Chapter 62

Minoru nodded, took a deep breath, and turned on the switch. His body floated ever so slightly above the seat. All of the background noise vanished, and the glow from the streetlights tinted blue. But not everything disappeared: He still felt Liquidizer’s warmth and heard her breath. His protective shell had accepted a Ruby Eye woman, one of the most powerful sworn enemies of the Jet Eyes. As the ever-present mysterious bass sound echoed distantly, there was a quiet voice next to Minoru’s ear. “So this is your power, boy…” “No, not mine… It’s someone else’s power that protects me.” At that, some of the tension left Liquidizer’s body. She rested her head on Minoru’s left shoulder. “I’ve always believed that Third Eyes were just parasitic creatures that control their hosts and force them to fight,” she said. “So I thought I should try to use the Third Eyes and the situation they created to my own ends, too. But in this space…there’s no anger, no hatred. There’s only…only…” Liquidizer fell silent. Minoru thought he should say something but couldn’t find the words. Instead, he simply stated some practical information. “…One minute left.” “Indeed.” He felt Liquidizer nod against his shoulder. This was her plan to hide from DD’s long-distance detection ability to ambush the car: going inside Minoru’s protective shell. As long as she was in the shell, all signs of her presence would be completely blocked from the outside world, so that even Searcher wouldn’t know she was there. “Once I jump out, just follow the plan.” Her voice was professional again. Minoru nodded. Thirty seconds later, through the front windshield, he saw the headlights of a car turning the corner. A black minivan. That intimidating front grille could only belong to a Toyota Alphard. “They’re here.” “Turn it off on three.” The Alphard was moving at about forty kilometers per hour as it approached. There were no other cars behind it. It was thirty meters away from the Serena they were hiding in…twenty meters… “One, two, three.” As soon as Liquidizer’s count ended, Minoru deactivated the protective shell. Liquidizer jumped over to the street-side door with a speed that belied her recent injuries. She pulled the handle immediately and leaped out onto the street. The Alphard hit the brakes, a high-pitched screech filling the night air. It hadn’t been going all that quickly, but it still wasn’t easy for the large minivan to come to a halt. Just as it was about to strike the crouching Liquidizer, she dove to the right. Immediately, the Alphard pitched forward. The front grille had sunk more than halfway into the road—caught in the asphalt that Liquidizer had liquefied. No, judging by how deep the car was sinking, it wasn’t just the surface of the asphalt that she melted. The base layer of rubble beneath it, and even the ground below, had all been turned to liquid in an instant. And the radius of this was about two meters wide, three meters long. Her power could only be described as incredible. But just sinking the tires even halfway would have been enough to stop the car. Why had she gone so deep? It dawned on Minoru only belatedly: The Alphard’s front doors were sunk about halfway in, and the rear doors about a third of the way, into the black mire. Which meant the crew inside couldn’t open the doors. Crack! A heavy sound filled the air. The liquefied asphalt had solidified again. Once he’d seen all this, Minoru opened the door on the sidewalk side and jumped out as well. Lowering his body, he dashed over to the Swift, which was about twenty meters away. Opening the rear hatch, he hopped into the back of the car. They’d lowered the back seats, so there was enough space for one more person along with Minoru. Please let this end without anyone getting hurt! he hoped fervently as he looked out the back. Liquidizer had just gone around to the rear of the van and was pressing her right hand against the Alphard’s back door. She melted the lock and opened the door, then forced her way inside and dragged out a large wheelchair. The person strapped into it by multiple belts, presumably Trancer, didn’t even twitch. They must have knocked him out with some kind of drug. Liquidizer lowered the wheelchair to the road, closed the back door, and lightly touched the space between the door and the fender with both hands. Most likely, she was liquefying the metal of the door to the car so that it wouldn’t open. With that done, she grabbed the handles of the wheelchair and ran over to the Swift, where Minoru was waiting. Things were going well—almost too well. But there was one problem. The low ceiling of the Swift wouldn’t fit the