NOVEL NEXT Chapter 10 - Escape
July 17, 2022 (Sunday)
(Boring…)
“…We’re transferring Kyouzaki Kazuya to your location. Yes, rest assured. He’s been given a strong sedative.”
In the dark car, a man’s voice could be heard. Accompanied by the steady ticking of the hazard lights, the conversation, while not mundane, felt like an extension of daily life. The man’s appearance suggested he was just an ordinary office worker.
Except for the man in the back, subjected to an impossible amount of restraints.
(Sleepy… Well, of course, I was given a sedative.)
Suppressing a yawn, he tried to open his eyes, but he was blindfolded. The chair was quite large, but his frame far exceeded it.
A-class criminal—Kyouzaki Kazuya. 26 years old.
There’s little to say about him. Five years ago, he committed a murder and had been in prison since then. Now, with his death sentence decided, he was being transported to another location—a hopeless individual.
Surrounding him were five guards, each a high-ranking ability user with ample combat experience. They quietly waited for the car to move. Finally, the car started.
(Boring life… Five years ago was great. Everything was fun, life felt real.)
The sensation of the car turning several corners filled Kyouzaki with fear. Not the fear of death, but the dread of heading towards a boring death after a monotonous life.
(No way…)
The urge to struggle filled him. Next time the car turned, he would act. Just as he thought that—
“What the!?”
With a loud crash, the car violently flipped. This was a prison transport vehicle, much sturdier than regular ones. For it to be overturned required immense force.
Two of the guards cautiously opened the exit. Outside was bright, still midday. There were no people around, having avoided crowded areas. But—there was one person.
“Who are you—”
One by one, the guards noticed the anomaly and left the car, leaving one inside. Five minutes had passed since the car flipped. The driver was either unconscious or dead. And the last guard left.
They never returned.
“…I misjudged my strength a bit.”
Instead, a voice echoed inside the car. The restraints were gradually undone. Finally, Kyouzaki’s blindfold was removed, and he squinted against the sunlight but quickly widened his eyes.
“B-boss…”
“Hey, long time no see, Kyouzaki.”
The man wore a black shirt, resembling mourning clothes, with a black coat over it. His hair was pitch black, and his eyes were cold. His shoes were slightly stained with red liquid.
Kyouzaki tried to get a good look at the man’s face, and at that moment—
“Don’t misunderstand.”
The man lightly pushed Kyouzaki aside and hid in the shadows.
“‘Collad Bomb’ doesn’t forgive failures. That goes for you, a lieutenant, as well.”
“…Ugh.”
Kyouzaki bowed his head at those words. But he quickly looked up with a wide grin.
‘Collad Bomb’ doesn’t forgive mistakes or betrayal. A single failure means immediate disposal. But those favored by the boss are given one chance.
“I want you to recruit a certain person… That’s why I rescued you.”
The man handed Kyouzaki a photo. In the dim car, Kyouzaki’s sharp eyes clearly saw the man in the photo.
“—Kamishiro Mikoyuki, rumored to be the world’s strongest ability user.”
The photo was a still from a video.
“What’s wrong, Kyouzaki?”
Kyouzaki’s body trembled. Shaking, he let out a loud yell. The restraints scattered, and the car instantly became a wreck.
“No, it’s the opposite. I’m happy, boss…! The strongest, right? That means… we can have the greatest fight to the death!”
With a crazed smile, Kyouzaki crushed the photo in his hand.