《Takumi: Ordinary Life Of A Setsu Vampire》


 PROLOGUE

    "My furthest memory... goes back to my grandfather. The first being I saw as family."


    "A family, that showed me my first taste of what I considered home."


    "That''s... basketball"


    On a snowy winter day, a boy and his grandfather stood in front of a basketball court. The young child instantly became mesmerized by what he saw. The players passed the ball around unselfishly and played with such intensity and passion. It gave off a beautiful and strong energy that the young Setsu vampire found exquisite. His grandfather recounted the reason all of the sports in the world were created.


    He spoke of how he, along with the Tensei Order, put these sports into place as a way to combat all of the negative retsu created from the many corrupt events that plagued the world in his time.


    "Long ago ¡­ I, along with the Tensei Order, agreed to put basketball and other sports in place throughout the world. Everything has an origin, an intention."


    "It allowed us to combat negative Retsu storms that''d been sweeping the continents due to the manipulation of human emotion¡­"


    "My beloved grandson, you must know¡­"


    "With a sport like basketball, the bloodshed that occured in past centuries can finally subside."


    Takumi''s grandfather observed the purple snowflake-like Retsu that twinkled into his palm.


    "You see, Takumi. Everything is an energy source for something else."


    "There are invisible parasites you can''t see with your conventional senses. Through their actions, you can see who hosts one¡­ a shiki. What they create indicates how they attract and use energy to sustain themselves."


    "For us, there are two kinds of vampires.¡±


    ¡°Ones that live through the positive emotions of humans¡­ they assure balance is sustained and exist in the shadows of conventional society.¡±


    ¡°But the other? They live only to cause harm and create bad memories simply to maintain existence and gain power. Tipping the balance of this realm into nothing more than never-ending carnage.  That is the world you live in.¡±


    Two conflicting sides, one similarity, a single truth.


    ¡°What does all of this mean?¡±


    "You have five fingers, no?"


    "Mhm..." The boy observed his five fingers confused as to what his grandfather meant.


    "Why?" His grandfather patiently asked.


    "Umm..." Takumi tried to figure it out, but couldn''t comprehend.


    The boy looked at his grandfather with a confused gaze. He couldn''t understand what it all meant. Takumi tilted his head up a bit. A single snowflake twinkled down and tapped the boy''s cheek, quickly melting away a second later. His grandfather combed his thick grey beard and pat the boy¡¯s dark grey cap twice. "Nothing is created in excess."


    "You''ll come to understand someday. As long as you remember what this old fellow told you. For now, enjoy the game."


    Orbs of colorful lights floated around the court recording the different angles of the game and playing them on the big screens, as the crowd watched in a massive undersea dome. Tei grabbed his grandson by his shoulders and lifted him up onto his lap. "Nothing my boy, you''ll understand one day! For now, enjoy the game!" The old man laughed in a jolly manner as a peanut vendor called out "Nuts, Nuts! Get your warm nuts here!"


    Tei waved his index finger around and caught the vendor''s attention. The vendor walked down the stands past the cheering crowd. He nearly dropped the smaller bag he had taken from his cart in the process, but stumbled and caught himself when he reached Tei and Takumi. The vendor shook the small and large bags around and asked, "Which do you want, small nuts or big nuts?!"  Takumi giggled, squinting his eyes a bit and asked his grandfather "Is he nuts? I¡¯d take both!" His grandfather shrugged, ignoring his grandson¡¯s odd joke and handed the vendor a hologram chip which the vender scanned with a card, as the hologram chip disappeared into the vendor''s card. "We''ll take the big nuts," Tei let the vendor know and took the warm bag off his hands.


    The vendor turned away, but a devious grin formed on his face. "Those biiig nuts for a small boy like him? Are you sure he wouldn''t want the small ones?" The vendor turned back around and attempted to hustle, but Takumi removed his dark grey mittens and dug the mittens into one of his blue jackets pockets. The boy plunged his small pale hand into the bag and swapped a load of the nuts into his mouth.


    Some of the peanuts fell down onto his lap and down on the floor where the crowd ahead trampled over them when they rose up to chant. Tei pat the boy¡¯s side with a faint smile. "Now, now Taku. Eat them slowly. Be graceful like the players out there." Takumi nodded and settled on his grandfather''s lap. Tei turned back to the vendor, who had already walked away after remarking, "Woah... the mouth on that kid.¡± Suddenly the crowd erupted into a chant once more as one of the players had broken through the three-man defense that attempted to get in his way. "Let''s goooo seaaa dogsss! CHA CHA CHACHA CHAAA!!!"


    Retsu, light particles which are only visible to Setsu, emanated from the crowd and the players who dashed down the floating court with emotion. The boy¡¯s soft orange hair swayed back and forth as he cocked his head back, following the particles over to the court in amazement. Tei lifted Takumi onto his shoulder and stood up. The boy cheered along as well, and leaned down over his grandfather''s head nearly falling forward. Takumi checked if his grandfather was cheering as well, but the elder man had a worried expression on his face. His grandfather muttered something that the boy couldn''t hear because of the crowd. Takumi made out the words from the way his lips moved. "Never drink blood¡­ for that is the day, you will regret it.¡±


    Looking back, the phrase replayed in his head. On and on as wild flames danced around him, burning his rib cage. He paid no attention to the stinging flames eating away at his clothes. The flames, much like what had happened, enveloped his surroundings and filled him with rage...


    ¡°This is Ukiyo Tadako reporting to you live from over the Tokyo Tower! A blazing violet flame has enveloped most of the city, with the Eitari Bridge and Soto Towers being the source!¡± The woman held on tightly to the bar that kept her from falling out of the moving aircraft.


    ¡°It has been burning fiercely, with no sign of stopping anytime soon!¡± The woman lightly coughed before continuing.


    ¡°And a sea of strange purple clouds have taken up the skies, making navigation very difficult. We apologize for the inconvenience, and our hearts go out to the unfortunate ones stuck in all of the chaos.¡±


    ¡°Zoom in for a close up! I think I saw something down there!¡±


    ¡°Oh dear Gosh, no! THERE¡¯S A CHILD! A BOY IN THE FIRE, THE EITARI BRIDGE IS COMING DOWN! PULL UP, PULL UP!¡±


    The events that transpired soon after forever marked a change in the world and would come to be known as ¡°Ultimo Momento 33.¡±


    ¡°This can¡¯t be¡­¡± Takumi continued blinking in front of his grandfather¡¯s gravestone. Heavy rain struck his shoulders and nourished the small weeds that grew along an old Buddhist stone.


    Months following his grandfather''s death, he tried visiting the Ogimachi Park his grandfather used to take him to. He went to that park in hopes of making friends. His parents weren¡¯t around for him, and those closest to him were the mute watchdogs who simply kept an eye on him from afar.


    All he had was a basketball to keep him company. It brought him happiness, but it wasn¡¯t enough, since he had no one to share it with. He hoped to change this, so he tried approaching a few of the children near the court, but every time, they¡¯d all be called away from the young Setsu.


    Takumi wondered what it was he had done. ¡°Is there something on my face? Why are they looking at me like that?¡± Every time he came to the park, it was the same case. He often found himself sitting at a bench near the court, alone, as people passed by and other children laughed and played together.


    On one occasion, one child from that bunch, broke away and attempted to go greet the lonesome boy...


    But was hauled away immediately.


    ¡°Come over here! I told you not to associate with that boy!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a little monster like the rest of those tyrannical fiends! Just what you¡¯d expect of a Hachi heir.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that so loud! He might hear us.¡±


    ¡°For someone from a Rikuto line, he sure doesn¡¯t use his head.¡± Some laughed.


    ¡°They don¡¯t care, and that little shit¡¯s one of them!¡±


    ¡°Oh no, he¡¯s looking this way... let¡¯s go.¡±


    His heart sank after everything he heard. All he could do was lower his head in shame, drowning in complete isolation. He felt like running off, but there was nowhere to go. Hours passed, but he didn¡¯t want to go back to the estate yet. An unfathomable pressure beared down on the boy¡¯s chest. A feeling unknown to him until that moment, showered onto him like the rain.


    Drenched, he tapped the basketball silently humming a tune that his grandfather often sung to him. He found himself reminiscing about his birthday, when his grandfather had given him the basketball.


    The curves were much like the smile his grandfather always bore around him. He ran his small fingers along the black lining as he spaced out till his grasp on the ball weakened. The basketball


    slipped off of his lap, rolling into a far off puddle.


    Despite the urging of those watching him, Takumi walked himself from the city to the outskirts of his estate. He arrived by nightfall, soaking wet. As usual, no one awaited him other than his butler Alto and a few maids. That night, Takumi spent his time awake, reading a book in front of a cackling fire. The book detailed mechanics behind different kinds of hop steps to execute on a basketball court. The boy soon closed the book, tossing the book into the room''s fireplace. For the rest of that week, he remained indoors under the spell of a fever. He remained by an opened window, until he felt the urge to feel the breeze that blew along the patio. He spotted a chipmunk playing with a chestnut and it seemed to be having fun, adding to his own desire to lighten the dull mood. With nothing better to do, Takumi decided to play alone on his private basketball court instead of going into town like he usually would.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    He found himself standing in front of the basket. It stood high, reminding him of his short stature, and incapability to properly dunk. Half-heartedly, he swung his hands up and tossed the ball. He didn¡¯t do so with much energy or intention, so it barely hit the ridge of the rim and came back down and bounced off behind him. He could sense the team of Setsu assigned to keep watch over him. Takumi tightened his small fist and went over to a cart filled with basketballs. He grabbed one, as his eyes glowed a dark violet and one of his fangs slid past his lip. The boy twisted over and furiously chucked the basketball at a tall bush. It flew through, striking one of the Setsu right across the face. Takumi grabbed a second ball and swung it out to another bush off of the court. He repeated this, chucking them with all the Setsu strength he had. They easily flew up like bullets, ricochetting everywhere. The five Setsus assigned to him had no choice but to scurry off, as one of them reported the behavior as he ducked behind a tree, maneuvering away. He turned around to inspect the inside of the cart. At the far bottom, he saw one last ball remaining and could sense another Setsu who hadn¡¯t moved. Whoever it was, didn¡¯t give off a strong vibe like the others, so Takumi hadn¡¯t noticed until then. He grabbed the last ball, tilting back to swing it overhead. ¡°RAAAAHHH!¡± The ball flew too high. Takumi nearly tripped back onto his rump and looked up at the still rotating ball. It continued spinning towards a cloud, then came back down, disappearing right behind the tall bush wall. Takumi listened closely, but contrary to what he expected, he heard a soft voice let out a whimper.


    ¡°Owwwwwwww.¡± Takumi got up and ran off to check who it was. Instead of going around, he dashed towards the bush wall and scaled it until he was at the top and looked down to see a small girl with her hands over her head. He squinted, looking around and then jumped down, landing at her side. Takumi got a better look at her. She wore gardening clothes and had a patch on the lower section of her pants. Her clothes were covered in dirt and her hair was a mix of lime green and orange.


    ¡°You¡¯re a gardener?¡± he asked her. The little girl didn¡¯t hear him due to how low he spoke and was too busy searching for her glasses. Takumi almost laughed at the sight of her grabbing a pair of pliers and trying to place them on her face. He went over to her side after picking up her glasses and handed them to her. She placed them on, and saw a basketball at her side. She instinctively reached for it and rubbed her glove along the ball.


    ¡°W-Woahhhh, a ball. I¡¯ve never seen one this color.¡± She took in the purple basketball''s other features, namely the smaller white orbs littered along its sides. Takumi quietly watched her press her ear against the basketball.


    ¡°What¡¯s inside of this thing?! It¡¯s pwehty heavy,¡± she wondered aloud, giving the ball a sniff. She reached down for a second plier from her tool box and brought them up. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll find out!¡± A ray of sunlight glistened against the pliers, hitting Takumi¡¯s eyes. Takumi quickly moved in right before she stabbed the ball, moving back protectively. ¡°Ay! You don¡¯t stab a basketball, you play with it!¡±


    The little girl tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Play? But it felt really heavy, is there another ball in there? Like Dolls in dolls!!¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re just weak. You play with it like this.¡± Takumi brought the ball low and gave it a few dribbles, then leaned back up, placing the basketball to his hip.


    ¡°WOW, IT BOUNCED!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never¡­¡± Takumi thought to himself, observing the girl¡¯s clothes again. He noticed some dirt on her cheek and then felt soil rub against his palm. Soil that was on the basketball she had been touching. ¡°Figures. She¡¯s from a lower clan.¡±


    ¡°Say, say! You said that¡¯s a ¡®bashketball¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Takumi tossed the ball over to the girl. She caught it and brought it high over her head. It provided her with a shade from the sun as she twirled around. He really liked how impressed she seemed to be.


    ¡°Want to try playing? I can teach you,¡± he offered. To his surprise, she jumped right at the offer, literally running to him.


    ¡°I would, I would!¡± Right then, she turned back, remembering she still had bushes to trim. ¡°Awww, but I can''t right now. I have bushes to make pwehty.¡±


    Takumi found her pronunciation strange, but brushed it aside, giving her a nod. ¡°I''ll help you, give me one of those pruners.¡±


    Surprised, but grateful, she almost gave him the one she had in hand, but noticed the Hachi Rikuto emblem along with an expensive platinum watch that slid down the boy''s wrist and into her view.


    She stopped herself, sliding the tool behind her back timidly. Her action made Takumi visibly saddened. ¡°Uh¡­¡± His hand remained out, but dropped to his side. ¡°Should have expected that.¡± He internally grit his teeth.


    She kept her hands behind her back. She couldn¡¯t quite see and leaned in to get a better look at him. ¡°Sorry,¡± she softly said.


    Takumi spaced out, staring down at his shoes.


    ¡°Hmmm, cheer up! I''ll go to you right as soon as I finish!¡± She told him, thinking up the idea and not wanting to see him sad. Her response snapped him out.


    ¡°I promise!¡± she said with a wide and childish smile. Takumi blushed, unable to say anything. He shifted his sights to a random green bat nibbling on some berries from a tree.


    ¡°My name is Naowi! What¡¯s youw name mwaster?¡± she asked, reaching out for his hand, only for her to realize her glove was covered in dirt. ¡°She has an accent,¡± Takumi noted.


    Right when she was about to pull her hand back, she was surprised that he took her hand. The grasp sent shivers up her arm, but she didn¡¯t fall over as he kept her from doing so.


    She looked up, to see him rubbing one of his eyes with the back of his other hand silently. Though he didn¡¯t seem to outwardly cry, she spotted a tear trickle when his hand parted from his eye.


    ¡°I''m Takumi. Do you¡­ mean what you said?¡±


    She listened and found his question strange but shook her head hard, leading him to press his hand up to her forehead to stop her from continuing out of fear that she¡¯d snap her neck.


    He felt her hand slip away, the sensation of her palm being replaced with a vacant gust. Naori brought her hand up to give him a thumbs up, followed by a wink.


    ¡°You bet I do, Ta-¡±, Naori stopped herself from saying his name.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Want me to call you master?¡±


    ¡°N-No! Tak is fine!¡±


    ¡°Okay! Taaaku!¡± A giggle followed soon after she faced away from him. Naori knelt for her tool box.


    ¡°When you¡¯re done, come over to the court. It¡¯s right behind here. Remember¡­ you promised.¡± Takumi glanced past his shoulder to her waving his way. She agreed and to his surprise, she did show up later that day.


    From that moment on, he told her where they¡¯d meet. She often took turns shooting a basketball at his guidance. The two grew closer over three weeks. However, around the fourth week, she wasn¡¯t near the bushes where he often found her. He grew uneasy when he went to the small underground home where she lived with her family. None of them were there either.


    Takumi suddenly recalled Naori¡¯s sister reprimanding her for getting close to Takumi and hastily apologizing to Takumi for her ¡°dirty sister associating herself with a saint such as yourself¡± and asking for forgiveness as she trembled in place. Trying to lighten the mood, he replied, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll forgive you if you bring me in for dinner.¡± Before he could get an answer, he felt a strong presence bear down on him. Turning his head back, he locked eyes with something eight feet tall. A being with a thick, ten foot log stacked on his shoulder, waved down at Takumi, tilting his neck aside to reveal a cheery smile that resembled Naori¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯m Kaan, Naori¡¯s father. If you help me cut the log, you can eat with us.¡± Takumi agreed. Recollecting those nights eating alongside the family around a yellow dancing fire briefly made him smile. Takumi exited the memories upon stepping on a twig.


    He checked the area out. All of their belongings were still in the home, but they weren¡¯t. Worry filled his head as a team of three Ikigai Setsu arrived in full uniform, and informed him that his mother wished to see him. ¡°After all these months¡­ why now? That witch.¡± Hoping that the three Setsus wouldn¡¯t ask him why he was at the location they were at, Takumi agreed to go with them.


    It wasn¡¯t until he was inside the estate, on his way to his mother''s private quarters, that he grew anxious. None of the three said a single word the whole time. Takumi spotted blood along their sleeves.


    ¡°Tell me, were you three on some sort of mission?¡± asked the boy. None of them responded. Once they arrived at the fortress of a door, they stepped aside and knelt down beside the violet carpet Takumi stood on.


    The doors parted, creaking until they pressed back completely. At the center, a pale robotic bat hovered. It registered a beam of data onto Takumi, then spoke.  ¡°Lady Kiyoko will be here shortly. Please come in, make yourself comfortable.¡±


    Takumi took a few steps towards the pale bat. A creature made of metal without a sense of life inside. However, as soon as he approached it, the wings lifted. It hovered out of the room. Takumi watched the doors slowly move inwards until they closed shut.


    His mother¡¯s office.


    He¡¯d never been inside of it before, so a part of him was excited, but also frightful, considering none of his other siblings had been there. Takumi¡¯s gaze flickered left and right, finding himself surprised at the simplicity of it all. He went off to a crystalline pufferfish statue floating over a coffee table. A slur of colors rotated around it. Nothing too special about it. His brows raised high while he squinted around and found nothing peculiar in her office. He expected it to be more frightening, for spiders and webs to be strung all over the place.


    Instead, what he found was a very homely office. Expensive furniture no less, designed in a ceremonial tea style. There weren¡¯t any seats, so he stood there. One hour turned to four. Takumi eventually sat down on the bare floor and right when he did, he heard the doors open, as the lighting from the hallway shone into the now dimly lit office.


    The lights flicked on right after. Takumi looked up to see simple inlaid lights on the ceiling that didn¡¯t harm the aesthetic of the room. Not that it mattered; he merely wondered why they weren¡¯t on when he initially entered the room.


    ¡°My sweet little boy, you mustn¡¯t be sitting, mommy expects you to be strong in her presence.¡± A slight reprimanding, but no anger was heard, as he nodded in response. Though not daring to upset her, he remained seated.


    ¡°Is that why she made me wait for hours?¡± Takumi wondered, rubbing the last sense of drowsiness from his eyes.


    ¡°You must be hungry with all that waiting, so I preplanned.¡±


    ¡°I have somewhere to be, what do you want from me?¡± Takumi turned his cheek to her, not looking her way.


    ¡°This won¡¯t take long,¡± his mother responded with ease, not a hint of displeasure from her, despite his cheeky attitude. Takumi grew uneasy and his body stiffened, since he wasn¡¯t used to her lenient approach, prompting him to glance her way. He observed her curved smile on only one side of her face.


    At her signal, which was a snap of her fingers, the door opened once more to reveal a maid entering. A large covered plate was brought in, and she stood near Takumi. The boy sniffed, his nose twitching as he felt the tantalizing scent wafted up to his nose. However, that couldn¡¯t distract him as he grew suspicious; an uneasy gut feeling made him feel sick to his stomach. A familiar smell. One that he didn¡¯t know how to comprehend.


    ¡°That scent¡­¡± Takumi thought, before outwardly stating, ¡°Mother¡­ I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? Hmm, what a waste. Well, maybe you¡¯ll grow hungry after seeing what mommy has prepared for you.¡±


    Takumi stood up, clenching his fists, as his mouth slowly parted when the realization was beginning to set in. That scent.


    ¡°No way¡­¡± The plate was placed onto the rug by the maid that hadn¡¯t uttered a word and the lid lifted off.


    Takumi dropped to his knees at the sight of what lay at the center of the plate.


    Naori¡¯s severed head.


    He saw the edges of her neck had tattered skin that was beginning to discolor. Her skin was deathly pale, and he knew it wasn¡¯t because she was indoors, but because death had found her. The smell of blood that should have been enticing now made him nauseous as he stared at her, his hand wanting to reach out for her. To hold her and offer comfort because he could see the pain etched onto her face despite the blank expression. Almost like she was sleeping when it happened.


    ¡°Go ahead, have a taste! There¡¯s not that much, since she¡¯s so bony¡­ but it should be fine because you were so fond of her. The other parts have been saved for you after you finish that.¡± The woman briefly paused to witness her son¡¯s expression. ¡°Her sister was more proportionate though. I thought all lower breeds are putrid, but that one¡­ she tasted fairly well. Fo-¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP!¡± Takumi¡¯s hearing ceased; he could see his mother talking in his direction before she turned and said something to the other two Setsus present.


    His heartbeat was the only thing he heard. And then, all of his rage came out in a single scream. He took off straight for his mother. However, right when he jumped up to slash at her face, he realized his mistake. The Setsu who had been speaking to her blitzed Takumi with only a single move, as if it was child¡¯s play. Takumi was kicked up by the Setsu who had been casually nodding their head as Takumi¡¯s mother spoke.


    He felt all of the oxygen leave his body upon colliding with the egg-shaped ceiling. A thud was heard from his back connecting to the top of the room before he fell onto the floor, sprawled out like a rug with glass raining down. The seconds felt drawn out and the next thing he knew, the second Setsu guard walked over to him. He stared right into his eyes with petrifying terror, before swiftly turning over and striking his gut, hurling Takumi back down in an instant, directly onto the arm of the first one that had struck him.


    Takumi felt his spine crack, causing him to let out a pained cry, followed by the Setsu grabbing the back of the boy¡¯s collar. The Setsu swung him down to the ground, pinning Takumi¡¯s arms behind his back as Takumi struggled to move; he heard his mother¡¯s laugh, a daunting one.


