NOVEL NEXT Chapter 13 - A-Rank vs F-Rank
“Ngh!?”
The man’s right arm sliced through the air. The barrier that had been blocking him suddenly disappeared, leaving him to utter a foolish sound. In that moment, Mikoyuki moved to the left and drove his fist into the man’s side.
The force behind Mikoyuki’s thin arm belied its appearance, sinking deeply into the man’s muscular side. From the feedback, he deduced that his punch had reached the bones protected by hard muscles.
“You’ve got some strength, don’t ya!”
“—!?”
The man’s left arm swept out like swatting a fly. However, the power behind it was immense, and Mikoyuki barely avoided a fatal blow by dodging forward.
Due to the man’s large build, there were gaps. If Mikoyuki could slip inside, he wouldn’t be as much of a threat.
(But if this drags on, the damage around here… What are the police doing?)
Having encountered the situation, Mikoyuki knew he had to hold the man off here. If possible, restraining him would be ideal, but it seemed his opponent was not that easy to handle.
“I know you, Kamishiro Mikoyuki, right? Hehe, the boss mentioned you.”
“The boss…?”
The man grinned wickedly as he looked at Mikoyuki. Though Mikoyuki wanted to disable him quickly, if the man wanted to talk, he had to play along. The best move was to stall until the police arrived.
“Indeed, my name is Kamishiro Mikoyuki. But how do you know that? And who is this boss…?”
Here, drawing out the conversation while awaiting police support was the optimal strategy. Mikoyuki watched the man’s every move warily.
“The boss is the one who took care of me. My benefactor.”
The man smiled broadly, a sight charming on a cute girl but repulsive on a rugged older man. Despite this, Mikoyuki’s mind raced, analyzing each action.
“…Could it be, you’re with ‘Collad Bomb’?”
“Bingo! The name’s Kyousaki Kazuya. I’m a fugitive, got caught by the cops years ago because of a mistake. Normally, I’d be done for, but since I didn’t spill anything, I got a chance to escape. Then, the boss said this.”
The man steadied himself, concentrating his power. Mikoyuki adjusted his stance, bringing his left arm forward and his right hand to his chest.
“You’re said to be the ‘strongest ability user.’ The boss took a real shine to you. Join us!”
Mikoyuki sighed at the roar-like invitation from Kyousaki. Why did he always attract these types?
“Tell your boss this when you get back—save your dreams for when you’re asleep. That is, if you can get back in one piece…”
“Fwah! I like your cheeky attitude… Let me teach you some manners!”
Veins bulging, Kyousaki kicked off the ground and closed the gap in an instant.
(Is he a rocket—)
Mikoyuki’s swift reaction, honed by years of combat experience, saved him. He matched his left arm to the man’s fist and spun half a turn. However, he couldn’t fully deflect the force, and his left arm’s bones fractured.
But it created a significant opening.
Kyousaki planted his other foot to halt his momentum, but Mikoyuki seized the chance, landing a powerful blow to Kyousaki’s back with his right hand. The force could pulverize ordinary rocks.
“Ouch. But that’s it.”
“—!?”
Ignoring the pain, Kyousaki grabbed Mikoyuki’s leg. Mikoyuki, surprised, tried to free himself, but the grip was inhumanly strong. The sound of bones cracking made Mikoyuki grimace.
“Take this—!”
With a shout, Kyousaki hurled Mikoyuki into the air. Mikoyuki’s vision spun as he analyzed his opponent’s ability.
(More strength and toughness than his build suggests… This isn’t just enhancement. What is it? An ability that affects his body…)
Spinning, his body began to descend. Just seconds before he would hit the ground—
(For instance, an ability that ‘adds virtual strength to one’s body’…)
The scene shifted.
“…Ranked ‘F’. That’s his rank—no, the rank when he’s not serious.”
“Not serious…?”
“His ability is incredible. As I’ve said many times, he can bend the entire world to his will in minutes. You mentioned before—an ability’s effectiveness depends on the user. If the user can’t fully utilize their ability, the rank drops.”
An ability becomes a threat only when fully mastered by its user. Few abilities are inherently ‘S’ rank. Usually, it’s those who master their abilities who achieve high ranks. Even a ‘D’ ranked ability can reach ‘SS’ with sufficient skill.
“Let me tell you. If someone else had his ability… The answer is simple, ‘SS rank’… no, ‘SSS rank’. They’d be on the immediate extermination list. As soon as identified, they’d be killed.”
The man on the phone gasped audibly.
Mari wasn’t the type to lie. Knowing her well, the man understood her statements were no exaggeration.
“Is it really that dangerous…!? And the boy has this power…”
“You’re mistaken—he’s the only one who managed to keep it ‘F rank’ and thus controlled the danger.”
“What if—what if he gets serious?”
Mari glanced at a photo frame on her desk.
In the frame was a black-haired boy and a red-haired woman. It was the only photo of the two, both with awkward smiles.
Mari smiled, then turned serious.
“He’d at least reach ‘S rank’. If he lost control, he’d be ‘SS rank’.”
Back at the intersection, Mikoyuki landed on the hard asphalt. He rolled to absorb the impact, avoiding significant injury, but still grimaced as he rotated his shoulder and arm.
“So, you survived that throw.”
A loud landing noise echoed as Kyousaki landed nearby. His grin was one of madness as he swung his log-like arms.
“My ability is ‘Psychosteroid Muscle Enhancement’. It gives me temporary muscle power. Rank A.”
Kyousaki fixed his gaze on Mikoyuki.
“I’ve decided—you’re joining us.”
“Sorry, but I have somewhere I need to return to—find someone else.”
The wind blew through the street, ruffling Mikoyuki’s hair.
“Your ability and mine… they don’t match well.”
“Then—”
Just as Kyousaki began to speak—
In an instant, the atmosphere changed.
The air grew heavy and viscous.
Kyousaki stepped back.
(I’m retreating in the face of an enemy…? What is he—)
He couldn’t understand. The boy he had been fighting suddenly seemed terrifying.
“So, I’ll get a bit serious.”
A dark aura emanated from Mikoyuki.