wheelchair. They would have to remove all the straps and free Trancer. Minoru thought he should jump down and help. But if he got out of the car, then one of the officers or DD might see his face. If it was just DD, Yumiko might be able to talk him down, but not so for the officers. I should’ve brought a ski mask or something, he lamented, but it was too late now. All he could do was watch as Liquidizer sprinted over. Just then, the windows of the Alphard’s back door broke into pieces. A yellow light flashed in the darkness of the van, and the night air was filled with dry popping sounds. The police officers had started shooting at her. Sparks flew on the asphalt, and bullets hit the Swift’s bumper as well. It was probably difficult to shoot through the back door from the front seats, but they were only twenty meters away. At this rate, either transporter or payload would be hit. Minoru gritted his teeth. But then Liquidizer let go of the handles of the wheelchair, whirled around, and spread both hands. The flying bullets hit her liquefaction field and scattered into silver droplets. At the same time, she shouted: “Please get the straps off!” It was an order—no, a plea—to Minoru. If he got out now, Liquidizer should be able to block him from view. Minoru half jumped, half rolled to the asphalt and ran up to the wheelchair. Trancer, also known as Ryuu Mikawa, was slumped over motionless in a gray straitjacket. He was unconscious, as Minoru had suspected. Tough-looking belts were affixed to the seat, back, and footrests of the chair, binding Trancer tightly. Minoru quickly tried to unbind the straps on the left first, but the metal buckles were locked, so pulling at them didn’t move them an inch. The straps themselves were nylon, but it would require a sharp knife to cut through them. While Liquidizer was holding off the bullets for now, if they took much longer, they would probably be swarmed by patrol cars…or maybe even an attack helicopter like the one the Self-Defense Force used on New Year’s. They had to get away, and fast. “…Nngh!” As panic set his blood aflame, Minoru examined the wheelchair. Then he realized: All that mattered was that he got Trancer into the back of the Swift. The wheelchair he was trapped in was far too large to fit inside as is. But if he took off the tires to reduce its size, then it should work. The tires were attached to the wheelchair with hex nuts, but of course Minoru didn’t have a wrench or anything like that. Instead, he grabbed the tires with his gloved hands and pulled with all his might. “Oof… Uuurgh!” It wouldn’t do to yell, so he groaned as quietly as he could as he strained harder. The spokes dislodged one by one, and the rims began to bend out of shape. With Liquidizer’s ability, this would have taken a fraction of a second, but she couldn’t exactly help while she was fending off bullets. “Aaagh!” Minoru had a skinny frame, and while his running meant he had some confidence in his leg strength, his arms were another story. But as a Third Eye host, he was able at times to break through the limitations of his body through sheer force of will. His muscles trembled from his chest to his shoulders and arms, swelling and producing power far past their limits— SNAP! The axles supporting the wheels broke in his hands. Throwing the tires aside, he grabbed the handles, lifted the wheelchair sideways with the last of his strength, and shoved Trancer feetfirst into the Swift. Closing the hatch, he shouted, “We’re good!” “As soon as they run out of bullets, we’ll get out of here!” Just seconds after Liquidizer’s response, the firing from the Alphard stopped. The two police officers must have used up all their shots. Yumiko and DD would probably come out of the broken rear window any second; escaping before they were stuck fighting the pair of Jet Eyes was crucial. Minoru and Liquidizer split to the right and left of the car, diving into the passenger’s and driver’s seat respectively. The engine roared to life, and Liquidizer switched gears and slammed down on the accelerator. The front wheels screeched for a moment, then dug into the surface of the road and zoomed forward. “Keep your face covered, boy!” This was probably because there might be any number of security cameras on the road ahead. It was a bit of a pathetic position, but Minoru had no choice but to duck down so that the dashboard hid his face, bracing himself with his legs. There was another loud screech as the car took a sharp left and sped up again. “Wh-where are we going to escape to?!” It was a little late to ask this question, but there was no helping that now. At any moment, the police