133 -132- A bit too much?

"Bang!"

When the dull shockwave-like impact suddenly appeared in a corner of the deserted island forest, the group of birds in the forest seemed to be startled awake, dispersing into the sky with loud chirping and the clear sound of flapping wings, as if alarmed.

In the forest, Hori's sudden kick landed heavily on Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's body, causing a dull thud.

However, this blow did not land solidly.

In the nick of time, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka raised his hands and placed them in front of himself, blocking Hori's sudden attack.

But the tremendous force carried by the kick was solidly absorbed by Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.

In an instant, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was sent flying, airborne, and as soon as he landed on the ground, he immediately rolled away.

However, even in this state, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka did not appear too disheveled.

The moment he landed, almost instinctively, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka adopted a defensive posture. In a few rolls, he completely dissipated the force applied by Hori. By the time he stopped rolling, he wasn't lying on the ground anymore but had rolled onto his feet, pressing one hand against the ground, kneeling.

Despite Hori's attack being sudden to the extreme, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka ultimately wasn't shook.

From this, it can be seen that Ayanokouji Kiyotaka indeed had martial arts experience.

This exchange of offense and defense had no effect on Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.

If Hori's attack were to stop there...

"Thud!"

The sound of soil being kicked up rang out again.

As Hori retracted his kicking leg, there was no hesitation whatsoever. With movements so smooth they felt like art, he surged forward like an arrow released from a bow.

The speed was astonishing.

"…!?"

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka reacted instantly, without thinking, rolling directly to the side.

"Whoosh…!"

Amidst the sharp sound of breaking wind, the swift kick almost grazed Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's cheek, landing in the air.

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka could even feel the rush of wind whistling past his cheek and the earthy scent stirred up by the foot.

With just this sensation, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka understood.

Hori wasn't playing around with him.

If he had really taken the hit, his best outcome would probably be lying on the ground unable to get up for a long time.

If he didn't counterattack, he would definitely end up injured in the end.

Realizing this, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka had no choice.

He had to counterattack.

So...

"Whoosh!"

As Ayanokouji Kiyotaka dodged Hori's incoming kick and rolled to the side, he sprung up, his body suddenly tensing. With a step on the ground, he darted towards Hori, who was still in a kicking posture.

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's target was Hori's leg.

Zeroing in on the leg that hadn't been retracted yet, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka lunged forward, his hands like snakes, firmly gripping it.

This wasn't an action taken without thought.

The movement Ayanokouji Kiyotaka used wasn't just a simple embrace; it was a joint lock targeting the knee joint, calf ligaments, and ankle's vulnerable spots.

Being caught in such a joint lock would lead to only two outcomes.

Either the bones, ligaments, or ankles would be ruthlessly broken.

Or all the force on the leg would be removed, and the person would be thrown away violently.

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka chose the latter.

After removing the force from that leg, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka immediately prepared to twist his body, using the power surging from his waist to throw Hori away.

Unfortunately, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka didn't know how dangerous his action was.

Because, while holding Hori's leg in a lock, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka had exposed his back to Hori at a close distance.

"You dare turn your back on me during a fight? If I had a knife, you'd be dead by now."

As soon as the words fell.

"Thud!"

A shockwave emanated from Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's back, mercilessly sending him flying.

"Guh…!"

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka tried to adopt a defensive posture again, but this time it was too late.

Hori seemed to have chosen a direction, and there was a tree in the trajectory of Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's flight.

"Bang!"

With a loud impact, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's back slammed heavily into the trunk and slid down, slumping against the tree.

"Huff... huff... huff..."

This blow seemed to have taken away quite a bit of Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's stamina, making his lungs feel as if they were being squeezed out, his breath becoming somewhat labored.

If Hori wanted to continue pursuing, all he had to do was charge forward again and deliver another blow, and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka would fall, right?

But this time, Hori didn't continue the pursuit.

"Not bad. Holding out for a few rounds without me using weapons. There aren't many back in my hometown who can do that."

Hori brushed off the dirt and leaves stuck to his tracksuit, as if after an unsatisfying workout, and casually commented.

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka calmed his breathing on the spot, leaning against the tree trunk as he stood up.

"Suddenly attacking your companion, don't you think that's a bit too much?" Ayanokouji Kiyotaka protested.

But his expression remained unchanged as usual, showing no signs of change.

To this, Hori only replied with a sentence.

"It's just play fighting. If I really intended to attack you, by the time you realized you were being attacked, you'd already be lying down."

After all, although Hori's attack was extremely sudden, it wasn't aimed at Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's vital points, nor was it full force.

But that was enough.

Even with just a few moves, Hori confirmed it.

"As expected, Ayanokouji."

Hori looked Ayanokouji Kiyotaka straight in the eye and said lightly.

"You came from 'that room,' didn't you?"

These words clearly reached Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's ears.

For the first time, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka held his breath.

His eyes, usually calm and unchanged, now showed an uncontrollable ripple.

"Why..."

Why would you know about this?

"Don't find it strange."

As if knowing what Ayanokouji Kiyotaka wanted to ask, Hori smirked.

"Speaking of which, the 'room' in your memory has something to do with me too."

Leaving behind those words, Hori turned around and paid no more attention to Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, heading deeper into the forest.

Only Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was left, staring tightly at Hori's departing figure.

"He... has a connection to 'that room' too...?"

This wasn't something he could just let go.

But Ayanokouji Kiyotaka also knew that Hori wouldn't say anything more.

There was only one fact that needed to be remembered.

That is, someone else had seen through his origins.

"Nanaya..."

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's mind flashed with something.

"Could it be..."

As memories unfolded, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka closed his eyes as if realizing something.

When he opened them again, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's gaze had returned to calmness.

Then, silently, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka followed after Hori.

What happened here was unknown to anyone.

But for Hori and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, their perceptions of each other had undergone a reversal here.