The city blurred.
Concrete, steel, broken glass—everything stretched into streaks as Takeru tore through the colony at full speed.
Wind roared past them.
Every step cracked the ground beneath his feet.
Hana held on tight.
Had to.
At this speed, even a slight slip would be disastrous.
Takeru's posture stayed perfectly stable.
Controlled.
Balanced.
"…Trajectory maintained," he said calmly.
Angel's voice followed, analytical even now:
"…Speed output exceeds expected human limits."
Megumi moved along rooftops and broken structures nearby, keeping up as best he could.
"…Just don't crash into anything."
Takeru didn't respond.
Already adjusting micro-movements with every step.
Behind him—
Hana shifted slightly.
At first, it was just to stabilize her grip.
Then—
her hands adjusted again.
Subtle.
Careful.
Not enough to interrupt his movement.
But enough to notice.
Takeru's expression didn't change.
But—
he registered it.
"…Grip pressure fluctuating."
Hana froze slightly.
"…I'm just trying not to fall."
Angel's voice came softly, but noticeably more focused than before:
"…Muscle density is… consistent under motion."
A pause.
Hana tightened her hold slightly.
"…Angel—stop narrating."
But her hands didn't fully return to their original position.
They stayed.
Takeru processed it.
"…Non-essential contact confirmed."
Megumi, from the side:
"…You two good back there?"
Hana answered quickly.
"…Yeah!"
Angel added:
"…No instability detected."
Takeru kept running.
Speed unchanged.
Breathing steady.
But now—
he was aware.
Every shift.
Every adjustment.
Not interfering.
Not slowing him down.
Just… there.
He didn't comment further.
Didn't stop it.
Didn't acknowledge it again.
Because it didn't affect the mission.
But it was no longer something he could classify as random.
Ahead—
the colony opened wider.
Ikebukuro drawing closer.
Yuji getting closer.
And behind him—
two presences remained.
One analytical.
One trying not to be obvious.
Neither fully succeeding.