Chapitre 21: CHAPTER 21
"Kazu, take care of yourself, man! Niikaz too!" Okada called out.
"Ah, I know!" Kazu grinned back.
"Don't die!" Nishinoya added, gripping a metal bat.
"Don't kill me off already!" Kazu yelled, making them chuckle.
Shido, noticing the weird behaviour from that group, decided to intrude. "What's going on? We should work together."
"Thanks, but no thanks, Shido-sensei," Takagi shot back.
Okada and Nishinoya had already stepped outside, with Nishinoya pushing the door wide open.
"We've got our own agenda. We're leaving," Hisashi said, giving Saeko a nod to signal her to go first. Saeko understood, following Takagi out of the bus.
"We're not on a field trip, so there's no reason to stick with you," Hisashi added, ensuring his group made it outside.
"What did you just say?!" Tsunoda snapped, but Shido stopped him with a raised hand.
"Oh, if you've decided to leave, by all means, feel free. Japan is the land of freedom, after all. But…" Shido licked his lips, thinking lustfully. "It'd be a shame if you left, Marikawa-sensei."
"Eh!?" Marikawa frowned, but Hisashi and Hirano quickly moved to block Shido's path, shielding her.
"In this situation, losing our medic would be a serious problem. So, how about it? Won't you stay? The students are relying on you," Shido continued, inching closer.
Just as he took another step, something whizzed past his cheek at high speed. He froze, feeling a sharp sting before raising his hand to the fresh trickle of blood.
"H-Hirano-kun?" Shido whimpered in fear.
"I didn't miss. I did that on purpose," Hirano growled, his voice low and seething with anger.
"S-since when have you been so vio—"
"How many corpses do you think I punctured through back at school? You've always treated me like crap, but I put up with it! For so long, I tried to be normal. I kept quiet. But I don't need to anymore. 'Normal' means nothing now. That's why... I can kill. I can kill the living too." Hirano leveled his nail gun at Shido's head, finger ready on the trigger.
"Eeekk! H-Hirano-kun, t-this is—" Shido stammered, stepping back in terror.
"Hirano, Hisashi, you go ahead. Niikaz and I will handle him," Kazu said, calm but firm.
Niikaz stood ready, her finger on the trigger.
Hirano and Hisashi exchanged glances, ensuring Marikawa-sensei was safely outside before slamming the bus door shut and heading toward the stairs.
"Hirano-senpai is awesome!" Okada shouted.
"Be my aniki!" Nishinoya chimed in.
"Haha, no, I'm not that cool," Hirano replied, grinning awkwardly.
"What a fine man you are, Hirano-kun," Saeko added with admiration.
"Indeed," Hisashi agreed.
"Ah, no, it's not that much, haha," Hirano laughed, shy as ever.
"Shut up, fatass! Run faster, will you?" Takagi snapped, her irritation building.
"Are you jealous, Takagi-san?" Marikawa teased with a smile.
"What? No!" Takagi glared at Saeko.
"We're outside now, so be careful. Keep your voices down," Hisashi warned.
"Tch!" Takagi clicked her tongue, stomping ahead.
---
"Sensei?" Kawamoto asked worriedly, noticing Shido's agitation.
"Oya? You two didn't go with them? So, I assume you're staying?" Shido turned toward Kazu and Niikaz.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm just too lazy to walk outside right now," Niikaz cut in, her tone flat.
"Alright, I can't stand how you guys talk to Shido-sensei!" Tsunoda shouted, stomping toward them. He grabbed Kazu by the collar, ready to punch.
But Kazu blocked the punch easily. "I may not be strong against the undead, but I won't lose to scum like you!" With a swift judo move, Kazu flipped Tsunoda onto the ground, leaving him dazed.
"Wow, I didn't know you knew Judo," Niikaz said, impressed.
"I learned a bit as a kid. Only remember a few basic moves," Kazu shrugged.
"Let's stick to our own business. We won't interfere with you, and you won't get beaten by me." Kazu warned.
Shido, frustrated, turned back to his seat, muttering to himself.
"So, what's the plan?" Kazu asked.
"We wait," Niikaz replied, gazing out of the window.
"How long? We promised to meet them before nightfall," Kazu said, worried.
Niikaz glanced at him, then through the rearview mirror. She didn't want to wait either, but confronting them directly in front of Shido could cause trouble later.
Soon, she noticed Takuzo's odd behavior and smirked. "It won't be long. Get ready to move once they're kicked out."
Kazu nodded. "Got it."
---
"Sensei, are you alright?" Miku asked, moving closer.
Shido grinned at the sight of her. "Ah, I'm just heartbroken. They didn't listen to me… I wasn't strong enough to make them see their mistakes!" he said, feigning tears.
"Don't say that, Sensei!" Miku and Kawamoto pleaded.
"You have us by your side!" They hugged him tightly.
"What wonderful students you are! I'm lucky to have you." Shido caressed Kawamoto's cheek, further pulling her into his twisted ideology.
Takuzo, Naomi, and Yamada exchanged uneasy glances. Something was deeply wrong with Shido and the others. Takuzo feared if they stayed with him any longer, they'd never see their families again.
