Last Stride [Prince of Stride]

Chapter 5: Fairy of Stride

Challenge: Get 10 Votes for This Chapter! (I decided all these bullshiz things that I'm doing isn't me so I'm just putting up challenges for all you people.)

The race was very simple. They were suppose to run around the school. The teams were Fujiwara and Yagami in one team, and Ayano and Heath in the other team. Because of this race, this allowed Sakurai to practice on being a relationer with the green four eyes.

"Hey, Hasekura-senpai, let me go in the first relay. I want to battle the famed Under 15 Stride Person." Ayano mentioned, stretching her body. Obviously it was going to be hard for Ayano to battle against Fujiwara, since her body isn't used to being back into Stride.

It has been a year since then, after all.

"I'm okay with it, but are you going to be okay? You don't have the ability to match up against him."

"If I use <Clear Mind>, I can catch up."

"But-!!"

"This is the only way for Yagami to join the Stride Club. You need him, don't you?" Ayano gritted her teeth. It was a dangerous bet, but Ayano was willing to do it. After all, running is in her blood.

"Yes, but can you keep yourself from fainting on the relationer zone? Once you touch hands with me, there is no way for you to-"

"I'll finish my run in less than 1 minute. The track is small enough for me. And, if this is recorded, no other school would notice my weakness..." Since she was the Fairy of Stride, the only girl who competed with the highschooler when she was in junior high, every schools were looking for her weakness. But since her <Clear Mind> objectives were completed, there was no way for people to notice her biggest weakness.

Heath sighed, looking up at the ceiling while he sat on the couch. They were alone in the clubroom, as Ayano leaned against the wall. Talking about strategies before the race were their regular duties.

As the leader of the Stride Club, Heath was the one usually commanding all of his teammates. And he was reliable, that probably made Yukari like him. Though, Yukari wouldn't mention it, even though Ayano knows.

Ayano was often shy, whereas when she first came to Honan, she was utterly terrified of the males in the club. But when she was watching them on the track, was when Heath noticed both of her abilities.

One was her observational skills. Within watching them on the track for Stride, she was able to find paths that they haven't took yet, where most of those paths she took was the faster version. And her parkouring skills were up to high school levels, despite her status as a petite female.

The other was <Clear Mind>, but that appeared much later.

"I guess it's almost time to start, Heath." Ayano said, as her eyes turned to a lighter blue. A sign that her <Clear Mind> can be activated.

With that effect too.

"Let's go, then, Fairy." Ayano smiled, as she walked out of the room with Heath behind her.

Another Stride await for her.

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"There is a lot of people here... Aren't you nervous, Fujiwara?" Ayano was stretching at the start line, as Fujiwara stood there and scowled. Heath and Yagami were at their station, and Saikurai and glasses head were in their position.

"Not really. Are you?"

"I'm not feeling anything, thank you very much." Ayano felt calm and collected. Her mind is thinking of many possibilities for her to move. But she didn't need that at all.

"Like you did back then." Ayano looked confused in front of Fujiwara, before the signal starts. They went into their running position.

Ayano forced her ability to open, which was like a glass breaking. Her eyes turned purely red. There were red streaks in her hair, slightly, that not many people would notice at first.

"Clear Mind." Ayano whispered.

"Ready... Set.... Go!" They raced through the hallways. Fujiwara was going with the regular path, half hoping that he is ahead of Ayano. But what happened next was unexpected. Ayano was jumping off of the walls, catching in lead with Fujiwara.

"They are really close match... It seems Aya didn't lose her touch..." The glasses mentioned, as Sakurai looked confused. But she kept track of the Relationer monitor.

"It's almost time! They're going to switch real soon! They must touch hands in that zone." Ayano looked at the yellow line that was going to appear really soon. If she was correct, she must stretch out her hand about halfway into the zone.

"Go!" She could hear the voices of the Relationer. Fujiwara should be able to hear it too. They have to hurry to catch up. Ayano was feeling dizzy, as her eyes started to droop faster and faster.

She was very close to 1 minute. At the most, she has only 20 more seconds. Ayano sped up. Fujiwara did the same.

They were in the zone. The place to switch. Ayano felt like dropping to the floor already. The world she saw as red is disappearing quickly, returning back to reality. She almost tripped in her steps.

"Heath! Hurry the fucking hell up!" She yelled. Obviously, the person beside her noticed but didn't mind. She could see the brown hair male racing up to her.

"Don't swear to your senpais." He grabbed her arm and slapped his hand onto her. She put her hands on her knees. Her red eyes and red highlights fully disappeared. She and Fujiwara was breathing hard.

"You ran pretty fast- Nozomi-San?" Ayano's eyes started to close, as she collapsed to the floor. She blanked out.

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She woke up in the nurse office again. She held her head, as her eyes adjusted to the room. Right beside her, was Sakurai.

"She was worried about you." Fujiwara was standing near the door, as Ayano sat on the edge of the bed near Sakurai. She felt a bit woozy, but she was able to move.

"So, did Yagami join your club?"

"Yes. It was a tie though." Ayano smile for a bit, before stopping. It wasn't like she was back inside of the club. She still didn't want to be in the club.

"Hmm? Ah, Nozomi-San, you're awake." Sakurai woke up, and apologized. Ayano waved it off, as Sakurai left the room after making sure Ayano was alright. She smiled and waved. The only people left were her and Fujiwara.

"Oi." Fujiwara came near Ayano, trapping her as she laid on the bed. His face was really close to Ayano's. Ayano gulped.

"Aya." Ayano's eyes widened. Fujiwara took off his glasses, while looking at Ayano straight in the eyes.

"Don't you remember me?"

She remembers him.

He was the one who introduced her to Stride.

The one who pushed her to being in Stride in Junior High.

"Why.... Why did you betray me!?" Tears were dripping. She covered her face.

"Takeru, why couldn't it be you who died?"