    He glared up at her and saw her pristine face look at him with malicious amusement. Despite her beauty, he knew the inside of her was twisted; she carried the corruption his grandfather spoke of when he was alive. She looked at him like he was nothing more than a toy. ¡°I¡¯m gonna rip her face off!¡± he told himself as saliva burst out the corners of his mouth due to the effort he put into wiggling out of the Setsu¡¯s strong pin, until his struggle resulted in his shoulder popping.


    Still, Takumi tilted his head up, snarling his fangs at his mother like a wild animal. She only stared at him with the same calculated gaze as she lifted a hand. Her palm pressed against her hair, tied in a sleek ponytail; all his movement had ruined her perfect image. The one she stared at within his eyes, her reflection. In frustration, he smashed his forehead, only crying out in anguish, knowing he¡¯d never hear Naori again. He¡¯d never see her smile. Her laugh, even the smallest of things meant so much now. Memories of seeing her severed head replayed on and on as his irises dilated to the slightest detail.


    ¡°Gotz, bring that to me,¡± he heard his mother say. The plate shattered upon being tossed to the floor without care, causing the head to hit the ground, rolling towards him. Blood trailed behind Naori¡¯s head, and her hair seemed limp as it spread across the floor. His mother went over and stood behind Naori¡¯s head. The Setsu yanked Takumi¡¯s hair back, forcing him to stare at the head of his friend. Her blank gaze made him blanch; there was no spark in her gaze or the familiar excitement when she saw him.


    ¡°You see, this is what happens when you play with insects, my little Ta. I tried to give you some freedom. I really did. I watched you. If you wanted playmates so badly, you should have come to mommy. You cannot associate yourself with such beings for it-¡± The rest of what she said faded again. Takumi¡¯s eyes dilated as he was beginning to lose himself to madness. Naori¡¯s eyes faded into a quiet blankness as they stared at him. He noticed the trail of tears that slid down her cheek. A dark red continued to ooze out from the stump of her head, slipping across the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­  get you all back for this!¡± His threat silenced them all. Takumi¡¯s vicious eyes were dead set on the Setsu who kept him pinned to the marble floor. Veins formed into a ¡°Y¡± along the corner of the boy¡¯s eye, shifting to a soft pink.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you, I PROMISE!¡± The boy¡¯s hoarse voice sent alarms, a vibe unlike any other coursing through the guards body, enough for him to soften his hold, if for only an instance. Takumi got a good look at him, assuring he¡¯d make good on his promise.


    ¡°Repeat that, please,¡± his mother spoke with a cold sigh. Takumi again attempted to free himself, desiring nothing more than to slaughter the monstrocity before him.


    ¡°Nao¡­ nao¡­ NAAOOORI!!!¡± He wailed her name, hoping she would answer back, but she never did. Naori could never answer his calls anymore.


    With a single slam of Takumi¡¯s head, all went black.


    [If you enjoyed the chapter, please leave us a comment and rate! The feedback really helps. Check out the Webtoon too and enjoy the series! : Takumi - Ordinary Life of a Setsu Vampire | WEBTOON (webtoons.com)  https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/takumi-ordinary-life-of-a-setsu-vampire/list?title_no=460324</a>

 Chapter 1

    Bright radiant flashes of light shone through the window sills and met Takumi''s purple eyes as he entered the kitchen with a drowsy yawn. The teen lifted his hand to his face, blocking the sunlight, and checked the static baby-blue floating numbers that hovered around in the kitchen for the time.


    ¡°7:15.¡± Seeing the time, Takumi adjusted his purple long sleeve to make sure he could see the black stars on his upper forearm. Both black stars had the letter T at the center.


    He then dug a small plastic bag out of his right pocket. One of his maids, Minaka, walked in and set a series of plates near the kitchen sink, asking, ¡°You aren¡¯t going formally?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I have other plans,¡± Takumi replied, after which he tore the plastic bag with one of his fangs and shook the bag until the pin fell on the center of his palm.


    The pin resembled a pink basking shark with water splashing out around it and had the school¡¯s name in the front, along with Takumi¡¯s unique student code. The code consisted of two numbers. ¡°What¡¯s with this color?¡± Takumi growled.


    ¡°At least they got the number right.¡± A month prior to the first day of school, Takumi had requested that his numbers be ¡°01¡±, so it¡¯d remind him of his first day of high school for the rest of his life and all the events that¡¯d followed.


    He adjusted his pin on the upper left side of his chest and showed it off to Minaka, who giggled, pointing out, ¡°It looks so silly on you¡­ but that may just be the color, master.¡±


    He squinted, arching an eyebrow and pretended to not know


    what the purple-haired maid was talking about. Takumi pressed his palm against a pad beside the kitchen door. The pad served as a knob. An individual would press their hand on it causing the door to slide open, releasing a small blast of cool refreshing air as the individual passed through in the summertime or a warm blast of refreshing air if it was the winter time. ¡°Extra swanky,¡± as


    Minaka often put it, although this description made Takumi sigh from the cheesiness. ¡°2108, huh? Last year sure went by fast,¡± she mumbled.


    Takumi felt refreshed, as everything had been going smoothly so far that morning. Takumi had done his early morning exercises in his weight room, took a cold shower in his bath house, fixed himself breakfast without the help of his maids (despite their insistence every morning), and was now heading out to his best friend Yoshigawa¡¯s place.


    Yoshigawa¡¯s place was right in front of Takumi¡¯s. Their homes were surrounded by mountains in the back and their backyards were practically vast open fields of private land that various clans lived at. Hundreds of live fluffy cattle roamed around, trimming the acres of lush grass, and also provided the mansions with a protective barrier, thanks to the special Retsu they gave off.


    Takumi walked down the long hallway and passed by a mirror, catching sight of an old photo frame that consisted of nine individuals. He stopped in his tracks and walked backwards a bit into the mirror frame. A set of clothes moved around the reflection, as he pulled the picture frame out and began to recall memories of his family. To himself, he wasn¡¯t invisible, but to an ordinary human gazing at the mirror, he would be unless he used retsu to make himself appear. That¡¯s typically how Setsus operated and were able to live among humans so easily.


    There had only ever been a case of a vampire being uncovered when a foolish one walked through a store and got caught on camera. The vampire had forgotten to use retsu while he wandered around in the store, getting caught invisible in the frozen yogurt aisle. The Tensei Order had to get on the case, and over the course of a few years wiped away the video evidence so that no one would recall it, and fabricated a story that they had the media promote in articles.


    Moments like these reminded him of how silent his home is compared to his earlier childhood days. ¡°Hmph¡­ time flies, doesn¡¯t it gramps? The year is here.¡± Takumi lifted the picture frame up and brushed his thumb across the glass. He caressed the glass, covering the face of the oldest individual in the photo briefly.


    His gaze then shifted from the oldest fellow in the photo over to his father. His memories returned to when he was six.


    Takumi entered his father¡¯s office with a bright smile, as it was rare for his father to be home. Having found out he was around, the boy wanted a chance to play with him. Takumi asked his father enthusiastically, ¡°Dad! You¡¯re back! Can we go play basketball!?¡±


    Setting a silver cup that he had been polishing on his desk, his father turned around and silently signaled for Takumi to approach. The boy did so with twinkles in his eyes. He held out his basketball only for his father to snatch the basketball out of the boy¡¯s hands aggressively. The look his father showed him let the boy know that he didn¡¯t have positive intentions for the ball. The boy¡¯s smile faded, and he attempted to tug at his father¡¯s shirt.


    ¡°Give me the ball back please! FATHER, DON¡¯T THROW IT AWAY!! THAT¡¯S AN OLD GIFT FROM GRAMPS!¡± Takumi shouted. The boy hopped up in an attempt to get the basketball, only for his father to shove him away violently. ¡°Enough! It¡¯s a slave¡¯s game, boy!¡± his father stated in an angered tone. Takumi tripped over his small feet and fell onto his bum. The boy caught himself by setting his hands behind his back and looked up, meeting his father''s angered eyes.


    Takumi sniffled, confused at what his father told him. ¡°But gramps said¡­¡±


    ¡°But nothing,¡± his father interjected. ¡°You will not buy into that geezer''s beliefs, do you understand? You are a Rikuto, who has more important tasks to complete than play some useless game, a game used to distract the weak-minded from what¡¯s truly going on around them. Now go, master Kunji will be here to begin your training, boy.¡±


    ¡°Useless game?¡± Takumi repeated in disbelief at what his father told him.


    The very basketball that his grandfather had taught him about was slandered by his father. ¡°Give me back my ball,¡± the boy demanded in a threatening tone. Curved irises formed in the boy¡¯s eyes as a sign of power close to being used, glowing until the boy noticed something that scared him. The curve of his father¡¯s face, told him everything he had to know. Takumi¡¯s sights went to the ball, being compressed in his father¡¯s hand.


    Seeing as Takumi hadn¡¯t budged and only glared at him with fierce eyes, Takeshi dug his claws into the ball until it popped, and flung the remaining basketball strips straight into a trash bin beside his desk.


    Takeshi¡¯s voice echoed in the boy¡¯s mind. ¡°Defy me again, I dare you¡±


    His father¡¯s menacing voice vibrated right through the boy¡¯s small body. Takumi remained silent.


    ¡°Good. And remember this. Give up on that false belief. Your life has been predestined from the moment you were born.¡±


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Now get out of my sight.¡±


    To Takumi, it was as if his father popped the very foundations of his being. The tears the boy had been holding back, all came down at once, oozing profusely. Unable to contain himself, the boy yelled in retaliation, clenching his eyes tightly ¡°NOOO!!! I WON¡¯T BE YOUR PUPPET!!! I HATE YOU!¡± The boy turned away and ran out of his father''s office just wanting to escape with no destination in mind.


    ¡°IT¡¯S NOT USELESS OR A SLAVE¡¯S GAME! I¡¯LL PROVE YOU WRONG! YOU¡¯LL SEE!¡± He swore as he ran and nearly tripped on his feet. He didn¡¯t care, he just kept running without looking back.


    Hearing a tree branch scratching against the third floor window he was in front of, Takumi snapped out of his daydream. Takumi set the picture frame down and looked past his shoulder over to the open window. A breeze blew in, shaking his bangs back and forth as clouds slowly drifted by. It was the start of April.


    ¡°Alright¡­ Hirazawa¡¯s basketball ceremony is finally today, I can do it now.¡±


    ¡°The first step to proving that bastard wrong¡­¡± Takumi paused and fell into thought for a moment.


    ¡°I survived through eight years of hell for this¡­¡± Visions of himself sitting on top of a tree with bodies hanging around crossed his mind.


    ¡°I won¡¯t waste this chance, Grandfather¡­ but what¡¯d you mean by basketball being a solution. That¡¯s hard to believe from what I¡¯ve seen. And father told me it¡¯s used as a ¡®tool to distract the general public while they get used by the parasites.¡¯ Do people do it just for money, fame, and everything that comes along with it? Or something more? There¡¯s no way I¡¯ve come to appreciate this sport only for it to be an instrument of the corrupt¡­¡±


    ¡°And the Setsus in the upper ranks¡­ I¡¯ll have to be aware of them while I make my move.¡±


    Takumi dug his hands into his black jersey pants as he approached the window. A purple blob scooped across the sky, briefly catching his attention, but he decided he was only imagining things. Staring at a clear lime-blue sky just added to the relaxing atmosphere he found himself in, but he couldn¡¯t help feeling that something was amiss.


    ¡°With those two overseas tending to that outbreak business, I should have an enjoyable school year, but¡­ something¡¯s off.¡±


    Right at that moment, Takumi¡¯s phone started vibrating in his pocket. He slid his hand in and answered the phone. On the line, it was none other than Yoshigawa. ¡°Ay Tai, you leaving already wro?¡±


    ¡°Nah, not yet Shima. I¡¯m on my way downstairs to change my shoes,¡± Takumi answered back.


    ¡°Great, I¡¯ll be over in a sec.¡±


    Takumi was just about to hang up when Yoshigawa asked, ¡°Oh yeah, what could Shinji want with us? I got his message; he sounds desperate to see us. You know something I don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°He wanted a favor¡­¡± Takumi thought back to when he had read Shinji¡¯s message the previous night.


    ¡°A favor, huh? Let me guess, he wants you to do Setsu wo-¡± Takumi hung up before Yoshi could finish. He stuffed his phone back into his pocket, displeased, only for Yoshigawa to call a second later.


    Takumi was tempted to not pick it up but wound up answering anyway. ¡°Shima¡­¡±


    ¡°Dude, chill out! I was only guessing. You know it¡¯s been a while since he last hung out with us. Kinda makes me wonder what he wants out of the blue. Maybe he has some hot babes he wants to introduce to us! Good thing Sanosuke¡¯s not around¡­¡±


    ¡°More for us!¡± Yoshigawa said extra loudly, glancing over his shoulder.


    Takumi pulled back the phone as the call shifted to a video call, Yoshigawa noticed Takumi gawking down at the end call button. He waved for Takumi not to press the end call button yet.


    ¡°Okay, okay! All jokes aside, seriously think about it. You know how grimy that is? If he¡¯s contacting us after months of not even saying hi¡­ there has to be a catch. Maybe it¡¯s related to-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± Takumi grumbled in annoyance.


    ¡°If it is, are we going to help him? If it gives me a chance to escape Kara and Zumepaki¡¯s watch, I¡¯ll take it. That¡¯ll give me a ch-¡± Yoshi reached out for his bag.


    ¡°He''s all over the place today,¡± Takumi thought before responding.


    ¡°Well I¡¯m not. The ol¡¯ man wanted me to go with him to Egypt, but I refused, using the excuse that school is starting up.¡± Takumi turned back, sitting down on the window frame and continued.


    ¡°I will not entangle myself in any of that supernatural trash. From here on out, I¡¯m leading an ordinary high school life where I study and ball until college, then make it on a team in the World Basketball Association. You know the plan Shima, you¡¯re in the same boat.¡±


    ¡°Sorta, but that doesn¡¯t answer my question dude¡­ and you know your ol¡¯ man won¡¯t give up on having you handle your Rikuto duties. I get mine over with, saves the hassle.¡± Yoshi pat the back of his head, stuffing his bag with a jersey.


    Glancing down to his watch, Takumi noted that they had to cut the chat short. ¡°In any case, we¡¯ll find out what Shinji wants when we get there. As for the ol'' geezer, he¡¯s not getting his way. Talk to you in a few.¡± Takumi hung up with a sigh and turned away, having spotted the recently hired gardener just outside the garden, sprinkling questionable liquid over a batch of purple dandelions.


    This gardener had a particularly strange cat suit on, which has never been part of the dress code. ¡°Why?¡± Takumi thought, but quickly realized he didn¡¯t have time to get an answer. ¡°I¡¯ll figure this guy out some other time,¡± he told himself, picking up pace.


    Takumi walked down the flight of steps, as thoughts of his father crossed his mind again. ¡°That¡¯s nothing but a slave¡¯s game, boy. You have more important objectives.¡± The words his father used still pissed him off. With his leather bag over his shoulder, Takumi stepped off the final step and heard the doorbell ring. He looked down at his watch and assumed Yoshigawa had rushed outside of the main mansion the entire time.


    ¡°Yeah, Shima? Hang on,¡± Takumi called out while walking into the first floor living room. He had to find his shoes before stepping out. The spacious living room had a long dining table and a large glass table at the center of the room with hovering couches perfectly angled around the empty glass table. Over by the windows, a maid stood on a floating platform while cleaning the glass of a gigantic alarm clock.


    The maid briefly paused to tap on the glass window, making the glass window shift to black, preventing visibility from the outside. Once she was certain there wasn¡¯t anyone roaming the lawn, she returned to what she was doing. Takumi knelt over to see if his shoes were below the floating couches, but they weren¡¯t there either.


    Takumi stood up and slid his hands back into his pockets. ¡°Mira, have you seen my sneakers?¡± The maid took a bit to answer, as she struggled to reach higher up the see-through glass. The maid exhaled and paused. ¡°If I remember correctly, they''re near the front door.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Takumi said as he turned to exit the living room when a golden envelope caught his sight. ¡°Mira¡­ this letter?¡± he asked the maid who jumped off of the stool while making sure her skirt didn''t rise over her knees. ¡°It¡¯s yours,¡± the maid informed him. Takumi walked over to the table. He picked it up and flicked it open as he exited the living room.


    Out of nowhere, a maid pounced on him from behind, as he adjusted his sneakers, causing him to nearly fall over. She hurriedly unpinned the schoolpin he had on his chest. ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± Takumi questioned, as she adjusted a new pin on him. This one was of Hirazawa, the white liger. ¡°You know¡­ the liger is for boys and the fish is for girls. We got the two they sent mixed up,¡± she told him. Takumi raised a brow, but shrugged it off. ¡°Jump onto me like that again and you¡¯ll be jumping into a casket next¡­¡± he warned as she dashed off, apologizing in sheer terror.


    Takumi made his way to the door, since the bell was continuously ringing. ¡°Yeah yeah, I¡¯m comin¡¯ Shima. Don¡¯t break the bell, we just got it fixed.¡± Takumi pressed his palm against the pad scanner beside the door. The door slid to the side while he read the letter. ¡°We¡¯re driving in my car to¡­¡± Takumi paused.


    His eyes scanned the paper word for word as a sweat drop rolled down his forehead. He squinted his eyes just a bit rather agitated. ¡°There¡¯s no way¡­¡± What he was reading became unfathomable. ¡°This must be some sort of sick joke.¡±


    The letter crumpled a bit as he looked down to who was before him, then back to the paper in his hand. The letter was from his parents, and they informed him that he is to be married to a girl and that they¡¯d now be living at the estate together for some time. The letter added that they¡¯d be going to the same school for the next four years, and that Takumi would have to help his older sister with the Rikuto responsibilities if he didn¡¯t want to be homeschooled. That was the condition his parents set for ¡°not meddling¡± in his high school life.


    Takumi mumbled under his breath. ¡°This is meddling¡­¡± Takumi''s arm dropped lifelessly to his side. When the girl attempted to greet Takumi, the teen raised his head and darted a stern glare at the girl. His butler didn¡¯t escape the glare either.


    Alto, a 5¡¯4 short and muscular Italian Setsu, Takumi¡¯s personal butler and watchdog, stood beside this girl. Takumi watched the ends of Alto¡¯s thick blonde mustache twitch several times over his upper lip. Alto¡¯s green eyes were barely visible between the slits of his eyelids momentarily. Takumi checked him from head to toe, until Alto¡¯s yellow uniform made him feel nauseous. It matched his long pigtail that waved at the center of his head as if it were a terrified cat.


    He turned back to the girl, who had short crimson hair that reached her shoulders and large oak doll-like eyes that complemented her pale skin. Takumi took in her dress, an indication of the Rikuto house she came from. It was white, with different red floral designs. ¡°A Hasegawa¡­¡± Takumi growled. He noticed her skirt reached her knees, as he subconsciously assessed how short she was compared to him while her sun hat waved about.


    ¡°Hi¡­ um¡­ my name is Hanami Hasegawa. Are you Takumi¡­ er, Hachi?¡± Her smile steadily shifted into a forced one. The girl bowed for about eight seconds, low enough for her sun hat to fall off of her head, but leaned back up, since she didn¡¯t hear him say anything, and quickly put it back on.


    Hanami awkwardly waved her hand up in front of Takumi¡¯s face as he stood there like a statue. Three maids stepped out to take the girl¡¯s luggage. Men were suddenly entering and exiting the home loading boxes into the living room.


    ¡°¡®Scuse me! Coming through!¡± People squeezed by Takumi with boxes on their shoulders.


    ¡°Young master, is something the matter? Are you okay?¡± Alto approached and asked, concerned at the teen¡¯s silence. He could tell something unpleasant was coming, as his blonde mustache wiggled around. Takumi was completely distraught, his eyes silently staring off into the distance.


    Hanami tightly clenched her bag in one hand as the awkward silence continued, with the only sound coming from the men chattering whilst bringing in boxes they unloaded from a gigantic red hovering truck that backed up along the mansion¡¯s sidewalk.


    ¡°Tch.¡±

 Chapter 2

    ¡°How could I have¡­ I can¡¯t believe I trusted him. Rios Granary¡­¡±


    ¡°Look at where it got me now¡­ three months of lies.¡± Hanami reflected as she headed towards steps that led to the mansion. ¡°After everything I told him¡­¡± Hanami began recalling her final moments with the individual.


    ¡°It looks so depressing in there¡­ when 2 arrives, we can go for a walk outside. The florias will be dazzling with the evening sun. We can take you outside soon, since the other guards are on break at the same time this week.¡±


    ¡°But won¡¯t you get in trouble if we get caught?¡±


    ¡°If we get caught, yeah¡­  but you deserve the air! Trapped here for 23 hours, no one deserves that. Especially you.¡±


    ¡°Rios, have you ever lost someone you care about?¡±


    ¡°I think we all have or eventually will. It¡¯s more about the circumstances of how it happens¡­ are you asking that because of your father, Hanami?¡±


    ¡°You know about him?¡± Hanami asked, worried.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard¡­ things-¡±


    ¡°Everyone says he died, but I don¡¯t believe that! My paps has to be alive! But how can I find him? If I¡¯m stuck here, I¡¯ll never find him this way. What good am I? Why do I continue living when I can¡¯t even help my mother?! And everyone hates me¡­¡± She broke down as Rios opened the door to step in and hug her, even at the risk of execution for even doing so.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true! I¡¯m here, aren¡¯t I? It won¡¯t be too long until you¡¯re able to roam freely again, so cry if you must¡­  but I¡¯ll have you feeling better real soon.¡±


    She snuggled into him as he looked outside of the door. ¡°They¡¯re gone, you can come out now.¡±


    Rios picked the door¡¯s lock and allowed the girl out as she happily stepped outside and went to one of the vast windows to see red and golden vines in the clouds.


    ¡°They¡¯re so beautiful! They¡¯re¡­ just like in that book you described. I wonder how they feel!¡±


    ¡°Are those swans flying this high?! RIOS, COME LOOK!¡±


    Hanami turned around just as Rios approached her with a lance behind his back. He swung it over and aimed it for her face. It¡¯d have gone through if it weren¡¯t for a rotating sphere that formed around her, as red lines formed along her skin and face. She fell back with her crimson red hair flowing, and a second later, the sphere resembling the flower of life deactivated, to Rios¡¯ delight.


