Chapter 052 Beating Yagami Takuya to Tears!
Yagami Takuya was somewhat worried that Shimizu Akira would actually stay glued to Kushida Kikyo to protect her. He checked the GPS and found that the distance between the two was quite far—a full eight kilometers apart—which finally allowed him to relax.
It makes sense.
Kushida Kikyo and Shimizu Akira belonged to different groups; their designated check-in areas were naturally worlds apart. This was a normal distance.
At that moment, Sakurako Tsubaki's voice came through the walkie-talkie at his waist.
"Those twenty people and Utomiya Riku have successfully made contact with Ayanokouji Kiyotaka and Shimizu Akira. They are currently intercepting them."
Yagami breathed a sigh of relief. Shimizu Akira was being held up, and he was far away; the same went for Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. He continued his journey to find Kushida Kikyo.
Seeing that he was only 500 meters away from Kushida's location, he cautiously checked Koenji Rokusuke's positioning—the man was even further away, over ten kilometers, seemingly still in a deadlock with the third-year seniors.
Yagami was still somewhat wary of Shimizu Akira having an ace up his sleeve, so he checked Kiryuin Fuka's position as well. She had returned to the fishing task location; it seemed she planned to continue fishing with Ichinose Honami.
"I don't believe it." He put away his tablet. "With these four people out of the way, who else in this Advanced Nurturing High School can stop me from taking Kushida Kikyo away?"
Yagami quickened his pace. After pushing through a thicket of shrubs, Kushida Kikyo's figure finally appeared before him. She was sitting under a large tree, flipping leisurely through a magazine she had found somewhere. Beside her were a bottle of water and a few bags of snacks; she looked like she was resting.
Why is she alone again? Where did Hasabe Haruka and Sakura Airi go?
Yagami quickly adjusted his expression, putting on his harmless, innocent smile as he walked over.
"Good afternoon, Kushida-senpai."
Kushida Kikyo looked up. Seeing it was him, her expression didn't change at all.
"Yagami-kouhai? Is something the matter?"
"Nothing major." Yagami walked up to her and sat down naturally by her side. "I just haven't seen Senpai in a while and wanted to come over for a chat."
Kushida closed her magazine and glanced at him.
"A chat? Are you sure you aren't here to find trouble?"
"Senpai must be joking. Why would I cause trouble for you?"
"Is that so?" Kushida set the magazine aside. "Then that time you threatened me... was that a joke too?"
"Senpai has a very good memory."
"It's not that my memory is good. It's that you're too good at acting, Yagami-kouhai. Doesn't it get tiring, speaking while wearing a mask?"
This woman actually called him a fake?
Yagami almost wanted to curse. Who was she calling "masked"? Wasn't she the one who had been wearing a mask this entire time?
"Kushida Kikyo, I won't beat around the bush with you. You're coming with me today."
"Where to?"
"Deep into the forest. I have some 'private' things to say to you."
Kushida didn't move. "And if I say no?"
"It would be better if Senpai agreed," Yagami said, dropping the act and speaking forcefully. "After all, even though you claimed last time that you didn't care about your past being exposed, I don't believe you truly don't care at all..."
Before he could finish, a rough voice suddenly came from behind him.
"Yagami Takuya? You're just a first-year brat, and you dare threaten Kushida from our class?!"
Yagami turned around to see a tall, sturdy-looking redhead walking toward them. And he wasn't alone. Beside him was a gentle-looking handsome guy and a black student standing a full 190 cm tall.
Yagami had studied the data of all the students beforehand and immediately recognized the three.
Sudo Ken, Hirata Yosuke, and Yamada Albert.
Yagami's expression shifted. "Senpais, I was just chatting with Kushida-senpai."
"Chatting?" Sudo Ken snorted, stepping forward with large strides. "Does chatting require threatening people? You think I didn't hear you?"
He stood in front of Yagami, his tall frame blocking out the sunlight. Yagami actually hated tall men like this because standing in front of them always made him feel exceptionally short.
"Senpai, you misunderstand."
"Misunderstand what?" Sudo interrupted him. "Threatening a girl in our class with her past? Yagami, do you think we second-years are push-overs?"
