Chapter 269 – Winning Conditions / Handbag Gondola
Translator: Ranzan
Editor: ryunakama
As soon as Akiha jumped from one gondola to the other, the gondola that Taiyou was in shook.
First up and down, then left and right.
It might have been that closest gondola and the shock it took when Akiha jumped to it.
「That…idiot.」
He got his balance back, went to the window, and checked on Akiha.
She had opened the roof and was now inside the other gondola.
He couldn’t hear her voice, but he could see her from through the glass.
The gondola had stopped, and the children who had panicked from begin left alone in a stopped gondola were now greeted by a kind older girl, and had calmed down.
The gondola ahead of him stopped shaking.
「Phew…damn, she put herself at risk.」
He sat back as his heart slowed down…just then.
Suddenly, the other gondola went CLUNK.
「Akiha!」
I felt that fear in my body again, and called out Akiha’s name.
Inside the gondola, you could see Akiha holding the children.
On of the connectors to the gondola had broken, and it was helplessly hanging from the ferris wheels body.
There were small noises of stress creaking from the connection area.
Everyone else had noticed the gondola’s creaking as well.
「What now…this is bad…」
There was not a moment to waste as Taiyou followed Akiha, opened the roof, and got onto the ceiling.
The gondola that Akiha was in was only held by one loose connection.
And anyone, even far away, could tell that it was soon to break.
As soon as Taiyou reached the roof:
CRACK
The sound of breaking metal and the gondola began to fall freely.
「Make it in TIIIIIME!」
Taiyou jumped from the gondola. He kicked off the roof and jumped to the gondola Akiha was in.
It was a distance he could normally reach. Akiha jumped there, and reached it.
Since he was jumping down…and the gondola was already falling.
He couldn’t get there in time, just an instant before he could have reached it.
Can’t reach it!
His neurons began to operate as the gondola fell in slow motion.
「HERA!!」
「Tah dah!」
「Ramming SPEED!」
「Wha? Oh, okay, desu!」
Hera was lost for a second, but then at Taiyou’s threatening look did what she had to.
In the next moment she shoved him from behind.
From her push he sped up.
「Get there!」
He had sped up, and while chasing it grabbed onto the frame of the gondola.
He gripped it with one arm solidly, and with the other he grabbed the frame of the ferris wheel.
「Ugh!」
In an instant, his whole body felt a huge shock.
A shock that felt like his whole body was to be pulled apart.
「UWHOOOOAHHH!」
After that, Taiyou put all his power into his body.
Just supporting the gondola was enough to make him feel like his body was being pulled apart, but when he flexed, that was a different story.
He stopped the gondola completely from falling as Taiyou was connected to both the gondola and frame.
It was one hell of a sight.
A thousand pound steel car held by one hand, and the young man holding it.
Commotion arose from all around him.
「Taiyou-chan! Are you okay?」
「Y…yeah…」
「Oh, it really is my Taiyou-chan…」
「Sorry…I don’t have time to speak…」
「Oh…」
Taiyou looked strained.
He was putting power into his arms, and that brute force was the hardest thing to do.
Before Hera appeared, it was hard for him to even buy a 40 pound bag of rice and go home with it in a bag.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t hold it, but the heavy bag would dig into his flesh and it would hurt.
Taiyou breathed out, and in, and said to Hera.
「Hera, please tell this to Aoba below. I’m okay. I know she must be worried.」
「Okay, desu!」
「And when you’re done…go to Youran.」
「Youran?」
「Yes, tell her what position I’m in. How I look and where I am.」
「Okay, desu.」
It was an easy to describe emergency, so Hera left without a question.
She flew up in the sky and disappeared.
After Hera flew past the gondola, a voice arose from inside.
「Hey, are you okay?」
It was Akiha.
She was asking through the roof she had opened with a worried expression.
She was his enemy in regards to Aoba, but now she was genuinely concerned.
「I’m okay, I think. Just don’t let them shake it.」
「Okay, I won’t.」
And after thinking, she said.
「Hey, do you want us to come to you?」
「Here?」
「Yeah! Instead of holding that gondola, you’d just have to hold us.」
Taiyou nodded and thought it made sense.
「No. Just stay there.」
「Why?」
「It’s harder to hang on to a bunch of things. I can handle one heavy thing. You know that right?」
「But then…」
「It’s okay.」
Taiyou said strongly.
「And because those kids are already really scared.」
「Okay.」
She nodded and went back to the middle of the gondola.
Taiyou relaxed, breathed, and held tightly onto the gondola.
The weight would be okay.
It was enough that he could handle.
Until the ferris wheel moved again, until he was back on the ground.
It took around 10 minutes that Taiyou was left hanging there with the gondola.