The grin Akira wore on his face was one of pure mischief. Amatsuyu was barely able to see it as the crow-like shadow had grown so much larger since he'd last looked back at the strongest student ever known. But he had no choice but to turn around completely and face it, as all that laid before his eyes was a desolate wall and a plain vending machine by it.

Reminded of Kaharu by looking at the vending machine, Amatsuyu turned around with a pained face.

The shadow grew darker in front of him as the shadow said

"This is strange. Why would we walk down this entire street until we reach a dead-end when you said you had a contact? You'd think we'd met them at this point..."

Amatsuyu widened his eyes in distraught as he felt panic creep up on him, his mind started racing immediately

- What should I do…!? I have to resolve this quickly, or else…! -

Amatsuyu's mind was instantly brought to the disappearance of Kaharu, which had happened right before his own eyes. The impact of that event felt much more imminent as he stood so close to it.

The act of disappearing completely in the span of a few moments posed a real mental threat to Amatsuyu, his mind was overloaded. He started to scramble for something again

- I can't use my powers, there's no time. I'm way too behind in time for something like that!

Then, what?

Maybe I could take him into that alcohol store over there? But what after that? There's no road to take? How do I even defeat this? How can I even face this power and take it down?

I talked so big as well about taking him down, yet I can't do anything…!

But he doesn't know about his powers yet.

I could use that to just run away, and return to a status quo.

But, then…

Kaharu would still be locked away.

You would understand, right? Kaharu? You would do the same thing, right Kaharu? You can see that there's nothing I can do after all, right?

I can run away, right?

Think, Amatsuyu!

Thi---- -

"You sure are quiet, aren't you Amatsuyu? Isn't that also strange for someone who's supposedly truthful?

But don't worry, you won't have a reason to fret soon..."

Amatsuyu still had hope within him. That was what led him to want to run away. The light at the end of the tunnel, although the obstacles in front of it were plenty, that was where he wanted to run at the moment. As he looked forth at the scary-looking shadow with its reach over him preparing itself to speak, Amatsuyu held that hope to him.

There was a rising sensation in him that was amounting with the rising panic within him, it felt similar to what had happened at school in the fight with Kaharu, but was different at the same time. At school, the rising sensation of something, like a blooming flower, had been fueled by hatred. Now it was fear that grabbed his heart.

His face was a mess, it didn't know what to display. Confusion, fear, confidence, hope, despair. It all showed itself in his crooked mouth.

Akira continued

"I've figured out how my powers work."

Amatsuyu held his small hope through that confused expression, staring blankly in front of him. Akira brought up his arm lazily in the direction of Amatsuyu and said

"It's hatred, isn't it?"

Amatsuyu's eyes gave out, they were truly blank as they looked forward at Akira. Like a light suddenly breaking down, they contained no light.

But it wouldn't matter, would it? In a bright street with tons of people walking by it as the sun shone on it fully and lights in the shop to show that their products were the superior ones, what would it matter if one light went out? If one light stopped shining?

Especially when overwhelmed with the perceived darkness of the crow-like shadow in front of him, being consumed by it wouldn't be noticed by anyone close by.

Was that the power of the strongest student? Without even using his power, the threat of it was able to defeat someone.

Akira brought his hand down as he continued talking

"I really didn't know anything about my powers, but your questions really spelled it out for me. Did you think you were slick when you asked me those questions to get information 'subtlely'?

You asked me about my opinions on school, why I hated Kaharu, and if teachers disappeared recently. Those questions point to a pretty obvious conclusion, don't they?

I said before that I act on self-interest, and I feel like you should disappear.

Sadly, I cannot control my feelings. I can't make myself hate you by myself.

But I have an advantage:

I know what I dislike, so I just need to put you in that light for me."

Amatsuyu looked up into the sky with his blank eyes, and stared at the almost-gray color it flashed in his face. He thought quickly

- Ah…

Is this what you meant, Kaharu, when you said "The Adult world is gray"?

Probably not, right?

But if there's any color left in myself, then I shall make it spread everywhere like an explosion when I disappear.

I'm tired of all of these feelings.

Fear

Confidence

Jealousy

Nervousness

What good do they do?