Hirata Yosuke stepped forward and lightly patted Sudo's shoulder.
"Sudo, don't be hasty."
Hirata looked at Yagami, his gaze serious.
"Yagami-kun, you did indeed just threaten my classmate. Could you give us a proper explanation?"
Yagami's eyes swept over the three of them, his mind calculating rapidly.
Sudo Ken looked fierce but was just a brute—nothing to worry about. Yamada Albert was Black; according to Tsukishiro's data, he had been knocked out in one punch by Shimizu Akira last year—he was just a paper tiger. As for Hirata Yosuke, he had participated in the boxing event during the selection exams and won, but he looked so gentle now that he didn't seem to have any combat power at all.
To put it simply, in his mind, these three people condensed into three words: I can win.
This place was also secluded enough; everyone was busy with tasks, so no one would come by. Yagami's lips curled into a slight smirk.
"I was just chatting with Kushida-senpai."
"Chatting?" Sudo snorted. "Does chatting require bringing up a dark past? You think we're deaf?"
Yagami glanced at him but didn't respond, looking instead at Hirata.
"Hirata-senpai, this is a matter between us first-years and Kushida-senpai. It would be better if you senpais didn't interfere."
Hirata didn't speak. Yagami, thinking he was wavering, continued.
"Besides, you senpais must have your own tasks to attend to, right? Wasting time here is good for no one."
Sudo's face turned red with anger. "You brat..."
"Sudo," Hirata raised a hand to stop him. He took a step forward, standing right in front of Yagami. "Yagami-kun, you say this is a matter between the first-years and Kushida-san?"
"That's right."
"Fine." Hirata nodded. "Then let me tell you now: Kushida-san is a member of our class. Looking for trouble with her is looking for trouble with our class."
Yagami was growing impatient.
"Senpai, are you trying to play the hero?"
"I'm not playing hero," Hirata shook his head. "I'm protecting a classmate."
"Senpai, are you sure you want to go against our entire first-year class for the sake of one girl?"
"Go against the first-years?" Hirata repeated the phrase and shook his head.
"Yagami-kun, you're overthinking it. I am simply protecting my classmate. Besides... can you alone represent the entire first-year class?"
Yagami's smile vanished completely. "Senpai, are you trying to start a fight with me?"
"No," Hirata shook his head. "I just want you to understand one thing."
"What's that?"
"In this world, not everything can be solved through threats."
Yagami stared at him for a few seconds and then let out a cold laugh.
"Senpais sure talk pretty. Unfortunately..."
He suddenly moved. His fist flew straight for Hirata's face.
Hirata reacted quickly, sidestepping to dodge while raising his hand to parry. Yagami's punch was fast, but Hirata's reflexes weren't slow either. The two exchanged several blows in an instant.
After two or three rounds, Yagami suddenly changed his move, launching a sweep kick at Hirata's lower body. Hirata jumped to avoid it, but his center of gravity was slightly unstable upon landing. Yagami seized the opportunity and threw a punch at his chest.
Right then, a figure charged in from the side, steadily using his body to block the punch. Yamada Albert stood beside him, looking at Yagami expressionlessly.
Yagami jerked his fist back from Albert, taking two steps back to create distance.
"Are you senpais planning to gang up on me?"
Albert didn't speak; he just took a step forward, shielding Hirata. Sudo also snapped out of it, clenching his fists as he walked to Hirata's side.
"Yagami, Akira said you'd be hard to handle and told the three of us to take you on together. If you want to fight, we'll take you on!"
Looking at the three of them, Yagami laughed.
"So it's people Shimizu Akira arranged in advance. Fine. Then come at me all at once."
Before the words had even faded, he charged. This time, he didn't hold back. His fist went straight for Sudo's face. Sudo dodged and countered with a punch. Yagami ducked, sweeping at his legs. Sudo jumped, but his balance faltered, and he stumbled.
Yagami moved in to capitalize, but Yamada Albert intervened, blocking him with an elbow. In an instant, they exchanged several moves, the sounds of fists and feet colliding exploding in the air.