"If you want to follow me, show me your proof!" Shido demanded, as the girls began stripping.
As this scene unfolded, Kazu trembled with anger. "This is insane! Don't they have families? Why follow Shido like this?"
"The world's already mad. They've given up and are using this insanity as an escape," Niikaz answered, still calm.
"I won't give up," Kazu muttered.
"Eh?" Niikaz glanced at him.
"I won't give up. I'll survive—for my life and my sanity," Kazu added.
Niikaz gave him a warm, bright smile. "Yeah, we will. Together."
Their conversation was interrupted by Naomi's scream.
Tsunoda's boot connected brutally with Takuzo's stomach, sending him flying backward with a sickening thud as he hit the ground, gasping for breath. The room fell silent, save for the grotesque sounds of Shido's "lesson" continuing in the background. Naomi's scream tore through the tension, her voice raw and filled with terror as she reached out toward Takuzo, her body trembling in Tsunoda's grasp.
"Takuzo!" Naomi's voice cracked, her face wet with tears as she struggled to free herself, but Tsunoda's grip was unyielding, like a vice. His eyes gleamed with a twisted sense of power and entitlement, and he leaned closer to Naomi's ear, his breath hot and foul against her skin.
"Why fight it? You belong to us now, Naomi," he whispered, his words dripping with malicious intent. "Just like Sensei said, you're free... free to love, free to be with us."
Takuzo, crumpled on the ground, clutched his stomach in pain, fighting the urge to vomit. The fire in his eyes hadn't gone out, though. He forced himself onto his knees, his fingers clawing the floor for stability. "Naomi..." His voice was weak, strained, but it carried every ounce of defiance he had left.
Tsunoda sneered, tightening his hold around Naomi's waist, pulling her closer as she whimpered in fear. "Look at you, pathetic. Can't even protect your girl. She deserves better than a weakling like you."
Naomi's tear-streaked face turned toward Takuzo, her lips quivering. "Takuzo, please… help me…you! Let go!" Naomi trying to break free but useless.
But before Takuzo could even move, Miiku's voice slithered into the scene, her eyes fixed hungrily on him. "Forget about her," she purred, sliding her hands down her body provocatively, her clothes already discarded. "Come here, Takuzo. I'll make you forget her… I'll make you feel real freedom."
Takuzo's fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, veins bulging with rage. "Stay away from me!" he spat, trying to push himself up, but Tsunoda only laughed, the sound echoing in the confined space like a sinister taunt.
"Look at him squirm!" Tsunoda mocked, shoving Naomi toward Shido, who waited eagerly with a sick grin plastered on his face. "Go ahead, Sensei, she's all yours!"
Naomi screamed in pure terror, and just as Shido licked his lips, leaning in to claim his prey, a sudden force slammed into him.
Everything seemed to slow down.
The impact was like an explosion, a blur of motion that sent Shido flying back with a thunderous crash against the window. His face contorted in shock and pain, his body crumpling against the cracked glass.
Niikaz stood where Shido had been, her leg extended from the brutal kick, the energy of her strike still humming in the air. Her eyes were cold, devoid of emotion, but there was a silent fury behind them, like a storm waiting to break.
Camera one: A side-angle shot of Niikaz's foot connecting with Shido's face.
Camera two: The front view of Shido's body mid-flight, his expression twisting grotesquely as the sheer force launched him across the room.
Camera three: Slow-motion, zoomed in on Niikaz's deadpan expression, her boot still extended, and Shido's blood splattering in the background.
Kazu was already in motion, a whirlwind of movement as he tackled Tsunoda from behind, slamming his fist into the side of his head with a bone-crunching impact. Tsunoda's grip on Naomi faltered as he stumbled forward, dazed from the blow, and Kazu didn't stop—he threw another punch, then another, his anger driving each strike.
"Get away from her!" Kazu roared, his voice shaking with righteous fury.
Tsunoda staggered backward, spitting blood, eyes wide in disbelief. "Y-You little…!"
But Kazu wasn't done. He grabbed Tsunoda by the collar and yanked him forward, using the same judo move he'd practiced years ago. With a swift, fluid motion, he flipped Tsunoda over his shoulder, slamming him hard onto the ground. The impact rattled the floor, leaving Tsunoda groaning in agony.
Naomi, free at last, stumbled toward Takuzo, collapsing into his arms as tears of relief poured down her face. "Thank you… thank you…"
Kazu stood over Tsunoda, chest heaving as he looked down at the crumpled figure at his feet. "If you ever touch her again," Kazu said, his voice low and deadly, "I'll break every bone in your body."
Niikaz, still standing by the cracked window, glanced back at Kazu and gave a small, approving nod. The fight wasn't over yet, but they had won this round.
"Let's get out of here," she said, her voice calm but firm. She motioned to Naomi, Takuzo, and Kazu, her sharp eyes scanning the others still caught in Shido's twisted delusions.
Takuzo, still clutching Naomi, nodded. "Yeah... let's go." He shot a glance at Shido, still writhing on the ground, blood smeared across his face. There was no time for pity. They had to move.
With swift, determined steps, they left the madness of Shido and his followers behind, heading toward Hisashi's group, where survival—and perhaps sanity—still awaited them.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone