4 Chapter 1.3

Instincts, intuitions, and sixth sense, though similar, but they are three completely different things.

When you decide something and act without a need to think, that's instinct.

When you understand something without the need for conscious reasoning, that`s intuition.

When you were given awareness that's not explicable in terms of normal perception, that`s sixth sense.

My instinct only kicks in during dangerous situations, especially in a matter of life and death.

My intuition acts on solving problems and escapes, especially when dealing with an awkward atmosphere.

My sixth sense is active when I`m in combat mode, especially against sneak attacks.

I placed all three of them under the same category— gut feeling.

There are certain situations where someone would tell you to ‘trust your gut’ or ‘listen to what your gut tells you’. But your gut is actually a part of you and it doesn't even speak, so I find ‘relying on your gut’ to be eerie— I`d rather trust my calm and collected brain. Though there are times I do rely on my gut, that's only when I'm unable to come up with a solution in my head, and your gut doesn`t always give you what you want.

Here's an example.

My instincts are nearly submissive in fear of the girl who attacked me. If there's a measurement, she would be a dragon (predator), and I would be her food (prey), who`s struggling pathetically to survive. My intuition has been telling me to run away over and over again, but whenever there`s one, she cuts it off cleanly. Lastly, my sixth sense—

Though there's nothing happening for a second here, but I took a step—

—to the right.

BOOM!

“Urgh!?”

Something came crashing down, next to me on my left, soundlessly— except when it crashed on the ground.

It felt like an earthquake had just happened for a moment.

Dusts and snow builds up. Now completely engulfed inside a pool of dusts and white mists, my vision is slightly blurred.

Whatever it is I just dodged, it's big, and the power, perhaps is at least five times of the spear`s momentum plus the shockwave of the spear`s explosion. That's how I felt. The impact is so strong that the ground sunken with a crater of a 6 metres radius.

As I look at the object at my left, it`s flat surface reflects my body starting from the chest and below, like a mirror.

…and here I was expecting an iceberg. It's something more dangerous than that. It was a sword— no, an Excalibur, maybe ten metres long, and it`s made with her ice too.

What is she? An arsenal? How many weapons had she made?

Seriously, if I hadn't moved from that spot… this thing would`ve completely sliced me in half in the middle! What's more, it's a sneak attack! Is this woman seriously trying to kill me for real?!

Though attacking from the blind-spot is a strategy where everyone obeys, but—

“That's cheap!” I inadvertently shouted.

“…You've sure got guts…”

Ugh.

Though she stood far from me, behind the sword, I'm still able to hear her voice clearly.

…Better get away from her sword.

With that, I ran to my 2 o’clock— that's when I heard her fingers snapping.

Thus, I looked back as I ran.

The Excalibur behind me immediately exploded, with its size of explosion three times larger compared to the spear`s. As it explodes, needles pass through the white mist created from the explosion, spreading out and flying everywhere.

Then, the girl pointed her special gesture in my direction. This means, the needles that originally aren't aiming on me— all turn it`s trajectory to my direction.

When I came to realize, the speed of her needles was catching up. I can't shake off her two-inch-long ice needles.

“…Dammit!”

Why?

Why can't I shake it off?

It was clearly several notches faster than a few minutes before compared to her spears. Why was its speed so out of sight now?

Something wasn't like a few minutes ago…

She changed her weapons, from spears to needles. But what of it? I'm sure there's no relation between her controlling speed and weapon mass. The weight of her weapon wouldn`t have slowed it down. Her powers merely allow her to control ice…

And then I realized.

I realized my mistake.

Not the weapons— it's me!

My body's movements were dulled by the cold temperature. What's more, with some of her ice and snow on my clothes, she's controlling them to slow me down furthermore.

At this rate, no matter how fast I run, there's a limit, and I can't escape.

Her two inch needles will be catching me soon. I need to think of a way to escape unscathed.

But how…? How can I do that? Is there something I can do?

No choice. Let's make a gamble.

I stopped. Then immediately prone on the grass.

Unable to make sharp turns, her needles flew past above me.

“…scatter.” The girl commanded.

She's not even giving me a chance to rest! What is she going to do this time...!?

The needles popped.

As every single needle pops one after another like a chain reaction, it transforms to a piece of feather, white as snow, floating around the air.

So am I going to get myself buried by feathers? But what's the point in this?

I`m quite certain she`s unable to cast magic. And I'm sure feathers are harmless, but if those are coming from her, I wouldn't be so sure about my analysis.

Though feathers are light, they have mass and weight. If not interrupted by external force, they will be pulled down by gravity.

It took no time for one to land on me. To be precise, on the back my blazer.

As if the feathers were poured with adhesive glue, they stick to my blazer and wouldn't fall off no matter how hard I tried to shake it off.

It then changes to her usual ice roses afterwards, but smaller.