Hirata wasn't idling; he cut in from the side, aiming a punch at Yagami's ribs. Yagami twisted to dodge, but Albert's fist was already in his face. He intended to take the hit and use the momentum to retreat while kicking Hirata.
To his surprise, Albert's punch carried far more force than he had anticipated; he was sent back two or three steps, uncontrolled.
"Such strength?!"
Albert didn't answer. Sudo, however, picked up the conversation.
"No kidding! Albert is from the boxing club! His fists are the hardest part of him! You think everyone has scrawny arms and legs like you?"
Hirata took the chance to catch his breath. This person named Yagami Takuya had very strong techniques and combat abilities, and his endurance and stamina were exceptional, but his weaknesses were also obvious: low physical strength and a fragile frame.
Kushida Kikyo, who had been watching the show from the side for a long time, couldn't help but laugh.
"Yagami-kouhai, you really don't know how to fight. When Akira-kun boxed Albert last year, he used his forearms to parry Albert's punches. You dared to take it head-on? You sure are something."
Yagami clutched his chest, gasping for air. That punch just now had almost knocked the wind out of him. Hearing Kushida's words, he was so angry he almost spat blood.
Wait, even Shimizu Akira didn't dare take it head-on?
Damn it, that makes sense! This guy is from the boxing club; his fists are his deadliest weapons!
But I'm a White Room assassin! How is an assassin supposed to fight a tank?!
Moreover, he was empty-handed right now, without even a single weapon to increase his attack power. If he had a dagger in his hand, he wouldn't have to suffer like this, forced to engage in a bare-handed brawl with these three.
Yagami panted for a dozen seconds and then smiled again.
Hirata, Sudo, and Albert instinctively looked at each other, confused about what he was up to. The next second, Yagami suddenly moved. This time, his target was Hirata.
As he threw a punch at Hirata's face, Hirata subconsciously dodged backward. To his surprise, Yagami's fist suddenly opened, grabbing his collar, while his other fist struck straight at Hirata's solar plexus.
Hirata's body stiffened, and he collapsed to the ground, losing consciousness.
"You!" Sudo was stunned, then flared with rage. "Bastard!"
He swung a punch as he charged, but Yagami had already anticipated his move. He sidestepped, striking Sudo's back with an elbow. Sudo stumbled forward several steps. Before he could steady himself, Yagami's sweep kick arrived.
Sudo fell heavily to the ground. As he struggled to get up, Yagami stepped on his wrist.
"Don't move."
Sudo winced in pain but was unable to move.
Albert didn't rush in immediately. He stood there watching Yagami, his gaze even more alert than before.
"You are... very strong."
Yagami smiled. "Senpai finally noticed?"
He lifted his foot and took two steps back.
"Taking your punch head-on at first was just to see how much strength you had. The result wasn't bad..." Yagami rolled his shoulders. "At least I know I can't go toe-to-toe with you. Winning against three of you is hard. But one by one... that's a different story."
Albert looked at the unconscious Hirata, then at Sudo clutching his hand. Now, he was the only one left who could fight.
Both moved at the same time. Albert's punches remained heavy, but Yagami stopped taking them head-on. His movements were twice as fast as before, like a snake weaving through Albert's punches.
Every one of Albert's punches missed, while Yagami's fists struck his ribs, back, and waist over and over. They were precision strikes on the exact same spots. After a dozen rounds, Albert's punches began to slow, and his footing was no longer steady.
Yagami seized the opportunity, landing an elbow strike right on Albert's temple. Albert's tall frame swayed, but he didn't fall; he just gasped for air.
Yagami looked at him in shock. "Still not down?"
Fortunately, after seven or eight seconds, Yamada Albert finally collapsed completely. It was just a false alarm!
He then realized that Albert was, after all, of Black physique and a member of the boxing club. When a boxer takes a heavy hit, the referee does a count, which is why Albert was able to hold on for those few seconds. But once the time was up, he couldn't hold on.
Yagami panted slowly. Though he had won, it wasn't an easy victory. His arms were shaking; performing so many precise movements for so long had taken too much out of him.
He was about to say some tough words like "Who's next?" when someone suddenly burst out laughing. Sudo Ken was clutching his arm, and despite being beaten miserably, he was grinning.
