CHAPTER 13: MYSELF AND I

「-!?」

All of a sudden, a black shadow swiftly sprung across the rubble.

And with it, the white-haired boy felt an impact on his side, unable to grunt as the collision sent him crashing into the wall of a skyscraper.

Naturally, just before his flight, the boy of silver had released his grip on the orange-haired girl, causing gravity to pull Mayumi (who was held up by the scruff of her neck) down to earth.

However, just before she touched the cold, hard concrete, the nimble shadow immediately caught the girl’s chubby, stout frame, cradling her head in one arm whilst supporting her legs in the other.

(Mayumi! Are you okay!?)

A voice similar to her own resounded throughout the scruffy-haired girl’s consciousness, frantically calling her name with concern for her wellbeing.

And, roused by this piercing soprano, the young teenager’s features trembled, scrunching up in discomfort as their movement allowed her to confirm one important fact.

(…I’m…still alive?)

Albeit confused, a feeble Mayumi affirmed her existence, instinctively opening her eyelids to find-

-a youth with unkempt, iron-black hair, staring back at her with a set of deep, glowing red pupils.

Red pupils?

Drawing attention to the hue of the light which reflected themselves in her chestnut irises, Mayumi peered hazily into the young man’s left eye.

And what she saw within the Iris was a familiar symbol, prominently embedding itself into the organ.

An 『X』.

「《C-Cross》…-san…?」

「…friend of yours?」

「Shizuka Mayumi. You seem to be doing well.」

In the face of an exhausted Mayumi’s bewilderment at the identity of her saviour, two sets of similar voices resonated through the atmosphere, only distinguishable by the tone of their speech.

「…so it is you…《Cross-san》.」

Having realised that an ally had saved her, the girl’s tense body suddenly relaxed, losing all strength as she meekly smiled at the dark-haired boy.

Yet, as for the supposed ally, his mind had immediately focused on a certain part of the dialogue between his other self and this victim of orange and chestnuts.

「Shizuka….wait! You mean you’re related to Shizuka-sensei?」

「《Cross-san》? What are you saying all of a sudden?」

Finding the boy’s conduct undoubtedly strange, Mayumi meagrely furrowed her brow as her features clearly outlined her confusion.

Which, of course, prompted the boy to sigh, narrowing his eyes as he set about clearing up the misunderstanding.

「…sorry, but I’m not 《Cross》.」

「……eh? But if you aren’t 《Cross-san》, then you must be-」

「Saito Junichi. It’s better if you don’t talk.」

「…Saito….Junichi…-san?」

In the face of his straightforward introduction, Mayumi stared through the haze of her mind, curiously uttering the name of the boy who saved her.

Junichi walked over to a nearby building.

「Just rest here for now.」

「……b…but…」

「I’ll come back for you in a bit.」

Casually assuaging her concerns, Junichi gently lowered Mayumi onto the ground, leaning her back against the concrete wall for support before returning towards the colourless battlefield.

Yet, a few moments after he separated from the scruffy-haired maiden-

『…you really know how to treat a girl, don’t ya?』

『So? What of it?』

『Nothing.』

-《Cross’s》 sarcastic voice snickered in Junichi’s head, causing him to return a curt reply as he bothered not to fall for his other self’s provocation.

Though after dealing with said distraction, the boy suddenly brought his attention to something of more importance.

(…what’s the deal with the outfit?)

Looking down at his own attire, the boy noticed that his clothes had taken on a drastic shift.

Instead of his crimson blazer and brown trousers which were an iconic part of his school uniform, a pitch black leather jacket with a hood and dark, midnight slacks now covered his slender frame.

Needless to say, what concerned the boy was not what he was wearing, but why his attire had suddenly transformed.

That said-

『Yeah… Just deal with it for now.』

『…tch.』

-instead of returning any substantial answers, 《Cross》 simply evaded the question, causing Junichi to click his tongue as he squinted at the cloud of dust dissipating on the other side of the intersection.

And emerging from the wreckage, a tanned young man of silver staggered to his feet, unsteadily lift his lanky frame off of the ground.

Patches of blood could be seen soaking into the boy’s shirt.

The wall behind the man had a human-shaped indent freshly carved into it.

It needn’t be said that this scene was eerily familiar to Junichi, seeing how he had bore witness to a similar spectacle earlier today.

However, instead of a wounded lion, this time the enemy was a grey eagle.

『…so it did work.』

Having observed the effect that his attack had on his opposition, Junichi muttered to himself in disbelief whilst slowly stalking the injured boy.