For her, I'm sure it wouldn't have mattered. Her icicles will spread out all over by time.

Nevertheless, I can't just stay here and get stacked by her feathers and ice roses. I need to get out of here.

I got up, and got myself a few more ice roses during the process.

But I can clean off the ice later, so I ignored it— no, perhaps it would be more accurate to say this is not the primary thing to deal with right now.

There`s something else that's much more terrifying.

I lost sight of the girl, as well as her presence.

I can't see well because I need to prevent the feather from entering my eyes. Those things are disturbing.

But that doesn't mean I`m blind— so why is it I'm unable to see her anywhere. Where is she— no, where could she be?

“…die.”

Behind!?

I immediately faced the chilly voice that came from behind. But I saw nothing but her feathers.

Where is she?

A second passed, just as I was about to let down my guard— she suddenly appeared among the feathers that were floating around. With a single-edged ice sword on her left hand, she slashed diagonally downwards from her left, showing no signs to stop her blade as if to cut my neck in one strike, with the intent to kill.

“Guh…!”

I immediately took a side step to the right and bent my waist in the same direction too, evading her blade just in time. But the wind pressure generated from her swing was so sharp, it gave me a chill as the sound ranged on my left ear.

Her first swing missed, so I'm sure she's going to attempt for a second time. Then I immediately reached out my left hand, grabbing on her left upper arm—

—stopping her to swing back. Whoa. Oh my god.

Such a pleasuring feeling… such incredible tenderness and softness…! Is this even a normal human girl`s arm?

“…pervert…!”

The fierce voice struck upon my head, pulling me back to reality.

That's the moment I saw a spear appearing in front of my face, point-blank range.

Shit…!

As for how much I don't want to let go, but still I quickly retracted my left hand anyways, and did an anti-clockwise centrifugal twist to dodge her dangerous spear.

“…!”

That's when I suddenly saw a chance, and quickly grabbed her spear with my right hand during the first quarter spin.

Completing the spin, I made use of the spinning momentum and swung the spear with a back hand strike on the ground as hard as I could.

BAM!

With the strike completely aiming on the ground, though the spear was sacrificed, I managed to create a smokescreen thick enough to separate both of us. The smokescreen contains dusts, snow, white mists, and her feathers.

Finally, I got the chance— I got the chance to escape.

With that, I threw away the broken spear and rushed off, blowing past her. Though her spears are shooting from behind, naturally I evaded it.

I ran.

I just ran.

Until I finally saw a building, until I finally reached it, then I stopped.

“(Huff)… (Huff)… How scary…!”

I was breathing heavily.

It's not because I was tired.

I was scared, terrified.

W-What's with that girl…!? She`s FREAKISHLY STRONG…! This isn't what I expected it to be…!

At first, she summoned a snow-wave to test my ability, as well as to keep some distance. Then, she summoned 20 of her spears, using three of it to prevent me from escaping, and the rest of the seventeen to actually pin me. But I know, she wasn't serious— she was just testing just to watch my reactions.

She then started her actual attack— increasing at least five times the amount of her spears and attacked from my blind spot. She gave me her spear on purpose, delaying the explosion just to give me a chance to fight back. But yet I threw it away, that's why she got angry.

That's when an Excalibur suddenly cuts down from behind, on my blind spot.

She knew I`m trying to escape afterwards. That's why she made the Excalibur explode, with a large amount of needles chasing me with an incredible speed— forcing me to prone immediately. Why did she know I would be prone? Because it was the best choice to dodge most of the needles upon a scattering attack— and she keeps it up by turning her needles into feathers. The feathers, changing into ice roses are just a camouflage to distract my attention, approaching me with her scary footwork.

Strong in close combat is truly the last thing I`d expect from her. I didn't expect her to be able to unleash such a slash with such precise accuracy, power, and lethality.

Perhaps she didn't expect me to stop her by grabbing her arm. That's why she had such an irritated reaction and called me a pervert. She even summoned a spear in front of my face.

But compared to all of that, the scariest part about her is her perception and reaction speed. She's constantly observing, predicting my every move as I react, countering and cancelling it with her attacks, as if she's playing chess. And she's not even serious either… She fought one-handed!

And her ice-made weapons did not break from one simple swing… it`s well made.

So… this is the power of another special student.

I knew the moment I realized her blazer`s colour. Because she's wearing a white blazer too, the exact same white as mine.

But yet— are those words she whispered at the end… meant for me…?

‘…is it really you…?’ I heard it after I ran past her.

…No. That can't be. I must be mistaken. I'm sure I've never met her.

At any rate, I need to clear off the ice roses on me. Those on my hair are unexpectedly sticky… It hurts to pluck it off…!

‘TIME LEFT TILL APPOINTED TIME: 1 MINUTE.’ My device informed me.