"What are you laughing at?"
"I'm laughing at you."
"You've been beaten by me, and you're still this happy?"
"We knew we couldn't beat you, so from the beginning, we were just stalling for time. Akira should be arriving soon!"
"What did you say?" Yagami froze, instinctively pulling out his tablet to check.
Shimizu Akira's location had suddenly jumped from six kilometers away to just two. Only 2000 meters left!
"What's going on? Shimizu Akira broke through?!" He quickly turned on his walkie-talkie. "Sakurako Tsubaki! What exactly is happening? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"I told you long ago; you just never got back to me!"
Yagami had been too busy fighting just now; how could he have had time to listen to the walkie-talkie?
"What about Amasawa Ichika? Even she couldn't stall Shimizu Akira?"
"She defected. I was actually going to ask you what happened."
"Then what about Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's side..."
"Ten minutes ago, in less than three minutes, he took down all eleven people, including Utomiya Riku. He also dealt with the people nearby responsible for recording and broke his own watch. His current location is unknown, but the direction he left in is straight toward you."
"What did you say..." Yagami was dazed.
Three minutes? Took down eleven people? Hadn't Ayanokouji Kiyotaka become weaker? How was he still this strong?
He felt long-buried memories in his mind suddenly loosen. That was when he was seven or eight, the first time he saw Ayanokouji Kiyotaka in the White Room. The other boy was only eight or nine—clearly just a kid—yet he held his own against several adult instructors and took
them all down within minutes. And when he himself was ten, he couldn't even beat a single instructor.
Why did I completely forget such an important thing?
The man was coming for him? He was definitely coming to catch him! Shimizu Akira was also about to arrive!
I have to run!
He glanced around; there was no time to deal with Kushida Kikyo. Taking her would only waste more time.
"Running already?" Kushida couldn't help but laugh. "Do you know that you look a lot like a stray dog when you run?"
"Bastard!" Yagami made a move to leave, then stared at her with hostility. "You woman... you didn't record just now, did you? Recording me hitting people! That's what you did last time!"
"I didn't record." To his surprise, Kushida followed the example from last time, suddenly throwing her tablet to the ground and stomping on it several times. "Because rather than having you expelled directly, I'd much prefer to see you get thrashed by our Akira-kun."
Hearing the sound of the tablet shattering, it was Yagami's turn to panic. So confident?
He grit his teeth and, ignoring everything else, ran straight into the forest. He'd lay low for a couple of days. After this special exam ended, Acting Chairman Tsukishiro and Instructor Shiba would handle everything. He had successfully completed the task of interfering with Ayanokouji Kiyotaka and Shimizu Akira. If the plan went smoothly, he would follow Shiba back to the White Room; why would he care about anything else?
He ran for half an hour and instinctively checked his tablet for positioning. Ayanokouji Kiyotaka could no longer be found; he could only check Shimizu Akira's.
Two kilometers. It was still two kilometers—not a single change.
What's going on? I clearly covered my tracks when I escaped; how does this person still know my location?
He couldn't help but walk ten meters east; the other party also moved east. He walked ten meters west; the other party moved west. Even if Amasawa Ichika knew how to track, she couldn't be this precise, could she?
Could it be...
He quickly pulled out his walkie-talkie to contact Shiba. To his surprise, Shiba Katsunori immediately lashed out at him.
"Yagami Takuya! Amasawa Ichika says you're on the run after attacking regular students. What exactly is wrong with you? Have you forgotten everything I said last time? Get your ass over here right now and accept your punishment!"
"That's not it!" Yagami quickly retorted. "Actually, it's because..."
"Just tell me if you did it or not!"
"..."
In a fit of rage, Yagami turned off the walkie-talkie. Damn it! That bitch Amasawa Ichika, filing a complaint first!
He continued to run, staring nervously at the tablet. Over the next hour or so, he couldn't help but check the positioning almost every three or four minutes. Until he realized he could no longer perform the query.
"I actually spent all of my group's points?"
