I'm in a Messed Up Situation that I Couldn't Care More. - Chapter 45 _ [Aoi] Kajiba no Bakajikara (Hysterical Strength)

Chapter 45 _ [Aoi] Kajiba no Bakajikara (Hysterical Strength)

Koichi fell asleep as soon as he got into the car driven by Matsui, as if he had finally felt safe.

His soft snoring filled the car.

“…… Ojousama. Something happened, didn’t it?”

I made eye contact with Matsui through the rearview mirror.

“Yes. Something unexpected happened.”

——————-

Koichi’s movements were like that of a wild beast.

His style of fighting was not traditional martial arts, boxing, or karate.

Koichi repelled the attacking men, throwing them across the room and slamming them into the floor and ceiling.

There was no distinction between offense and defense.

He simply overpowered them with sheer force.

His movements were very simple, and that was all there was to it.

However, that strength was not that of an ordinary human.

The men thrown by Koichi hit their heads hard against the walls and floor.

Or their arms and legs were gripped with abnormal strength, causing their bones to shatter or bend unnaturally.

I explained this to Matsui.

————————-

“You could call it kajiba no bakajikara*” 

[t/n: 火事場の馬鹿力 (kajiba no bakajikara) is a Japanese idiom pertaining to the burst of strength you get when in a tight spot. Like when there’s a fire and you’re suddenly able to carry your refrigerator out to safety.]

Matsui said quietly after hearing my story.

“When a parent protects their child, they sometimes display impossible strength. 

When it comes to protecting those they love, humans can tap into a hidden power within themselves…”

“Maybe it’s something like that… But it was definitely abnormal strength.”

“When I was investigating Kashitani Koichi, I felt something similar.” 

Matsui said, staring at the traffic signal ahead.

“…… What do you mean by that?”

“He has an extremely strong aura, or ‘ki’ as it’s called in Japanese. There’s no doubt that he has great potential.

It’s probably a given for a portal manager, though…” 

Matsui let out a small laugh.

“He has exhausted his ki and is now fast asleep.

It will probably take at least 24 hours for him to recover…”

“We can put him up in our guest room.”

I looked at Koichi’s sleeping face.

He slept peacefully, his face still bearing the scratch marks and bruises from the fight.

“Nn… Ah… Stop… Don’t touch Aoi…”

“Koichi… I’m fine now.”

He reacted to my voice and leaned on me.

“Aoi…”

Matsui looked at us through the rearview mirror.

“Ojousama, you’ve been fighting alone for a long time.

It seems that someone has finally appeared to protect you.”

“Hmph, I don’t need Koichi to protect me.”

“But I’m still worried. 

The stronger the bond between the two of you becomes, the more unbearable it will be if you lose each other.”

“Lose… Koichi…?”

“You must always be prepared for that possibility. Fate is already in motion.”