    He rushed in to pierce through and successfully drew blood, grazing the lance beside her ribcage, causing the girl to stumble aside and question in utter confusion, ¡°RIOS!?¡±


    ¡°DIE, YOU WRETCHED CURSE!¡± he shouted at her, causing her to fall in shock.


    Just as he brought it down towards her, something breezed through, deflecting the sphere out of his hand as the sphere crashed through the wall and another explosion spread debris everywhere. Hanami screamed, holding on as she was dangling outside the wall and watched as Rios was pinned. ¡°KILL HER! SHE¡¯S NOTHING BUT A CURSE! SHE¡¯LL BE THE DEATH OF YOU MAD DOGS! UNHAND ME!¡± he shouted growling and snarling her way, only to have a sphere stabbed over his head. Her eyes widened as her grip loosened and she glanced down to the flowers in the clouds. She tried to let go, only to be caught by a knight who stated, ¡°You cannot escape your fate now¡­ Miss Hanami.¡±


    ¡°Judging by what¡¯s presently happening worldwide¡­ this is an unfortunate time to send her. It¡¯d be best to keep her here¡­¡±


    ¡°From the reports we just received, the Gem tried escaping with a foot guard from the granary, only for him to attack her.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s still very reckless and naive.¡±


    ¡°The Gem cannot be allowed to remain in Hokkaido any longer. We must act quickly before another attempt is made on her life and begin a more thorough investigation.¡±


    ¡°It will only continue to stir a problem among the clans. I say she can either be sent to the Italian side of her family or to¡­¡±


    ¡°Who opts to send her to the Hachi? It¡¯s early, but she is to be married to the next Sekiha, correct?¡±


    ¡°That one? Out of all those Rikuto¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors he¡¯s taken the Alessandro Enigma at a very early age¡­¡±


    ¡°His father sent him to different battles, did he not? In fact, he took on Miss Angia once.¡±


    ¡°Word is, he¡¯s the ruthless Stray Slayer of Osaka¡­¡±


    ¡°Is it really wise to send the Gem now? To such a beast¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d be the end of her, but at least she¡¯d be out of our hairs.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s been kept in that cell long enough now¡­ and the seal? If it is holding up well, we can send her tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°For that, an old friend will be assuring her safety.¡±


    ¡°Wakaba, do you agree to send your granddaughter to the Hachis in Osaka? She may die there.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s better than any of us dying; that¡¯s for sure.¡± Laughter broke out among the elders.


    ¡°If she¡¯s able to last 4 months there and show signs of control, then we may allow her to return for some time.¡±


    ¡°Send word of our decree to the girl.¡±


    ¡°Now I¡¯ve been thrown away to live with some fiance for the sake of my ¡®family.¡¯ They should¡¯ve just killed me.¡± The girl sighed heavily.


    ¡°Nana¡­ she¡¯s relying on me for this. I have to pull it together for her.¡±


    Monday, 7:29 a.m.


    ¡°Hehe, umm¡­ I was caught off guard, too.¡± The girl wiggled back and forth in place, uneasy of what she should say to this complete stranger. She had to put on a fa?ade for him at the very least and pretend she was interested for the sake of satisfying her legal guardians back home. Hanami wasn¡¯t exactly comfortable with the sudden plan that she practically learned of overnight.


    Hanami recalled sitting comfortably, as a private flight attendant approached her and handed her a screen that had a pre-recorded message from her grandmother. She looked at the screen, utterly baffled.


    ¡°You¡¯re to start high school in Osaka. Since you¡¯ve never been to a private school, it should be a fresh experience for you. Especially since it¡¯s one full of Setsu. Although the clans in Osaka have been told Hanami Hasegawa will be in the region, none know of how you look, so please keep your identity secure.¡± Her grandmother briefly paused and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s crucial that you make this work. The union between our two families will determine how the unseen hands make their move.¡±


    ¡°Unseen hands?¡± The girl questioned.


    ¡°But do not worry about anything else. You¡¯ll be in great hands; just have fun! You¡¯re being given this chance to accomplish your desires, deary.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even have breakfast, nana¡­¡± Hanami whined.


    She was hoping for a better introduction between them, but right off the bat, the tall, young fellow seemed menacing. He seemed as if he were from prison by the way he had a long sleeve, except it wasn¡¯t black and white, but instead white and purple. His whole look screamed troublemaker, the complete opposite of the charming rich guy she thought she¡¯d be meeting. ¡°He has a collar around his neck¡­ is that the style around here? Is he into K-Pop?¡± She stared down at the floor, thinking of what to say.


    ¡°Do I tell him a joke? No¡­ think, Hanami,¡± she thought to herself, growing upset with each passing second until she forced the girliest smile she could make and waved her hand in front of him.


    ¡°I come in peace!¡± she said, earning her a continued silence.


    ¡°Okay, okay¡­  we are to be married. I¡¯m Hanami Hasegawa.¡±


    ¡°You should call me Haruna in public though, but yeah¡­ I¡¯m


    y-your bride¡­ ahhh, it¡¯s so embarrassing¡­¡±


    The girl stumbled over her words, nibbling on her lower lip and tightly gripping her kendo bag. She could feel the butterflies in her tummy. She hated the feeling of being forced, something she¡¯d hoped would change after leaving her home.


    ¡°Why am I being forced to live with this guy anyway? A way to get rid of me, huh? Angie¡¯s idea I bet¡­¡± she ranted inside of her head. ¡°What if he¡¯s a complete weirdo? Or a psychotic abuser? Nana¡­¡±


    ¡°At least he looks good,¡± she tried to see the positive in her predicament. It still didn¡¯t help much, as she could tell from his silence that he wasn¡¯t too happy about it. Without a single response, Takumi slammed the door in her face. Hanami froze.


    ¡°H-He¡­ slammed the door in my face,¡± she whined.


    ¡°Not good¡­¡± Alto thought nervously


    Alto recalled what the girl¡¯s grandmother had told him about her. Much like many of the Imperial Setsus of the Hasegawa, Hanami had a strong sense of justice. She had no tolerance for rude acts or gestures. Alto looked down to her clenched fists. ¡°If I don¡¯t do something quickly¡­¡±


    A sweat drop rolled down Alto¡¯s forehead as he stepped in front of her and knocked on the door, using the tips of his knuckles quickly. He could feel a strong heat emanating from the girl behind him.


    ¡°Young master, open this door right now and listen!¡± He spoke up in a demanding tone. Takumi hesitantly opened the door just enough for the two to see the same nasty glare he directed at Hanami.


    She looked up and glared back at him in return, angry at how coldly he shut the door right in her face when she was close to reciting what she had to memorize during her flight over. ¡°All of that preparing for such a rude jerk! I could¡­  ughhh!!!¡± She screamed in her head. Her hands formed into fists on and off until she grasped the bottom of her skirt in an attempt to hold the urge to bust through the door and clobber him.


    Her cheeks puffed up as her throat started burning from the immense urge she felt. She wanted to yell at him and correct him, but continued to resist the temptation, hoping he¡¯d step out and apologize. Hanami turned away and walked down the steps in order to give Alto some time to attempt to fix the situation. Alto took this cue, practically prancing to the door in a leap.


    ¡°The sacred jewel of the Hasegawa¡­ of Japan itself, is right here! She¡¯s here to unite with you, my boy! Although she was born 99% human, her Imperial Setsu blood has concentrated into 1%, making it the richest blood in existence. And she¡¯s all yours to take care of.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s supposed to be a big deal?¡± Takumi shouted from behind the door.


    ¡°Of cour-¡±


    ¡°She can be a monkey juggler for all I care. Send her back to the jungle she came from,¡±  Takumi muttered coldly.


    ¡°That can¡¯t happen. Let me give you a more thorough explanation. I know you have a distaste for Hasegawas, but¡­¡± Alto¡¯s blonde mustache wiggled as he continued on.


    ¡°Her family has close ties to the Hachi. Even though there was once a feud that brewed between the Hachi and Hasegawa, right now, there are bigger issues circulating. She isn¡¯t only here for some marriage. Her blood¡¯s very rare and thus, sought by many. Not all with positive intentions of course, even in Hokkaido. She¡¯s been sent to remain under our care for now. If the wrong beings were to take her, it¡¯d be catastrophic. In order to keep her safe and assist her in a personal problem, your parents agreed with her grandmother to have you both live together in the meantime¡­¡±


    Takumi pushed his lips inward and nodded his head as if he finally agreed. Hanami caught a quick glimpse of this and assumed he was understanding the situation finally, though she couldn¡¯t hear what Alto was whispering to Takumi. She sighed, relieved, letting the monkey comment pass, even if Takumi had said it loudly on purpose. ¡°After this¡­ I guess he¡¯ll apologize and everything will be okay,¡± she thought to herself.


    ¡°That''s their plan¡­¡± Takumi¡¯s eyebrows twitched. The scent of the girl filled his nostrils. ¡°They¡¯re doing this to try and get me to drink blood, hmph.¡± He lifted the back of his hand to his nose in an attempt to keep the scent from imprinting itself into his head. She gave off a strong scent of cherries that only Setsus could pick up on.


    Takumi pulled the door back some more, still having not moved an inch. Hanami released her clenched fist and stepped forward to go over and shake his hands for the apparent misunderstanding, but when she raised it up, Takumi didn¡¯t take it. He stared down at her small hand, particularly her veins that he noticed along her pale forearm. The owl clock attached to the door frame seemed to tick slower, with each passing second as her heartbeats became more noticeable to him. ¡°Tick, thump¡­ tick, thump¡­ tick, thump¡­¡± Takumi sunk deeper into thought on what it meant if he took her hand at that moment.


    A life of doing his father''s bidding, something he swore to never do again. It¡¯d be going against the promise he made to himself. He could hear his parents laughing evilly from afar in the back of his head. He could just imagine how they must be laughing at him at that very moment somewhere in Egypt, treating their time there like some sort of twisted vacation. Takumi felt his collar tighten around his neck at these thoughts, forcing him to calm down a tad. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    A gust of wind blew between the pair, carrying with it an ongoing awkward silence. The girl¡¯s flower hat waved around a bit and then flew off of her head for a second time. Takumi slammed the door right in her face not once, but ¡°TWICE!!!¡± She cried out.


    The slamming of the door caused the three men that were setting the boxes to look over towards the door. ¡°Draaamaaa¡­¡± one of the smaller men sneaked in and was quickly struck across the head by one of the other men.


    ¡°Shut it, you wanna be unemployed?¡± the short man mimicked the taller one and the three turned away to continue unpacking.


    ¡°Hehe¡­ heh¡­¡± she stammered, dropping her head, as the positive demeanor she tried to force disappeared. Hanami threw her bag, shaking her fist. Her temper flared up along with her crimson hair.


    ¡°I¡¯ve put a lot of his type in their place, and that¡¯s not about to change now!¡± She smashed her fists twice together, turning away. Hanami then turned over and began to bang at the door furiously with the side of her fists, adding in kicks. ¡°HEY, WHAT¡¯S WITH YOU?!?! OPEN THIS DOOR, JERK! GET OUT HERE!!! I¡¯M DONE BEING TREATED RUDELY BY EVERYONE!¡±


    Alto tried to reach out to stop her and at least pull her back, but instinctively stopped himself. The men hauling luggage stopped, stared at Takumi kneeling down for a second and then continued their work, pretending they were deaf. The girl pounded heavily on the door.


    Hearing all the commotion, Miranda poked her head out


    from the side of a statue near the living room where she¡¯d been.


    ¡°Is that your bride?¡± the maid asked cheekily. Takumi didn¡¯t respond. He furiously teared the golden letter right down the middle and brought the ends together, ripping them up into small confetti. He grabbed his bag in one hand and opened the door up once more with a fist full of ripped paper.


    Hanami stepped back a bit when Takumi opened the door, expecting an apology. Her face was as red as a tomato. She huffed, puffing one of her cheeks up. Her right fist was held up, with her left hand on her right elbow, and her big doll-like oak eyes glued onto his face. ¡°WELL?! APOLOGIZE NOW, DOOFUS!¡± she demanded, earning something else instead.


    Takumi tossed the pieces of paper at her face and walked by her, purposely bumping against her shoulder. She stumbled back a bit and nearly fell, but Alto stepped forward and caught her. ¡°L-Lady Hana!¡± Alto gasped, shocked that Takumi would brush her off, even after knowing how important this was.


    ¡°Young master!¡± Alto called out to Takumi. He was upset, and trying hard not to react. Alto turned his attention to the girl. ¡°Please don¡¯t pay mind to him, he¡¯s like that with everyone! The good news is h-¡± Alto attempted to convince her.


    Hanami didn¡¯t answer. She remained in place for twenty seconds, setting her hands down on the cold white tiles below her. She tried using the cool sensation that brushed across her palm in order to calm herself down, but the way he treated her replayed in her head over and over, only making her increasingly upset. She couldn''t believe she was being married to such an insolent person. Surely her grandmother was mistaken when she agreed to her granddaughter marrying someone like him. Hearing the sound of an engine revving up, she finally recomposed herself and stood back up just in time to see Takumi tossing his bag into the passenger seat of his hover car.


    ¡°HEYYY!!!¡± she called out to Takumi who slid in and got comfy on the driver¡¯s seat. He shut the car door and rolled up the window in order to drown out the pesky yelling. When he looked into his rearview mirror to start backing up, he squinted his eyes. Hanami was approaching the car¡¯s rear side. He ignored the reflection and looked away as the raging girl hopped around, throwing a fit. ¡°Not my fault if the animal gets hit,¡± he told himself mischievously, taking a glance at the blind spot.


    ¡°YOU¡¯LL REGRET TREATING ME LIKE THIS!!!¡± Hanami kicked her left foot down repeatedly as if attempting to stomp on a bug and swooped down the set of three steps. She landed and took a leap onto the driveway as Takumi now fully activated the hover car. Red lights blinked from the back, as it elevated three feet off of the ground, releasing a compression of heated air onto the driveway. This mix of fumes, brushed towards the girl as she took a quick step jumping up.


    ¡°L-LADY HANA! One moment!¡± Alto swung his finger around in an attempt to get her attention. Failing miserably, he followed behind, but wisely kept his distance as he urged her to calm down. ¡°Take it easy! I¡¯ll get him to apologize!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that myself,¡± she yelled. ¡°This won¡¯t be easy,¡± Alto told himself.


    Upon reaching the car, Hanami latched onto the back and started banging on its windows from the left end, over to the front until she was at the driver seat window. ¡°GRAAHHH!!! OPENNN UP, COWARD!!!¡± Takumi turned his head and looked her square in the face. Getting recognition, she stopped the screaming. She waited for him to say something, but Takumi wouldn¡¯t say anything. He just glared at her, then turned away, acting like she wasn¡¯t there. This further ticked her off, who resumed the banging and demanding. ¡°I DEMAND TO KNOW WHY YOU¡¯RE SO RUDE TO ME!¡±


    Not engaging her, Takumi reached down to pull his phone out. He dialed up Alto¡¯s phone number. Alto maintained a distance of ten feet from Hanami, as she repeatedly slammed her elbows against the car window.


    ¡°Young master? Please apologize to her, before this gets worse¡­¡± Alto spoke into the phone.


    Takumi cut him short and ignored Alto¡¯s warning. ¡°Spare me¡­ did you add the music playlist I requested?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did and also updated the sonogastra for your trip¡­  bu-¡± Alto responded, before being cut off.


    ¡°Good, I don¡¯t want to deal with any of those Shikis either. I''m living an ordinary life from now on.¡± Takumi hung up and set his phone down in the cupboard behind the gear shift. He pushed the key in and turned it, causing the ignition to kick start. Hanami kicked up onto the roof of the car.


    When Takumi pressed down on the petal, he was forced to quickly press on the breaks just as the car moved forward, due to Hanami sliding down from the roof of the car and landing right in front of it. ¡°YOU¡¯RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE, STUPID PIG! LET ME IN!!!¡± she roared, with her hands extended to her side.


    His limited patience withered away, being replaced with a spicy thought. Takumi struck the top of the steering wheel and turned the key backwards. He yanked the keys out, causing the car to slowly land back down on the driveway.


    ¡°Come out here, now!¡± Hanami shouted as she returned to kicking the hood of Takumi¡¯s car. Takumi¡¯s heart skipped a beat at the sight of her sandal striking the hood in his view.


    ¡°Tch.¡± He aimlessly honked but she wouldn¡¯t budge, so he came out, swinging the door open. She slid her hands onto her hips, pushing out her chest as if sizing up to Takumi, who was much taller. Not that it stopped him at all, as he grabbed her by the back of her dress. In turn, she tried swinging her palm up towards his chin, but he slid past her forearm and pulled her off the driveway and over to the wet grass near the sidewalk of the estate.


    ¡°ACK, LET GO!¡± Hanami screamed as she attempted to pry Takumi''s hand off of her. Upon reaching the grass, Takumi flung her over. She stumbled against the grass four times, causing grass to fling up around her until she stopped just in front of a sprinkler. Takumi pointed over at her and shouted ¡°Do you like me that much already, you crazy b*tch?! I don¡¯t intend to marry the likes of you.¡±


    ¡°Me, a¡­ what?! How dare you?!¡± She clawed her fingers into the soil and chucked it over to Takumi, who dodged every toss until she stopped.


    ¡°I¡¯m in the same boat as you, bat for brains! I don¡¯t like you either! What kind of Rikuto are you?!¡± She recalled the report she read on Takumi, where it mentioned he was about 6¡¯1, 15 years of age. ¡°I¡¯m not scared of a big oaf like you! You can give me that glare all you want, you lunatic!¡± She rallied up the courage to stand up to him, since they were already stuck together for the next four years.


    ¡°I¡¯m the lunatic? You jumped in front of my car and attacked it!¡± Takumi argued.


    ¡°That¡¯s only after what you did! Who do you think I am? I¡¯m not going to take that from you! All I want is an enjoyable four years and I won¡¯t let a rude maniac like you take that from me! Give me my apology!¡± Hanami stood up and smashed her elbows together twice.


    Takumi watched her hop in place as she raised her elbows to her side. He raised a brow in confusion, only to see her unexpectedly dash right at him. Takumi found himself lopsided, as she hit him with a combo of three elbows, one across his left cheek, the other across his right cheek and the final, a clean uppercut that sent him falling back.


    Alto watched in horror and hurried his steps over, but stopped as he saw Takumi lean up almost right away, with a frown. He expected Takumi to jump up and fight, but he didn¡¯t. Takumi remained seated, rubbing his cheeks while processing what she did to him. He then brought his hands down between his thighs, feeling his palm brush up against wet grass and glared at the girl in silence.


    ¡°I won¡¯t excuse that behavior from anybody, especially you! Be reasonable!¡± She pointed at Takumi, when a sprinkler suddenly activated and released cold water on her. Takumi and Alto awkwardly watched her gradually get drenched from head to toe.


    Hanami gasped as the frigid water ran down her neck, sliding to her lower back. At the sight of her squirming around, Takumi couldn¡¯t help but raise the back of his hand over his mouth to hide the emotion threatening to bubble out. ¡°Great, you¡¯re cooled down¡­ maybe now you¡¯ll buzz off,¡± Takumi quipped. Try as he did, it wasn¡¯t easy for him to suppress the urge to laugh. He soon found Hanami chucked one of her sandals. It hit him across the head, causing him to stop laughing.


    Hidden away, the gardener silently watched this exchange. ¡°When the rarest of flowers is close to being picked, who can stop a treacherous Copernicus? You are mine.¡± With that, Takko sunk into a bush wall.


    Hanami¡¯s eyes twitched as she squirmed in place. A crooked smile formed on her face until she snapped again. ¡°RAAAAHHHHHH!!!¡± She rocked her head back and forth and attempted to jump up, but suddenly felt pain in her right knee. This caused her to flinch and plop back down on her flamboyant floral dress. She had scraped her knee against a twig and hadn¡¯t noticed up until that moment.


    Takumi rose to his feet, drawing a low sigh that was quickly silenced when he felt immense Retsu pressure bear down on him.


    The familiar Retsu came from none other than Alto himself, who wasn¡¯t being passive anymore. Alto passed by him urgently, looking to get the situation under control before things got worse. ¡°I¡¯ll be heading out now,¡± Takumi told Alto, turning away with the intention of heading to his car.


    ¡°No, you are not going yet, my boy,¡± Alto ordered, watching Takumi from the corner of his sight. His thick blonde mustache mimicked a frowning face. Gazing at the boy¡¯s face brought back memories to when Takumi was a small child, particularly the day the family had attended a funeral.


    Takumi was all alone near a grave marker while the rest of the family had already left. Alto walked up behind him with a chocolate brown umbrella to keep the rain from wetting the boy anymore than it already had. ¡°Everyone¡¯s gone. We must go too, young master.¡± Alto briefly looked at the surrounding grave stones. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Teisho is around those he adored here. Come, let¡¯s go.¡± Gaining no response, Alto turned the boy around. Takumi stared at him with the same emotionless expression he had on at the present moment.


    ¡°What?¡±


    The butler didn''t respond, but kept in mind that there is a reason for Takumi¡¯s actions. In this case, he knew Takumi was really upset at his parents forcing a marriage, but the girl wasn¡¯t to blame either. ¡°You wait right there,¡± he told Takumi, who obliged.


    Leaning down at Hanami¡¯s side, Alto lifted her up in order to move her away from the sprinklers. His rather tight pants made this difficult, but he sprinted twelve feet away and set her down,  ignoring the fact that he got wet in the process. ¡°Here, let me use this,¡± Alto said in a fatherly tone.


    His gesture momentarily made the girl feel tingly inside. She trembled slightly, as a breeze passed by below the rolling clouds. Alto tapped his inner earpiece to request that one of the maids come out from the first floor to deliver a towel, and pulled out a blue handkerchief from his back pocket and gently wrapped it around the bright red scrape on her knee.


    The pain was sharper than Hanami had expected. She shut her eyes and bit down on her small lower lip. ¡°I-It stings really bad. I¡¯ve had worse, but¡­¡± she winced.


    ¡°This atmosphere is different than the one you¡¯ve been accustomed to. I know it hurts, m''lady. It''ll only last a few seconds,¡± Alto assured her, and shifted his attention back to the handkerchief. Blood oozed from the wound, wetting the handkerchief. It absorbed some of the girl¡¯s blood and released cells that fused with her cells and multiplied. Hanami¡¯s once clenched eyes suddenly loosened. She opened her eyes, as her tears gleamed with the reflection of the now visible sun that shone over them.


