Cardfight!! Vanguard: Generations Volume 4 [Ryouta Rival]

- Part 16

After stocking up on some food and water, I left the outdoors school.

I was now back in the thick of the forest, trying to keep myself concealed and find a place to hunker down until this awful weather dies down.

The rain had thinned down a bit, but it was still mostly unbearable to travel under. My sympathies laid with the hiders who chose to hide in the open, since they'd be taking these harsh elements the worst.

"Damn it, everything is so slippery..."

I muttered to myself while climbing up a hill. However, just before I could reach the top, my fingers were stepped on.

As they retracted their foot, my fingers moved back reflexively, making me loose my grip on the slope. I held on just barely using my other hand, but seeing who lingered over the edge made me let go immediately.

It was Nakajima.

Landing on my back, I squinted up at the bleak sun. As he stepped forward, he blocked it out, casting a shadow over my body like a hunter's net. Under the grey sky singing with rain, the whites of his teeth glittered from the transient smile he flashed at me.

"Takanori-san... or should I say, Blade-san?"

Standing while contemplating my options, my mind temporarily locked up for a few seconds hearing that careless provocation Nakajima threw at me.

"You're unlucky to have run into me here."

Using that brief opening in my defence, Nakajima jumped down, coming after me. The dirt under his foot made a crunching sound as he rocketed off the floor.

Snapping out of it, I got into a defensive stance as Nakajima landed on his feet and lunged at me, throttling forward with his right foot and outstretching his left hand.

"Because I'm done playing around in this special exam."

"Khh!"

Gritting my teeth, I barely dodged his initial grapple.

"Ha ha... that's the first time I've heard you grunt all week. You're finally feeling worn down, huh?"

I didn't say anything back nor did I show it from my facial expression, but Nakajima was right. I was far from my peak physical condition. I was practically running on fumes and adrenaline, especially after traversing the mountain so much in the first half.

My only solace was the fact his movements were also affected, not by sleep deprivation, but by the injuries Shimada inflicted on him two days ago. His movements, while still as technical and impressive as ever, felt sloppier than when we first fought.

But still... he's got me in a bind.

As much I didn't want to fight him, or even so much as waste my time on him, especially before the critical point of my plan, his vicious attacks filled with hostile intent were dragging me in and forcing me to engage in hand-to-hand combat.

No... it was more accurate to say those vicious attacks were filled with murderous intent instead. I could tell from the look in his eyes and the aura I felt emanating from his fingertips as they grazed my shirt...

Nakajima was planning to finish me on the spot right now, just like he did with Oshita.

I took a deep breath as Nakajima twirled into a front kick. I tanked the blow with my hardened stomach, but at the same time, he reached out with his left hand again.

It looked like it was trying to grasp something... and that's when I realised what he was trying to do.

Nakajima knows that, between fleeting and fighting, I'd rather take the first option even if it's seen as more cowardly. After all, I had no good reason to brawl him right now, and if anyone walked into us trading blows, it'd expose our unique connection.