He clearly had forty or fifty points at the beginning, but because of the positioning checks over the past few days, he had spent them all. He quickly checked the bottom five groups. Sure enough, Yagami Takuya's group was at the very bottom with zero points, in dead last. The second-to-last had forty points, and the sixth-from-last had fifty-two.
Now there were less than two days left. Even if he worked himself to death participating in tasks, he would need to get at least fifty-two points to avoid expulsion. Otherwise, Yagami Takuya's fate would be expulsion.
Wait! Could this have been Shimizu Akira's intention all along? Knowing I would check the positioning, he intentionally left the watch for me to check?
Before he could finish his thought, someone walked toward him. It was Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
Yagami's body tensed instantly. He instinctively took half a step back, taking a defensive stance. But Ayanokouji didn't move; he just stood there.
"Run enough?"
Yagami grit his teeth. "Ayanokouji Kiyotaka!"
Before the words were out, he charged. At this point, the best defense was a good offense. He was fast, his fist aimed straight for Ayanokouji's temple. Ayanokouji tilted his head slightly, and the fist grazed past his ear. Yagami's other hand followed up immediately, going for his throat. Ayanokouji parried and took half a step back.
Yagami's offensive came wave after wave—fists, elbows, knees, legs—every move aimed at a vital point. His movements were twice as fast as before, as if he had turned all his fear into attacks.
But Ayanokouji only retreated. One step, two steps, three steps. Every retreat was perfectly timed, letting Yagami's fists just barely graze his clothes, yet never actually touching his body.
"Are you only going to dodge?!" Yagami roared, sweeping at his legs.
Ayanokouji jumped to avoid it, spinning in mid-air and landing behind Yagami. Yagami turned around sharply, only to see Ayanokouji still wearing that calm expression, his breathing not even ruffled.
"Finished?" Ayanokouji asked.
Yagami panted heavily. His arms started shaking again—not from exertion, but from fear. He had fought for so long and thrown so many punches, yet he hadn't even touched the corner of the man's clothes.
"You... you really..."
"Your movements are too forceful," Ayanokouji said. "Every punch uses all your strength, so you can't pull it back. Once dodged, your openings are massive. Also, you rely too much on speed. People who are fast often focus on their own speed and ignore rhythm." Ayanokouji took a step forward. "I saw through your rhythm long ago."
Yagami instinctively retreated. "Impossible..."
"You just threw thirty-seven punches, twelve kicks, and three elbow strikes. Forty-three missed, and eight were parried by me. Not a single one had a real chance of hitting me."
Yagami's face turned completely pale. He had thrown so many, and the man had actually been counting?
"Do you want to continue?" Ayanokouji asked.
Looking at him, Yagami suddenly felt that this man was even scarier than when they were kids. The young Ayanokouji at least panted and sweated. This man standing here now looked as if he hadn't even been serious.
Ayanokouji didn't wait for his answer; he just took a step forward.
"Yagami, I won't hurt you during this uninhabited island special exam."
Before Yagami could breathe a sigh of relief, Ayanokouji added: "Because Akira said he wants to deal with you himself."
"Wha... what?" Yagami instinctively took a step back, looking back at the deep forest behind him. "Whe... where is he?"
"Soon." Ayanokouji glanced at the time. "In about three minutes."
Yagami's mind went blank. He thought of the ten people he had sent to intercept Shimizu Akira and the way Kurachi had vowed to "definitely stop him." Yagami took a breath and turned to run. Unfortunately, he had only taken one step when he was blocked by Ayanokouji.
"You aren't allowed to leave. Wait here for him to arrive."
Yagami grit his teeth and charged toward the left. Ayanokouji shifted a step, blocking him again. Yagami went right, and Ayanokouji followed. Each time, Ayanokouji was half a step faster than him. No more, no less, just enough to stay right in front of him.
"..."
"I said, wait."
The two stood in a deadlock for a minute or two. Finally, a voice rang out from behind them.
"Caught you at last, Yagami Takuya!"
Yagami's body froze. He slowly turned his head. Shimizu Akira stood three steps behind him, looking at him with a faint, mocking smile. Yagami's breathing instantly became shallow. He instinctively wanted to run again, but Ayanokouji was still in front and Shimizu was blocking the rear. He was caught between them with no way out.