    ¡°W-What did you do?¡± she asked the butler.


    ¡°I used a Woshu cloth. A Woshu is a fabric or object made out of small living spirits that have a range of properties tangible with vibes that pulse through your body. You do not know? Ah yes¡­ your grandmother requested that I teach you during your stay. Much work. They should have taught you what should be common knowledge for a Setsu of your heritage.¡± Alto let out a jolly chuckle as a bewildered Hanami tilted her head slightly. She dropped her eyes down to the grass sorrowfully, remembering the fact that many never shared much of anything with her since she wasn¡¯t fully Setsu.


    ¡°The handkerchief I¡¯m using heals small wounds and purifies the absorbed blood. The more the spirits we call living cells absorb, the more they heal the exterior, but at the cost of the host¡¯s blood that the sprites use as fuel. Many of the Woshu weapons possess the same principle in different ways, as they require blood. There¡¯s your first lesson,¡± Alto offered a kind smile as he kept the handkerchief pressed firmly on her knee.


    ¡°A lesson? Um, thank you.¡± Hanami nodded appreciatively and then looked over at Takumi. At his sight, her anger returned to her.


    ¡°Why someone like him?¡± She sighed in agony, still drowning in ¡°whys¡±. Takumi stood in place like Alto had ordered. She couldn¡¯t tell if he was in any way remorseful, as she couldn¡¯t read his expression.


    ¡°Takumi, I want you to wait while Lady Hanami heads inside to change,¡± said Alto. ¡°You¡¯re taking her to the school entrance ceremony before you head off to Gumi Caf¨¦.¡± Alto¡¯s yellow eyes were fixed on Takumi.


    ¡°Tch. Can¡¯t you have Voltaire do so?¡± Takumi asked him. ¡°You¡¯re making my life harder than it has to be, gramps.¡±


    Alto maintained his stature. ¡°I know best. Voltaire will be taking both of you there first. A ride will do you both some good. Both of your parents will be thrilled to hear that you¡¯ve gotten along. I¡¯m merely doing my job, young master.¡±


    Takumi ignored Alto¡¯s explanation, slipping into his hazy thoughts. ¡°I don¡¯t want to get to know some outlandish b*tch from Hokkaido.¡±


    ¡°Hey! I don¡¯t want to get to know you either! And watch your mouth! Want me to beat you again?!¡±


    ¡°Shut your mouth, squirt,¡± Takumi mouthed over to her as Alto cut in.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of whether you want to or not. You have to.¡±


    ¡°Old man, I can¡¯t believe that you knew about this and you couldn¡¯t stop my parents. You know my goals¡­¡± Takumi shot at Alto. Then he turned and locked eyes with Hanami. ¡°And yet you still allowed someone like her to mess with the ordinary life that I¡¯m after. On an important day, no less.¡±


    Staring her way, each passing second made the urge stronger. The urge to walk over and sink his fangs into her and taste her blood, but it wasn¡¯t as strong as his resolve. Takumi had never drank blood in his life and he was not about to start. Once he did, it¡¯d be like him relinquishing his dreams. ¡°Their plan won¡¯t work, I won¡¯t be like them,¡± he said. Takumi repeated in his head and bit his fangs into the sides of his cheek.


    ¡°I''m sorry. If I could have done something, I would have. We can only move forward now,¡± Alto said, as he looked away and helped the girl up.


    Takumi stayed quiet for a few seconds.


    ¡°No point in cryin¡¯ over spilled milk, I guess¡­¡±


    Alto had a point, and it wasn¡¯t his fault. Squinting his eyes, Takumi waved his hand back and forth in front of his face, fanning himself. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to bring our parents together and call this thing off when the time comes.¡±


    Hanami fiddled with her thumbs and mumbled. ¡°If only it were that easy. I have no say in what my legal guardians decide. I don¡¯t have my parents right now.¡±


    Takumi¡¯s ears twitched. He nibbled on the interior of his lower lip. His Setsu eyes glowed brighter. A sudden flash of a creaking floorboard and shackles being slung back against the wall flashed through his eyes when he looked at her.


    ¡°A memory?¡± Takumi huffed under his breath and brought his palm up to his forehead, digging his fingers into his soft hair, as a sharp pain clamped against his temples. With the brief headache, came a vision in his head. Hanami glanced over to him and Alto ran over to him at the sight  of Takumi dropping to his knees.


    ¡°Young master, what''s wrong?!¡± Alto shook Takumi¡¯s shoulder, attempting to get an answer from him.


    Takumi waved his hand and lifted himself back up. ¡°Nothing. The sun¡¯s pretty strong today.¡± Takumi stared into Hanami¡¯s deep oak eyes and reassuringly said, ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out. For now, hurry up and get changed, squirt.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with him? He changed up that fast?!¡± she thought to herself.


    She puffed up her cheeks and swung her finger in his direction. ¡°Stupid oaf, I¡¯ll take my time! Hmph.¡± Her hair flipped aside as she turned away, heading over to a maid who held out a towel for her. Handing the girl the towel, the maid led her to the mansion to get ready.


    ¡°What a nuisance,¡± Takumi commented to himself before bringing his attention to Alto.


    ¡°Say gramps¡­¡± Takumi flicked the tip of his tongue along his palm, then grazed it along the front of Alto¡¯s shiny head.


    ¡°Hm?¡± The butler¡¯s single strand of hair flew back and forth in the wind. Takumi stopped rubbing Alto¡¯s forehead, as the butler chuckled at the boy¡¯s actions.


    ¡°Voltaire¡¯s hover car is up to date, right?¡±


    ¡°It is.¡±


    Knowing that the sonograsta was operating well made Takumi feel a tad more secure. He¡¯d be able to ask her questions regarding a bit of her past. He felt inclined to do so, even if he didn¡¯t fully understand why he was all that interested. Takumi made a mental note to figure out what that memory was about later and shifted his attention back to something else.


    He¡¯d now be able to indulge in a somewhat ordinary life. Although it wouldn¡¯t be too ordinary, since he¡¯d be attending a prestigious school his family ran; still, he planned to make sure no one got in his way. Unbeknownst to Takumi, the entire region of Osaka was alerted that he¡¯d begin school at Hirazawa Private High.


    The Bonsai magazine company had the internal scoop on this information. It had been leaked to the controlled media and became accessible to dozens of high school girls now clamoring to get through the gates of Hirazawa for a chance to interact  with the boy.


    To girls, he was the complete package in terms of his looks, brains and his status. If a girl were able to conquer him, she¡¯d be set for life. At least that¡¯s how most of the females at the school saw it. Even if they couldn¡¯t get with him, they¡¯d have a shot at one of the other four nobles he called his best friends.


    Takumi wasn¡¯t the only one in this magazine. There were also three other individuals aside from Yoshigawa, who came from prestigious families as well, and were supposed to be in Hirazawa. These other three families were the La Crofts, Belclaires and Reigns, which were all part of the Tensei Order, whose families safeguard different regions in Japan and other countries.


    ¡°Young master, you are aware that the school is crowded right now correct?¡± Alto asked standing in place, remembering he had seen a mob of females and other random individuals over live television on the gigantic flat screen in the laundry room.


    ¡°That''s why I decided to take the night class instead. I¡¯ll be able to enjoy school at night at least and ball during the day.¡± Takumi made it to his car and patted the pad. A cool breeze blew out of the ridge of the car seat, refreshing him. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know the night class is cancelled¡­¡± Alto thought, keeping that fact to himself. Alto asked, ¡°Will you be attending the ceremony? You know how your sister is¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s gonna want to see me, huh?¡± Takumi sighed. ¡°There¡¯s a court between the large park, and the ceremony is going to be held nearby, so I guess I¡¯ll have to go,¡± Takumi explained. ¡°I''ll drop off the brat and tend to some business with Shima first though.¡± Takumi found himself seated in the car. Fifteen minutes had gone by. Takumi had gotten comfortable in the car and dozed off, but was awoken by repeated knocks that came from the passenger door near him. Takumi rubbed his left eye and yawned, stretching his back sideways. Voltaire rolled the window down slightly, allowing the door to unlock. This opened the passenger door, releasing a tight compression of cold air that brushed past the girl¡¯s new dress, a more formal outfit for the ceremony that wouldn¡¯t scream that she was from a foreign region.


    Hanami now wore a school dress. Takumi¡¯s eyes narrowed over to the left side of her chest where she had her school pin, causing her to quickly bring her hands over it. Takumi squinted, and opened his mouth to say something, but he thought it better to keep his mouth shut. She got into the car and Voltaire instantly started driving as Hanami noticed the fellow.


    He quickly drove through the front gates of the estate and once they were on the road, Takumi couldn¡¯t help but ask her. ¡°Is there any meaning behind the two numbers you chose for that pin?¡±


    He wanted to know whether she put thought into her school pin and if it was related to the faint memory he had seen before. The girl shook her hand, waving him off with a forced smile. ¡°N-no, totally not. I randomly got this today!¡± She avoided the topic and turned to look out to the fields and mountainous terrains they passed.


    The peaks were snow white and the rest different shades of blue. Just around it all, the sun shone beautifully, reflecting against the rear view mirrors. ¡°It¡¯s already this sunny.¡± Takumi mumbled to himself. The word ¡°sunny¡± ironically reminded Hanami of the nighttime. It made her rather sleepy with the old country music Takumi had on. She found herself slowly sinking into a trance-like state as the car shook back and forth every now and then with Voltaire avoiding the cattle that had been on the side of the road.¡°Tnnnntnkk tnnk.¡± The familiar sound of bags shaking back and forth in the back trunk of the car kept her from falling asleep momentarily, but she soon found herself dozing off into a dreadful dream. Takumi¡¯s eyes glowed a dark purple as he peered into her memories.

 Chapter 3

    ¡°The number 4¡­ is usually associated with bad luck. It¡¯s the number of all wicked things,¡± a voice stated.


    ¡°HYYYAAHHH, HYYYYAAHHHHHH!!!¡± a man called out, using his wrists to flick a whip against gigantic horses tied to a carriage. These horses resembled Arion and their white mane looked like flames that danced around in the wind. The carriage stormed down the road with a dense forest on both sides. It left behind trails of dust clouds that rose up for a few seconds before floating away.


    ¡°Cake, cake, cakeee, yummy cake, cake flavored cakeeeee!¡± Hanami sang to herself, kicking her feet back and forth between her parents. Her mother set down the knitting needles and the blue dress she was knitting into a basket between her heels. She moved back up and snuggled her nose against the small child¡¯s cheek. The child embraced her mother and then turned to her father. She asked her father ¡°What kind of cake are we having?¡± He lowered a crimson book he had been reading and responded, ¡°Whatever you want, as long as you behave.¡± Her face gleamed with joy, as she flopped over on her dad¡¯s lap, giggling.


    The carriage had passed the large stone tabloids near the Yamasaki bridge as scheduled, but suddenly, the coachman stopped and called out. ¡°Naayyyyy, nay. Take it easy girls!¡± He pulled back the ropes causing the horses to stop at a halt.


    Up ahead, there seemed to be a roadblock with horses and men staring over in their direction. Hanami¡¯s father continued to read his book and asked the coachman what the holdup was about, but didn¡¯t get an answer. He placed the book he was reading at his side, as an uneasy feeling set in his stomach. The coachman finally replied, ¡°There are some individuals up ahead blocking the road¡­¡±


    The man¡¯s wife gave him a look of concern. ¡°Shun¡­ I told you, we should have left her birthday celebration off until tomorrow. Going out so late at night is dangerous, especially with what¡¯s recently been occurring,¡± she told him as the child pulled her head off of her father¡¯s lap and onto her mother¡¯s.


    ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡± The man rubbed his cheek and gave an uneasy smile. Hanami whined, cutting him off. ¡°Buuuttttt I wannnntttt cakeeee mommmyyyy. Cakeeeeee flavored CAKEEE!¡±


    This agitated the woman a great deal; it was bad enough she had her concerns on the political standings that week, but now had to take a lengthy trip in order to appease her daughter. The child was oblivious to the world that surrounded her, which caused her mother to raise her voice a bit. ¡°Be quiet!¡± She grasped onto her daughter¡¯s shoulder tightly and shook her. This action startled Hanami, forcing her to become aware of her mother¡¯s seriousness. Tears formed at the bottom of her bright oak eyes.


    ¡°YOU COULD HAVE ASKED FOR IT ANOTHER DAY!¡± the woman snapped.


    A strand of the woman¡¯s hair glided down across her cheek. Her husband placed an arm around his wife¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Honey.¡± He then turned to the girl. ¡°Tonight just¡­ isn¡¯t a good night to go out for your birthday cake, dear, Sorry.¡±


    Just like any child would, Hanami asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    The woman let go of her daughter¡¯s shoulder and brought her palms to her cheek. Instead of answering her daughter¡¯s question though, the woman pulled Hanami¡¯s face into her chest and stroked the back of her head. She was not going to bother the child with the situation they had found themselves in.


    ¡°What¡¯s the hold up over there?!¡± Just outside of the carriage, the coachman lifted his brown top hat and waved it around in the direction of the men. None of the men answered. Eight long seconds of silence passed by, before an individual in a long black trench coat stepped out of one of the carriages that blocked the road. From afar, not too much was noticeable, but he had a blade in his right hand.


    This wasn¡¯t just any blade though. It had a hook with wires at the center of the blade wrapped around two square holes, and two buttons. One released the wires outward and the other caused the wires to retract.


    The coachman leaned over in an attempt to get a better look. He opened his mouth to speak and found that words wouldn¡¯t come out easily. Instead, he grunted. This confused him and coaxed him to try again, but his words came out jumbled. ¡°Cwwthgrhh.¡±


    He glanced up at the sight of red liquid that spat out of his mouth and looked down, horrified at the red liquid pouring down his brown buttoned-down shirt. His eyesight grew narrow, but as he looked over, the male¡¯s sword now appeared bloodied. ¡°From all the way back there?¡± he thought to himself. The coachman stumbled back, as the man in black swung his arm around twice in a crisscross and swiped the blade to his side. It sent three thin wires that were wrapped together through the coachman¡¯s throat a second time. This time the nerves that kept the coachman¡¯s head attached were severed causing blood to splatter against the carriage¡¯s covered windowpane, as the coachman¡¯s lifeless body collapsed off of the carriage.


    The child heard the sound made by the falling body of the coachman. She attempted to pull her face out of her mother¡¯s suffocating breasts, to no avail. Her mother pulled her back in tightly while her father quickly stood up. He reached below his seat and pulled a weapon with a crimson cloth wrapped around it. He unwrapped the weapon faster than an eager kid unboxing a video game on a Christmas morning. Equipped with this weapon, the father stepped over to the side door. He grasped the golden handle and pulled it down. The horses grew uneasy and began to buck, sensing their master¡¯s life fading.


    Exercising caution, the Hasegawa opened the side door of the carriage, wielding his see-through fencing blade, Fuujin, and stepped out. His wife hugged their daughter tightly, as his casual shoes grinded against the gravel that laid below the carriage. His blade had a green aura that glowed around it and spun along the silver hilt, which made it easier for him to see. He extended it over at arm¡¯s length and waved it around, advancing closer to the front of the carriage. His eyes widened at the sight of the coachman''s decapitated head. He still had the look of confusion plastered all over his face, but quickly jerked the blade up in front of himself, knowing that the men up ahead were trouble.


    Just as he began to raise his weapon, he heard it¡ªan approaching attack. ¡°TNNNNSSSSSTTT!!!¡± Metallic wires whipped across the ridge of the blade, and one of the lashes sliced three inches across his cheek. The lashes had been aimed at his throat with deadly accuracy, but he had used the Fuujin to pick up on the sudden change in the wind¡¯s current and blocked the strike using his agile Setsu reflexes.


    Orange sparks flew up high, raining back down across the road, with the sound of metal clashing as the wires were swinging back and forth against the blade before wrapping around it. Shun made sure he maintained a good grip on his blade and studied the wires wrapped around the blade. It dawned on him; he had run into a similar weapon in the past. This raised a question as to who was behind this assault, and he had an idea more or less as to who it was. He also knew what they were after. It wasn¡¯t simply some Stray seeking revenge on a noble. Someone was out to get his daughter, which he simply wasn¡¯t going to allow.


    He steeled himself and walked calmly past the horses. He loosened his tie and yanked his blade to his side when the man in black attempted to retract the wires. Two of the men behind the man in black dashed towards him and into the darkness of a passing cloud that temporarily blocked the moonlight that once illuminated the road. Shun took advantage of the darkness to close the distance to the male. He quickly dispatched the two who had dashed in towards him, as they got entangled in the wires when he jumped over them and twirled the wires around them. When he landed, he held the blade over his shoulder and yanked it forward with no remorse for the men who¡¯d dare threaten his family. The men were yanked back with this motion, only having time to scream ¡°AAAGHHH!¡± The wires sliced through them like butter and blood poured down all across the ground along with torn body parts and clothes.


    Shun followed the remaining wire straight towards the man in black before the cloud finished passing by. He teleported right in front of him, thanks to the Fuujin¡¯s connection to all surrounding wind currents. All he had to do was choose a desired spot that he faced, a tactic that only worked when he was off the ground.


    Upon reaching the man in black, he brought his blade down to slash across the man¡¯s chest, but the individual blocked with a silver dagger he had conveniently kept hidden within his robe. The dagger slid around the blade, expanding straight through Shun¡¯s shoulder, who didn¡¯t flinch at all.


    ¡°Speak!¡± the Hasegawa hissed. ¡°Who dares threaten my family?¡± The man in black didn¡¯t respond. The two metals held where they had clashed; the two men were now in a show of power, pressing each other backward.


    ¡°Of what domain are you?!¡± Shun growled in a low tone. The dagger shook against the blade. Both seemed to be on par with one another in strength, but the tip of the dagger finished stabbing through Shun¡¯s shoulder and spun around to come back down and stab through him again. The man in black smirked, pulling his hood off of his head with his free left hand. Shun¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°F-Fei¡­?¡± He was in disbelief.


    ¡°Hello there, Shun. Long time no see,¡± Fei muttered. It felt surreal, but the fact that he said his name and resembled the man he knew far too well, only added to the reality that he was who he thought it was. The only visible part of Fei¡¯s face were his blue-bearded chin and his pale complexion. Shun maintained his blade pressed against the dagger, applying more force. This caused Fei to take a step back to regain balance, as Shun used a wind current to teleport in front of the spot where he killed the two men earlier. The dagger melted as he did so.


    Shun shut his eyes tightly and called out to his wife. ¡°ELLIE, WHIP THE HORSES! GET OUT OF HERE!!!¡±


    Ellie remained within the carriage, but at the sound of her husband¡¯s voice, she jumped up and opened the window that led to the front of the carriage. Hanami wrapped her arms around the woman¡¯s hips. ¡°No mommy¡­ you can¡¯t leave daddy behind!¡± When the woman didn¡¯t stop to consider her request, she persuaded her some more. ¡°Daddy will be late for his cake,¡± she pleaded, unaware of the dire situation they were in, continuing to tug at her mother¡¯s dress.


    The woman had to go along with what her husband said. The child clenched the fabric of her mother¡¯s dress between her small hands, tugging at it in an effort to stop her mother. ¡°WAAAIT!¡± She broke out into sobs, urging her mother to not go.


    ¡°My love¡­ I WILL BE RIGHT BEHIND YOU TWO, JUST GO AHEAD!!!¡± Mr. Hasegawa yelled to comfort his daughter. He shut his eyes, and then opened them again with a determined resolve.


    Not looking back, Ellie did what she was told, realizing there were over two hundred enemies hiding on both sides of the dense forest; the moment she sensed them, they stopped masking their killing intent. ¡°Believe me honey, I¡¯d like to stay back and fight¡­ but your safety is our top priority,¡± Ellie thought to herself.


    The horses lifted their hooves high off of the ground, feeling lashes strike their flaming manes that spread along their back. Ellie continued to whip them, giving the horses more raging power. They stomped their hooves repeatedly against the ground causing the ground to tremble stronger, preparing to take off. The vibrations shook pebbles off the road as the horses stormed through, gaining speed.


    Shun grit his teeth, applying more force against Fei¡¯s dagger as it came in again. He tried to block it, but the tip bounced off of the ground, changing direction and wrapped around his waist, pulling him in towards Fei. Shun dragged his feet, attempting to push forward and kick Fei''s chest, forcing Fei to lunge backwards as the dagger shattered. Shun turned his torso back and jumped forward, getting off of the road. Fei rolled out of the way as well, nearly getting stomped by one of the approaching giant horses, as the carriage broke through the barrier set by the men.


    Three of the large carts that once blocked the road tipped over, sliding down the steep grassy hills where they crashed against trees. Grass that had been torn from the ground fluttered up in clusters. Some of the men who were in these carts attempted to get out, but could not do so in time, and slid down the slope with the carriages to their deaths.


    ¡°After them! Your commander shall handle things here,¡± Fei slapped his palm against the floor, calling out to some of his men to chase the carriage, and gave Shun a wicked wide smile. Four men climbed up the hill around Shun as he stepped onto the road once more, with fifty more Setsus walking up the hill, along with human slaves armed with weapons. Two of those Setsus ran over to the remaining cart that was not pushed down the hill. They got into it and Shun attempted to stop them, but as he ran towards them, he was forced to turn around and block the wires Fei shot his way.


    Shun swiped his blade to his side, knocking the trajectory of the wire that had been in the center of the other two. The wires propelled back towards Fei, who whipped the wires down to prevent them from reaching him. The two men behind Fei hesitantly passed by him and headed towards Shun, who pulled his left forearm behind his back and set his left foot behind his right. The green aura around the blade shifted the see-through blade into a saber, and Shun pointed it down with the tip nearly touching the ground. He bent his knees down, slanting forward, calculating how long it¡¯d take to get to the man if he applied his grounded style.


    ¡°Over two hundred¡­ and none of you were courteous enough to bring my daughter a gift. Makes it easier to kill you.¡± A gust of green see-through flames spiraled around Shun as he shifted to a more relaxed stance.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hold back, he can¡¯t kill you all!¡± shouted Fei. ¡°Move in and-¡± Fei continued his order, but not all the Setsus were as foolish as the ones who couldn¡¯t sense Shun¡¯s threatening Vibrations.


