Game of Higher Hands - Just Close My Eyes

14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXA99WpvL8P

He moves first.

No warning.

No sound.

Just pressure in the air suddenly breaking.

I barely dodge.

The wall behind me explodes.

Not from an attack.

From space itself folding wrong.

“Okay,” I say, breathing out. “That is getting annoying.”

He doesn’t answer.

He never really talks like a person.

He talks like a system.

I rush in.

Left step.

Right punch.

Elbow strike.

Same combo I used before.

Clean.

Fast.

He doesn’t even block properly this time.

He just shifts.

And my attack misses completely.

Like my body aimed at something that is no longer there.

I click my tongue.

“Yeah… that’s bad.”

He appears behind me.

Too fast.

I turn—

But not enough.

Bang.

I hit the ground.

Hard.

My vision shakes.

I breathe in sharply.

Pain spreads through my ribs.

Something is definitely cracked.

Maybe more than one thing.

“Still alive,” I say quietly.

Not proud.

Just checking.

He walks closer.

Slow now.

No need to rush.

He knows.

I push myself up.

Hands shaking slightly.

“Alright,” I say. “Let’s adjust.”

I try again.

I focus.

His movement.

His pattern.

His timing.

There is something there.

There is always something.

I move.

Feint.

Kick.

Strike.

He stops it with one hand.

Just one.

No effort.

My arm goes numb instantly.

I step back fast.

“…Okay,” I mutter. “That’s unfair.”

He looks at me.

No emotion.

“You are weak.”

Simple sentence.

No insult.

Just fact.

I laugh once.

“Yeah. I noticed.”

He raises his hand slightly.

The air compresses.

I feel it before it happens.

I jump sideways.

Too late.

The space where I was standing collapses.

Not explosion.

Erasure.

Like reality forgot it existed.

My body hits the ground again.

Harder this time.

Breathing becomes messy.

I try to stand.

Fail.

Try again.

Barely.

“Okay…” I say quietly. “That one hurt more.”

He walks closer.

Now he is near.

Very near.

Behind him, the glass walls flicker.

Mei is still there.

Frozen.

Still.

I look at her for a second.

No time to think.

I look back at him.

“You are strong,” I say.

He nods.

“Yes.”

Honest again.

That’s annoying.

I spit slightly to the side.

“Cool. I hate honest bosses.”

He raises his hand.

This time higher.

Final motion.

I feel it.

This is the end move.

No more testing.

No more games.

My ability tries to react.

But it is too slow.

Too small.

This level is beyond it.

I breathe in.

Slow.

Then out.

I think about running.

No point.

I think about fighting.

Also no point.

So I just stand there.

Half broken.

Barely stable.

He speaks.

“You will be erased.”

I nod.

“Yeah. That sounds about right.”

Then I smile a little.

Not because I’m winning.

Not because I have a plan.

Just because… that’s how I am.

He moves.

Final strike.

Space bends toward me.

Everything becomes white pressure.

No escape.

No time.

I look at it.

And for the first time in this place…

I stop trying to read anything.

I close my eyes.

Slow.

Simple.

Like sleeping.

Like giving up.

Like choosing not to watch the end.

The last thing I hear is the world breaking toward me.

And I think, very quietly—

“Not bad…”14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT376tQFHMP

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