that they dump a lot of electricity into a body. As long as I'm not the one on the receiving end, whatever.
With Tanaka an easy target, I followed with a back kick.
Unlike other kicks, this one's defined by its power and speed.
For a moment I felt his stomach against my foot, and a second later his body was thrown hard into a wall, bouncing off on impact.
Nights are dangerous — if you're alone, you can run into unpleasant people… bad luck for Tanaka.
I closed the distance and drove my knee into his gut, sending him back toward the wall.
Taking advantage of him lying motionless, gasping for air that had been taken twice in quick succession, I placed the stun gun against the other side of his neck.
"Zapping, huh?"
It's crazy how a light touch from this thing releases so much current; seeing Tanaka's body shake from the shock proved it.
Without another word, I unleashed a combo of kicks that Tanaka couldn't block. His body was like a punching bag.
The human body is the best target for training. I guess that senpai was right, even if his methods were unusual. Still, I don't question the results.
"Is it fun to go after someone defenseless?" I set the stun gun on his chest. "If you ask me… maybe."
His body convulsed violently. His face showed pure pain and disbelief — he hadn't even had time to process his arm being broken — which told me it was enough.
"You're pathetic." I said with a wide grin, then struck his face with the back of my left fist.
His body hit the ground like a trash bag being tossed.
"Mmm?"
I shook my hand to get the blood off from the last blow.
I think I used too much force; I'd busted his mouth. The blood on the back of my hand was proof.
Oh well, doesn't matter…
With that problem handled, there was only one thing left to do.
I went back to where Kawasaki was sitting. Her gaze at me said a lot: confusion, indifference, intensity, caution — and above all, calm.
Our eyes met; neither of us spoke.
"You're a real monster to still be standing after getting zapped like that." I shifted the stun gun and tucked it into my pocket.
It might come in handy later, and I never turn down something free.
"What are you doing here…?" she said, breathing hard, as if staying upright itself took too much effort.
My earlier words were a compliment — I highly doubt I'd be able to get up after being electrocuted, much less keep fighting when your body must feel absolutely wrecked.
Imagining myself getting up after suffering that kind of shock — and still moving, doing something like carrying someone else — is impossible to believe. Maybe that idea belongs in some fantasy story where the writer is clueless about the real effects of an electric shock on the body.
Maybe I was rambling in my head. What was I doing? …Oh, right.
I'm not one to double-check my recent thoughts, so I mentally decided not to provoke Kawasaki; her endurance is monstrous.
Is she some kind of berserk or something? Maybe somewhere in the multiverse she's the captain of a great ship, her brown hair standing out, wearing an eye patch. I can picture that perfectly. It would be electrifying.
"I already answered that question — pay more attention."
I snapped out of my thoughts to answer Kawasaki's question, since I might have kept daydreaming for a long time without noticing.
"You… really…" Before she finished speaking, she lost consciousness.
I caught her as her body collapsed from exhaustion; she must have hit her limit a while ago.
"I told you to rest… you're so stubborn. What am I supposed to do with you?"
My words got no response — Kawasaki was fast asleep.
I moved into a position where I could carry Kawasaki on my back. I have good stamina and strength, but carrying someone in my arms for a long time requires more effort that way.
Once I adjusted Kawasaki so she wouldn't fall, I prepared to leave — though… I almost forgot something.
"Hey, Watanabe, I know you're awake, so I'll be direct."
After knocking out Tanaka, I noticed Watanabe pretending not to move, trying to look unconscious. He's an idiot, but not dumb enough to want trouble with me after seeing what happened to Tanaka.
"Take Tanaka to a hospital and make up a story that you were mugged and beaten."
They started the fight, so if they want to take this to the police, they'll lose.
"And about what happens next — you're not stupid enough to come back to the academy, right?" I hardened my voice. "If you come back here, or try anything else to Kawasaki… you don't want to see me angry." I relaxed and gave him a big smile. "If you want a hint… you better have good life insurance, because the least I'll do is break most of your bones."
Was that an empty threat just to keep Watanabe away? Who knows…
So far I've never bothered to think through the consequences. It's not really my style.
After making my "friendly" warning clear, I began to walk.
Really — how did these three end up in such a brutal fight?
I started thinking of theories, or maybe just wild guesses.
After a short while, something obvious crossed my mind.
Where am I walking to?
Until now I hadn't even asked myself.
Where am I going? What's my destination?
Many philosophers through history have asked the same question: where are we going? It's a very broad concept that covers…
Yeah, I completely drifted away from the important topic — my mistake.
I mean, where am I going with Kawasaki?
I'd begun walking without a destination, just wandering aimlessly — something I do unconsciously when I want to let my thoughts roam.
I looked up and scanned the surroundings.
"How should I interpret this? Should I blame my subconscious…?"
Huge, flashy signs with bright colors and easy-to-read letters: "Love Hotel."
Before I knew it, I'd reached the loudest, least discreet part of the city, not far from where I started.
I glanced at Kawasaki, who — luckily — was still asleep; if she wakes up, she'll kill me.
Mental note: don't daydream while carrying someone.
Alright, now I'll focus on the path.
Before I could decide my next destination, a voice called out from behind me.
"Excuse me — aren't you a bit young to be around here? And I see you're carrying a girl on your back. I need to ask you a few questions."
It was a police officer, and from the look on his face I could tell those wouldn't be just a few questions…
Having been an adult in my past life, I quickly found a way out of the situation…
…I started running without looking back.
I already had enough trouble with Kawasaki for the police to get involved; my mother would kill me if a station called her.
After losing the officer thanks to my speed and my knowledge of the area, I headed straight home.
Who would've thought that wandering the streets at night would come in handy.
Putting that aside, I chose to go home for one simple reason: nobody would be there.
Taking Kawasaki to her house would've been the obvious choice, but that would cause more trouble than it seemed and might make things worse.
Taking her to a hospital to treat her injuries would be the same, since, as minors, the staff would contact our parents.
So the only option was my house, which, luckily, was unoccupied.
This time I focused on the path and cleared my mind so I wouldn't get distracted.