    ¡°KILL HIM!¡± Fei brought his arm up above his head. This motion jerked the wires into the night sky. Orange leaves that were scattered across the road were spun up by a violent breeze as he brought the wires down straight towards Shun. Over two dozen Setsus rushed in at Shun from all directions, taking their cue.


    Meanwhile, Ellie found it difficult to control the horses, as they were going at a pace that the carriage couldn¡¯t handle. It was causing the carriage to bounce on the ground with devastating momentum that bent the wheels with each impact. Ellie was thrown up and down, and from side to side. She struggled to hold her balance, while gripping her daughter firmly to herself. Hanami held tightly to her mother¡¯s hips, quivering in fear.


    Ellie grasped onto a cold metallic handle within the carriage, as everything seemed to slow down suddenly. Ellie became horrified for what was to come, as a diversion on the road became visible. The first diversion led towards a cliff peak while the second made a curve to the left. She knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to make the curve and reached down and embraced her little daughter tightly, readying herself for the worst.


    The carriage rose above the horses several feet high, flinging the window shut and turned upside down, plunging back on the road. Ellie gasped and Hanami shrieked, as their bodies were hurled around within the carriage like rag dolls. The horses stumbled on themselves and rolled around, being dragged by the carriage that scraped across the dirt road straight towards the ravine. The carriage broke off of one of the horses while it brought the other horse to its demise, spiraling down towards the raging river below. The wheels of the carriage continued to spin around while the carriage got entangled in vines that kept it from completely falling in. The vines steadily snapped one by one. The small girl felt dizzy, but the sensation of something warm running down her forehead kept her awake. She found her mother lying awkwardly with her eyes shut.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°M¡­ omm¡­ y,¡± the woman heard the soft voice of her girl, as she slowly opened her eyes. She regained consciousness, but struggled to reach out to her daughter. Her feet had been crushed within the carriage.


    ¡°Hana¡­¡± she mumbled, trying to reach the child, but the strain became too great, as her eyes slowly shut. Everything became black as the final vines snapped.


    ¡°STTTTRRRKKKKRRRR!¡±


    ¡°So, that¡¯s a memory of hers¡­¡± Takumi kept to himself, taking only a glance at her.


    The sharp sound of compressed air skimming against the road forced Hanami awake, as Voltaire activated the tire system of the car.


    Hanami instantly glanced at the pensive Setsu sitting beside her as the car neared closer to exiting the forested area they found themselves in.


    Takumi in turn stared at his hand. Between them¡­ She¡¯d reached for it in her sleep and upon noticing, Hanami instantly let go. A faint blush of embarrassment apparent on her cheeks.


    ¡°Sorry about that!¡± She locked her eyes on the rearview mirror, avoiding Takumi¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Your fidgeting is distracting. You alright?¡±


    Hanami pressed the side of her head and forced a smile. She turned to look at him and gave him a forced smile. One that he saw through.


    ¡°I¡¯m uh¡­ I am, why wouldn¡¯t I be? I had a¡­ really good nap. Can¡¯t you tell?¡±


    Orange electricity continued to pulse out through the car. This was the sonogastra that prevented Goshtras from detecting Setsus like Takumi and rare-blooded beings like Hanami, while also helping stabilize the car.


    For the first time in a long time, a sincere smile formed across Takumi''s face, as he set his elbow on the window and the wind blew his orange hair back as if combing it. His sights were on the ocean and the surrounding buildings.


    ¡°Jeez¡­ with this kind of traffic, I''m sure to be late.¡± He self consciously spoke aloud.


    ¡°Late for what? You weren¡¯t talking to yourself, were you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not something I want to talk about with you. So nosy¡­¡± Takumi sighed. ¡°I was thinking about a test I¡¯m headed to at the ceremony. A basketball test.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s basketball? You¡¯re trying to join a club?¡± Her sight drifted to a pamphlet she brought out of her bag. The interior pages had a list of events numerous clubs were hosting for the new students.


    ¡°You could say that.¡±


    "So that''s your dream? To be in that?"


    "There is no such thing as dreams¡­ only a reality you have to create for yourself."


    Despite the fact she¡¯d never heard of something called ¡®Basketball¡¯ she did admit she was curious. ¡°Basketball¡­ nmm, in the school book that maid Mira gave me, it did mention that! Here it is, Hirazawa Basketball test.¡± Hanami sought her bag for a pamphlet. ¡°But it¡¯s weird, I checked and there¡¯s no Hirazawa kendo club or test listed.¡± She observed one of the pictures, a stone sculpture of Hirazawa at the Private High school in front of what seemed to be a national forest that has 1000 steps leading up stone stairs. The stone sculpture of HIRAZAWA, near those 1000 stone stairs.


    ¡°That¡¯s probably ¡®cause there isn¡¯t a club for that.¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t go scaring my heart like that.¡± Hanami lightly hit Takumi on the shoulder with twitching eyebrows and a forced smile of concern.


    ¡°Whatever. Just don¡¯t do anything crazy when you get there. I¡¯m only allowed to attend this school that my parents own. It¡¯s already bad enough that there are Setsus bound to make a fuss about who I am, others want me dead¡­ it¡¯s all a nuisance.¡±


    ¡°Aside from the wanting you dead part, it can¡¯t all be that bad.¡± She said.


    ¡°At least you have your parents,¡± Hanami thought to herself, getting quieter. The girl set her chin on her palm and distracted herself by observing the skyscrapers they passed by.


    ¡°And there seems to be people who take good care of you, too.¡±


    Hanami smiled, as Takumi noted her words.


    Takumi, almost subconsciously responded. ¡°I guess it¡¯s different for you, but I¡¯d rather not have my father. With a parent like that, it¡¯s the same as not having parents at all. You can¡¯t choose who your parents are. It¡¯s like the lottery¡­ not everyone is fortunate. Gotta¡­ deal with the cards you''re dealt.¡±


    Hanami¡¯s eyes widened to which she frowned. ¡°What makes you say that?¡±


    Takumi bit into the side of his cheek. ¡°Nothing. Never mind.¡±


    "Why would you say such mean things about your parents? They made you who you are."


    "You have no idea."


    ¡°So then explain..¡± She kept her sights outside of the car as Takumi thought of the words he¡¯d use.


    ¡°Where the hell would I even start?¡± He sighs. ¡°Since you don¡¯t seem to know much about the world, let me just start off with¡­ money."


    "The money those monsters make comes from various loops, but one of them is data centers that control the information dispensed to the populace. By controlling one in a different continent and having clans spread in the form of ''companies'', we can control other continents; the era of the Seto War period is far from over¡­ it''s the same as it was back then. Having a sphere of influence."


    "Even underground gangs are nothing more than businesses"


    "Only the vernacular changed, things are still the same¡­ For now"


    With what he said, her ears perked garnering, she look at the young Setsu. Hanami observed Takumi, who was pensive.


    "Oh¡­ that doesn''t sound good¡­"


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t even know how her little brain works¡­¡± Takumi kept to himself.


    ¡°When you asked me about five fingers, gramps¡­ you were talking about genetics. Nothing is created in excess, the same applies to our DNA.¡± Takumi observes his hand.


    "It''d be foolish to believe such DnA is coiled for no reason. And it''d be even more foolish to believe it isn''t uncoiling."


    ¡°The different organic instruments we individually have, and how some have exploited those instruments, specifically in humans. You wanted me to help them, right? Through¡­ basketball.¡±


    ¡°But basketball¡­ I have to confirm things for myself.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s really as some say¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only a slaves game boy!¡± He recalled his fathers words.


    ¡°Then, the continent of basketball is where I¡¯m headed. Eurasia¡­¡±


    Takumi glanced to Hanami who was once again back to staring out of the car window obliviously.


    ¡°She¡¯s so oblivious like the rest of those humans¡­ but who can blame their vulnerability when their brains are hijacked from the start."


    ¡°That much I sympathize with, after almost having mine taken¡­ by that bitch.¡± His mothers face brought disdain evident in his eyebrows creasing inward.


    A reminder of the last request he¡¯d partaken in, three years back. Takumi thought of everything he learned of the current problem on the planet.


    ¡°The ones responsible for exploiting their brains are Goshtras, but the humans call them Reptilians.¡±


    "The brain is powerful, so it¡¯s no surprise it''s the first area they target to trick a vulnerable soul into self-destruction. The brain is what the soul needs to develop and navigate the planet."


    "The brain is like a magnet that attracts whatever information or data it processes the most, whether it¡¯s factual or falsified. If you deal with the brain, you can bend the soul to roam around, lost... like a malfunctioning compass.¡±


    ¡°The left brain has attributes that help with critical thinking and analysis of all phenomena, but these Goshtras enslaved the species and manipulated the free knowledge flowing through the world. In doing so, many of the level three advanced civilizations at that time were turned into level zero civilizations."


    ¡°Those Goshtras destroyed valuable knowledge and replaced it by putting deceptive spell books that destroy the left side of the brain, causing a soul to lose its recognition of reality. That''s why those books have only caused war in that continent, and they want to spread that plague - a plague that Rae¡¯s family has been fighting over there.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s to the point that those afflicted can¡¯t seem to even see how the spell books have been used to keep them from developing and becoming protectors of themselves, and as a result of being incapable of firstly protecting their minds, such souls can¡¯t protect the planet."


    "They wage ''Holy wars'' on each other endlessly. That¡¯s why we have these Retsu storms spreading.¡±


    ¡°Without the use of the right brain, a soul can¡¯t have spiritual awareness and spiritual ability that allows the soul to birth new fields through the visions they attain. That''s the power of developing souls in those human bodies: they''re able to bring metaphysical to physical.¡±


    ¡°But those Goshtras know they can¡¯t exist if that¡¯s the case, so those humans over there are purposely tricked into teaching themselves destructive habits that shape their surroundings. Their souls remain within a tiny perspective, as opposed to attaining the higher perspective."


    "If that wasn''t bad enough, they even target the diet to give humans information that will mislead them into self-destructing their fleshly suits. It¡¯s like having a scuba diver think they''re inhaling oxygen, the diver may not until until¡­ It''s too late. For their fleshy suits it''s the same. Food shouldn¡¯t be eaten just to eat it."


    "The body should only absorb what¡¯s necessary for it to remain functional, but these fools are tricked into fueling their fleshly suits with destructive toxins and unnatural chemicals that give the body cancer, so their trips to the slaughterhouse occur faster and more frequently until there¡¯s nothing left..." He thought of a "McRonalds" establishment, someone eating there and then them going to the hospital with their hands on their stomach.


    ¡°If only those humans could support the righteous among them¡­ Those damn Goshtras take genetic science and use it for evil. They really found the perfect way to make organic drones who remain prey to their injustices. In order to continue extorting resources and organs, they keep the souls distracted in a loop to assure souls do not notice or trace the poison being thrown at them." Takumi recalled the different roles of distraction, ranging from singers, someone in front of a tv playing and boxers.


    Humans that worked as officers show one side, yet partake in sinister behavior behind the scenes leading ultimately to its own demise.


    ¡°Unlike them, when the human brain is hijacked in the Tensei Order, the reincarnation process becomes easier to manage. It''s only a brief hijacking until the human¡¯s able to develop enough awareness. Enough responsibility in itself and its actual powers. It¡¯s monitored to make sure it doesn''t self-destruct and create negative Retsu on the planet."


    ¡°When both sides of the brain are used, you get a genius. Such individuals have extensive knowledge not only of the outside space, but their insides too. Specifically, their genes."


    "Such beings are the only ones capable of finding viable solutions for the issues certain souls find themselves in¡­ though there is such a thing as corrupted souls using their genius to entrap other souls instead of serving as guides.¡±


    ¡°When millions of developing souls become underdeveloped, then those millions clump up and fester, and turn into what is called a ¡®Cancer Zone¡¯, which eventually leads to ''dead zones'' on the planet.¡± Anger filled Takumi who thought of the piles of trash placed in natural areas.


    "And that''s¡­ the people you wanted me to somehow help, gramps?"


    "A civilization stuck¡­ at level zero."


    Hanami noticed Takumi in deep thought, leading her to tap his forehead, knocks Takumi out of thought.


    "Ay, what are you thinking to yourself?"


    "Buns" Takumi responded back, only slightly glancing at Hanami.


    "Buns?"


    ¡°He must have said that to get me distracted from talking about him. What a big baby.¡± From her perspective, it seemed like Takumi¡¯s parents cared about him a lot and just wanted his well being. Seeing as the subject was uncomfortable, she didn¡¯t keep it going. She had just met him after all and didn¡¯t want to stay on the topic herself for numerous reasons. Like him, she didn¡¯t want to stir too much trouble. Sliding her cheek against her palm.


    Hanami stared out of her window to the sight of many pedestrians all going about their individual paths, and her eyes lit up.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty packed here. 4.4 million people, right?¡± she asked, having gained a bit of information on the place she¡¯d be calling home for at least the next couple of years.


    There were thousands of buildings in the clouds, which were floating slowly around in a circular motion. The clouds brushing up against these buildings made it seem as if the buildings were moving fast, but in reality they weren¡¯t. It left her in awe. Hanami compared it to watching the waterfalls back at her home, suspended by gravity itself. Since she wasn¡¯t raised in a city, these buildings and structures were new to her.


    ¡°How are they hovering all the way up there without falling?!¡± she thought to herself. She wasn¡¯t aware that the same vibes Setsus used helped scientists power and develop the clouds to be strong enough to keep those buildings up in the skies.


    Takumi took note of how she changed the subject and figured he¡¯d play along.


    ¡°You¡¯re a Hasegawa, a Rikuto, a half Setsu, and you''re asking those sorts of questions? Man¡­¡± He sucked his teeth, to which Hanami puffed up her cheek. ¡°Oh right, you¡¯re mostly human. That explains it.¡± Takumi set his fist on his palm as if he''d figured her out.


    ¡°Rude! What does being a human have to do with- Give me a break! I wasn¡¯t let out much, so don¡¯t judge,¡± she murmured.


    ¡°Now everything is learnable, so you ought to learn that my elbows are coming for your mouth if you keep that up,¡± she replied back, adjusting her sleeve as Takumi sighed, brushing her threat aside.


    ¡°They¡¯re powered by Retsu that the human populace give off through their positive emotions. I thought you did your research.¡±


    ¡°Teheh, what do you want me to say? It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve ever been told everything about Setsus.¡±


    ¡°If you have, you¡¯d know about the negative Retsu storms threatening the different continents right now. Those storms have wiped out a number of countries already, creating dead zones... and some areas, cancer zones following the nuclear fallout of 2079. It¡¯s common knowledge, but then again, I guess a bratty human girl wouldn¡¯t know.¡± Takumi glanced her way.


    ¡°Oh yeah? I can show you bratty if that''s what you want dude¡± Hanami responded, while pointing at her elbow, causing Takumi to sigh again.


    ¡°Humans¡­ it started with the selfish human desires of someone who wanted to make humans stronger than Setsu. Anyway, cities had to be elevated to keep them from being destroyed by disasters like tsunamis sent by enemy nations. In order to do that, Poles were established and hidden in the clouds all throughout Japan." Tak imagined the hidden poles in the ocean.


    "They get their energy directly from the environment and have a magnetic field deep in the ocean surrounding Japan. A total of thirty Poles rotate around, each with chains that connect them all. Those chains create the formation of clouds that keep them hovering and keep the floating cities in the sky. It¡¯s possible with the Retsu millions of inhabitants give off, but if those inhabitants become negative or fear is instilled in them¡­ as a whole¡±


    ¡°Then, everything collapses?¡± Hanami finished what he was going to say, frightfully concerned.


    ¡°Yeah. I won¡¯t go any deeper than that for you,¡± Takumi responded, closing his eyes.


    ¡°And just so you don¡¯t get teased if asked, the population¡¯s actually 5.9 million. The force field roads lead to the other cities that are on the clouds. Our school is higher up there, but Voltaire¡¯s going to take you the remaining way to school, since I have to go somewhere el-¡±


    ¡°What?¡± She grabbed his collar, glaring.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember promising anything.¡± Takumi rolled his eyes as she let go of his ear. Voltaire turned onto another road before a larger car crossed them. Voltaire arrived at the front line as the light made him stop. The two watched a class of small children cross the street.


    ¡°We¡¯re nearing the Gumi Cafe. The streets at this hour are surprisingly empty¡­¡± Voltaire adjusted his round small glasses. He knew he was now close to where he wanted to go.


    Takumi squinted his eyes, refusing to bicker any longer. ¡°Yeah, yeah. So, are you doing me this favor so I can owe you one?¡±


    ¡°Not really, but that is a good idea. You make it sound like you¡¯ve been blackmailed before.¡± She was spot on, but Takumi turned his face away from hers and simply said, ¡°No, you¡¯ll want something in return though.¡±


    Takumi grumpily stepped out and gently closed his door. ¡°No one is generous without some hidden intent. Of course a b*tch like you wouldn¡¯t be the exception,¡± he answered.


    Hanami leaned up, setting her hand on the roof of the car. ¡°That¡¯s one favor for me then! And seriously, don¡¯t call me that,¡± she said softly.


    ¡°Whatever, Hasegawa. Close the door,¡± Takumi responded, shocked that she didn¡¯t get violent.


    ¡°Maybe I should stop calling her that,¡± he thought to himself.


    ¡°Call me Haruna here, not by my last name. That¡¯s too formal,¡± she told him.


    ¡°Okay, just close the door already.¡± He turned over to his chauffeur. ¡°Voltaire, you¡¯re in charge of getting her there safely. If she tries to ask for detours, say no.¡±


    ¡°Good one, right after I helped you out! I wasn¡¯t thinking about that anyway,¡° Hanami complained to herself.


    Voltaire¡¯s extremely masculine physique seemed menacing. If she had to compare him to an animal, she¡¯d go with a buffalo. ¡°Those ears¡­¡± Hanami leaned up from her seat and grabbed the side of Voltaire¡¯s ear.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure, young miss,¡± Voltaire responded, as the girl noticed that his cap had a metallic Hachi emblem at its center. ¡°Ah! Sorry about that, your ears just look touchable.¡± Hanami leaned back on her seat.


    ¡°Get going.¡± Takumi waved off, not bothering to say goodbye to Hanami.


    Hanami only wished she could throw something at the back of his head. She yelled over to him, ¡°Not gonna say bye?! How rude! Even after I did you a favor.¡± Takumi¡¯s ears twitched when she mentioned a favor, but he didn¡¯t look back. ¡°What an ungrateful jerk¡­ ugh.¡±


    From inside, Hanami could clearly see Takumi and from the outside, Takumi did the same. He made a disgusted face at her, to which she stuck her tongue out at him, unsure of what to think of him now. Hanami bit down on her lower lip a bit and turned away, sighing as the limo pulled away. Takumi shifted his sights over to the caf¨¦ right in front of him.


    ¡°I got rid of one problem. Now, for the next.¡±


    Location is the Gumi cafe.

 Chapter 4

    ¡°What¡¯s so important that Senji needs me and Shima this urgently? Damn near at the crack of dawn,¡± Takumi grumbled with his hands stuffed into his Superior Waves black jersey pants. Up ahead, he briefly noted that his reflection wasn¡¯t showing, prompting him to focus Retsu around himself to make himself visible in the mirror.


    He looked around, making sure no one was coming his way and stepped onto the welcoming mat. Both sidewalks were clear, aside from a robotic vending machine that was headed his way fast.


    ¡°Welcome to Gumi Cafe!¡± he heard someone say. A robotic worm wiggled its head out from a window display beside Takumi and bowed, welcoming him a second time. Takumi pressed his palm against the pad, ignoring the dancing worm that squirmed side to side.


    Now that he thought about it, it had been a long time since he passed through the cafe. He couldn¡¯t picture every lively face there, but could imagine twelve individuals standing around in laughter. ¡°This place is nothing like the dump it was before,¡± he muttered, checking out the coffee-themed walls. ¡°Senji really cleaned up nicely¡­ the guy¡¯s as obsessed with aesthetic as ever.¡±


    He stepped back to observe the new sign that read ¡°Gumi Cafe,¡± then entered the cafe as the door slid to the left and a bell jingled. It was much brighter outside compared to the inside of the cafe, and the scent of coffee washed out of the establishment, eliminating the smell of bleach that lingered in the street¡¯s empty sidewalk.


    Takumi stepped in and took in the ambiance of the Gumi Caf¨¦. ¡°Drats¡­ this carpet reeks of cocoa. He must have gotten the idea for this carpet from the last time we hung out,¡± he noted, recalling the embarrassing memory. How could he forget when the fellow got on all fours and patted the movie theater¡¯s carpet repeatedly, as if he hadn¡¯t ever seen one. Shaking the thought away, Takumi strolled down the steps, immersing himself further into his surroundings.


    Intricate tapestries caught his attention, for the refined art really gave a hospitable sense to the place. The place resembled a traditional bar with a vast lounge area. It had various mini tables coated in marble, a poker area, a bar area with many glasses hung along the walls, four giant flat screens at the center of the lounge, and a kitchen in the back, equipped with cooking utensils and a frying table in the front where they¡¯d prepare sushi and other delicacies for customers.


    ¡°Am I in the right place? Let me check again,¡± he thought to himself, but turned around when he heard a ¡°Sssssup bro, leaving so sssoon?¡±


    ¡°Senji Komura.¡± The distinct voice was all too familiar. Takumi stopped across from the counter and set his sights on the male in a waiter uniform. The male¡¯s shiny golden beads that were hung at the ends of his hair was the second thing Takumi noticed.


    ¡°In the flesh,¡± the male responded. A delightful smile formed across his face with a snake-like tongue flickering out between his pale lips. Senji set three pink flowers into a new vase and placed it at the center of the table he was near. ¡°Spring has arrived and life continues. Likewise, you look nice and stylish this season.¡± He proceeded to clip two golden earrings on both ends of his earlobes and set his attention back on Takumi. His pink hair twitched as if they were alive, pointing towards Takumi, attracted to the Setsu¡¯s vibe.


    ¡°Right back at ya. How are the Komuras? Your pops?¡± Takumi replied with a faint smile, recalling who the individual was.