"You two..." His voice was dry. "What do you want?"
Shimizu didn't answer; he just walked toward him slowly. Yagami wanted to retreat, but his legs felt as heavy as lead. Shimizu stopped in front of him, looking down at him. Instead of being angry, he laughed.
"What do I want? You little brat, you've been making moves behind the scenes for so many days, and you even dared to go looking for Karuizawa Kei and Kushida Kikyo. If I don't beat you half to death, how can I vent my anger?!"
"Wa... wait a minute!" Yagami instinctively took a step back, palms forward in a defensive stance.
"What? Didn't you have plenty of confidence just now? Checking positioning, deploying manpower, calculating distance—you were quite meticulous."
Yagami's Adam's apple bobbed. "Shimizu Akira! You are indeed strong, but I've already fought several battles today. If you beat me now, it's an unfair victory. How about you give me some time to rest, and then we have a proper match?"
He spoke with some trepidation. After all, Shimizu had held the initiative the entire time.
Shimizu turned to Ayanokouji. "You really should have studied your social classes in the White Room better; it would help a lot with your emotional progress. Look at this guy—he actually has the nerve to make such a shameless request."
Ayanokouji said flatly: "No, I've communicated with Amasawa Ichika. This isn't something taught in social class; this is likely something Yagami Takuya realized on his own."
Yagami's face turned various shades of red and white.
These two were definitely humiliating him! However, fortunately, Shimizu stared at him for a long time and finally spoke.
"Fine! Then I'll give you time to rest so you can't keep making excuses. Anyway, you can't run away."
Thirty minutes later, Yagami stood up. "I'm ready."
Shimizu walked into the clearing. "Cut the crap and let's get started."
Yagami took an offensive stance. He still had a chance to win; Ayanokouji had said he wouldn't make a move. What if this guy was just all show? If he could beat Shimizu Akira, everything could still proceed smoothly.
He charged. His first punch went straight for Shimizu's face. Shimizu didn't dodge; he raised a hand to parry while stepping forward. Yagami felt as if he had hit a wall. Shimizu's arm didn't budge an inch, while his own fist went numb from the shock.
"Too little strength," Shimizu commented.
Before the words were out, his fist was already in Yagami's face. Yagami barely managed to sidestep, but Shimizu's next punch followed immediately, landing right on his shoulder. The force was immense; Yagami's entire arm went numb, momentarily useless.
He grit his teeth. If Ayanokouji brought total suppression of technique and ability, this man was pure physical dominance. Unlike the Black man from earlier, this man's movements were crisp, and his punches were as powerful as a bull—he was practically a mobile tank.
Before Yagami could even catch his breath, Shimizu's next punch arrived. He instinctively parried, but the force of that punch was like a boulder rolling down a mountain, sending him back several steps. His arms had completely lost sensation.
He shook his hands, trying to regain feeling, but Shimizu gave him no time. The figure was already upon him like a shadow. Yagami grit his teeth and swung a punch with his still-movable left hand. Shimizu sidestepped and swept at his legs. Yagami jumped, but Shimizu's movement was much faster than he had anticipated; while still in mid-air, he took a knee to the stomach.
"Cough!"
He curled up like a shrimp and fell heavily to the ground. He crawled back up, and Shimizu made no move at all, intentionally leaving him time to recover. Yagami used these few seconds to rack his brain for a way to win.
What do I do? Physically, I'm no match for him. If I can't go head-on, I have to change my approach.
He took his stance again. This time, instead of straightforward attacks, he lowered his center of gravity slightly and began moving his feet in small increments. Shimizu stood his ground, unmoving.
Yagami suddenly darted left, feinting a side attack. Shimizu's center of gravity shifted slightly—Now!
He pivoted sharply, cutting in from the right, an elbow strike aimed straight at Shimizu's ribs. This was his most prized move. Back in the White Room, he had used this move to defeat people two heads taller than him. It was fast, angled perfectly, with concentrated force, specifically targeting weak points on the human body. The tip of his elbow was only centimeters from Shimizu's ribs.
Then, his arm was caught.
