CK 46

Chapter 46…

Proof of Strength

“I’ll fight Katsuji-nii.”
“Huh, are you sure!?”
“Yeah. I’ve been training with Dad together with him for a long time. I know his moves.
So Masato, handle the stagnant things.”
“…Don’t overdo it.”
“Got it.”

At my cue the three of us burst forward.

I blasted away the stagnant things that tried to get in the way and charged straight for Shōji. As soon as I closed the distance I drove my fist in.

But it was parried. In return a punch flew at me.

I managed to smack it away.

Then the exchange began. Whenever I tried to land a blow it was stopped; a punch would come at me so I defended. Same with kicks.

I’m used to Shōji’s movements.

Which means Shōji is used to my movements too. We kept trading blows without either of us landing anything.

In that situation, Shōji moved first.

He took a little distance, then closed it again with that same footwork.

When he’d sparred with me before he’d always told me, “Don’t pick up bad habits like mine.” So I’d already read that pattern.

I dodged the punch coming at me and countered with a punch of my own.

But that strike was stopped.

My thrusting arm was grabbed.

“YoU FELL FOR IT!!!”
With that shout I was thrown.

My body flew through the air and slammed into the ground. A follow-up claw slash came at me.

I rolled on the ground and somehow avoided the slash.

Shōji and I have trained on each other many times.

But this was completely different.

I’d never received an attack that made me feel so much murderous intent.

Why had Shōji become like this?

The Shōji who once said, “Wanna become a police officer together?” — would he really do something that hurts people?

Why does Shōji practice karate?

Since the day I confirmed the monster’s true identity I’d been thinking about that.

But no matter how much I thought, I couldn’t understand.

“Hey. For you, Shōji, what is karate? What is this power to you?”
“To me, karate is…proof of strength…this power too…
I will surpass you…and prove that I am the strongest!!!!”
“What good is proving it? If for you karate is only to prove strength, then why did you start it? Why did you want to become stronger!?”
“The reason I sTARTed kaRate…? Ah…? AAHHHHH!!!”

Shōji suddenly put his head in his hands and screamed. Then he charged at me again.

But I felt no intent to attack coming from him.

Maybe I can stop him now.

I grabbed both his shoulders and tried to hold him. I shook him while calling his name, but he just kept screaming.

Worse, he shrugged me off and began attacking empty air.

What can I do?

What should I do?

No matter how I thought, I didn’t know. At times like this I hate how dumb my head feels.

…No. Then I’ll just do what I’m like and push through.

I kicked off the ground, closed the distance to Shōji, and pulled my arm back.

“Shōji!!!! Wake up!!!!”
I yelled with everything I had and slammed my right hand into him.

My fist landed cleanly on Shōji’s cheek. He was sent flying and tumbled across the ground.

When his momentum finally stopped, black smoke faded from him and he returned to his original form.

I ran up to him.

A voice called out, “Wait. Not yet.” Masato stepped in front of me.

It looked like the stagnation was cleared.

“What do you mean ‘not yet’!?”
“There’s one last finishing touch. Don’t get close yet.”

He had explained earlier but I still didn’t fully understand. For now I had no choice but to trust Masato and watch.

Masato crouched and put his left hand on the ground. Instantly countless grasses grew up from the earth and bound Shōji, pinning him to the ground.

“Hey!? What are you doing!?”
“Shut up and watch.”

I thought I could trust him, but tying up my real brother felt wrong.

…Still, I knew arguing now would be pointless.

Next Masato told Yui, “Try it.” Yui nodded, gripped her staff with both hands, and began to chant.

“Sleep. Sleep. Your pain, your hatred, your grudge, even that power—sleep.
Until the day comes when the painful things that happened to you can be laughed off as a bad dream.”

Yui raised the staff and brought it down. Something like a sheep that had been growing above Yui fell onto Shōji.

At that point I could no longer hold back my mix of doubt, surprise, and worry.

“No, no, no!!! Hey hey hey hey!!! What is going on!?”
“I don’t know all the mechanics either. But this should stop Shōji from becoming a fallen star again.”
“Huh…?”

I didn’t understand, but Masato said, “Come on,” and I joined him at Shōji’s side.

Yui was already crouched near Shōji. She picked something up and handed it to Masato.

It was a rectangular object like a slab.

“That is—”
“The power crystal of Kojishi’s constellation, a plate. Looks like it worked.”
“Yeah! With this, Shōji should be okay…right?”
“Probably.”
“Why are you so vague…?”

Still, when I looked at Shōji’s face he looked a bit better than the last time I’d seen him.

So he really had returned…?

At that moment sirens began to sound.

At the same time Masato said, “Police and ambulances are on their way.”

“No time to rest. For now, dispel the star armor and return him to his original form.”

When I realized it, Masato was back in his high school tracksuit. Yui beside him was too.

I pulled the plate out of my gear and dispelled the star armor.

And so my first fight ended.