Last Stride [Prince of Stride]

Chapter 2: Mid-Morning Race

Ayano woked up in her bed, sweating. Her breathing was fast paced, as if she had a nightmare. It's been too long since she had a nightmare. The last time, was one year ago.

"Ayano! Time for school!" Ayano sighed, tying up her purple hair into a regular ponytail. She dyed her hair black when she was in her last year of junior high, but she regained back her original color a couple days ago.

The photos on her walls were all filled with her old friends. Unfortunately, she won't meet any of them. Their school was affiliated with another high school, which she could have easily gotten in because they were connected with one another.

But Honan was where her blood wanted to be. Her heart lies in that place forever.

Even if she forgotten how to run.

Leaving the club left her doing nothing for the rest of her summer vacation. She was a hikkikomori for the rest of it. As a result, she doesn't remember how to run. How to parkour like she always does.

"Coming!" She threw away one photo, as she and two other boys were standing their. She was holding up a piece sign, while the other boys just smiled.

Aya, you better be in the Stride Club Next Year! We'll Be Waiting for You!

。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。

Ayano walked out of the train station, refreshed and new. Her new life will happen here in this city.

"It looks the same as it always was..." Ayano murmured, before walking to school. She walked on the sidewalks, looking how the town never changes. Her sense of directions still remember the path she always took to go to school.

"Run up the stairs, then use the walls near the house to jump to the side, thus allowing less distance to run. Due to the landing, I'll sprint into a run, and rushed past there-" Ayano stopped in her sentence, as she accidentally bumped into another person. Ayano would have fell down if it wasn't for the close save.

"Oi, are you alright?" Ayano looked behind, seeing a yellow hair male.

"Thank you.." Ayano quickly muttered.

"Haha. My saves were quick, huh? Well of course, I plan to do volleyball in Honan!"

"The volleyball team in Honan is average. They were in the national tournament several times, but have never won. It could be said we're just an average school."

"So you go to the same school as me? I'm Yagami. Nice to meet you!"

"I'm... Nozomi."

"Nice to meet you!" Ayano immediately looked at his body. Ayano smiled darkly. Even if she had forgotten, and left it behind, she could do it for fun, can't she? At her body structure now, she should be able to keep the same pace as him, but at a close margin.

"Ne, Yagami-kun. Do you want to have a race?~" Yagami perked up to the idea. Just how Ayano planned.

"Our destination is the school. You can use any transportation or ways to reach there. Whoever gets there first... Well, let's have the victor decide." Ayano darkly said, as she readied herself. Unlike him, she remembers the route by heart.

"Ready! Set! Go!" Yagami yelled, before starting running. He only faced forward. Looking back a little, he knew he was in the lead of the competition. But then he looked up.

"WHAT?" Ayano jumped over another rooftop, landing perfectly while breaking to another run. Her running speed was average, not comparable to Yagami yet. But with parkouring, she should be able.

"I told you! There could be any ways to reach there~!" Ayano yelled, before jumping down with precision. Her stamina was going lower at a faster pace than what she thought. And there was still a bunch of miles she had to face.

Yagami felt determined to beat this girl. She wasn't like the other girls he met. She was also determined to win.

Yagami knew this would be a strain, but he started sprinting. Seeing that he was doing the same, Ayano smiled before running next to him.

"How did you learn how to run like that, Nozomi-san?" They were running casually. The people were watching them, as if they were thinking they were crazy. Of course they were. Who else would run down the streets with extreme parkour skills and fast running?

Well, that's Stride.

"I've been running since I was a child. You?" Ayano gritted her teeth. The people were murmuring in the background. She could read their lips easily. They were muttering about her.

"About the same time as you." Rumors that were fake. But the rumors that were true.

"You know, you're pacing yourself too fast. You still have a couple miles to go."

"Talk to yourself. Your legs can't handle the pressure of parkour and running."

"Oh, so you say!" Ayano sped up her speed, jumping back onto the walls of the sidewalk. She kept a lead, before Yagami came by again, grinning.

"I'm sorry, Ojou, but I'm still faster than you!"

"Let's see then." Ayano was thinking deep inside her head. There was no way they could be higher or lower than another. It was equal. And only a few more yards to go. None of them were going to back down.

Use your heel, Aya. Without those, you can't run. The words run through her head.

You can't parkour, stupid! Don't do it if you can't! She frowned a bit.

Don't worry Aya, I'll teach you! Parkouring is easy for the Trickster!

"I'll show you that I can beat you~" Ayano yelled, before engaging foot works again. This was a highly dangerous plan, especially when she'll have to do this without her Relationer.

Ayano took the left side, leaving Yagami confused. The faster way was going forward. But why the left side?

Ayano jumped over the fence, reaching a crowds of forests. Jumping through the trees, she tried to relive her soul.

"God dammit! I know you're there somewhere! Hurry up and give me the power!" Her mind was going blank and blank, as she just kept going in her race.

<Clear Mind>. She had a natural ability to do that, especially when she's running. It helps her focus on the run than waste her mindless energy of thinking of plans again and again throughout her mind. And because of that, it allowed her to take part of Honan Highschool Stride Team.

But there was one restriction.

It only works when there is two partners she trust the most.

If they're gone- Her ability will only work for 1 minute.

And then...

Right when she reached the school gates, in front of the school...

She blacked out.