Ephemeral Ability Reflects the Heart

「Ah!」

Chihiro let out a gasp and took a step forward.

He clenched his right fist, raised it, and pointed it at Riko.

The fist slipped through the defense and plunged into Riko's shoulder. It was light, but it felt solid.

But when, he is about to pulls his fist back to land another blow.

*Bam*

There is a heavy kick in his lower abdomen.

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「Ah...」

When Chihiro looks down.

The toe of a sturdy athletic shoe had sunk into his crotch.

It's an attack on the male genitals, an unspoken prohibition in student fights, even in "anything goes" fights.

The moment he realized what was happening.

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「AHHHHHH!!!」

The pain hit him.

Chihiro couldn't help but scream as the pain hit him.

Chihiro crouched, rolled on the floor and stumbled around. Touching the affected area would only make the pain worse, but there is no way he could sit still and wait for the pain to subside.

His eyes flickered and showed nothing.

With a single blow, all his thoughts are drowned out, and there is nothing he could do.

「Ugh, that's disgusting!」

Riko's voice came from above his head. But then..

*Bam*

The sole of her shoe stomped on Chihiro's right hand.

*Kick* *Kick*

Right foot, left foot.

「Here we go」

*Bam*

As if she were playing soccer, she kicked her head with all her might.

「Aaaaaaaaaaah!」

Chihiro screamed again, and Riko cursed her in a cold voice.

「Oh my god, shut up. You're disgusting. Even though you're Izumi」

Again, and again, and again.

She stomped and kicked him.

It hurts. It hurt. That's all he knew.

「Nishizaki-san. Stop it」

Chihiro then heard Maria's voice.

A voice with a chilling atmosphere. It seemed to be angry.

「Oh? What is it, visitor-san?」

「I said stop. If you don't, I'll stop you by force」

「Why? This is a training exercise. Izumi agreed that anything goes, and he hasn't given up yet, so I'm free to do whatever I want. Right, Izumi?」

But Chihiro can't answer that.

Still, Riko's voice sounded so happy that it was out of place, but as she said, he was in no condition to speak properly.

At least a little more. He needs to regain consciousness and breathing.

「Oh, maybe I should take out some insurance」

While he is wondering what, Riko's hand touched Chihiro's shoes.

She takes off his right shoe and sock.

「Ugh, it's disgusting」

Riko then puts a ball of something in his mouth. It smells of fabric and sweat, a sock being removed.

The same thing is stuffed into his mouth, and he could no longer speak or breathe through his mouth.

He tries to push the sock out with only his mouth and tongue but it is difficult.

「Now, if it gets too hard, give up, Izumi」

She kicked his right hand.

His left hand is also carefully stomped on, and the movements of both hands are carefully blocked.

Gradually, his consciousness began to fade.

「I told you to stop」

「So why would I stop?」

「Even if it's just for training, any more violence than necessary is subject to instruction. Shall I bring the teacher?

「Do what you want. Well, if you tell on Sensei...」

The tip of the wooden sword is placed on Chihiro's neck.

His breath caught in his throat as a force was applied to it, and his whole body slowly drained.

「Why didn't you stop sooner, I think Fukami-san will be pissed?」

「...」

Maria's reply is inaudible.

Chihiro thought he had lost his hearing, but that was not the case. After all, he heard footsteps walking in the room, and then a rattling sound.

Considering the situation, Maria must have picked up the wooden sword that Chihiro had been using.

「What? What are you going to do with it?」

Riko says as if she's making fun of someone.

「I will do this」

Suddenly.

There's a heavy sound, cutting the air in the room.

「Hey...」

「You don't mind attacking people, but you're surprised when someone does it to you」

It's a series of air noises accompanied by an indifferent voice.

And there is more than a dozen of these merciless blows.

Then, when the sound stops, Maria's voice is heard again.

「If you do anything else, I'll kill you」

「...!」

Chihiro could faintly hear Riko gasp.

It's a good thing that his vision is blurry. The impact of the words alone is heavy enough, but how scary would it have been if the actions and gaze had been added?

Maria is probably serious.

When she says she's going to kill her, she really means it.

With her desire for her own destruction, her resistance to the loss of another's life must be much lighter than most.

Riko doesn't know Maria's situation, but Chihiro know to what extent she is affected by it.

After a few seconds of silence, a single footstep moved away from Chihiro's side, followed by the sound of a door being opened, and then rapidly moved away again.

Riko's attack stopped, and Chihiro's condition began to calm down.

Maria squats down and removes the socks from his mouth. His breathing becomes easier, and soon his vision returns to normal.

But, it didn't help that his whole body was throbbing with pain.

「...」

「...Sorry」

Maria remained crouched, looking down at Chihiro with an indescribable expression.

Feeling uncomfortable, Chihiro said he was sorry, but Maria shook her head.

「Why are you apologizing?」

「Because Maria helped me stop it」

「It can't be helped. You didn't get desperate, did you?」

Maria looks back at the entrance to the training grounds.

「...Maybe she was the one who was desperate」

「...I guess so」

As he exhales, Chihiro tightens his arms.

He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through him and his body loosened up.

「Let's get some rest and then come back. And while you're at it, I have a question for you」

「It's about Nishizaki-san, isn't it?」

「Yes... Well, that's probably best left for when we get home」