would put out the word to be on the lookout for a white Swift, and an enormous manhunt would be underway starting from the Self-Defense Force Camp Mishuku. Minoru doubted they’d be able to escape for long by driving through the city like this. But instead of answering, Liquidizer just cut the wheel again, drove across the sidewalk, and stopped. “Stay down,” she murmured in a low voice. There was the sound of the car window opening. After a few seconds, she pronounced, “All clear. There are no cameras here.” “……” Minoru raised his head cautiously to see that they’d pulled into a nearby monthly parking lot. It was probably only half a kilometer from the site of the attack. Are we going to switch cars here…? he wondered, but Liquidizer spoke before he could ask. “Most cars have immobilizers these days, so it wouldn’t be easy to steal one. Get out of the car and take the sticker off the license plate, please.” “R-right…” As Minoru did as he was told and opened the door, he could already hear faint sirens in the distance. They had no time to waste. He crouched down in front of the car and pulled off the fake license plate they’d stuck to it just a few minutes before. As he stood up, he saw Liquidizer doing something strange. She was pressing both hands to the roof of the car, closing her eyes. Minoru wondered what she was doing, but she seemed to be in deep concentration, so he didn’t ask. Instead, he went behind the car to finish the job he’d been given, and he had just finished peeling off the second sticker when suddenly— —there was a faint watery noise, and the pure white of the Swift’s exterior turned into countless droplets and splattered to the ground. “…?!” Minoru’s eyes widened in shock. For a second, he thought she had melted the entire car, but of course that wasn’t the case. Only the pearly white paint had turned to liquid, revealing a coat of elegant black paint beneath. “I-it was painted twice? And you liquefied only the top coat…?” Liquidizer shook her head. “I can’t control it that precisely, of course. No, the white was a wrapping film; I just liquefied that… Get in.” Still dazed, Minoru opened the door and got back inside. Yes, paint and wrapping film were made of different materials, but to deliberately liquefy a film that was only a fraction of a centimeter thick was still an unbelievable feat. I’m going to have to fight this person again someday… The thought drifted through Minoru’s mind once more as he fastened his seat belt. Leaving the parking lot, the now jet-black Swift started driving south again. They had barely gone three hundred meters when they passed a patrol car with its sirens wailing. The officer in the driver’s seat seemed to glance their way for just a moment, but he kept on driving without slowing down. Swifts were a very common car, and since this one was a different color and plate number from the one they were on the lookout for, there was no reason to suspect them. Maybe we’ll be able to get away after all. As some of the tension left Minoru’s shoulders, Liquidizer glanced at him. “How is Trancer doing?” “Ah…” Of course that was most important to her right now. Lowering his seat, Minoru craned into the back. Since he’d put the wheelchair in by the handles, Trancer was lying on his side with his feet toward the front seats, his face obscured. Reaching out his right hand, Minoru took hold of Trancer’s left ankle, still secured to the wheelchair with the straps. With his hand over the tibial artery between the ankle and the Achilles tendon, Minoru could feel a steady pulse, though the drugs must have slowed it a bit. “…His pulse is stable. I think they must have used some kind of anesthetic drug to knock him out.” “A drug… I hope that’s all it is.” Minoru quickly realized what she meant. If it was just a drug, he would wake up once its effect wore off, but if it turned out to be some kind of Third Eye ability that had put him to sleep, it was possible that only that same ability could wake him up. But even if that were the case, their top priority right now was running from the police and possibly the Self-Defense Force. Liquidizer turned right at the next intersection, heading west. Minoru thought she was going to cut through Setagaya Park and flee toward the Tama River, but when they reached the Loop Road No. 7 five minutes later, she turned right again and started driving north. “Erm…where are we going, exactly?” Minoru asked. “I haven’t quite decided,” Liquidizer replied simply. “You haven’t decided…?” “My original plan was to hide out in a Syndicate safe house until things calm down, but that’s dangerous now, too… At any rate, we just have to