    ¡°Preparing this new establishment for them actually. I¡¯ve been posted here for sometime. We opened up last week. As for father, he is paying a visit to Peipei¡­  you remember that weasel right?¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s in Kanazawa¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. I hear Lord Takeshi is away, too. There¡¯s actually something I was told to relay to your father, but since you¡¯re in charge f-¡±


    ¡°Miyumi¡¯s the one calling the shots, not me. I have other important matters I¡¯m tryna focus on today. So, are you going to tell me why you called?¡± Takumi cut him off.


    ¡°Straightforward as always, my childhood friend.¡±


    Senji recollected the many times he¡¯d accompanied his father to special events where he prepared delicacies for numerous Hachi celebrations, the last one being over the previous summer. Over those visits, Senji became acquainted with Takumi and Yoshigawa, as well as three others. ¡°Reserved, but explosive at a moment¡¯s notice, this guy¡± thought Senji, outwardly slipping in, ¡°Might I add¡­ you¡¯ve gotten taller than a giraffe.¡±


    ¡°Cut it out. Who the hell would even take that as a compliment?¡± mumbled Takumi, taking a glance at a marble table where a pile of menus were laid in a messy way, as Senji continued.


    ¡°Right¡­ anyway, father¡¯s dealing with an important business deal, so we in Odaiba are staying safe. I¡¯m very pleased you made it¡­ even if a bit late.¡± Senji observed, his expression indicating the concern he had for his friend. ¡°That isn¡¯t like you. Did sssomething come up?¡± Senji set the tray he had in hand at his side and walked over to Takumi.


    ¡°Quit your worrying. Nothing significant came up.¡±


    Both teens fist bumped before Senji grabbed the menus that were used for night time customers, who were usually Setsus. Takumi pulled back one of the stools and sat down, while Senji walked over to the next table to pile up the other menus.


    ¡°Nothing significant for the young Rikuto of the Hachi? The great Alessandro, next in line? That¡¯s hard to believe.¡±


    ¡°Spare me the stupid titles. I just got a bit sidetracked, okay? Quit snoopin¡¯,¡± Takumi said bluntly to end Senji¡¯s poking around. He briefly thought about the morning involving his fianc¨¦e. Her glare popped in his head, but he squinted and refocused on Senji.


    ¡°I remember when I used to see you like every month here. It wasn¡¯t you running the place though. Your sis really made this place active, even if it was a dump at that time.¡±


    Senji smiled. ¡°Those days, your folks and a lot of the packs stopped by. They¡¯re all in their own worlds now though. Shiro and the others would pop in often, too. How are your parents though?¡±


    ¡°The usual trouble,¡± Takumi said casually. ¡°They¡¯re overseas, handling an outbreak right now. At least it¡¯s gotten them away from me¡­¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re in control of the Hachis for the¡­ no, you said-¡±


    ¡°No, Miyumi is,¡± Takumi cut him off. Tilting his head, he noticed, ¡°Shima isn¡¯t here yet! Crap, I forgot my phone in the car.¡± Takumi leaned up, but abruptly stopped. ¡°I have my password on it, right?¡± His worries were primarily on Hanami finding it. Just as he thought that, the girl did briefly find the phone and after trying to enter some passwords, noticed Voltaire looking at her through the front mirror of the car, prompting her to give him the phone. ¡°Uh, I think Takumi forgot this.¡±


    ¡°Ah, he already called to let me know he¡¯d be running a bit late. We¡¯ll have the talk when he getsss here,¡± Senji said like a snake, thinking back to the call.


    From the background sounds of honking, Senji guessed that he got stuck in traffic. At the same time that he was on the call, Senji had seen Takumi step out of his car with a girl, through the camera hooked at the front of the cafe.


    ¡°By the way, I saw you come out of your car with a cute girl. Who is she? A girlfriend? Isss that why you were sidetracked? My, my¡­ wait till Akane finds out! She¡¯s going to be ssso happy for you,¡± Senji teased.


    Takumi had picked up a glass of guava juice Senji had prepared for him, but right when he was about to drink, he spat it all out on the table. ¡°N-Nah, that annoying girl is someone Alto told me¡­ to drop off near here. She¡¯s the daughter of some Rikuto.¡±


    ¡°What Rikuto?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know her like that. Don¡¯t get the wrong idea.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Senji slid a napkin out of his black apron and set it on the table to clean up the mess Takumi made.


    ¡°No!¡± Takumi spoke up, then lowered his tone, reaching for a napkin himself. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Takumi sighed, and moved his seat back so Senji could clean up the rest of the table as he handed Senji the second napkin.


    ¡°Then why are you making a huge fusssss? It¡¯sss not like you to show emotion like that for someone insignificant. Interessssting.¡± Senji opened his eyes just a bit and closed them back again as Takumi called him a ¡°sleazy snake.¡±


    Senji laughed, before continuing. ¡°This very week¡­ I could¡¯ve sworn all of the servant families received letters detailing your engagement to Lady Hanami of Hokkaido. It¡¯s pretty big and it was a clear warning from your folks. Though no one knows what she looks like, I can safely say, I now do.¡± Takumi took note of Senji¡¯s parted eyes. ¡°She¡¯s really pretty, like the rumors suggested. No one has ever seen her as she¡¯s lived most of her life secluded in the Hasegawa¡¯s estate, you know?¡±


    Takumi¡¯s eyes widened as he then frowned, listening to Senji. He let out a low ¡°Tch.¡±


    ¡°There are other rumors that aren¡¯t as pretty as her looks though. Most intriguing of all are the rumors revolving her blood; she¡¯s mostly human, yet possesses 1% Royal Setsu blood. That¡¯s very concentrated and overwhelming to many. Such a rare specimen¡­ even a droplet would be enough to boost one¡¯s strength. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s rather foolish to leave her unattended, with some chauffeur?¡±


    ¡°Hm? None of that is of my concern, nor should it be yours. That chick has nothing to do with me, Senji.¡±


    ¡°Has it not tempted you yet?! Impossible. The burning passion of blooming love, I never thought I¡¯d see the day when big bad Tak would be betrothed!¡± Senji twirled delightfully as Takumi grumbled.


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna bring up Akane¡¯s name in the same breath as that girl¡­ stupid snake.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I wonder if you¡¯ll be able to resist her blood though¡­¡±


    ¡°Trust me, I¡¯m not letting her blood get the best of me.¡± Takumi grew more irritated at the thought of him going down towards the ridge of her neck. ¡°You¡¯re a fool if you believe I¡¯m ever going to drink blood, period.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s laughable.¡± Senji watched Takumi¡¯s dark purple eyes flick on and off with twinkles.


    ¡°To me, she¡¯s nothing more than some chick my parents are forcing me to marry. Not that I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll lose my arms or something before that ever happens.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t go saying that, Takumi¡­¡± Senji sang.


    ¡°I¡¯m not giving in to their selfish demands.¡±


    ¡°Not the point, Tak,¡± Senji added, but Takumi continued to ramble, not hearing what Senji said. Senji watched him, studying the way Takumi moved his hands around subconsciously. It was peculiar, as he could only recall Takumi being relatively composed.


    ¡°I¡¯d be enslaving myself to the same outdated customs. That¡¯s not the sort of life I want. I just want an ordinary life¡­ I want-¡± Takumi slanted over on the stool, regretfully. ¡°I have a promise to keep. Neither that runt or my parents are getting in the way of that.¡± He clenched his fist, only to slam it down on the table, prompting Senji to slide in and catch one of the cups that nearly tipped over.


    ¡°This is the year,¡± Takumi added, fixing his composure. A smirk formed across Takumi¡¯s face, replacing his frown. Senji enjoyed his friend¡¯s confidence, as the way he uplifted himself felt very gratifying. So much so that Senji chuckled, amused at how expressive his friend became on the topic.


    Tempted, Senji folded the wet napkin and poked fun. ¡°Really? So all of this is because of that girl? From the way it looked in here, it ssseemed like you two got pretty close and personal, shshshshshsh,¡± Senji sounded like a weasel laughing.


    Takumi squinted his eyes and ignored what Senji said and switched the topic. ¡°Damn Shima, we¡¯re gonna be late.¡± Takumi looked over to Senji, who turned around with menu cards in hand.


    A faint green light blinked beside the machine, alerting Senji that a new car had driven into the parking spot. He looked up into the security camera. The car that had pulled up out front brought a breeze that blew around the umbrellas that hovered over the tables outside.


    ¡°What is it you wanted to talk about anyway, Sen?¡± Takumi remembered the reason he was there to begin with.


    Senji set the menu cards down momentarily and grabbed the controller to the large flat screens that were in the center of the establishment. He tapped the tips of his dark brown casual shoes across the green carpet below his feet and flicked one of the buttons on the controller. This turned on the flat screens that rotated around a few times before the largest one stopped in Takumi¡¯s direction. It was on a news channel reporting an incident that had occurred the night prior to the current day.


    ¡°If you¡¯re that impatient, I¡¯ll come out with it,¡± Senji said. Takumi stood up and approached the lounge area, but stopped in place when Senji said ¡°Night Stalker¡± while setting the controller down and reaching over the counter to grab a glass.


    Takumi tilted his head up. He found the phrase confusing, yet familiar. ¡°Night¡­ what?¡± His attention drew over to what the anchorwoman said as the volume rose.


    ¡°Good morning, Osaka! Toki Kanda, reporting this morning¡¯s news. Last night, another odd incident occurred, one of many sweeping Odaiba. This time our sources say, a thirty year old man and his wife, thirty-five, were mauled by an unseen force after leaving an establishment by the name of Gumi Cafe.¡± The news reporter brought the mic closer to her lips. ¡°For some reason, the attackers target such establishments and assault victims late at night. It is heavily advised that no one stays out after 12, and especially avoid food chains. The Yori are working diligently to bring us more details on what is being done to capture these fiends. We¡¯ll have detective Joshua Araka live with us later today. After this commercial break, we¡¯ll be revealing the shocking footage of the aforementioned attack. Stay tuned.¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    A commercial of baby jellyfish swimming around the screen, all in a different array of colors, came together and bursted into bubbles that overtook the screen. Takumi sunk his chin between his palms.


    ¡°Seriously, you said ¡®Night Stalker¡¯?¡± Takumi thought of where he had heard the term before. Then, a particular book Miranda handed to him crossed his mind. He remembered skimming through the pages when he caught a glimpse of the phrase.


    From what the news reporter said, he understood why Senji had invited him over. The thought of a black creature on all fours devouring a human popped in Takumi¡¯s head. He squinted his eyes, not wanting to get involved.


    Takumi stood up and quickly turned to leave right out the door. Senji bolted over and slid across the carpet nearly tripping due to how fast he had to lunge over. He pulled Takumi back a bit and got in front of him to prevent him from walking out of the door. ¡°Tak! I know you don¡¯t want anything to do with the supernatural, but I think it¡¯s something we need to talk about, ssseeeing as you still owe me a favor. Lately, I¡¯ve been losing customers thanks to that Night Stalker.¡±


    ¡°Nah, get someone else to do it. There are already detectives on the case anyway.¡± He pushed Senji¡¯s hand off of his shoulder.


    ¡°You¡¯d work faster though. Plusss, I don¡¯t want any of the Strays I¡¯m keeping around to be aligned with what¡¯s happening.¡±


    ¡°Strays?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re legal. Anyway, a few weeks ago, I lost a dog friend of mine. Mr. Pun-chinka. So¡­  it isn¡¯t only about the business-¡±


    ¡°A¡­ dog? You had me come all the way out here¡­  take time out of my day¡­ for a dog? And you¡¯re keeping Strays?¡± Takumi sighed deeply.


    ¡°He used to come around often, but after that thing started popping up, I haven¡¯t seen him. I¡¯m worried something may have happened to him, so I want you to take out that Night Stalker and find out what happened to Mr. Pun-chinka. Here¡¯s a photo of him.¡± Senji, searched in his back pocket and after retrieving his phone, showed Takumi a photo of the dog.


    ¡°You¡¯re really going to make me search for that little fat sausage-looking thing¡­¡± Takumi¡¯s eyebrows twitched vigorously.


    ¡°The Yori wouldn¡¯t take up this sort of case because it¡¯s a dog. Seeing as you¡¯re Alessandro himself, you¡¯ll be able to do something about this for your dear old friend¡­ right?¡± Senji winked.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± is all Takumi could say.


    ¡°That thing waits until my customers leave to harass them. This isn¡¯t the only place it¡¯s been occurring though. I would deal with that thing myself if I could, but I¡¯m not allowed to leave the caf¨¦ on weeknights and it alwaysss shows up during weeknightsss,¡± Senji hissed, folding his arms.


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty big favor compared to the one you did for me.¡± Takumi folded his arms as well.


    ¡°I¡¯d disagree. Think back to summer vacation last year,¡± said Senji, grinning uncontrollably.  The memories slowly came. Takumi rubbed his chin thinking back to what Senji had done for him.


    It was a Friday night when Takumi and Senji were both attending a party in Hawaii. It was Taro¡¯s birthday celebration and doubled as his going away party, since he¡¯d be going to a school in the United Republic where he¡¯d be playing the remainder of his high school basketball career, while beginning some college level courses early. Takumi was going to play basketball with his older brother and his friends that day, but his mother forced him to join the other children who were dancing in a ballroom instead.


    Takumi had sneakily asked Senji to create a copy of himself using his pink hair and to substitute for him. He made sure his mother wasn¡¯t around to notice the exchange. Senji reluctantly agreed, but warned Takumi he owed him a favor, since if he got caught, he¡¯d be in great trouble, with the possibility of even death. Takumi agreed to give him a favor in return.


    ¡°Thinking back, it was a pretty big favor,¡± the teen thought to himself, before responding.


    ¡°Considering you also helped keep that Rebecca chick off of me¡­  okay.¡± Thoughts of when Senji stepped in to dance with a girl who wanted to dance with him crossed his mind. Takumi couldn¡¯t help but wonder though. ¡°Wait, how did you get her to dance with you? Chick was obsessed with me.¡±


    Senji briefly turned away from the question, unsure of whether he should tell Takumi. ¡°Hehehe, about that¡­ I told her I¡¯d get her a date with you if she helped out.¡±


    ¡°Dude¡­¡±


    ¡°She already knew it wasn¡¯t you. Besides, we haven¡¯t seen her in a long time, so you don¡¯t have to worry about that right now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a point.¡± Takumi sighed in relief, considering the fact that her clingy attitude was too overbearing. He only had the Hirazawa basketball team on his mind and thanks to Senji, he gained some much-needed experience.


    The taste of defeat at the hand of his older brother and his friends was something Takumi planned to repay. He couldn¡¯t overlook Senji¡¯s noble act as a friend. He turned over, running his free hand up through his bang.


    ¡°I guess Shima and I will come back later. If he¡¯s up for it, then I-¡± Takumi was cut off. A familiar voice said, ¡°Totally am, Tak!¡±


    Takumi and Senji turned their heads, following the familiar voice over to the cash register. There, Yoshigawa spun around on one of the dark-brown leathered stools, nibbling on a random sushi roll he found on a plate. Yoshigawa snapped his fingers and pointed them over towards his buddies, as he swatted some more of the rolls into his mouth. ¡°Yooooooowww.¡± He continued to nibble on the food and pat the back of his head as he stepped off of the stool. His green hair waved back and forth and his yellow eyes fell on the gentlemen before him.


    ¡°Glppp- ahhhhhh, that was tasty, Senji. Your cooking¡¯s getting better and better, man.¡± Yoshigawa gave Senji a wide smile and walked over to him. Senji assessed that Yoshigawa stood at 5¡¯11, like Takumi. Takumi squinted his eyes, a tad pissed that Yoshigawa hadn¡¯t announced himself earlier.


    ¡°Yosssshhhi, when did you get here?¡± Senji asked him and set two menus on the table.


    ¡°Right when you started talking about needing help. I¡¯m such a hero, right?! Right?!¡± Yoshigawa set a tray he had picked up back down. He munched on the rice ball he scarfed up.


    ¡°I see. You should have called though. Want me to make you some herbal tea?¡±


    ¡°Sure, why not.¡± Yoshigawa spun on the stool playfully.


    As Senji did so, Yoshigawa pointed over to Takumi. ¡°You should have seen your face, Takumi. I thought you were going to head out to a convenient store to buy salt when he mentioned the Night Stalker. You¡¯re so old fashioned!¡± the orange-haired lad joked, poking fun at how traditional Takumi could be at times.


    ¡°Really, you should have said something the moment you entered.¡± Takumi¡¯s eyebrows twitched in annoyance, as he ignored Yoshigawa¡¯s comment.


    ¡°Naomi texted me something I asked for. Sorry about that. So, you¡¯re really in? Oh! And congrats on the marriage!¡± Yoshigawa clapped, to Takumi¡¯s annoyance.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to start with that, too, are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only teasing, Tak. As for this Stray business¡­¡±


    ¡°Strays?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it sounded like Strays, the way Senji put it. The Yori are investigating if it¡¯s actually Strays though. Or at least what kind.¡± Yoshigawa tipped a glass Senji handed him, taking a sip. Takumi shook his head at the same time Yoshigawa loosened up, reclining on a nearby stool.


    ¡°I¡¯d be out of here, if it weren¡¯t for Senji having pulled the favor card for that one time at that bastard¡¯s birthday,¡± Takumi grumbled irritatedly, standing up and walking across the establishment over to the lounge couches.


    ¡°Oh, a throwback to you getting wrecked on the court and Senji taking that lass, hahaha! Boyyy, did you get punked!¡± Yoshigawa joked and jabbed his elbow into Senji¡¯s side, who suddenly was distracted momentarily, pondering on whether to add new dishes to the menus.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t the only one. You got dunked on twice, so you can¡¯t talk. Sanosuke, Luu and Rae were the only ones who didn¡¯t, out of us five¡­  and we both know why,¡± Takumi protested in a low tone and looked back to the flat screen, as Yoshigawa raised his hands up.


    ¡°They¡¯re about to play footage of that Night Stalker after that porcupine commercial.¡±


    Takumi rolled his eyes, laying back on the couch and shifting his attention to the large hologram projection the giant TV gave off.


    ¡°Welcome back. I am your host, Toki Kanda, back with news on the Night Stalker. Surveillance footage near the Gumi Cafe has captured what resembles a shadowy figure dragging victims into the darkened alleyways near the establishment moments after they exited. I warn you, what you are about to see is graphic. Although we¡¯ve blurred some of it out, viewer discretion is advised.¡± Hearing this, the three glued their eyes on the screen.


    ¡°Sources claim that the being may be a serial killer targeting individuals who enjoy nighttime strolls. The Yori Task Force haven¡¯t released any information pertaining to the identity of this assailant, but judging by the different attacks, it may be more than one attacker.¡±


    A side view of the Gumi Cafe was shown on screen causing the guys to twist their heads towards the entrance of the caf¨¦. Just as the woman finished commentating, Takumi face-palmed himself, hiding his face as he sunk lower against the couch. All the while, Yoshigawa snickered. ¡°At least the place is getting more attention, eh Senji?¡±


    ¡°Not the kind I enjoy,¡± Senji sighed. ¡°Now if it were Naomi passing by¡­¡± Senji slipped in on purpose, causing Yoshigawa to pick himself back up as he shifted to a serious glare. ¡°It really must be great to be in love; the exhilarating thrills of danger, drama, it¡¯s a rush really,¡± he thought to himself. ¡°Naomi hasn¡¯t been around for a while. When you see her, tell her to ssstop by. I made a new tempura sauce I¡¯ve been dying to have some girls try, and I know she¡¯d love-¡±


    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s a good one.¡± Yoshigawa shook his head. ¡°Give them here, big boy. I¡¯ll try them.¡± Yoshigawa¡¯s comment was quickly waved off.


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s fine!¡±


    ¡°Right. What if it were just some creepy old guy and not a Stray,¡± Yoshigawa leaned back and proposed the idea.


    ¡°If it were, it¡¯d just enter for guava juice, like they usually do,¡± Senji mumbled to himself.


    Takumi darted a glare at Senji. ¡°You know I¡¯m right here¡­ yet you¡¯d bring up that you let Strays in here?¡±


    ¡°Business is businesssss. The Strays that come here aren¡¯t all that bad and do remember that this is a no-kill zone,¡± Senji responded back, further pointing out Takumi¡¯s lack of interest in his Setsu work.


    ¡°Hmph. Going off of its looks¡­ that¡¯s no Stray though.¡± Takumi brought his attention to the video as he slid his arm onto the armrest while Yoshi slid off of it.


    ¡°Sen, you guys have a bathroom in this place?¡±


    ¡°Obviousssly, Yoshigawa¡­¡±


    ¡°Great, which way?¡± Yoshigawa checked around until Senji pointed him in the right direction.


    Before leaving, Yoshigawa slipped in, ¡°One thing¡¯s for sure. That¡¯s no serial killer. If it¡¯s been happening throughout Odaiba, I bet it¡¯s some roaming Shiki that¡¯s multiplying. The orders have been too caught up in other places, so some may be sneaking into Osaka now with illegal Strays.¡±


    Takumi looked over his shoulder to Yoshigawa. ¡°Yeah, if it¡¯s like that, that means work¡­ work that I didn¡¯t plan on doing. This isn¡¯t good,¡± he grumbled, tightening his fists a bit on his lap.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s up to us to investigate this, Tak,¡± Yoshigawa said. He suddenly ran back over and patted Takumi on the shoulders. He dug his fingers into Takumi¡¯s shoulder, applying a bit of pressure while moving them back and forth playfully. ¡°Cheer up! This weeks going to be good!¡±


    Takumi swung his right elbow up to get Yoshigawa to stop. ¡°It¡¯s only this once we¡¯re helping Senji out.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± He turned away, running over to the bathroom to change into formal clothes, as Senji stared at Takumi.


    ¡°I really am only making an exception this once.¡± Takumi said. ¡°There are other Setsu for this stuff. Damn ol¡¯ man left on purpose to force me to take responsibility at the most crucial time.¡± Takumi stared down at his palm, and then raised it up, rubbing his temples. He felt angry, considering the fact that most of his older siblings were able to live their own lives. Knowing what Senji would say if those words came out, Takumi sighed slowly.


