XCEL

“You’re not dying on me. I won’t allow it.”

Rinkaku Harigane supported the back of Juusei’s head as best he could. With one arm under her legs and the other under her shoulders, he fought to sustain his balance, taking step after gradual step out of the Yorusada Mall. Ordinarily, this wouldn’t be a sweat. It wouldn’t have taken him a second to box up the pair of them and flatpack them away for safety. However, he had a point to prove. He wouldn’t use the Architect’s power. Not to mention, the commotion at Kawarajima had tanked his stamina. He had to hurry; her psychic signature was fading. Lacerations littered the girl’s arms, chest and back, leaking sticky crimson over his hands. Kinuka was in no better state, but at least she was safe.

The ideal had been extraction without conflict. Fortunately, Ruri and Ibuse had understood the assignment on their way in. With Bango distracted, Rin had aimed to whisk both girls from under his nose. Reality, however, never went according to plan. Rin had zipped in unawares, winding Kinuka’s remains around his shoulders. Fifty-odd kilograms of string was surprisingly heavy. Now, however, he was holding a whole person. He couldn’t use his new technique, even if he tried.

Witnessing Ibuse’s Mindscape had given Rin some dangerously potent inspiration. The Evening Corridor had been able to rewind an entire section of space back through time, as though reversing a flow of film. That was how he’d managed to rationalise it, anyway.

Film was made of frames.

Frames.

He could make frames!

What if he’d been thinking about his frames wrong the entire time? Frames weren’t just elements of space. They could also be elements of time.

Another of Rin’s pocket fascinations had always been animation. After all, he had practically grown up on classics from the 90s: the original adaptation of Beserk, Fist of the North Star, Saint Seiya; the list went on. The way the artists had seamlessly translated such action, such emotion into every sequence never failed to leave him lost for words to this day. It was an artform his own pen had never quite been able to capture, but that was okay. That wasn’t his world. He would build his own; his pen designed monuments instead. Rin was happy to remain an admirer. This was a certain ignorance he wished to maintain. That, he felt, was perfectly fine. He feared losing touch with the magic by working the machinery.

Even though he couldn’t replicate it, he nonetheless understood the principles. What if he envisioned himself as nothing more than the focus of an animation sequence? Distancing his perspective some way outside himself, Rin positioned his mind’s eye perpendicular to his directed line of motion—his point of reference—and began tracing a path of movement through space—his projection. Twenty-four frames per second, that was the standard. In each frame of his animation, he could reliably execute one action. Just how far could he go—what kind of distance could he travel—in the span of twenty-four actions?

The result had been surreal beyond belief. Executing twenty four actions of motion in a single second, he had achieved an entirely different kind of speed. Normally, reinforcing his legs with psychic energy gave him the additional power necessary to move faster. That was elementary psychic energy manipulation. That, he classified as continuous, regular motion. He could change his path at any point. This was different. This, he coined static motion. For, once he’d executed the twenty-four actions, he couldn’t change his mind. He had locked himself into a set path of motion. He’d have to be careful. If he didn’t make sure his path was feasible, he could end up locking himself into a bad situation, a path of injury, or worse.

The fact he’d executed it correctly on his first try still astounded him. Bango had asked how he had made it there so fast. Rin’s clueless answer had been the closest, and most concise truth. He’d need to experiment with this new technique, this new interpretation of his Specialty.

* * *

Rin’s Further Plane

麟閣曼荼羅

“You said you weren’t going to make use of Framework anymore, boy,” chastised the Architect. The man stood strong as ever, arms folded, unmoved, unmovable.

“I never said that.” Rin stared up, defiant. “I said, until I can trust you, I won’t use your power.”

“Your actions contradict themselves.”

“Do they?” The boy smirked. “Just then, that wasn’t your power, was it?”

The Architect’s lip curled.

“Can’t deny it, can you?” Rin chortled. “Did it seriously not cross your mind that I’d come up with at least ten different loopholes? I’d be mad to stop using Framework altogether. Besides, you’ve been annoyingly particular with your wording up ‘till now, so allow me to return the favour, you Saharan sourpuss. This technique is my own interpretation! Framerate; I came up with it all by myself. Salty you didn’t think of it first? Good. Cry some more.”

* * *

Psychic energy hummed and surged through Dentaku Bango’s entire body, electrifying every cell. Face contorted in rage, he bolted towards Rin. The boy was walking away from him. Walking. Nothing could be more insulting. He wasn’t even trying!

Two sets of footfall thundered behind him, but he didn’t care. Within seconds, he had closed the gap. Bango let loose a desperate scream and wound up a Powerstrike, aiming at the back of Rin’s head. A sudden mass collided with him from the side, as Ruri Karakusa bodychecked him into the wall. Bango went flying, driving a crater into the plaster. The giant clenched a fist and scowled, breathing heavy.

“Out of my way!” Bango spat, prying himself from the brickwork. “None of you mean anything to me!”

Ruri leapt forward to drive Bango further into the wall with another punch, but the boy just shimmered out of the way, sprinting unceasingly at Rin.