That said, it didn’t take long for this affirmation to prompt a certain disgruntled voice to echo pervasively in his head.

『What, you didn't trust me?』

『Give me one good reason why I should.』

『…-tch. You got me there.』

Somewhat understanding the boy’s viewpoint, 《Cross》 lightly clicked his tongue, seemingly shrugging as all he could do was sigh in resignation.

『But how did I become able to hit him just by forming a contract with you?』

『You sure it’s time to be asking that now? It looks like he’s waking up.』

In the face of the sceptical Junichi, 《Cross》 continued to evade supplying any answers, warning the boy of the opponent’s regained conscious.

And, while he really wanted to address the matter of the strange, incorporeal entity which seemed to be living inside his skull, Junichi understood that it would be best to focus on one thing at a time, turning his attention back towards the tanned man who spat out the following phrase in an overdramatic snarl.

「You bastard! How the fuck did you hit me?」

「Honestly, I’ve got no idea…」

「Wha-!? Are you mocking me!?」

「…not really. I genuinely have no idea what the hell’s going on.」

Junichi sighed, his piercing rubies glaring with subtle malice as they honed in at the figure on the opposite side of the intersection.

Despite how subdued his gaze was, however-

「That being said, all I know is that you’re an eyesore, birdbrain.」

-it was disturbingly clear that the boy’s eyes were infused with contempt as they narrowed ever so slightly with poignant derision.

Though, incidentally, it was this open ridicule and disdain exhibited by the dark-haired youth which caused the situation to develop drastically in a completely unforeseen direction.

Stolen novel; please report.

「…ka ka…」

「?」

Feeling a strange aura coming from the man with white hair, Junichi furrowed his brow, lowering his centre of gravity whilst raising his guard.

And, while this protected the youth from any potential assault coming from this silver enemy, what came was not a barrage of blows.

「KA KA KA KA KA KA!!」

「………」

As the tanned figure’s frame trembled, a chaotic, inhumane chortle resounded deafeningly on the opposite side of the intersection, causing Junichi to simply remain silent as he looked over the situation with an incredulous expression.

And, after realising that this laughter wasn’t going to stop anytime soon upon waiting for half a minute, the dark-haired youth couldn’t help but express his utter bewilderment within the confines of his soul.

『What the hell?!』

『Don't worry, partner. He's just special that way.』

『Who is he anyway?』

Choosing to ignore the strange cackling momentarily, Junichi asked his other self, hoping to gain some insight into exactly who, or what, he was fighting.

『He's an acquaintance of mine. His name's 《Hash》.』

『《Hash》? As in Hashtag?』

『Yeah. But I just call him bird-brain.』

『…so what's the deal with that eagle tattoo?』

『…no idea.』

「So it is you! 《CROSS》!!!」

Unaware that a fatal flaw in his character design had been pointed out, 《Hash》 leaped at Junichi, travelling the distance from his position to the other side of the intersection in one jump.

And, whilst Junichi could imitate this physical feat quite easily, that didn’t stop him from whistling as he admired the white bird’s technique.

『(Hou? Not bad.)』

Two voices overlapped each other, growing excited at the thrill of battle.

And with it, 《Hash》 swung his arm at Junichi’s chest, using the momentum from his forward rush to increase his power.

(-so slow.)

Witnessing the initial attack, Junichi instinctively yawned, evading the silver shadow’s wild swing before smoothly positioning his body towards 《Hash’s》 blind spot.

Immediately following which, the boy gathered strength into his hand, smashing his fist into the back of the 《Hash’s》 head with a velocity and abruptness rivalling that of a lightning bolt.

「Ka-!?」

The tanned figure cried pitifully, his body smashing into the pavement once more as fluids painted the colourless landscape.

Yet, daring not to stop in fear of losing his momentum, Junichi mercilessly used his foot to raise 《Hash’s》 body into the air.

And, for an instant, as if in slow motion, the tanned body slowly descended, similar to how a leaf gently floats in the breeze.

Naturally, this delay occurred in only an instant.

With that said, an instant was all it took.

Junichi pivoted on his left foot, his entire frame rotating as he performed a magnificent, 360o horizontal spin on the spot.

And using this momentum generated from his instantaneous swivel, the boy raised his leg, aiming a kick directly at 《Hash’s》 exposed stomach.

*Thud*

Junichi’s foot sent the white bird’s frame crashing into the blank T.V screen, located several meters above the ground atop a towering skyscraper.