Yagami's eyes widened as he saw Shimizu's palm clamping onto his elbow joint like a steel vise. That hand had appeared there at some point, as if it had been waiting. With a flick of the wrist, Yagami was spun halfway around, his back to Shimizu. A force hit his back, and Yagami stumbled forward several steps, nearly falling again.
He steadied himself, turned around, and panted heavily. "Again."
He charged once more, faster this time, with more feints. A left-hand feint, a right-leg sweep, changing mid-air to a kick aimed at Shimizu's head. He had practiced this move thousands of times in the White Room. It was one of his ultimate finishing moves. The tip of his foot grazed Shimizu's fingers, and just as everything was going as he expected—his ankle was firmly gripped.
Shimizu's hand had somehow switched from parrying to grabbing, steadily locking his ankle as if he had anticipated the kick would come at that angle. Yagami was thrown violently away, rolling twice on the ground before stopping. He lay there, gasping for air, his mind in a state of chaos.
Every move, every form, even his final killing blow had been seen through.
"How is it possible! My technique is clearly so much higher than yours! How do you see through me every time?!"
He had trained for so many years in the White Room, yet everything he had learned was useless against Shimizu Akira. And the other party had only used those few basic boxing routines from start to finish—the comparison made Yagami feel like he was about to explode with rage. Didn't this mean that someone from the White Room couldn't even compare to a student at a regular high school?!
Ayanokouji, watching from the side, gave a blunt answer: "Technique is merely a secondary means to set up a killing blow. Your movements are too slow, and your openings are too many!"
Was his speed slow? He was clearly the strongest assassin of his generation in the White Room!
Yagami slowly crawled to his feet. Seeing his fuming state, Shimizu finally couldn't help but laugh. "Finished hitting, are you? Now it's my turn."
Shimizu finally went on the offensive. Still no unnecessary movements—just a very direct straight punch! Yagami froze, a trace of disdain appearing at the corner of his mouth. He had already prepared to dodge, intending to dart left. According to the techniques taught in the White Room, whether he took the opportunity to crouch and punch his opponent's stomach or step back and counter, he had plenty of time.
However, in the very second he was thinking, that fist had already arrived one centimeter in front of his nose.
What?! Why was it so fast? He had only just seen the motion of the punch! Wait! How can I fight this? The White Room never taught this move!
He instinctively wanted to dodge, but his body completely failed to keep up with his reactions. Yagami's left eye was instantly covered by a shadow, and the world before him seemed to have a pause button pressed. He stumbled back two steps, instinctively raising a hand to cover his eye; the place his fingers touched was already starting to burn.
The first reaction wasn't pain. It was a very strange feeling, like someone had stuffed a ball of cotton into his eye socket—both swollen and numb. He forced his right eye open and saw Shimizu holding his punching posture before pulling it back.
"That was the first punch; it's for Kikyo," Shimizu said.
Before he could react, the second punch landed. It hit his right eye with the exact same force as the first, the angle not differing by a hair, as if it had been copy-pasted. Yagami's vision went completely dark. He didn't pass out, but his eyes were so swollen he couldn't open them.
"That was the second punch; it's for Kei."
Yagami grit his teeth and slowly stood up. It was pitch black before him; he could only stand there by feel, facing forward. Next, Shimizu's fist smashed into the bridge of his nose. Yagami felt like a needle had been stuck in his nose—both sour and swollen. Tears welled up uncontrollably, mixing with blood and dripping onto his clothes.
The next punch landed on his cheekbone. The one after that hit his chin. Yagami's face swelled at a rate visible to the naked eye, nosebleed dripping down his chin.
"..."
"What did you say?"
A punch landed on his left cheek.
"...I said... stop!" Yagami felt several teeth had been loosened.
A punch landed on his right cheek.
"I don't agree!"
"It hurts... it hurts so much!"
"It's supposed to hurt! Why else would I be hitting you?!"
Five punches, ten punches, countless punches. Shimizu could initially announce who each punch was for, but by the end, he had named them all and simply left it at "enforcing justice on behalf of heaven."
After all, even God wouldn't want to look twice at such a person.
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