I guided the couple to the table beside Tsiene's and went behind the counter, pretending to clean it.
"What would you like to order?" The man asked the woman.
"Let's just get it over with." The woman whispered while pretending to read through the menu.
"I'll go with a special meal, same for you?" He stared at the woman.
"The pope would like to—" She's interrupted by him.
"Same for you?" His question hadn't changed.
I could hear their hushed dialogue because of a new way I found to use my ability.
By concentrating the potency of my ability in a single part of my body, I could boost the functions of that part exponentially. The potency of the boost also multiplies what I thought was the maximum potency before.
Currently, the 'Perspective' was coating my ears.
"You could use your ability like that?" I heard Tsiene whisper.
'She could tell I was eavesdropping. How observant. I guess that's something we have in common.'
I glanced back at the couple. The woman was now acting cautiously as she repeatedly glanced at me.
"That kid? Really?" She said in a hushed voice.
Before I could react, she kicked the chair and took off.
'How fast!'
"Restrain the man!" Tsiene yelled as she blitzed behind the woman, her red glasses transformed into her usual crimson cloak.
Without hesitation, I dashed at the man after jumping over the counter.
However, I had failed to notice the gun he was pointing at me.
Bang! The shot resounded. At the last second, my body shifted, and the bullet passed by, grazing my right ear. I fell over.
"At the last second, you shifted the focus of your 'Perspective' onto your eyes and brain, hypothetically slowing down time for you to think. Then, you created a new focus point in your foot to shift your body weight by tapping the floor fast, repeatedly." The man sheathed his gun in his suit.`
"How did you—" My ear rang violently. I gripped my ear in pain.
"Your eardrum's busted, it's to be expected. This Perspective of yours doesn't 'defend' you, huh? Only a boost." He stated, with his hand on his chin. "No. Nevermind. I should have expected this much from an agent of the Witness." He kneeled to face me. "Tell me, have you ever questioned why?"
"Huh?"
He placed his hand on my shoulder. "Why did you feel compelled to eavesdrop on the gyarus on that day?"
"Why did you feel the need to dash at the Gremlins instead of protecting your friends?"
"Why did you have to fight the Talos guard?"
"Why were you on the Armament Wing?"
"Why were you kicked off the Wing once Talos was petrified?
My vision fractured, and I felt the walls rumble and close in.
"Why was the humanoid gremlin your go-to for help?"
"Why did she run behind my partner instead of telling you to?"
And lastly, "Why do you want to go to the Sanctuary?"
His face held no contempt or care. It was pure curiosity.
A chuckle. "I only asked the first question, and you recited everything else? How confused are you?... Don't answer that."
I gripped his hand. "Hands off."
He grinned. "You're not an agent, are you?" Shaking away my grip, he manifested a hat in his hand and put it on. "What a terrifying encounter."
Focusing all the potency into my fist, I throw a clear punch onto his face. However, he dodged at the last instant, due to which a crater forms on the wall without my fist even connecting.
He stumbled onto the table. "You've failed to ask the most important question."
I felt eerily frustrated. I threw another punch at his nose, and this time, it connected. The sound of his nose crushing and head flying back was like that of a shotgun. "Shut up."
"Must be nice…to have anything you want by just wishing for it." His voice wavered. Blood gushed out of his nose, but he was still grinning. "MUST BE NICE!!" He yelled and chuckled.
"Maniac…" I felt a lump form in my throat.
"I'm here because the Witness wants me to be here. That's why that humanoid gremlin went after her instead of you." He started to tear up.
"Why the hell are you crying?" I scoffed.
"So, you can question things without me pulling it out of you?" He replied. "What a convoluted, messed-up, garbage, sewer waste-like, distasteful, bloody, tearful narrative!" He lunged at me, grabbing the knife off the table.
I dodged and threw a jab at his face, followed by a sucker punch to the gut.
"Your presence is obvious, Witness!" he yelled.
He wasn't talking to me.
"I'm Corvus! Last of the Ravenheads! Answer me, Witness!" Corvus continued.
Another punch to the gut rendered him immobile as he winced in pain on the ground.
"Yuuhi, that's your name…Isn't it, Will of the Witness?" He blurted out. "Question your anger, Yuuhi. Question everything as you always do." Corvus got up. "Most importantly, question your Ambition."
A profound feeling of melancholy washed over me. "What are you— Why're you saying that?"
"You'll need an ambition not to be crushed in the Sanctuary, Yuuhi. Let's meet at the Sanctuary. Hopefully, self-discovery is enough of an ambition." With that, Corvus vanished into a clutter of black feathers.
"Wait—! Not again!"
I slumped onto the seat behind me, holding my ear while concentrating my 'Perspective' on it.
The lump in my throat hadn't subsided.
The manager rushed into the café from the back door. "Yuuhi! What was all that commotion?!" She looked worried, the kind soul. "The wall is…!"
"Manager, I'm sorry. We had some violent customers."
She gasped. "Are you okay, Yuuhi?"
"Huh? Y-yes." Did she see the blood dripping out of my ear? Why's she so surprised?
"Then, Yuuhi…why're you crying?" She asked.
"…?" I failed to notice the tears rolling down my cheeks. "Since when…" I wiped them off frantically. "Damn it!"
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