Princess Tsubakiri Chapter 2 - Nanohana part 2

I weave through the bustling crowd of the shopping district, running with my luggage in hand, despite how difficult it is to move in an ao dai.

I may look like a slim twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl, but I didn’t survive traveling alone through dangerous zones and war-torn regions for nothing. No matter the situation, I’ve always been able to break into a full sprint at a moment’s notice.

Not to brag, but there was even a time I managed to escape from two hunting dogs chasing me through a dense forest all night. …I seriously thought I was going to die.

So when it comes to running away, I have absolute confidence. …And yet,

“He’s still chasing me!?”

That young man is pursuing me.

I can feel his presence distinctly behind me, gaining.

In these past three years of travel, I’ve had a few near-death experiences, but this is something else. The unmistakable, bone-chilling killing intent, directed solely at me, is throwing me off.

“Why, why!? Why is he chasing me!? Has he mistaken me for someone else!? Is he one of the guys sent by that uncle I bankrupted in a poker game in Thailand!?”

No, I wasn’t the bad one in that!

More importantly, how can he keep up with my legs, the ones that outran hounds!?

“…Haaah.”

I panic for a while, but then manage to calm down a bit.

And I remember. My purpose… is to find “myself.” And to survive.

So I commit. If I’m facing a killing intent that’s this clearly aimed at me, and if I might not be able to escape, I’ll be damned sure I won’t hesitate to survive.

Without hesitation, I throw away the luggage filled with memories from my journey, and tear the hem of my difficult-to-run-in ao dai.

I don’t think about conserving energy. I don’t worry about the strain on my body. I don’t care about inconveniencing others. This is a full-on, no-holds-barred sprint.

“As long as I survive… I win!”

I don’t have the power to fight. I don’t even have anything.

But that’s the strength of someone who has nothing. No matter the situation, even if I lose everything, as long as I’m still alive, that’s a win.

“These walls are so tall…”

I may look like I’m taking it easy, but I’m running flat out. My breath is starting to run short, but this must be a fancy neighborhood or something. These walls are way too high to climb.

“…Huh?”

Even though I tried to shake him off, I can sense the young man’s presence slowly drifting to the side.

Has he lost track of me? Maybe he’s finally given up?

An ordinary person shouldn’t be able to keep up with my running.

I’m not ordinary. Even without considering these Eyes, I’ve always known I can do things beyond the ordinary.

The truth that my Eyes see is a thing’s essence, its way of being.

And that “way of being” is the reason for its existence. It manifests as presence.

You can sort of feel it, can’t you? Some people have presence.

People with strong presence attract attention, draw emotions from others.

The more someone is thought of and recognized by others, the stronger their presence grows. And in turn, they draw in even more attention.

Athletes perform better when cheered on.

Artists create greater works when acknowledged by others.

Famous actors constantly draw eyes to them, and shine ever brighter.

To be recognized and thought of by others becomes one’s power.

What if that power could be consciously understood and even used?

My Eyes taught me the existence of that power and how to wield it. By layering that power onto my body, I can gain temporarily enhanced physical abilities.

I fixated on that young man and felt danger because his presence was far too strong. So I thought maybe, just like me, he could sense my presence even from a distance. But… maybe I was wrong?

“…Hm?”

His presence is growing stronger again.

He’s chasing me again? So he really can sense my presence? Then why did he veer off earlier?

“This isn’t the time to think about that!”

I resume my escape. Huh? He’s closer than before? Did he take a shortcut? Ugh, this is seriously bad!

I feel like I can feel his killing intent on my back. If he knows how to layer that power onto himself like I do, then I might not be able to outrun him with just speed.

But I won’t give up.

My body still moves. I won’t give in to despair or surrender.

“I’ll think about the complicated stuff after I’m dead!”

That said, I can’t keep this up forever. He’s definitely closing the distance.

In a fancy residential district like this, I can’t just jump into an open window and make a getaway like in a poor neighborhood in a developing country.

As I’m running, trying to figure out what to do next, I realize that the path I’m on ends in a high-walled dead end.

…Was I herded here?

Did he veer off earlier to make this happen…? He must know this area well. He was trying to trap me here. …I don’t remember doing anything to deserve this level of hatred.

But it’s too late to turn back. If I do, he’ll definitely catch me.

“…Haha.”

A dry laugh slips out.

But I won’t give up! The area is surrounded by tall walls, and the end of the path is blocked by what looks like a concrete wall.

As I sprint toward the dead end, I use the power of my Eyes even though I know it’ll drain the last of my strength.

…!

No, I didn’t want to see a “smiling Brazilian uncle mining iron ore.” …Okay, there it is.

Carbohydrates… resins… limestone… zinc… iron…

What I’m looking at is the wall at the end of the path. It’s not part of a house, it was built later, a structure made of steel beams with horizontal concrete panels.

If it’s made of panels… then there must be seams.

I charge toward the wall, picking up speed. At this speed, crashing into it would probably kill me, but I’m not trying to break it.

“Hup!”

Crack!I stomp the tip of my mule shoe into the seam between the panels, using that momentum to scale the wall. I grab the next seam with my fingers, use every ounce of spring in my body, and vault over the four-meter wall.

I did it… I really did it! I pulled it off!

I fly over the wall with too much force, and as I somersault through the air, I finally glance back behind me.

“…Ah.”

That’s when I make eye contact with the young man. He must’ve just caught up.

He widens his eyes briefly at the sight of me clearing the wall, then narrows them calmly.

…

Wait—what?

He’s thinking about something… but my body isn’t falling to the other side.

In front of my eyes, my sweat floats slowly in the air. …Is my consciousness accelerating? I’ve heard time seems to slow during life-threatening moments…

The young man moves slowly, no, probably at incredible speed, as he reaches into his half-coat.

And what he draws out is a dull iron-colored object.

I know what that is. I’ve seen it in warzones and dangerous regions.

BOOOOOOM!!!

A thunderous roar explodes. In that instant, my body is blown away.

…Ah, I’m dead.

The impact pierces from my chest through my back. Blood and bits of flesh scatter midair.

The only reason my body didn’t burst apart entirely is probably because I’d enhanced myself with power. Without it, my small frame might have been shattered.

…It was a large hunting rifle, powerful enough to be used for sniping.

Still… the result’s the same. The wound’s too severe. It’s a miracle I’m not dead instantly.

As I fall to the far side of the wall, I look up at the sky. My vision, dyed red with blood, grows darker and darker.

And my final thought is:

“Wait… is this where my story ends!?”