    ¡°Yes, but Osaka as a whole is a territory that the Hachi are entrusted with safeguarding. Especially in these current times. Lower families protect specific wards, but report to you. It is your job to make sure each family is doing their part, to ensure not only our safety, but that of the Order. If there are any Strays causing trouble, it¡¯s important they¡¯re stopped and their regions notified.¡± Takumi bit down the interior of his cheek, not enjoying Senji¡¯s lecture. ¡°We¡¯re losing money here and that affects you, you know.¡±


    ¡°Any Stray who stepsss on this territory must act as respectful guests. They must behave, not cause trou-¡± Senji abruptly stopped and slid his pale hand into his white apron¡¯s pocket. He pulled out his pink phone. The call was from the chef that worked the day time shift.


    ¡°Yesss?¡± Senji asked. He listened for a while. ¡°Okay. Yes.¡± Senji paused, and listened some more. ¡°No, there aren¡¯t any customers at this moment, but get here as fast as you can.¡± The tip of Senji''s tongue slithered between his lips. He nodded while hanging up the phone.


    ¡°One moment,¡± Senji excused himself and roamed over to the cash register.


    Takumi blinked, as his purple eyes began to glow. Once Senji made it to the register, Takumi raised his hand and signaled for Senji to toss him the controller. Senji took a few steps over to the counter and swung the control over to Takumi. It spun right into Takumi¡¯s right hand. Takumi pressed the reverse button to reverse the recorded video back to the footage, so he could take in the information again. Yoshigawa returned just moments before the video began in his formal outfit.


    Footage near the Gumi Cafe 1:37am:


    A woman and a man stepped out of the Gumi Caf¨¦ laughing amongst themselves. The man staggered, nearly falling several times, but the woman locked onto his arm to keep him from falling. The pair were headed towards a parked hovering car near an alley with no other cars. A single newspaper strip tumbled across them in the empty area, as the streetlight flickered on and off providing temporary light for the pair. The two looked around as they passed one camera and came into the view of another. The girl grew increasingly anxious and quickly walked ahead of him, making hand motions for him to hurry up.


    When the male got to the car, the woman walked around to get into the passenger¡¯s seat, a 4¡¯11 black creature poked its head out from behind a large light blue trash bin. It had glowing yellow eyes that were visible in the video. The male grazed his palm against the pad and the door opened, as the creature grew by several feet. Silver thorns stuck out from its back, coiling down its tail and a set of irregular fangs grew out of its small mouth that enlarged. To a normal human, such features wouldn¡¯t be noticeable.


    ¡°That definitely is not a Stray, dude! Jeez, I bet it can tear through a whole pack!¡± Yoshigawa almost jumped over as Takumi shoved his palm against his face. ¡°Chill bro,¡± he grumbled as the video continued.


    The creature shapeshifted into a humanoid as it stood up on its two hind legs. It rushed away, only to come back full speed. It ran towards the male with a tackle that left the male partially impaled against the shattered door. He lost all the air in his lungs on impact. The news channel blurred out the face he made. One of the creature¡¯s thorns had stabbed right through the driver side door with blood splattering up against the woman, but she didn¡¯t notice until she turned around and the car went on to be violently shaken. From her view, she could see right through the gaping hole that was left on the car door as the creature tore back, ripping through the man and spilling his insides against the window upon being flung back against it. The creature yanked the male¡¯s left foot up causing the human to nearly fall face first, but he grasped the interior door handle and attempted to reach over to the woman who began to freak out, utterly traumatized. Rather than help him, she watched him while shrieking.


    In the ensuing struggle, the man attempted to kick at the creature¡¯s face, but the creature clamped down on the man¡¯s foot and tore a chunk of his calf. Blood splattered all over its face. As a reflex, the male let go of the door handle as his bloodied fingers tapped the area the creature had bit through. The creature dragged the male into the alley and the woman quickly reached over and shut the door of the car, hastily looking through her purse for her phone.


    Within the video, the woman¡¯s trembling hands were visible from inside the car. A camera from the building across the sidewalk the car was on captured the rest. She tried calling on the phone, but dropped it in frustration when it wouldn¡¯t turn on, as it was out of battery life. As she reached down to search the car for the man¡¯s phone, she turned and looked over towards the alley and shrieked. On all fours, the creature dove towards the car, smashing right through the window and that was when the news channel ended the broadcasting of the video.


    Due to how violent the rest of the video was, the news channel was forced to pixelate the entire screen while the audio continued for three minutes. Takumi and Yoshigawa turned to each other with their eyebrows raised. ¡°To think they actually showed that on the news for once.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a tactic to keep people inside,¡± Takumi responded, patting his knees before rising, as Senji set his attention on him when the screaming from the audio slowly came to a stop.


    ¡°Well, that was very unsettling.¡± Senji pressed down a combination code to the cash register. ¡°So, you aren¡¯t coming tonight?¡±


    Takumi shook his head and lunged over the couch, landing behind it. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what¡­ get it done, find my dog, and I¡¯ll make you a batch of honey rolls.¡±


    ¡°Only a batch? You¡¯re so cheap, you bastard.¡± Takumi tilted his head aside.


    ¡°That¡¯s better than nothing; remember, you¡¯re doing this because you owe me a favor, my dear childhood friend.¡±


    ¡°Make it three batches. I¡¯m a growing guy¡­ my dear childhood friend.¡± Takumi responded sarcastically with a smirk.


    ¡°You still have that sssweet tooth¡­ fine.¡±


    ¡°Shima and I will be here later. We¡¯ll see what we can do.¡±


    Yoshigawa gave an affirming nod. ¡°We¡¯ll capture it and go from there.¡±


    Takumi turned away and headed to the restroom to change, too. He shut the door and pressed his back against it, as memories of his grandfather crossed his mind.


    ¡°Soon that will be you out there, my boy! On that grand stage, the high school regionals!¡± The jolly laugh with the scent of his cologne still distinctly in his nose, made him feel a deep stabbing sensation in his heart, a feeling that Takumi tried to shake off. ¡°Tch, now¡¯s not the time. Where¡¯s that other¡­¡±


    Takumi locked the restroom door and reached down, opening his purple bag that Yoshigawa had brought him. One by one, Takumi first brought out his basketball sneakers, the white and purple Superior 12s, as a smile formed out of delight at the sight of such beauties. ¡°Shima, start getting your car ready. We¡¯re heading to the school now for that ceremony,¡± Takumi called out from within the restroom.


    ¡°¡®Kay, gotcha,¡± Yoshigawa responded, fist bumping Senji before heading to the entrance of the cafe. He briefly glanced over at the ticking cat clock hung up above the entrance door and snapped his fingers after catching sight of the time. ¡°10:05 a.m. Tak, might wanna hurry up! Traffic is crazy today. Who knows how long it¡¯ll take to get there if we get caught in a jam. I may have to stop by a bakery to get some lemon cakes for Naomi, too.¡± Yoshigawa patted his palm on the door pad and exited, nearly stepping on a small brown dog that was walking on its hind legs.


    ¡°HEY, WATCH IT!¡± A robotic voice yelled at Yoshigawa from the dog¡¯s collar. The dog growled at him before continuing his walk with his human owner following right behind; the back of its hair spiked up when the girl stopped to apologize to Yoshigawa. He politely smiled at her, spotting one of his watch dogs keeping an eye on him.


    Yoshigawa jokingly said, ¡°Aye, sorry dawg. I¡¯m in a bit of a rush too, but lemme make it up to ya.¡± The dog¡¯s tail started to wag, but it kept its eyes squinted, maintaining its hostility by attempting to bite Yoshigawa¡¯s hand when he tried assisting.


    ¡°What¡¯s with you, dawg?! I¡¯m tryna get your owner¡¯s number so I can hook you up with one chill pussy, in exchange for your owner¡¯s.¡± The orange-haired teen responded loudly on purpose, thinking of his small tiger-like kitten, Bell, while rolling his white armband up from his wrist to his shoulder. The back of Yoshigawa¡¯s jersey flapped back and forth with the increasing breeze. At his response, the dog started growling again, taking it as an offense. The dog moved its head down, showing off its teeth when Yoshigawa started to advance towards its owner.


    The dog got on all fours, shaking its tail in preparation, but just as it was going to lunge up and bite Yoshigawa¡¯s forearm, a fast rotating basketball flew between the two, striking Yoshigawa¡¯s car before bouncing over to Yoshigawa, who kicked it up and balanced it on his head. The dog shivered and hurried over to the protection of its owner, springing up into her arms. The girl didn¡¯t respond to the ball nearly hitting her dog since she was too distracted by Yoshigawa¡¯s charm.


    Takumi stepped out of the open entrance and gave the dog a deadly glare. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t have time to waste on mutts.¡± Takumi stepped between Yoshigawa and the girl. He pressed his right palm up against Yoshigawa¡¯s chin to separate him from the girl and tugged Yoshigawa away just as the girl finished giving him her number.


    Yoshigawa made a calling sign at her as he turned away to head into his car, as she waved back. ¡°Ballin¡¯ time, Tak. Strap up!¡± Yoshigawa got comfy in his pink seat and slapped his palms together, but Takumi only shook his head. He patted Takumi¡¯s shoulder while laughing. ¡°I¡¯m only joking. Can¡¯t turn down a pretty girl, ya know. At least not when those cursed watch dogs are on me.¡± Yoshigawa side-eyed a woman in a silver uniform jotting notes, as she didn¡¯t bother moving while openly staring at Yoshigawa, who sighed.


    ¡°I should be excited to ball, but I can¡¯t shake off the feeling something bad¡¯s going to happen¡­¡± Takumi thought to himself.

 Chapter 5 - An Explosive Hirazawa Entrance

    "See that? That''s the girl. Confirm if she''s actually there first or if it¡¯s just a set up. I find it hard to believe those Setsus actually made the choice to send her to a place we¡¯re already marking..." an apparently elderly individual spoke, tilting a glass of wine. "This could be a fortuitous opportunity."


    "Then we''ll have her."


    ¡°Who is she?¡±


    "The daughter of that woman, the runaway of the Fiore familglia."


    ¡°All of the details are on the file you''ve received.¡± A paper detailing the target''s information was held in his hand, blocking the view of the readers seeing the person passed out on a rug of the private office.


    "Her daughter¡¯s name is Hanami Hasegawa. Age 14 today. She''s now being looked after by the rightful boss of their cousin family, the Acardi."


    The phone was then paused. The man stood in the purposely dim room, glancing at someone unconscious on a rug beside two men that were knelt down.


    ¡°My Count¡­ I¡¯m afraid we will not be joining you on that mission. You¡¯re already sending Nithilith¡­ that should be enough?¡± The man held his breath without daring to look up as the man next to him brought out a silencer and aimed it, shooting the guy beside him.


    "You do what you¡¯re told and deliver it to her¡­"


    ¡°I¡­ just shot my own brother for his impotence. Please, my Count¡­ I believe it¡¯s good enough with what you¡¯ve sent already.¡±


    The defiance in the man¡¯s eyes was answered with a warning that ushered utter despair.


    ¡°Or you''ll cost your family another death."


    "F*ck you! I¡¯m not taking your shit!" The guy tries to aim his silencer at the Count but quickly found he got shot through his finger causing him to cry out and attempt to turn around only to get shot from numerous areas as five men dressed in black military attire step out of their hiding spots in the room.


    ¡°Get the trash bag and change the rug¡­ have the hotel staff remove the footage of them entering,¡± one of the masked men said as their client turned to face the glass in the office. The brisk weather made a branch scratch against the glass window.


    ¡°Now that entire famiglia will have to be wiped¡±


    "No need to be brash, you lot focus on the task at hand. I already sent some to make way for us to get her."


    ¡°Begin war, attain first blood, go for their source from the ground up where the core is¡­"


    Metallic grey vents released air that propelled the hovering car straight through the long stretch of roads that disappeared into the upper clouds. Once they had gotten off of the blue road and onto the clear force field road, Hanami pressed her palms up against her window and gawked at the beautiful auburn sunrise that reflected off of the shiny ocean that was below. They were going up to such an altitude that all the people that crossed the busy streets where they had been now appeared like small ants scattered around. She tried twisting over so she could get a better look through the back window, but nearly fell over.


    Voltaire fixed his driver¡¯s hat around and warned the girl to use her seat belt. Hanami quickly reached for her seat belt and as she did, the back of the car shook back and forth, only for the back trunk to suddenly be whipped forward by an intense compression of air that propelled the car straight up through passing clouds while leaving the road misty.


    She could see clearly, but shut her eyes as the ride got bumpier. Voltaire focused on maintaining the ride at the center while the girl squealed in terror. It felt like her insides rose up, leaving her gasping with a queasy sensation in her stomach. To her relief, suddenly, the vibrations stopped as quickly as it had begun. She opened her eyes and was taken aback by what laid beyond the semi-rectangular clouds. There were all sorts of floating roads with hundreds of cars breezing past in different directions, and there were varying white, floating buildings with grey mirrors making up their long sides.


    ¡°This is the intermediate zone,¡± the butler informed her. ¡°It connects drivers to roads that can get them to a specific area within the floating city above. Neat, right?¡± He chuckled, amused by the stars that formed in her eyes, as she was clearly impressed like a curious child.


    ¡°IT¡¯S REALLY IMPRESSIVE!!! I have to admit-¡± She pressed her cheek against the back of the seat that was beside Voltaire¡¯s to get a better look at the view ahead as the limousine passed through a gigantic tunnel. Blue letters slid across its black headlights, only to rise back up and burst into a sign that read ¡°Welcome to Osaka Sector 2: Terminal 1-E.¡± Once they had passed through the tunnel, there was a normal concrete road that led into the city.


    A deep sigh escaped Hanami as she leaned back in her seat. Voltaire dug into the side pocket of his suit and unwrapped a small paper that had green gum within it while the car drove itself and popped one in. They went past a commercial complex on the free road and continued through. Up above was an eighty foot hologram that played news related to a tennis game and other sports highlights revolving around the latest games. After passing that hologram, there were more over the road in different colors. Naturally, it grasped Hanami¡¯s attention.


    ¡°There are so many competitions¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re passing by the area where the Tohru Stadium is. Different events are held there.¡± Voltaire informed her.


    She followed each one, tilting her head back to see behind the car. A channel showing kendo announced that the 97th All Japan Kendo Championship would once more return that year after a long hiatus. Just when it was going to mention the winners of the previous championship, they passed the particular hologram.


    Hanami tapped her cheek as the next hologram came into view, showing two individuals in kendo uniforms. The two jumped onto a platform that propelled them up into the air. Once airborne, the two struck their blades against each other and dropped down to the center as they both rushed off to jump on the surrounding bouncy platforms. They did so and once more rammed straight into each other with their blades coming down towards one another in the next hologram ahead of them.


    ¡°That¡¯s weird,¡± she thought to herself. ¡°What kind of kendo is that? Is that how kendo¡¯s done here? Jumping around on bouncy floors? Seems like lots of fun! I¡¯d love to try it out with the others!¡±


    Seeing the two kendokas brought back memories of the days she practiced kendo with her grandmother and five other children her age. Though it¡¯d been so long, she could hardly remember their faces. She grasped her skirt a bit, as a slight sense of homesickness rushed through her.


    Hanami recalled the bamboo trees that surrounded the Hasegawa Estate. The distinct memory of her palms pressing up against trees as she watched other children climbing onto them and swinging from one tree to another made her subconsciously tilt her head up to take a sniff, but she quickly shook her head as she realized she was spacing out too much.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be arriving in a few minutes,¡± she heard Voltaire say. She shook her crimson hair side to side freely. ¡°FOCUS! I¡¯ll return home for the break with stories that¡¯ll make them jealous! HYAHHH!¡± Hanami motivated herself. She raised her elbow up and swung it down in her signature ¡°Haru-bow¡± strike.


    All of that enthusiasm flew out of the window when she turned to look back ahead. She nearly fell over at the sight of thousands of students with dark blue uniforms pressing against one another to get through a gigantic gate. ¡°Are they all going too?¡± she mumbled as she watched Voltaire pulling in. There was a clear space with yellow tape spread across that created a twenty foot square in front of the entrance. Hover cars were stopping in one by one and then leaving.


    Hanami soon realized no one could step through the yellow tape other than the cars and those being dropped off. That wasn¡¯t because of the guards, but rather due to the barrier cast with Retsu. It made the gravitational force denser in this square, something the guards would have to lower everytime a car pulled in. The guards wore a uniform that leveled this gravitational force for them. Only students with their pins were being let in, since a large majority of the students outside weren¡¯t even from the school, but had come to catch sight of the noble lords that¡¯d be attending Hirazawa High as the Bonsai magazine had speculated.


    ¡°That illustrious musician Luu! I think I¡¯ll die if I get a picture with him!¡± one guy shouted as girls around him enthusiastically agreed. ¡°Where is he?! The first picture is for me, he¡¯s all mine!¡± cried another. Tussling soon ensued, as they all anxiously waited to see who¡¯d come out next.


    The limo rolled up to the front of the entrance as Voltaire rolled down his window while a guard in a blue uniform sauntered lazily over his window. ¡°I¡¯m here to drop off Miss Haruna of the Hasegawa domain.¡± The guard quickly shot out of his relaxed demeanor once Voltaire had mentioned Hasegawa. Voltaire asked Hanami for her fish pin, to which she gave it to him to show the guard. Once he did so, Voltaire returned the pin to her and she slipped it into her kendo bag since she didn¡¯t feel like wearing it. Voltaire started the vehicle again.


    The guard saluted and gave a second guard over in the gatehouse the go ahead for Voltaire to pass through. The car hovered in a bit past the space that compressed the gravity to keep any individuals that didn¡¯t belong in the school out. After Voltaire stopped the car, Hanami stepped out, patted her skirt down and pulled her kendo bag over her shoulder excitedly. Almost right away she felt glares jabbed behind her head. Though she felt anxiety, she took a step forward.


    ¡°Step by step, go on. Don¡¯t pay mind, baby steps,¡± she managed to encourage herself¡­ until an individual within the crowd took a picture of her. The flash shot over her, prompting her to turn around. Like a chain reaction, suddenly hundreds of camera flashes were directed towards her. Chatter broke out within the crowd; one person commented, ¡°She¡¯s Haruna Hasegawa¡­ but I¡¯ve never heard of that name among the Hasegawas.¡± Others added to this, murmuring random obscene rumors. Some ranged from her being the ¡°black sheep of the Hasegawa¡± to her being kicked out of Hokkaido for being a ¡°disgrace.¡±


    Hanami¡¯s eyebrows twitched angrily as she heard the rather rude words people murmured within earshot. Rather than snap at them, she stomped back to Voltaire and bowed, giving Voltaire a farewell. Voltaire gave her a nod, observing how she clenched her kendo bag¡¯s strap. She turned away blowing fumes out of her nostrils. Voltaire reached over to his cupboard to give Takumi a call as he watched her stomp through the entrance and over to the flight of steps. He could tell she was doing her best not to blow up. ¡°I only hope that patience lasts¡­  for your sake as well as Master Takumi¡¯s,¡± he spoke under his breath, sliding into his car.


    Dashing with her kendo bag swaying about, Hanami leapt step by step, forgetting all about the uneasiness she felt before. Pink blossom petals fluttered past her, as the girl looked up ahead and ran up while keeping her hands down at the ends of her skirt.


    She cleared the one hundred steps with ease and made it to the top. Spring brought with it a sense of freedom unlike any other. One that she hadn¡¯t experienced ever before. She reminded herself, ¡°This is a fresh start! Can¡¯t afford to gain a bad reputation,¡± as she knew it was something her fianc¨¦ and her grandmother would reprimand her for.


    Hanami inhaled deeply as a sudden breeze of air carried the scent of fresh blossoms through the entrance. The girl held the front of her skirt down, waiting for the breeze to finish passing, then stepped forward to begin her exploration of the campus before heading to the auditorium. This was a great opportunity for her to check out some of the clubs she had heard about. There were so many stalls already in view. Of those clubs, she certainly wanted to run into the kendo club.


    ¡°The members have to be around here somewhere! I¡¯ll show them what I can do! At least, what I know so far,¡± she giggled to herself and couldn¡¯t believe her eyes when she zoned back in. It all resembled a massive festival. Banners in a wide range of colors were strung up along long poles. She stopped right over a huge hovering hologram that read ¡°WELCOME TO HIRAZAWA PRIVATE HIGH!!!¡± as flares of assorted colors shot up into the clear blue sky above.


    All of the flashes of vivid colors and calligraphy distracted her momentarily, but she shook her head, fixing her sight back to her surroundings. She walked past four individuals dressed in odd cow suits standing outside of one of the classrooms, giggling and taking note that costumes were likely not their idea. Nevertheless, these individuals had baskets with different colored eggs. One of the individuals offered her one and Hanami gracefully picked it from the basket on her way over to other stalls. She pranced around curiously like a child in unfamiliar surroundings until she stopped herself from acting that way and slowed herself down.


    ¡°Calm down, act proper. You can¡¯t attract too much attention. Search for the right stall,¡± she thought to herself as her tummy gave a lowly grumble. She didn¡¯t have breakfast earlier in the morning due to having to change quickly for her first day. ¡°That big oaf bought himself pancakes on the way over and didn¡¯t even have the decency to buy me some. Talk about a caring fianc¨¦. Hmph, if I see him, he¡¯s getting me lunch,¡± she complained to herself before sighing.


    Hanami puffed up one of her cheeks and folded her arms when she caught a whiff of something that smelled heavenly. The girl couldn¡¯t help the urge to seek this scent out. She passed through the crowd in almost a hypnotic spell that led eventually to a stand where ikayaki were being roasted by a cooking club along with other treats like  honey dipped grilled corn.


    At the stand, Hanami¡¯s attention diverted from the food for a second, going straight to a rice ball hat with glittery eyes that a very small girl wore. This girl pointed down to one of the plates. ¡°Try some.¡±


    Hanami took one of the dumplings, leading her to take another, and another¡­  and soon, she was stuffing them into her mouth one by one after chewing and swallowing. This led to the girl manning the booth to give her the whole tray after Hanami¡¯s tummy let out a grumble loudly. ¡°Help yourself, there¡¯s more than enough.¡±


    ¡°Oh, why thank you!¡± Her cheeks blushed bright red in embarrassment, as the girl behind the table felt as if she were being robbed at gunpoint. Nonetheless, she didn¡¯t mind giving Hanami dishes that no one else really even came to try.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°You¡¯re our first food taster¡­¡±


    ¡°And boy am I grateful! Mggghhh!¡± Hanami giggled, sliding over.


