Horikita was still chasing Ai Hayasaka.
But Ai Hayasaka was simply too skilled; Horikita Suzune could not catch up to her anytime soon.
Horikita grabbed a handful of pebbles from the ground and threw them over.
Ai Hayasaka tilted her head and dodged them. She did not even turn back to look at Horikita, but it slowed her down and cost her a moment.
And in that brief delay, Shino Asada, who had been aiming from the distant balcony, seized the opportunity and fired, hitting Ai Hayasaka in the right leg.
Ai Hayasaka was startled at first. Seeing the familiar anesthetic syringe embedded in her thigh, she immediately realized things were bad. She hurriedly drew a short blade and cut open a major blood vessel near her thigh. Blood immediately began to flow, but it also slowed the effects of the anesthetic.
Ai Hayasaka had already pulled out the anesthetic syringe. With her back to Horikita, she stopped running.
Horikita finally caught up and clenched her fists.
"Go on, run!"
With nowhere left to retreat, Ai Hayasaka turned around and began fighting Horikita Suzune hand-to-hand.
Horikita Suzune was no pushover either. She immediately engaged her, not falling behind in the slightest.
Ai Hayasaka's injured thigh affected her performance, but she could still barely hold Horikita off.
Horikita grabbed her wrist in a hold, intending to throw Ai Hayasaka over her shoulder.
The instant she was thrown, Ai Hayasaka immediately wrapped her legs around Horikita Suzune's head. Using the momentum of being thrown, she flung Horikita Suzune away as well.
Horikita braced herself with one hand against the ground, performed a perfect backflip, and landed safely.
Ai Hayasaka was the same, suffering no real harm.
The two stared at each other, neither making a rash move.
Not long after, Ai Hayasaka