Anger surged from the bottom of Climb’s heart.
She was the one who saved the life that was tossed out on the side of the road. If so, his life was not his own. This body was for Renner, to grant her even the smallest form of happiness—
There has to be a way to get out of this—!
The chains of fear were shattered by the manifestation of an intense emotion.
His hands moved.
His legs moved as well.
The eyes that were about to close shut were opened wide. He tried desperately with the naked eye to detect the ultrahigh speed fist heading his way.
All of the senses in his body were pushed to their limit, to the point where he could even feel the air’s vibrations.
Like how people display superhuman strength at the scene of a fire, during an emergency, the brain releases the safety placed on the muscles and allows them to display a strength that would otherwise be impossible.
The brain secretes chemicals en masse and focuses the mind solely on survival. It quickly processes massive amounts of information and selects the most optimal action.
In this single moment, Climb had stepped foot into the world of first-rate warriors. However, even that was surpassed by the speed of Sebas’ attack. It was possible that it was already too late, that there may no longer be any time left to dodge Sebas’ fist. Even so, he had to move. How could he give up?
In that rapid compression of time, his own movements appeared to be as slow as a turtle. Despite this, Climb desperately moved his body.
And—
Boom. With a roar, Sebas’ fist passed by Climb’s face. The wind pressure from his strike ripped off a few strands of hair from his head.
He heard a quiet voice ring out.
“Congratulations. How does it feel to overcome the fear of death?”
—.
—Unable to understand what he was saying, Climb wore a stupid expression on his face.
“How did it feel to face death? And how did it feel to overcome it?”
Climb panted heavily and stared at Sebas with an absent-minded expression. His face looked as if he had a few screws loose. The bloodlust had disappeared without a trace. It was only after Sebas’ words finally entered his head that he could feel a sense of relief.
As if that intense bloodlust was all that had been holding him up, Climb collapsed like a puppet that had its strings cut.
While on his hands and knees, he indulgently sucked in the fresh air into his lungs.
“…It is fortunate that you did not die from shock. There are times when the body so strongly believes that it is dead that it forfeits its ability to sustain life.”
There was still something bitter left in Climb’s throat. This must be what death tastes like, he thought.
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