8 Icarus’ High [1/2]

By the way let me talk about Hachi which came up in Chapter 7 a bit.

The period in which Shun came to OPM is 3 years before the story and from my research, Hero Association (or whatever?) hasn't been created yet.

But Watchdog Man is already protecting the Q City (in my setting. I don't know what about the original).

As his identity unknown, the citizens call him Hachi instead of Watchdog Man because the latter is but his hero name and not his actual name, more so that Hero Association hasn't been created yet.

And 'Hachi' because I've heard ONE(?) or Murata Yusuke(?) took inspiration from Hachi: A Dog's Tale to make Watchdog Man.

Anyway, that's it. I swear, no, I can't swear that I wrote this section just to increase words count.

———

Another month has passed.

*peko!* *peko!*

(Disclaimer: Author-nim [I'm Japanese tho] doesn't know how to pronounce the rabbit sound so he goes by what he thinks sounds the closest to rabbit. Blame a certain someone who pronounces 'peko' in every sentence.)

"What? Do you want me to train with you all day from today on?" Shun translated what the rabbit said.

It was about half a week ago—perhaps Shun has spent time long enough with them, or the animals here were intelligent enough—he was starting to understand what these guys were saying

:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.: The rabbit nodded while saying *peko!* delighted.

Whether it be walking or running, doing everything four-legged has always been common sense ever since Shun arrived in this place: Forest Q.

The rabbit just asked to follow him and Shun did so.

It was around when briefly 5 minutes passed and the two crossed 10km, what reflected in Shun's sight was akin to the land of fantasy.

It had every concept that fitted the fantasy genre, lands that hovered in the sky completely ignoring the law of physics, the burning stepping floated above the waters, the empty land in which thunders continued to strike regardless of the weather.

Wall of trees with barely a gap to pass through, ice landscape that showed no sign of melting

"...haha, this world is all over," nervously laughing, Shun accepted the scenery that made zero sense in front of him.

*peko peko!* the rabbit rubbed its head onto Shun's feet taking his attention.

"You want me to copy what you are about to do?" Shun interpreted what the rabbit said and nodded before staring intensely.

The rabbit transformed into streaks of whie flash, disappearing from its original spot.

'As expected, you're so fast' Shun thought.

Although a month has passed, Shun still had a hard time following up on the rabbit's movement with his eyes.

Simply describing the rabbit's movements, was brilliant.

The rabbit stepped onto the burning stepping without turning into a cooked rabbit. What was astonishing about this was the stepping didn't cause any ripples in the still water.

After jumping onto multiple burning stepping from next to next, the rabbit leaped toward the floating land that unpredictably moved at a fast speed.

The speed at which the rabbit traveled never stopped nor slowed, it was as if the rabbit didn't need to look and predict where the floating lands will travel and jump into it.

However, in the next moment, Shun will have to know why the rabbit didn't fear leaping over to the next floating land despite the ascending land as you progress.

When the rabbit got to the highest altitude you can get to, which was around where you can touch clouds, the rabbit jumped down and...

Stepped onto the empty air before flashing toward the empty land where the thunder endlessly fell from the sky.

Landing into the empty land or thunder land, the rabbit continued to accelerate until in which even Shun's eyes couldn't see the rabbit.

All that he could see right now was the small ripple that was caused by the rabbit's speed and the rabbit's speed trail.

There weren't any tricks in how the rabbit dodged the thunder, he was just moving so fast that thunder couldn't hit him.

After running for 30 seconds which was like an eternity to Shun, the rabbit finally exited from the thunder land as it proceeded to the forest wall.

The rabbit was traveling at speed so fast with no sign to stop. Just as when Shun thought that the rabbit would crash on one of those trees, the rabbit's movement became strange.

Thankfully the rabbit slowed his speed which Shun can follow but it just made everything weirder. From what Shun can see, there was no rabbit but a weird white monster that bend its body as if it had no bone.

This phenomenon was similar to how you sway a pencil with your finger ups and down, that your eyes trick your brain into seeing the pencil bent.

Albeit the rabbit's case was taken such phenomenon to insanity. Passing through the small gap within the wall of trees with its strange flexibility and speed, it gave Shun the thought that this monster will appear in his nightmare tonight.

Next came the ice land. The rabbits ran in a zig-zag manner... Yes, zig-zag.

The rabbit's legs were strange as they stuck on the ice without sliding a single distance. Without much time, the rabbit returned to Shun's side with its ears erected on top.

*pe...ko*

"Huh, I can ignore the thunder land part? But isn't that going soft on me?" Shun responded against the rabbit who had no change in its face.

*peko!*

"'If I want to die then I can'? ...Okay, I will only go onto it when I am stronger." Shun backed off.

There was no curiosity on how to dodge thunder, only why the thunders continued to fall, why the land floated, why the stepping continued to burn, why the ice doesn't melt, how to grow trees with each other so close, etc, etc...

"Sensei, I am going!" Shun said and put strength on four of his limbs to proceed forward.

After a month of training, Shun's four-legged style already surpassed the world record of a four-legged 100m run on our world.

'Hot! Hot! Hot!'

However, despite how fast he may be, the heat that traveled past the space still reached on his arm as he stepped on the burning stepping.

Enduring the burning pain while the flame ignites his flesh, Shun leaped over the floating land,

That time, Shun took a breath to rest. The burning stepping had completely burnt off his skin as the pink flesh revealed itself.

The mix of ruined skin and his bare flesh reminded him of the character of one of the manga he read, Shigaraki Tomura.

A breath of rest didn't decrease Shun's adrenaline, it increased! By now, personally undergoing the run, did he feel how dangerous this training was!

The burning pain and sensitivity that changed to increased pain due to the bare flesh touching the ground. The pain Shun was feeling right now was already enough to cause any man to whimper on the ground, immobilized.

However, Shun, at this moment felt active.

The adrenaline has reached its peak as Shun began climbing.

'Up.. Up.. Right..' Shun jumped over the hovering land without waiting it to stop.

'Down.. Left.. Up.. Up..'Shun continued without stopping this time.

'What comes after is... Right. Right. Up. Left..' Shun's eyes weren't on the next floating land he would leap into. He was actually looking at every land that was moving unpredictably.

Shun's lip began to move as his brain process couldn't keep on with his desire. "Right.. Left.. Right.. Left.."

'This guy... Did he memorize the pattern of every floating land with that single demonstration!?' the rabbits thought surprisedly at the abnormal action Shun's taking.

Shun was close to the cloud and he could feel the altitude through his body.

'With a single misstep...' Shun smiled over such thought.

He may die! No, he will die! However, that was good!

'Higher... Higher!' Shun at this moment was no longer thinking of the floating land's movement pattern, or rather, he didn't need to think of such things anymore his body knew how it will move.

Shun looked straight to the sun high up in the air as he extended his burnt palm.

The increasing danger only activated his body, energized his cell, and made him feel alive. Unlike the boring peaceful day, he had in his previous life.

There was no reason behind it. Akin to Icarus' craving for the sky, Shun had no other thought but to take hold of the sun in his palm.

Shun currently, wasn't in a normal state, he was far, far away from the state one calls 'flow'.

If one were to describe what state he was in currently, that would be 'mad' and that wasn't a positive state.

Shun was currently putting in strength dangerously above what his physical body can withstand as if his brain limiter to keep his body safe was removed. Nonetheless, he wasn't able to think of anything except for one goal; sun.

Like in the Icarus' tales, after reaching a certain altitude, Shun's wings have melted and the sun began to be further from his reach, no matter how much he extends his arm, the sun was so out of reach from him.

At that moment, Shun fell unconscious.