I just don't care anymore. -

Amatsuyu had gone into sensory overload, all of his emotions had reached their climax and faced each other in a battle for control within him. They were all merged into carelessness. His spiky hair was pulled forward by Amatsuyu as he started walking towards Akira, saying

"It seems like I took the wrong turn, let's go"

His tone was flat as he said it, making Akira confused as to the situation. He tried to bump into Amatsuyu to make himself agitated, but Amatsuyu managed to avoid the push. Seeing that Akira was about to fall to the ground, Amatsuyu quickly saved him from the fall as they started walking a bit up the shopping road and into one of the off-shoot roads.

Although he hadn't won the interaction, Akira still got an interested feeling to him as he looked at Amatsuyu. He wondered what had suddenly changed in his demeanor, maybe it was an act to make him look like he was calm. Akira knew that one of his pet peeves was lying, or deceit, so he had to try and see if that was the case.

If it was, the space to make Amatsuyu disappear would be open.

Akira walked up again to Amatsuyu and half-whispered to him

"When I think about it, maybe I'm able to make you disappear by touching you..."

Amatsuyu didn't bother to turn around and said

"I see, well try if you want to. Although you tapped me before and nothing happened, so I doubt it.

Don't worry, I'm taking you to my contact right now."

Akira clicked his tongue at the response, he thought

- He's not lying… There goes that opportunity then.

I wonder what happened, then. -

Akira continued walking with a half-amused face, the difference in atmosphere proved to be more interesting than he'd anticipated. It almost felt like his own sinister atmosphere of maliciousness was competing with the colorless but powerful atmosphere of Amatsuyu. Akira felt like he finally was up against someone of the same caliber when it came to the pure aura, and that feeling of excitement felt foreign to him. He smiled slightly as he thought

- Oi, Oi, Amatsuyu!

You're just making me want to test my powers out on you, even more, when you give out that darkness! -

For Akira, it'd been a strange morning. He hadn't ever considered it, but to suddenly find out that he possessed some ability was quite interesting to him. He had no idea of what it was or how it even came to fruition. What was the nature of the power? What were the limits? Could he beat anything he wanted with them? Those were all questions he had a desire to answer in some way.

Finding a method to make himself hate other people by will would give an easy way to get those answers. Amatsuyu would become the first target he could test that against.

They'd ended up in a greener area of that part of the city, and with a bathroom building close-by, Amatsuyu stopped as he said

"I need to go to the bathroom quickly, I'll be back soon."

"Aah, right..."

As Amatsuyu went toward the bathroom, Akira flashed another self-amused smile at himself as he thought

- This is perfect, if I manage to get bored enough, I'll hate him for sure. -

Although he wanted peace and quiet, he never desired boredom. If Amatsuyu could deliver on that point, then Akira would've started hating him.

The seconds started ticking as Akira felt more and more disgruntled with Amatsuyu's perceived lack of care for him, and with that came the rising sense of dislike within him. Like magma swelling inside of a volcano, ready to erupt onto the earth as lava, it was rising slowly but steadily until it would reach its boiling point.

…

Among autumn-colored bushes and plain trees, a bench was situated. Onlooking the few people that walked past the narrow path the bench sat by, a transparent old man not visible to the people he looked at was sitting. He was constantly looking around him for something interesting, and spotted an odd high school student exiting the bathrooms a couple of dozen meters from his location.

Wearing an odd high school uniform with lines and blocks on it that shaped it into sharp edges and shapes, and a red hairstyle that sprouted everywhere, he caught the attention of that old man.

Amatsuyu had left the bathroom with a sullen look as he was deep in thought

- Even after 2 minutes, I couldn't come up with anything.

I can feel my feelings slowly start to creep back up on me, as my state of sensory overload is fading away. If I can't come up with anything soon, I won't be able to accomplish this mission, I'll be too preoccupied with my desire to exist and my feelings.

What could possibly topple the strongest power…? -

As Amatsuyu felt his state slowly fading, he looked into the grove beside him and locked onto the beige bench that stood there, as it in terms of colors stood out. But also the figure sitting on it, although it was hard to see, seemed odd. It was slightly transparent, which made Amatsuyu raise his eyebrows.

He immediately thought

- What if I…? -

…