get as far away as possible for now.” “You mean we’re going to leave Tokyo?” “Not just Tokyo but possibly the Kansai region. In fact, we may even need to leave Japan.” “……” Minoru had never once traveled overseas, so the thought hadn’t even occurred to him. This made him wonder about something else. “Where did you learn French?” “Canada.” He had no way of knowing whether this answer was true or not, so he glanced over at Liquidizer. There was no readable expression on her face as she sat deep in the seat. The Swift drove through the Kamiuma underpass below Route 246, still heading north. They passed another patrol car, but it didn’t seem to give them a second thought. Driving at a steady ten kilometers over the speed limit, Liquidizer smoothly proceeded in the left lane. The smartphone in Minoru’s inner pocket vibrated, so he took it out to find that Yumiko was calling him. Tapping the screen, he had scarcely brought the phone to his ear when she quickly asked, “Are you all right?” “Yes, everyone’s fine.” “Good.” Yumiko breathed what sounded like a sigh of relief, then continued in a hushed whisper. “DD and I are still on the scene. They’ve transferred command of the situation from Public Security to the Special Task Squad.” “The STS…?” “Yes, apparently they got involved at some point. They’re sending out helicopters, so keep an eye on the skies, too.” “A…all right.” “Make sure you come back safe.” With that, Yumiko cut off the call. All she had asked was whether they were hurt, not their current location or their destination—probably a precaution for their own safety. Which meant that Minoru would have to complete the mission—make sure Liquidizer and Trancer got to a safe place and acquire the information about Stargazer—on his own. Putting the phone back in his pocket, he relayed the information to Liquidizer. “The Self-Defense Force’s Special Task Squad has taken command. They’re going to use helicopters to search…” “I see. So they’re finally getting serious.” Liquidizer pressed down slightly on the accelerator. Changing lanes, she passed a large trailer before returning to the left lane. The clock on the car’s navigation screen read 1:48 a.m. Minoru would normally be asleep by now—in fact, he’d be closer to waking up for the morning—but he was still so tense that he barely felt tired. Passing the Odakyu line, the car continued north across the Keio line. Soon they would be in Suginami Ward… Minoru opened the window a little and strained his ears, but he couldn’t hear any helicopter sounds just yet. If they were going to leave Tokyo, as Liquidizer had said, they would probably either cross Nerima Ward and get on the Kan-Etsu Expressway or stay on Loop Road No. 7 until Adachi Ward and take the Joban Expressway. Unless they really were going to leave the country, but Minoru had no idea how they would go about that. But either way, all they could do for now was keep driving. The farther they got from the site of the attack, the higher their chances of escaping the net of the police and the Self-Defense Force. Do Ruby Eyes feel this way all the time when they’re running away from the SFD’s attacks—or getting caught? Lost in thought, Minoru moved to close the window. Then, suddenly, the view through the front windshield turned completely sideways. The car had slipped without any warning. It felt bizarre, as if the road beneath the tires had suddenly disappeared. Losing its grip completely, the Swift went into a tailspin, sliding right toward the median strip on the right side. “Nngh…!” Liquidizer spun the steering wheel and dropped the gear. The right rear wheel connected with the curb of the partition, and the car finally regained its traction. Still zigzagging to the left and right, the car managed to return to the center of the lane. “Wh-what happened?!” Minoru gasped. “It’s Lubricator! In the Demio behind us!” “………!” Frantically looking over his shoulder, Minoru saw the dazzling high beams of a car just twenty meters behind them. Its sharp front end, illuminated by the headlights of oncoming cars, certainly was that of a Mazda Demio. “How did they know this was our car…?!” Minoru cried. The color and number were both different. Liquidizer’s response was sharp and immediate. “They must be using a Third Eye ability besides Lubricator’s to track us! We have to deal with that, or we’ll never be able to get away!” “Another ability user…?!” His eyes wide, Minoru looked back again, but the wheelchair crammed into the back and the intense light of the high beams made it impossible to tell how many people were in the Demio. As he looked, the Swift slid sideways again. This time, they were