And, while the collision between the student’s limb and the man’s abdomen created an overdramatic noise reminiscent of an explosion, the boy cared little about the ringing in his ears as he sent a scowl towards the opponent whom he had launched across the intersection.

「Oi, oi, don’t tell me that’s it?」

A disappointed Junichi whined, making it clear that he was greatly unsatisfied by 《Hash’s》 abysmal performance.

Nevertheless, seeing how he obtained no response from his opposition, the dark-haired victor swiveled his body once more, turning his back on the tanned figure stuck in a T.V before making his way back towards the injured girl lying against the wall.

『…hey, partner.』

『Yeah, I know.』

Prompted by the voice in his head, Junichi sent a glance towards a certain sector of the abandoned city, catching a momentary glimpse of an escaping, silver shadow.

『Just let him be. He’s not our priority for now.』

『…do you have a soft spot for girls?』

『Say what you want, but she needs medical attention.』

Unable to discern whether 《Cross》 was teasing him or asking out of earnest, Junichi decided to respond honestly as he crouched down in front of Mayumi.

Upon comparing her condition with the last time he laid eyes on her, it was clear that the scruffy-haired girl’s skin was growing ever paler, her frame violently shivering due to blood loss.

Needless to say, she was in a horrid state.

And yet, even if she was, the boy’s gentle voice and kind eyes would never let her know the true gravity of the situation.

「Are you okay?」

「I-I’m fine. T-thank you for saving me.」

In spite of her weakened state, Mayumi replied with a strained voice, the soprano whistling meekly as it expressed the girl’s gratitude.

「I didn’t do much. Besides, I need to thank you for protecting me while I was out.」

「N-not at all, Saito-san. It was the natural thing to do.」

「Not just anyone can risk their life for a stranger.」

Junichi spoke with admiration, his unexpected phrases taking root deeply in Mayumi’s soul as her cheeks, unable to resist the emotion festering in her heart, grew hotter with each passing second.

And, whilst the scruffy-haired girl was unable to deduce the nature of her body’s strange condition, she wasn’t given much time to contemplate it.

「Hey, are you okay?」

Noticing her body’s radical change in condition, Junichi brought his face closer to Mayumi, placing one hand on her forehead whilst comparing its against his own.

「Don’t tell me you have a fever? Your face is red, you know.」

「-!?」

Realising just how close the boy’s face was to her own, Mayumi’s entire face burst into a sea of hot flames, her once pale skin now transforming into the same colour as her uniform.

Which, naturally, caused the boy to grow concerned.

「Hey, your face is getting hot! We should hurry and take you to-」

Cutting his sentence short, Junichi swerved his body, kicking away an unidentified flying object which was abruptly aimed at the back of his head.

And as the deflected object sparkled with a metallic silver, it hazardously spun in the air, allowing the boy to identify exactly what it was that had been thrown.

(A knife?)

Junichi glimpsed at the roughly 20 cm long weapon, tracing circles in the air before moving his gaze to the source of the attack.

Atop one of the towering grey buildings, a girl with long hair, the colour of an otherworldly purple, stood mysteriously without a sound.

The girl’s lavender hair was bundled into a neat ponytail, falling down to her knees as it fluttered in the wind.

Mimicking this, a sky blue scarf, contrasting the colour of the world turned grey, covered the girl’s face as it also traced the wind’s path behind her.

And finally, adorned across the girl’s figure was a familiar, crimson uniform with a golden phoenix crest on the chest pocket.

Naturally, having run into another member of his school should have justifiably confused the dark-haired youth.

With that said, what Junichi focused on was not her appearance, but the 20 cm-long silver blades which were held between the fingers of the girl on the rooftop.

(So it was her?)

Junichi murmured, strangely captivated by the isolated figure of the lavender-haired girl.

With her legs straightened and spine straight, her well poised frame which silently stood at attention left not a single section of her petite body unguarded.

From the perspective of his alter ego (not the one whom he only met today), the maiden overlooking the desolate landscape was a professional in combat. One who held the aura of a seasoned warrior.

---now if only she would do something about the overwhelming animosity which continued to bombard him relentlessly.

「R-Rin-san?」

「…is she your friend?」

Noticing a voice trembling behind him, Junichi remained still, asking Mayumi about the identity of the entity from whom he could not turn his back on.

Yet, what the boy received in response to his query was a hesitant stammer.

「Y-yes. Well…」

「…you don’t have to say anything. I probably look really suspicious from up there.」

Understanding that he couldn’t do much about the situation, Junichi comforted Mayumi as his eyes met with the roof-top girl’s icy purple irises.

