Volume 11's POV: Miyuki Sekken's POV
I was frozen to the ground. It felt like the Earth had stopped spinning. My mind was so foggy and dizzy that I forgot where I was and what I had left to do. The only thing to shake me back to my senses were the fire trucks that pulled up in front of the building.
Knowing I had to leave, I reluctantly pulled myself to my feet and began to turn around... though, I would be stopped by a sudden glimpse of something in the corner of my eye: A light. When I turned back around to see what it was, it was Sora. Sora's body... was glowing with Ki! If his body was glowing, that meant that he had to be alive, right? That's what I had hoped to be the case.
I gasped and quickly knelt back down to his side, putting my hand on his cheek. "OH COME ON, YOU WERE ALIVE?!" I shouted with shock... though, it turns out that I was wrong... I got my hopes up for a false cause. He wasn't glowing because he was alive, but actually for the complete opposite reason, which I was soon to figure out when I held his cheek, then feeling the warm sensation of that Ki being located elsewhere... into my own body!
The sudden boost in energy left me speechless. I sat there in a mix of confusion and disbelief. That was his power... his own strength. Why was I the one to take it though? I knew there were so many other worthy people than I, a coward, was. The only reasoning I could think of was because I was the only one there who could take that power. I had no time to process the situation though, because I knew I had company coming quick. The sound of boots quickly running towards my direction shook me to my feet, so I disappeared deeper into alleyways without hesitation.
The first thing I noticed with Sora's gift was that my speed was much greater than before! I was equal, if not just a little stronger and faster than Sora was. I will admit, I did have a little fun with this power when I sprinted through the town. It didn't take long to cross entire streets anymore! Cars that moved down the main street looked like they were snails, and to them, I looked like just a blur! I could dodge around traffic, weave through people, and cross every alleyway in very little time!
This power did take a lot to get used to. It was hard getting adjusted to Ki in my first few weeks of training, but now I had to learn how to control myself with more than twice that power in only a few short minutes. The thought of obtaining that control was ludicrous, but I knew that there were others in my group who would aid me if all goes wrong. That's what I expected at least... but I was under the impression that I was only getting my hopes up... again...
...and unfortunately for me,
...that was exactly the case.
After minutes of searching through the town, I was finally able to locate where the rest of my team was. Just finding one of them, I could see the others laying massacred not too far ahead. Every single one of them had ended up suffering the same fate as Sora: a hole pierced through their chests and laying in pools of blood all over the street. It was a horrid sight that shook me to my core! What kind of person was able to take out four powerful Ki users?!
Just down the street was the group who chased after Stronzo, who all laid dead just the same.
I couldn't take it anymore.
If Sora's death wasn't bad enough, now everyone else I knew was gone... again. I saw friends laying with friends. Their faces were ones of peace, like if they hadn't realized they were dead. If I waited any longer, I knew I would join them too, but the shock of it all still made me hesitant to move.
I had mourned more than I could handle with Sora, so by now I was only left with the feeling of empty numbness. Then that numbness began to transform into a different kind of feeling. I could feel a burning sensation in my chest... and then energy. I hadn't felt energy like this in ages... It was like there was a different kind of power growing in me. It wasn't sadness, it wasn't fear, and it wasn't the impulse to flee. It was something else.
This burning sensation urged me to search the pockets of one of the members. I patted down their shirt, pants, jackets, everything until I could find what I was looking for: a phone. This phone I quickly pocketed before making a furious sprint down the street.
("I had enough of this. This endless cycle of torture cannot continue any longer. First my mother, then Manaka, then Megami, then Sora, and now everyone else I know is gone! Everywhere I go these thugs are behind my misery! But every time they strike, I flee like a coward! Well, now I am sick of fleeing! I am tired of being shot down! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!")
I picked up my pace as my body began glowing in an overwhelming sense of power. I dashed right out of the heart of the town, and making my way to the third area. After being pushed around for over a month, it was finally time to cross the line where bystanding tolerance turned into upstanding intolerance... and crossing that line for the first time... the power, the anger, the confidence... Where did all of this sudden strength come from? I didn't know, but it was like I had become someone unrecognizable to the person that came before...
and it felt... amazing.
"To think all of those times I was running away from you, but now you're running away from ME! You better! That's all you do anyways, commit crimes and then flee because you're scared of retaliation! Well if you think you can run away from ME, then you have another thing coming! MAGURO HIGH, HERE I COME!"
With this anger filled decree, I utilized my newfound energy to cross New Tako Town. Though I was far faster than any normal car on the road, to travel to the edge of the town still took me about a minute and a half of constant running.
