I ran and ran and ran. Ran into the school building. Then I pressed my back against the wall so at the very least, they couldn’t get the jump on me.
What happened to my partner? She was my crush. I was supposed to protect her. But instead we ran away, and now she was nowhere to be seen.
Pathetic, I know. But understand this: You can call me a loser and a pussy all you want, but some things just can’t be done. The laws of nature can’t be violated. And that pair was surely going to devour us.
When we bumped into them in the hall and they challenged us to a battle, I knew we didn’t stand a chance of winning. But I already didn’t expect to make it very far in this tournament, and like an idiot, the optimist in me thought maybe it would be fun and memorable to battle Yamaboshi’s strongest duo, regardless of the outcome.
I didn’t really care what form the battle took. So we went to the nearest Battle Box and drew a random challenge: Balloon Hunt. (Put simply, both teams run around campus with a paper balloon stuck to their heads, each trying to pop the other’s balloon with a rolled-up newspaper.)
But that was my biggest mistake.
Why did I ever think to compete on a level playing field with opponents so far out of my own league? Call me a chicken if you like, but I should have chosen something to my own advantage, or at the very least, something to their disadvantage.
Once the battle started, our opponents immediately leapt into action. Since we were both mixed-gender pairs, it naturally turned into a battle between the two guys and the two girls.
My opponent raised his weapon and swung. Suddenly, what was once an ordinary rolled-up newspaper was now as terrifying as a lead pipe. How did he make it look so intimidating? I didn’t stand a chance of fighting him off. I was confident that the second I tried to attack, he would use that split-second opportunity to swallow me whole.
Fortunately I was able to block his first strike with my newspaper, but I wasn’t sure I could survive his horizontal slash. I needed to put some distance between us. And with that thought, I took off running into the school building. I dashed up the stairs — up, up, up — then darted into a hallway and pressed my back to the wall.
Thinking back, my idea to “put distance between us” was probably just a cowardly excuse my brain needed in order to swallow my pride and flee. Yes, there was some distance between us now... because I had run off.
But I was the only one who knew this. “Run away” and “establish distance” were interchangeable. Maybe I was about to initiate a killer strategy, and I simply needed this distance in order to plan it out... Oh, who am I kidding? I had already abandoned any hope of winning. I just didn’t want anyone — least of all her — to think that I had fled like a spineless wimp.
“Ah, here you are. Your partner’s been eliminated, you know.”
Then Katori Jouji turned up at the end of the hall, and I bolted. How did he know I was on this floor?
I reached the next landing and headed further up. I quickly realized that I was limiting my exits the higher I went, but then it occurred to me that if I had the high ground, that would make it more difficult for them to attack me, and I thanked my lucky stars. My little, round lifeline was still firmly attached to my head.
Meanwhile, I regretted ever accepting this challenge “for fun.” If I’d known it was going to be this terrifying, I would have stayed home and spent my Saturday sleeping in.
As I ran, the only sound was that of my own ragged breathing. Could I hear his footsteps chasing after me? I looked over my shoulder... but no one was there. Did I shake him off? Or was he planning to approach from a different direction?
I came to a stop halfway up the stairs and looked at the next landing above. No one was there. Then I turned around... and saw Katori slowly walking up the stairs.
“Hmmm... I suppose it’d be difficult to hit you from below.”
Evidently I was right. I was relieved to know I’d extended my own lifespan for a few more minutes. And yet Katori’s confident smile never wavered... Why?
“Attacks from above, however...”
“Above...?”
I looked in the direction he was pointing, at the next landing — just in time to see a girl flying through the air, her long dark hair streaming behind her like wings. Paired with her pristine white gym clothes, she had the beauty of an angel.
But unfortunately for me, this angel — Nagase Iori — had a weapon.
Her holy blade flew straight through the air, as if to pierce the very heavens... and this divine retribution was aimed straight at my head. Instantly, I knew it was over; I didn’t even have time to raise my own weapon to block it. So instead, I merely accepted it.
The next moment, my paper balloon popped, and she landed beside me on the stairs. I fell to my knees.
“And that’s a wrap! Now we take your two flowers for a total of... six! Neeheehee!”
And so the ethereal goddess reveled in her victory.
Winner: Nagase Iori/Katori Jouji
Total Flowers: 6