Open The Door

開門 Kaimon

“Same can’t be said in return, Bango.” Ibuse appeared in front of the boy, seizing him by the throat. “I’m arresting you on charges of assault and assisting a terrorist organisation.”

“Let go, detective.” Bango strained with all his might against Ibuse’s grip, but the man held fast.

“No.”

“This has nothing to do with you!”

“My duty as a police officer is to maintain law and order. My duty as a detective is to find out the truth. You stand in the way of both of those directives, kid.” His gaze abruptly softened with pity.

“Listen, I don’t want to hurt you, Bango—”

“I don’t share those same reservations.” Bango gripped Ibuse’s shoulders in both hands, driving a knee into the man’s side. Ibuse grunted, grip releasing. Bango made to shove him aside and resume chase, but found himself unable to move. He had been frozen, one arm stretched out in front. Ruri had approached from behind, placing their large palm on Bango’s back.

A soundless, ethereal whisper slipped from between their lips, and the metallic blue sheen glossed over Bango’s entire body, and held fast.

“Nice work, kid.” Ibuse clutched his injured side, and yelled back over his shoulder. “Keep moving, Harigane! We’ve got him held back!”

Rin cast a grateful glance over his shoulder. Ruri maintained his hold, however from the exertion visible on the boy’s face, the effect wouldn’t last forever. Ruri Karakusa’s command forcibly locked a target relative to something else. However, keeping the ability activated on targets beside themselves was far more taxing.

“We’re almost there.” Rin was steps away from the door now. With every footfall, the exhaustion mounted, but so too did his determination. His exhaustion aside, he couldn’t use Framerate to carry them both out. The technique working first time had been a fluke. It was still just a concept, not a full idea. He needed to be able to predict the path of motion in full before he executed his sequence, and doing that with two separate bodies was much more difficult than just one. Not to mention, if he made a mistake, he’d be endangering not only himself, but Juusei as well.

As he approached the automatic sliding doors—glass panes shattered from his bombastic entrance—they did their best to part, congratulating his efforts. The weak midday sun parted the cloud cover, warming his face. The Mazda was less than ten yards away.

Back in the entrance hall, Ruri was visibly flagging. Their hold on Bango didn’t relent, but his third eye throbbed, psychic energy spiking along the giant’s skin. Sweat began beading their face.

Ibuse’s brow furrowed. How much longer would they be able to keep this up? They never said anything, never gave any indication of weakness. The moment their hold relinquished over Bango, Rin and Juusei would be in danger. “Are you alright, kid? Don’t overexert yourself.”

Ruri’s chest heaved, jaw steeled. They didn’t make a sound, but raised five fingers, counting down.

“Harigane! Hurry!” Ibuse yelled over his shoulder. “Ruri’s got five seconds left in him!”

The detective’s shouts spurred Rin’s every step. A sudden wind swept the car park, nearly throwing him off balance. Still, he persevered. “Come on, girl,” he wheezed. “Got another passenger. Treat her carefully.”

The Mazda’s alarm gave a short trill. The doorlocks clicked, and a door to the backseat swung open. Rin made the final few steps at a stumbling run, practically falling forwards towards the car.

Catching himself on the frame, he gently lowered Juusei onto her back and laid her across the seats.

Ruri’s countdown reached one, then zero. Still, they held fast. Bent double, supporting themselves just barely with one hand on their knee, they kept their other hand glued to Bango’s back. Breathing became ragged, choppy heaving accompanied grunts of exertion.

“She’s in the car! She’s safe!” Ibuse cried. “You can let go, Ruri!”

But Ruri still held fast. Desperate to keep Bango locked for as long as possible, they clung on for dear life. A desperate, cracked scream ripped apart their lips, until the breath left their lungs in a wisp. The lights behind their eyes faded, and Ruri collapsed. The metallic sheen over Bango vanished.

Ibuse took this as his chance. He threw a left hook at Bango’s face. If he could knock him out before the stasis fully wore off—

“You’re slow, detective.” Bango had intercepted the strike, catching his fist before he could initiate Back Beat and throwing the man off balance. “Allow me to resist arrest some more.”

Stumbling to the side, it was all Ibuse could do to recover and raise his arms in a guard as a green cross appeared behind Bango. Engulfing his hands in a green aura, the boy tapped his arms twice with the opposing hand,

Multiplication

掛算 Kakezan

Both arms duplicated. Bango flexed all four arms independently, crackling with psychic energy, then threw a devastating rush of punches.

Double Flurry

複拳殴劻 Fukken Ōkyō

Ibuse reflexively slowed his perception of time to parry each strike, but even with that enhanced reaction time, Bango continually forced him further onto the defensive. What was more, his own stamina diminished. He could barely manage to deflect and shield against Bango’s relentless onslaught. Worse still, the boy knew this. Two of Bango’s arms shot forward, seizing Ibuse’s wrists, while his top right arm delivered a crackling fist to the man’s chest. Winded, Ibuse crashed against the wall and slumped down, wheezing.

“Stand down, detective.” Bango looked away. “Next time, I’ll be authorised to use lethal force.” As ever, he didn’t delay. Bango crouched down one moment and sprinted out of the entranceway.