I knew better than to enter the school on my own without a plan. Truth is, I had one brewing the moment I took that phone. Maguro High was a school based gang, which meant that their heaviest forces, the Barricades, resided there. Jen and Steve had to go there because they had to have known I was still around, and not to mention they needed to report the progress of their attack. Where Jen and Steve were, Stronzo was. Where Stronzo was, that source for everyone's deaths would be there.
Before I got too close to the school building, I hid myself in another alleyway and pressed my back to the side of a nearby building, then turned my head over to glance at the campus. I didn't want to get spotted in case whatever shot Sora and the rest was waiting for me. Whether that sniper was stationed in the school campus or elsewhere I didn't know, so I had to act quickly.
It was now or never where I executed the plan, so I pulled out the phone I took. Modern technology is greatly advanced anymore, but with that comes great security. I knew I couldn't unlock this person's phone, but thankfully the 'Emergency Dial' feature doesn't require high tech security.
After dialing the number, I waited a few moments before an operator would pick up. In one hand I held the phone to my ear, and the other I held the contact card to Detective David. I never thought for once in my life I would use this card! I figured there was nothing the police could do to help me, but it turns out that I was wrong. There was something they could do that I was incapable of doing on my own.
I, a witness, informed the operator of the suspects I saw. When I told them that I was talking about the 'hooded figures', I was able to be put directly on the line with Detective David. From the fire, to the fights, to the sniper lurking around, I told David everything. This meant that he would have to bring his biggest guns in New Tako to combat these terrorists. By the 'biggest guns', I meant Special Assault Team (SAT), who would arrive at Maguro High in a flock of armored trucks within just minutes after I made the call.
The armored trucks parked at the outside perimeter of the school. One after another the armored doors swung open, trained professional fighters piled out with suits of armor, heavy duty rifles, blaring sirens, and even louder shouts by their commanders.
Police cars pulled up to block the entrances and exits to the campus. Officers were stationed by their cruisers, pistols pulled out and on standby, meanwhile SAT troops were stationed closer to the building and waiting for orders to enter.
From a Megaphone, Detective David was able to be heard, speaking in a stern and harsh voice towards the building, "THIS IS THE NEW TAKO POLICE DEPARTMENT! PUT YOUR HANDS UP AND LEAVE THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR WHERE WE CAN SEE YOU, OR WE WILL HAVE TO COME IN AND DETAIN YOU OURSELVES!"
The harshness of his voice was insane! For someone who had no power of his own against the Barricades, he surely had the most powerful voice I ever heard. Hell, if I was The Boss of I-35, I would have been scared shitless and given up right there! Then again, I'm not a cruel cold-hearted money loving psychopath, so I have no clue what runs through their head to make them want to persist.
I watched carefully at the school building, waiting for something to reveal itself. Meanwhile, the signal would be given to the SAT squad to raid the school building, so they would all quickly pace to the front door.
("Come on... where are they?") I wondered while waiting for any signs. It has been about five minutes now and they haven't shown themselves to the world yet. The officers were starting to become as leery as I was, but we all weren't convinced that there was no life. After all, the front school doors were unlocked.
It was then that I had finally struck the biggest 'Bingo'! It was a trap! The doors were left unlocked for the SAT members to investigate. Meanwhile on the third floor, a red light revealed itself. It was a small laser which pointed towards one of the troop men.
"Yes! Yes!" I quietly cheered to myself with relief. Then I would burst out of my cover without hesitation. The Ki in my body returned, my power skyrocketing to its limit as I made a dash for the edge of the street. My mind was focused, I had no time for interruptions. I relied entirely on my senses to take over the movements, even if it meant charging into oncoming traffic would be the quickest way there.
Dodging oncoming traffic wasn't particularly difficult, my ability helped with that. With it engaged, I could easily plan for the two cars coming ahead, coordinating my movements in such precision that the car wouldn't have to weave around me and cause an accident. Now that I think about it, dodging these cars reminded me a lot of my days in soccer. It was like dodging oncoming players who wanted to steal the ball from me. That made sense! It was all coming back to me! This excitement. This stress. It wasn't bad stress either, it was stress that made me feel alive and with a purpose!
My face crept into a smile.
I closed in on Detective David who was still holding up my 'soccer ball' for me. "Thanks for the pass, David!" I would shout before making a giant leap, then curling his megaphone in the crevice of my foot, and then launching it straight through the school window where the red light was coming from! Along with that Megaphone, I came charging right behind it to greet the sniper personally.