sent flying toward the guardrail on the left side of the street. Lubricator was creating that slippery film on the road, stealing every last bit of grip from the Swift’s tires. If they collided with the guardrail from the side at this speed, they might very well flip sideways onto the walkway. “Urgh…!” Minoru gritted his teeth and opened the passenger door about fifteen centimeters. He focused hard on the guardrail as they barreled toward it and, at the last possible second, stuck his left leg out the door. Activating his protective shell on the spot, he kicked off hard against the guardrail. If he had done this without the barrier, even as a Third Eye holder, he would’ve broken his leg in several places, but the shell was like being protected by an impenetrable exoskeleton. That part of the guardrail crumpled under the weight of the car and its three riders, but they managed to avoid flipping over, and the Swift started gliding toward the right. At that moment, they finally made it out of Lubricator’s film, and the front wheels caught onto the surface of the road once again. Liquidizer slammed on the accelerator, the needle on the speedometer rocketing upward. Minoru closed the door, deactivated his protective shell, and shouted, “Sh-shouldn’t we stop…?!” “That’s what Lubricator wants us to do! We won’t be able to stop safely!” she snapped immediately. She had a point: Even just touching the film while driving at a fixed speed was enough to send the car swerving. If it was hit while turning or slowing down, it would probably spin completely out of control. “What’s the range of his ability?!” “About fifty meters!” As she replied, Liquidizer raised the gear and sped up even more. If they could get out of his range, they’d be safe from the lubrication attacks—since they couldn’t stop, their only choice was to pull ahead. The engine revved while Minoru looked over his shoulder again. The Demio’s headlights were a bit more distant, but they weren’t shrinking any further. “Saleté!” Liquidizer cursed in French. “For a Demio, it’s awfully hard to shake.” “F-for a Demio?” “When it comes to Japanese compact cars, the Swift and the Demio are close contenders. More importantly, get down! There’s a speed camera up ahead!” Minoru hurriedly ducked under the dashboard. The speed limit on Loop Road No. 7 was fifty kilometers per hour, and they were going over one hundred, so the automatic camera was bound to take a picture. While Minoru was ducking down, the Swift continued weaving back and forth and picking up speed. “…All clear!” Minoru raised his head and saw the Honancho underpass coming right toward them. Liquidizer chose the main road without hesitation, heading down the slope. As their speed rapidly increased, they quickly gained on the taillights of a cube truck moving slowly along the right lane. Then, suddenly— —one of the taillights burst as if it had exploded, and the rear hatch of the Swift made a sharp sound. Feeling a chill on his spine, Minoru cried, “Th-they’re shooting at us!” Looking back, he saw the Demio staying about forty-five meters behind them, its driver’s arm sticking out the window. There was a yellow flash, and another part of the car’s back end made an ominous noise. “Damn it… The windows aren’t that thick, and neither is the rear hatch. Even a .45 ACP could penetrate certain areas!” Minoru understood Liquidizer’s concerns. Trancer was still lying unconscious in the back of the Swift, his legs near the ceiling and his head facing the hatch. If the glass broke, it could fall on his legs, and if a bullet pierced the hatch, it could strike his head. The Swift passed the truck, went through the underpass, and zoomed up the incline. Liquidizer lowered the gear by one and sped up, sending the car into the air for a moment before it returned to the road. The Demio followed close behind them without slowing down. From here on, the wide three-lane highway continued for a while, making it all too easy for Lubricator to aim. Minoru frantically undid his seat belt and tried to climb into the back through the gap between the seats. If he activated his protective shell and lay in front of the hatch, he should be able to protect Trancer. But then he realized: If they kept this car chase up, that information would reach the STS before long. Speedy as the Swift might be, it couldn’t outrun an attack helicopter. If they shot at the car with the same machine gun used at Keihinjima, the car and its riders alike would be ripped to pieces. They had to stop the Demio, and Lubricator, immediately. Minoru had said to Liquidizer before the mission began: I’ll deal with Lubricator somehow. If he