“We’ve done what we can, kid.” Ibuse let his head rest back against the wall, looking out of the shattered window. “Finish the job. Do it well.”

* * *

“Harigane!” Bango burst through the double doors and tore across the concrete. “I’ll end you!”

“There’s a hospital close by.” Rin commanded the Mazda under his breath, visualising the location in his mind. “Chiba Emergency and Psychiatric Medical Centre. Turn your sirens on. Go!”

Instantly, the car’s engine roared to life. Its wheels squealed on the tarmac for a moment, before tearing off across the car park and towards the exit—nought to sixty in less than three seconds—blazing a trail of psychic energy in its wake. As it went, the Mazda let loose a piercing siren as piercing red lights turned the body into a beacon.

Rin grit his teeth. Ibuse would surely understand.

More pressing on his attention was Bango, who leapt at him in a fury. Psychic energy surged down Rin’s spine, and he dodged sideways. It was going to be much more difficult to deal with him now he’d placed himself under such a strict handicap. Bango struck the ground milliseconds later, his Powerstrike obliterating a section of the tarmac.

“What’re you gonna do now, Tango?” Rin smirked. “The car’s getting away. You going to prioritise the mission? Or do you intend on throwing yourself at me until the sun burns out in the sky?”

Bango snarled, gaze flitting between him and the escaping vehicle. The longer he let it be, the harder it would be to catch-up. Of course, there was only one rational option, but right now, the rage flooding the boy’s arteries had long since overridden any last semblance of rationality left. “Stop fucking around!” He cried, blitzing Rin with another charged punch.

Now, it was time for Rin to put his new technique into practice. After all, what other options did he have left? If he didn’t figure out how to reliably execute it soon, he’d be cooked. Rin lowered his centre of gravity, eyes narrowing, psychic energy surging. In that split second, his mind traced a path of action: twenty-four distinct frames, all in succession.

Framerate

順次枠投影 Junjiwakutōei

Rin flickered out of sight the moment before Bango’s Powerstrike struck true. The boy’s eyes widened, unaware of Rin right behind him. The boy let loose a sharp kick to the the small of his back, sending Bango flying into another parked car.

Picking himself out of the wreckage, Bango wiped the blood from his cheek, grazed on impact. “There’s that speed again.” He spat a little blood to the side. “What happened to your buildings, Harigane? Your only hope is to copy me, is that it?”

“You’re fast, Rango, I’ll give you that.” Rin’s smile faded, breathing a little heavier now. “Your Number Theory’s simple but effective. That seems to matter a lot when it comes to differentiating strength. You’re using Multiplication to scale your velocity while in motion and Subtraction to decrease your reaction time, right? Hell, even me having worked this out doesn’t make a damn bit of difference. Your Specialty primarily buffs yourself, rather than affecting others. Nothing my cognition can do to change that. It’s tricky, and powerful.”

“Don’t you start.” Bango bristled. “You wouldn’t say shit like this if there wasn’t a ‘but’ to follow immediately after.”

“You’re right.” Rin shrugged. “You’re fast—” Within a second, Rin had blinked across thirty metres, and crouched down next to him— “but I’m faster.”

Rin exploded upwards through his legs, and drove an uppercut into Bango’s jaw. The boy soared into the air, stunned. Rin immediately set about tracing another path through space.

Framerate

順次枠投影 Junjiwakutōei

Tracing himself behind another car, Rin lined himself up with Bango in midair using the car’s hood as a springboard. He soared across the concrete expanse, turning a forward somersault before driving his heel into Bango’s chest, slamming him back down into the ground with a resolute crunch. The impact exploded a cloud of dust, slowly settling. Rin took care to taper his midair descent with psychic energy, before touching gently down on the ground.

“Damn you,” Bango groaned, picking himself out of the hole in the tarmac. The exertion was starting to catch up to him, muscles and bones all over beginning to ache. The siren from Detective Ibuse’s car had practically faded into the backdrop, as the weight of his lapse in judgement sunk into his gut. Just how had Harigane improved so much? Even though he had surpassed the idol, the boy was still miles ahead!

“Should’ve gone after the car,” Rin remarked. “Guess your capture mission’s a failure, huh? Gus Ishimatsu won’t be pleased.”

“The mission’s not over yet.” Bango scowled. There was still one more active psychic signature in the mall besides Techukara—one more target. Ibuse and 837 were still out of commission. His ploy was a risky one, and the distraction would only last for so long. Even so, if he could delay Harigane, even momentarily…

Shock lit up Rin’s face, as he came to the exact same conclusion. “No!”

“Too late!”

Multiplication: Divergent Doublebody

掛算: 発散倍身 Kakezan: Hassan Baiken

Bango was suddenly engulfed in burning green, and a clone burst forth, springing out at Rin with a fury. Rin yelped, stumbling backwards. He raised his arms, fending off against the doppelganger’s assault. The real Bango cut his losses, and sprinted back off towards the mall, his sights set on the psychic signature of Tegata Kage.