And as they continued to remain in an inseverable deadlock, it was becoming abundantly clear that both of the teenagers’ stares held a strange intensity.

From the girl who had perfected her posture, a glare of frigid hostility plunged the surroundings into a frosty hell.

And as for Junichi-

(So how exactly am I gonna give this girl the slip?)

-the youth possessed this line of thinking behind his formidable scowl.

『Wait, are you gonna run away from this?』

『Well, that was my intention but…』

Upon hearing 《Cross’s》 disbelief echoing in his head, the dark-haired boy returned a mental shrug, caring not about the concept of never running away from a fight.

Still, even if his decision was tactically sound, that did not mean Junichi could rationalise his actions to an ecstatic 《Cross》.

『Why? This is gonna be a great fight.』

『…I can see what you’re getting at, but…I have other business to attend to…』

As the boy’s eyes remained glued to the girl of violet, the image of a certain person flashed through his mind.

A tall, slender brown-haired girl whose frail frame had been infested by blue marks and red lacerations.

And with this vision of Junichi’s childhood friend who had been injured by a result of his actions, guilt began to weigh itself in his chest.

『…you really do have a soft spot for girls, huh?』

『…you saw that?』

『I can see everything you can see, partner. Your memories, your thoughts, as long as we have a contract, I’m a part of you.』

『…whatever.』

Brushing aside 《Cross’s》 comment, Junichi continued to rack his brain as he searched for a way out of his current predicament.

Though before he managed to continue his thoughts, his attention was once again redirected by the voice in his head.

『What about 《Delta》?』

『《Delta》?』

『Shizuka Mayumi.』

『Oh. Well, her friend’s here so she should be able to take care of her, right?』

『…whatever, partner. You’re the boss.』

Having heard his partner’s reasoning, 《Cross》 simply sighed, seemingly shrugging as he resigned himself once again to Junichi’s whims.

Though it was good to know that the boy wasn’t simply abandoning the injured, there were more pressing matters that the two dark-haired individuals should be worrying over--escape.

『So how do I get out of here?』

『You don’t know how to run away from an enemy?』

『No, that much will be easy.』

Responding to sarcasm with a blunt quip, Junichi nonchalantly corrected the voice in his head about the true reason why he was hesitating.

『But there’s no one in sight, and I need to get some supplies.』

『…ok. I got it. You see that traffic light over there?』

『Traffic light?』

As 《Cross》 confirmed what Junichi wanted to do, he issued some directions to the dark-haired youth, causing him to use his peripheral vision so as to not break the tense stalemate with the girl’s eyes.

And, sure enough, he managed to spot a long, metal pole, unusually contorted as stains of red corroded its colourless body.

To clarify, this was the one and the same traffic light which Junichi had collided with earlier during his first encounter with 《Hash》.

That being said, it was all too apparent that something about it was……off.

It looked…distorted.

Upon closer inspection of the bent traffic pole, one could see that the space surrounding it appeared to fluctuate, wavering in the air like boiling steam.

『That’s the one. Run straight into it. It should get you where you want to go.』

Seemingly peering through Junichi’s eyes, 《Cross》 spoke without warning, choosing not to mince his words as his clear instructions gave his partner a direct path to his goal.

And, while he naturally had his doubts, Junichi didn’t spare a single second to think as he suddenly sprang into action.

「-!?」

Placing strength into his legs, Junichi kicked the ground, propelling himself to his left as he sprinted straight for the area around the traffic light.

Yet, not daring to miss out on making her own move as well, the girl with the purple ponytail swiped her hand, throwing a cluster of the sharpened knives straight towards Junichi’s back.

『Hey, watch it!』

Sensing the impending danger, 《Cross》 shot off a harsh warning as the flying daggers approached his blindside.

Yet, it was soon clear that this mysterious entity’s warning was unnecessary.

『Got it!』

Immediately shifting his travel direction from left to right at random intervals, Junichi smoothly evaded the incoming projectiles as he traversed the barren landscape with a zigzag movement.

Nevertheless, understanding that lowering his guard before he had accomplished his goal was basically asking for death, Junichi remained deathly silent as his body dived straight for the distorted space.

And then, as he passed through the point mentioned by 《Cross》--

「Damn!」

The lavender girl cursed, jumping down from where she was perched atop the skyscraper before attending to her injured comrade.

Naturally, the animosity which she bore had yet to completely dissipate.

That said, she really had no other choice but to look after the weakened Mayumi now.

After all-

-the figure of the dark-haired boy clad in obsidian had completely vanished from the world tinted in monochrome.