attacks us again, please just focus on recovering Trancer. He couldn’t go back on his word now. “…I’ll stop him.” Minoru didn’t turn forward as he spoke. Liquidizer caught her breath. “But…how…?” “There’s no time to explain! Just speed up as much as you can!” “……!” Liquidizer hissed, but she didn’t ask any more questions. There were no other cars in front of them. The Swift’s turbo engine roared, and the speedometer passed 150 kilometers an hour. They blew through a yellow light, emerging onto a long, straight stretch of road. This is it. “Make sure you get away!” With that, Minoru opened the side door again. The powerful wind force choked his breath. Before his eyes, the asphalt traced out endless lines. He activated his protective shell—and jumped. As soon as he leaped out of the passenger’s seat, the wide-open door was blown shut by the wind. The Swift wavered for a moment but then straightened out and sped back up. Watching the taillights grow distant out of the corner of his eye, he focused on the road ahead. Minoru was hurtling through the air at a speed of well over one hundred kilometers an hour. If his weight was approximately fifty-five kilograms, then his current kinetic energy was about thirty kilojoules. If he hit the ground like this, the protective shell would keep him from being harmed, but he would probably roll along the road and eventually hit the guardrail. By then, Lubricator’s Demio would be long gone, hot on the tail of the Swift. He had to land on his feet, then dig in and stop himself. It was a plan in direct opposition to the law of mechanical energy conservation. But then again, Third Eyes themselves already defied every known law of science. Professor Riri Isa said that when Minoru walked while in his protective shell, he wasn’t technically stepping on the ground. He was unconsciously controlling his power to steady his feet in the air. Now he had to do it with his own will. In his silent world, the asphalt quietly drew closer. Minoru spread his feet wide, coming down in a crouching posture. As soon as he felt the invisible shell touch the ground, he thought with all his might: STOP!! There was no shock or sense of impact. His vision, which had been moving at unbelievable speeds, simply stopped in place. A feeling unlike anything he’d ever experienced before assaulted Minoru’s senses. If he had to compare it to anything, it was like the sense of discomfort when you stepped onto a nonmoving escalator, only multiplied several hundred times over. Where those thirty kilojoules of inertial energy went, he had no idea. But in any case, he had successfully landed. There would be plenty of time later to worry about the implications of that as a student of science. For now, he had to complete his mission as an SFD member. Looking up, he saw slanted headlights ahead and to the left. It was Lubricator’s Demio, and there were no cars behind it. Suddenly, something strange appeared on the road next to the Demio and came toward Minoru at an incredible speed. It was a gray shadow about five meters in diameter: a frictionless film. The shadow slid right under Minoru and stopped. When he first experienced this attack in Yoyogi Park, Minoru had been so panicked that he even forgot how to walk while in his shell, and he fell prey to it immediately. But not this time. Minoru wasn’t standing on the asphalt to begin with. He put power into his right leg. Even on top of the film, his foot didn’t slip one bit, bracing him completely. “AAAARGH!” Yelling, Minoru jumped forward with all his might. He crashed right into the front of the Demio, his knees out and arms crossed. The flow of time seemed to slow down, and all his senses grew clear. Minoru could see the driver perfectly through the windshield. He was gripping the steering wheel tight and leaning forward, probably bracing himself against the impact of hitting Minoru. Unlike in Yoyogi Park, he wasn’t wearing a fedora, but his face was still impossible to see, as a gray mask was still covering his entire head. Oh, I get it, Minoru realized. The mask wasn’t cloth, but the very same film created by his ability. His entire body was covered with the thin, frictionless film, which caused bullets to slide off, losing most of their energy before they could reach him. But right now, Lubricator himself had accumulated a huge amount of kinetic energy. Stop. Minoru anchored his shell against the air again. The front grille of the Demio was first to hit it. The glossy resin dented and cracked, sending flecks of paint everywhere. Next, the metal hood of the car crumpled like paper before Minoru’s eyes, tearing apart to the left and right.