    As the girl pointed at the pork, Hanami only smiled at her. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t, eh¡­ eat that sort of meat. Well, I don¡¯t eat meat at all actually. My nana advised me against that. That stuff can turn you into a porky pig! You are what you eat after all, hehe.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± The girl looked over and gave her dumplings she had saved for herself. Hanami excitedly grabbed rice cakes stuffing her face.


    ¡°If you eat too much of that rice, your cheeks are going to get really puffy.¡±


    ¡°Ya¡¯ don¡¯t say? I¡¯ll just work it out!¡± Hanami cheered, noticing the girl held a napkin for her.


    Hanami took it appreciatively and asked her. ¡°What¡¯s your name by the way? You have to be some sort of cooking genius!¡±


    ¡°My name is Veil Shaman,¡± she told Hanami politely. ¡°Would you consider joining our club?¡±


    ¡°Oh! A club?¡± Hanami exclaimed, looking down to the girl much smaller than her. ¡°She¡¯s so small¡­ a little less than 5 feet?¡± the girl thought to herself while chewing on a dumpling.


    ¡°Now wouldn¡¯t that be something? Me joining a cooking club. I am pretty good when it comes to baking, but I¡¯m terrible at everything else¡­¡± Hanami said with her mouth full of the chewy treat. ¡°Oh! Pardon my manners!¡± Hanami finished chewing first before continuing. ¡°I know how to make pastries, I¡¯ve made plenty of those in the past.¡±


    ¡°You do look like you have talent¡­¡± Veil said, staring at her. ¡°The talent for eating.¡±


    Hanami was too busy relishing the flavor to reply. ¡°It tastes so good, MWWWWWMMMWWWWMWWWW!¡± she squealed uncontrollably, jumping up and down in place, like a prancing gazelle. She danced in place, unable to hold back the warmth and mouth-melting taste of every chomp.


    Veil laughed lightly, hiding the laugh behind her tiny knuckles she brought over her mouth for a second. ¡°If you join, I can make you more,¡± Veil¡¯s tone became serious as she gave a firm nod. Hanami saw the glint in Veil¡¯s puppy eyes. She almost felt guilty.


    ¡°Food really does connect people, haha,¡± Hanami said. ¡°I¡¯ll think about the club later. If I find anyone that¡¯s interested, I¡¯ll tell them all about you!¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± Veil said in a monotone way, placing her attention to the dough she had in a pot.


    Hanami knew she wasn¡¯t going to join the club, but didn¡¯t outwardly say so. Instead, she asked, ¡°Would you have any idea where I might find the kendo club? I was given a guide, but haven¡¯t had any luck finding the stall. For some reason, that info isn¡¯t on the paper.¡± She skimmed the paper again, then brought it down to her side.


    Veil pulled her white elastic gloves off and set them on the table. She knelt down to pick up some boxes with different spices that were hidden under the table. As she stood up, she answered ¡°There are no kendo clubs at this school currently.¡±


    Hanami paused for a second before slapping her palms against her ribbon. ¡°No way!¡± she dropped down to her knees in disbelief.


    ¡°This school is filthy rich! It doesn¡¯t have a kendo club?! No, no, no! That was the only good thing about what you said, nana?!¡±


    Other students nearby looked over to the stall to see what the commotion was all about, just as she suddenly stood up completely losing it and shouting to the heavens.


    ¡°W-whyyyyyyyy!?¡± Hanami slammed her palms down on the table, startling Veil enough to make her stumble backwards. She felt awkward eyes shoot over at her and darted stares back over her shoulder to all the onlookers and called out ¡°WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!?!?! NOTHING TO SEE HERE! AGHH!¡±


    The people quickly looked away and continued their own walks. Hanami focused back on Veil. ¡°No kendo club? I didn¡¯t hear that wrong?¡± she asked again. ¡°Please tell me I heard something else, something stupid like¡­ ¡®No scarecrow club¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah, there¡¯s never been a kendo club here¡­ but there actually is a scarecrow club, right over there.¡± Veil hesitantly pointed back to a booth down the three booths as Hanami¡¯s jaw dropped. There was an actual female student handing fliers while someone with a crow suit was being hit by another club member. ¡°Hi! Join our club and help us fight off crows at local businesses!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s their¡­  hobby,¡± Veil said in a monotone voice, leading Hanami to remain frozen with her mouth open. ¡°The school was started only four years ago, but I guess no one ever thought about kendo,¡± Veil added.


    Hanami¡¯s hands fidgeted. She lost all feeling in her hand, causing the paper to float down to the ground and be whisked away by the passing breeze. She dug her sharp pink nails into the white fabric that lay over the table and then cocked her head down disappointed.


    ¡°Thanks for everything, Veil.¡± She woozily walked towards the courtyard of the campus, utterly defeated.


    ¡°I need to sit down somewhere¡­¡± Hanami sat down on a random metallic bench and felt like crying. ¡°What am I going to do?¡± she asked herself, as a depressive mood slipped in. ¡°I can imagine Angie laughing¡­¡± She felt her strength leave her shoulders and sighed, setting her chin between her palms.


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been a day¡­  nana, what were you thinking? It¡¯s one thing to send me off to another region, but placing me in a school with no kendo club? I guess she¡¯s grown tired of me, too¡­ what¡¯s going to happen if I can¡¯t even make it into the kendo national events for the next four years of highschool?¡± Hanami felt her head swirl around and around. She stared into empty space for five minutes, not knowing what to do.


    Suddenly, she slapped her cheeks and stood back up. ¡°Ha! Struggling is nothing new to me. There has to be a way! I just have to think of something.¡±


    ¡°Get away from me, you filthy turd!!!¡± A girl cried out nearby, causing her to look across the courtyard. People had gathered by a fountain where a baby angel statue poured clear water. A rather shady sounding male voice answered. ¡°Calm yourself, Miss Funbags, we only wanted to ask you to join our club, teheh.¡±


    Hanami gripped her kendo bag with the intent of going off to investigate, as the crowd made it a bit difficult for her to see what was going on. As she strapped her bag again, the other girl¡¯s face burned cherry red with shame and embarrassment. She looked as if she was about to speak again, but no words left her lips as she attempted to turn and run in the opposite direction. The leader of the thugs grasped her arm and yanked her back to his side.


    ¡°The fan club for the Hirazawa thugs! Our gang is the best gang around!¡±


    ¡°Poor girl,¡± one of the girls whispered to another while watching.


    ¡°Yeah, those creepy thugs got her. I¡¯d do something, but that¡¯d be too risky, considering their status. Someone else will probably step in, so I don¡¯t have to do anything,¡± the second girl tried justifying herself as she looked on.


    Hanami scoffed, shocked that people would just stand around and watch such immoral behavior. ¡°Let me through! Out of my way!¡± She squirmed through the crowd until she made it to the front.


    Hanami tightened her grip on the strap of her bag. She already had so much stress on her and now she had a perfect excuse to release that pent up anger. Consequences were the last things on her mind. ¡°HEY!!! THIS IS AN ENTRANCE CEREMONY!¡±


    Her crimson hair waved back and forth, as a single strand glided from behind her ear over to her cheek. Her ears turned a faint shade of pink. With a death glare directed at the thugs, she whipped her kendo bag with force over her head and slammed it right down in front of her, attracting the attention of the onlookers and making those who were beside her scramble away.


    ¡°Well, lookie here. This one has some fire in her belly,¡± a random spectator within the crowd instigated.


    ¡°Woah, a fight¡¯s popping off here of all places!¡±


    ¡°Some girl¡¯s actually standing up to Heisuke!¡±


    ¡°Never thought I¡¯d see this today. This might be on the news later, lemme record!¡±


    ¡°Someone get the Day Patrol, QUICK!!!¡± another onlooker added as a few people ran off.


    The blades within Hanami¡¯s bag shook against each other, creating a jingling sound that was soon replaced by the sound of a breeze blowing between Hanami and the hooligans.


    ¡°Okay¡­ there¡¯s five of them? Don¡¯t sweat it, Hanami¡­ you¡¯re good enough to take them out, right?¡± Hanami felt scared internally, but kept a serious angered glare at the thugs.


    Water continued to pump out of the fountain behind them. The breeze carried with it green leaves that danced around across the silver patterned tiles before being whisked away. She kept her eyes on them as she unzipped the top of the bag and grasped the handle of one of her kendo blades. The one she took out was a metallic one that weighed forty pounds. She used that one for training and had grown accustomed to it, unlike the other weighted sticks.


    ¡°Hei, we have another hot piece of cake! I CHANGE MY MIND! I call dibs on this chick. Asa can have that other one!¡± The first raggedy male said, as one of the other thugs stepped away from the girl they had been harassing, directing grabby hands in Hanami¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Go for it Sada, attaboy!¡± Heisuke shrugged with a grin.


    Hanami whipped the kendo stick to her side, disgusted by the crazed googly eyes he gave her. ¡°I dare you, trash bag!¡±


    ¡°No, stay away! This doesn¡¯t involve y-¡± shouted the girl, but Hanami didn¡¯t listen and only got more upset when she saw Heisuke lightly slap the girl across the cheek. ¡°Pipe down and enjoy the show. Act like a fan!¡± The girl shifted slightly from her defenseless look to a more serious stare.


    ¡°C¡¯mon sweet cheeks, what are you gonna do with that thing? Spank us with it?!¡± Sada teased in a baby voice and looked back for acceptance as the others cackled at his remark.


    The Hasegawa took a set of quick steps, dashing straight at the male; she jumped almost twelve feet above him just as he turned his head back to where she had been.


    ¡°Where¡¯d she go?!¡± he called out. He wasn¡¯t aware that she had jumped, but naturally glanced up as Hanami came down, smashing the tip of the kendo blade at the center of his head, which made a low clanging noise with the strange ninja-like headband he wore. The male¡¯s back twisted over and his head collided with the concrete ground. All of the onlookers gasped at what they witnessed.


    The thugs¡¯ laughter died down and their mouths were wide open as cracks formed in the ground below Sada¡¯s head. ¡°Oh snap, he¡¯s definitely got a concussion,¡± one of the thugs thought as the one on the ground groggily narrowed his eyes around, disoriented.


    ¡°Aw yeah!¡± shouted one of the onlookers, joined by more who cheered her on. Hanami jammed the back of her shoes into his gut and then casually stepped over him. ¡°That was easier than I thought¡­¡± Hanami mumbled in thought.


    ¡°And the gravity in this area¡­ is lighter.¡±


    The leader of the thugs grit his teeth and ordered the two closest to her to ¡°Stop standing around and get that tiny b*tch!¡± At Heisuke¡¯s orders, the second thug reluctantly stepped forward while the third ran over to one of the nearby classroom fronts and quickly grabbed a metallic folding chair.


    The second thug ran about three feet towards the girl, but abruptly stopped in his tracks when Hanami gave him a deadly smile while advancing closer and closer to him with the metallic kendo blade in hand. Thoughts of what she¡¯d do to him made him quiver.


    ¡°What should I do? If I approach her, she¡¯s gonna beat my ass. People are recording this fight! I¡¯ll be the laughing stock for the rest of my life in this prestigious school, maybe even outside of this school after graduation. If I leave, I can avoid that, but if I do¡­ my friends will call me a pansy for the rest of my life!¡± It was a lose-lose situation for him and those thoughts kept him glued in place. Uda imagined himself seeking employment when the employer lowered their glasses recognizing him as the guy the employer saw on a WhoTube video. That freaked Uda out as he shrieked loudly.


    ¡°UDA!!!¡± The third thug yelled the second thug¡¯s name, appearing pissed off. He ran in with a folded chair, pushing Uda aside, before bringing it down towards her.


    ¡°MIYOSHI, HANG ON!¡± Uda called out to his foolish friend.


    To everyone¡¯s shock, Hanami sidestepped the teen¡¯s clumsy swing and jabbed the kendo stick at him, striking him directly in the crotch. The sudden action made him drop the chair, as he flopped forward onto the ground like a worm.


    He groaned in pain as Hanami then jumped onto his right knee. She suppressed it there with one foot and used her other foot to kick his knees apart. Just as she did this, she jabbed the blade against his gut, forcing him to grip his gut.


    Hanami heard giggling and looked over her shoulder. Uda, for some odd reason, couldn¡¯t help but laugh at Miyoshi, who had basically been neutered. He quickly shut up when Hanami proceeded to strike Miyoshi once more over the head, before directing her sights back over to him.


    ¡°UDA, YOU LITTLE WIMP! COME ON, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! JUMP IN THERE!¡± Heisuke called out impatiently and began to feel dizzy. His arm felt frail for some reason. He could feel his energy being drained. He glanced down to the girl he had his arm wrapped around and then back over to Hanami and Uda. The girl sniffled, pretending to cry some more. She kept her gaze away from him so he couldn¡¯t see the devious grin that formed across her face momentarily. With Heisuke fixing his attention back on him, Uda was forced to shake off his jelly knees and just run in.


    He swung his fists around randomly, moving towards Hanami, but was quickly taken out when she followed up with a swift scissor kick that connected directly below his chin.


    This forced the male¡¯s body to rise off of the ground. Almost as if it were muscle memory, Hanami knelt down and applied force on her left heel to lift herself off of the ground in a single twirl, delivering a precise roundhouse kick straight to his gut, sending Uda spiraling backwards four times like a wheel headed directly for the spurting fountain.


    The fifth thug took a single step to the side as Uda spun past him and splashed into the clear water. The splash rained over Heisuke and gave the girl he had his arm around enough time to finally pull away from him.


    ¡°Come on, do I have to go over there myself? YOU DUMBAS*ES CAN¡¯T HANDLE A SINGLE GIRL?¡± Heisuke flung his finger around, pointing to the fourth thug to handle the situation. ¡°ASA, SHOW HER WHY THERE¡¯S FAN GIRLS!¡±


    ¡°Fan girls?!¡± Asa yelled back, confused, but without a second thought, ran in like Uda had, except he swung his right foot up in an attempt to kick the girl¡¯s head, but Hanami effortlessly slid right below and swept the kendo stick across the single foot he had on the ground. It happened too quickly and he stumbled over, smacking his right ear against the rough tiles below and looked over his shoulder as she walked towards Heisuke, who only had one more of his guys remaining.


    Asa laid his head on the ground and pretended to be passed out as Heisuke yelled, ¡°I KNOW YOU¡¯RE AWAKE! GET UP!¡± A sweat drop rolled down Asa¡¯s head and he didn¡¯t dare get up. ¡°Marco!¡± Heisuke yelled to his final thug.


    The fifth thug wore a red bandana with silver chains hanging around his neck and a white puffy shirt that had a red panda¡¯s face at the center. From his smirk, Hanami knew there was something different about him. She observed Marco as she walked over. He had a vibe to him that spoke to her. Was it his confident walk that gave off a domineering persona? Or something else in the air?


    ¡°Say, girly. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Ha¡­ Haruna. What¡¯s it to you?¡±


    ¡°My name¡¯s Marco. And the guy behind me is Heisuke of the Yataro clan, the Mob of Osaka¡¯s underground. Here at Hirazawa, I safeguard the boss. Although you can call Heisuke the leader, I¡¯m the one who calls the shots. Under regular circumstances, I¡¯d apologize and let you go. Still, messing with him means you become our doll face. So, you sure you want to keep this up?¡±


    ¡°As if! I won¡¯t lose to any of you pervs!¡± Hanami completely lost her cool again¡­ just as Marco wanted. She started charging straight towards the fountain.


    ¡°Have it your way,¡± Marco smirked. Hanami was already all over him with the kendo blade. Her strikes ranged from nearly hitting his knees, hips, to even grazing his throat. She kept on her toes, leaping out of the narrow grabs he made for her arms.


    She continued rushing at him, pointing the tip of the kendo stick towards one of his eyes, forcing him to dodge. Marco placed his hands back and moved down into a human crab walk position. The kendo stick continued ahead without striking anything. Since she had missed, she had continued to fall forward, losing her balance in the process. ¡°Baby, baby¡­¡± Marco winked at her and kicked his left knee up towards her stomach. Hanami swiped her left hand down to catch his left knee, but it was a setup.


    Marco flipped over and brought the back of his right foot to the left side of her ribs. It connected and shot Hanami back several feet towards a series of bushes. The girl¡¯s body rubbed against the tiled ground, causing minor burn marks to form below her elbow and forearms as she rolled several times with her kendo blade still in hand.


    Marco spun around on his back as if breakdancing, flipped backwards right back onto his feet, and dusted his cargo pants off. He kicked up one of his sandals, revealing it had metal. ¡°You¡¯re in for a spanking,¡± Marco snickered and widened his eyes. Getting into a sprinting position, he bolted straight towards her. Hanami slammed the tip of her kendo blade to the ground as it wobbled over as she helped herself up, panting a bit.


    She¡¯d only have a few seconds to raise her kendo blade up in front of herself defensively. Her arms burned from all the swinging. ¡°I used up too much strength with all that striking¡­¡± Hanami clenched one of her eyes shut, expecting to be struck a deadly blow, but smoky explosions suddenly blew up around Marco, who stopped himself. These explosions of smoke were followed by a ¡°KRRRASSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHTTTTTT!!!¡±


    A whip of violent wind interjected between Hanami and Marco, which blew the latter back. He quickly raised his arms over his face to keep the wind from burning his eyes and peered over his fists in the direction of the girl seconds later, struggling to maintain his eyes open. It became harder to remain grounded with his sandals, and Marco found himself rolling backwards further. At the source of the fierce smokey breeze stood¡­


    ¡°IT¡¯S JUNE!!!¡± The girls who had been watching the commotion screamed their heads off at the sight of the tall blonde fellow. It was the second year student known as ¡°The Dual-Wielding Sheriff of Class C-1,¡± a member of the Hirazawa Day Patrol and prestigious School Council. The sun¡¯s rays shone fiercely, making his hair seem majestically golden.


    Grey clusters of mist poured out around June, concealing the crater he had made in the ground. The mist spread past Hanami over towards the tree lines before clearing up. June took a moment to pull his right foot out of the concrete ground he had struck and tapped the heel of his casual black shoes beside his left foot. A sweat drop ran down Marco¡¯s forehead and he scoffed, staring at the black metallic baton June spun around in his left hand.


    June stared at the thugs, then closed his eyes. ¡°Sheriff is around! My my¡­  you guys are causing trouble already and it hasn¡¯t even been the first official school day, Marco,¡± June said with a sinister smile, as the top of his curly hair swayed back and forth along his grey Day Patrol uniform.


    ¡°Messed with the wrong girl.¡± His lime-green irises made direct eye contact with Marco. Hanami rubbed the eye she had clenched as dust had managed to get in, rendering her confused and unable to clearly see yet.


    ¡°June?¡± The name danced around her tongue and spread out through her lips. ¡°June-pyo¡­?¡± Thoughts of a blonde curly-haired boy between five other people became visible in her head. They were all holding hands. Someone she had almost forgotten about and certainly hadn¡¯t seen in a long time suddenly entered her head.


    The fellow whipped the flap of his jacket back and stopped his rotating baton. It stopped across his forearm, spreading out past his elbows nicely. Puffy clouds continuously slid out of his sleeves, drifting down to the ground and rotating around him. June tilted his head over his shoulder and gave her a sincere smile that Hanami knew all too well. ¡°Been a while, Hana.¡±

 Chapter 6

    A flock of fluffy multi-colored birds fluttered past tree canopies, disappearing into the horizon of the clear blue sky. Below this atmosphere, a little girl in a white dress sat in a field of pale flowers. The little girl fiddled with a white flower, amazed by the green spots sprinkled all over its petals. She kept it between her small fingers, spacing out as her cheeks pressed between her knees. "Where''s it coming from?" she wondered of the music emitting from the flower.


    That is, until a flock of birds startled her, tempting the child to look over past the leafy paradise that surrounded her. At the corner of her sight, she spotted a shadow that dashed past the trees and swooped into an underbrush. The bush where the shadow had been shook back and forth for a few seconds, making the girl curious.


    Something pushed through the leaves, pushing a gigantic tree aside. The sun shone on this figure, creating a shadow that stretched out several feet. The girl blinked and saw a slab of drool trickle down on a flower ahead of her. At first they were small trickles, but it quickly turned into a steady flow of drool that came from a tall, hairy creature with ocher-colored fur. It stretched its limbs out far, to make itself much bigger, and gnarled its teeth with a contoured smile as the massive rows of eyes going down its face focused on the small child surrounded by flowers.


    Its lips parted, revealing rows of teeth. It didn''t only have one mouth, but three, which all opened and let out a shriek resembling that of an ape''s. It lifted its long arm over its head, spanning eighteen feet, and created a chopping motion.


    "AGHH!"


    A shadow dashed through and swept the girl before the massive paws could smash down on her. The child trembled, but that fear subsided at the sight of the individual who held her. Sunshine revealed it to be a blonde-haired boy, the light complementing his freckles. The girl''s eyes widened in recognition of the familiar boy, and an excited smile formed across her face.


    "June-pyo good morning!" She laughed, forgetting the dangerous situation while the boy placed her down beside some flowers and brought his attention to the creature.


    "Hanami, of all the places to find you¡­"


    "A Tambara ape."


    He cracked his knuckles, taking off straight for the creature that stood by. The boy leapt over with a sprint and came down with a body-shaking smash of his forehead right against its own. The strike seemed completely ineffective at first glance, as the boy backflipped several times, landing down into a patch of golden flowers.


    One of the Tambara''s tails smashed down over this patch causing flowers to flutter up, but the Tambara raised its tail only to realize the boy was rushing through the yellow flowers that surrounded the creature. The boy blended well with the flowers because of his yellow top and he came in again and headbutted the creature, causing it to flinch, nearly falling back this time. He yet again landed back in the patch of yellow flowers, and resumed his dash around the Tambara ape. It whipped its five fluffy tails over in an attempt to trip him up and turned its head, watching him evade and continuously circle it.


    The yellow flowers fluttered up and the wind further whipped them up, causing golden glitter-like pollen to come out and majestically blend with the sunlight and the numerous flowers that surrounded them. The creature tried thrashing around to escape the flower storm, but found that it grew tired. The pollen coupled with the earlier headbutt, allowed the dust to take its effect much faster.


    The furry creature let out a long overdrawn yawn, scratching its head in succession. It tried taking a step forward, but didn''t see that its tails were entangled around its feet and thus, clumsily tumbled face first into the meadow of flowers. The boy went over to check on it and landed down on the creature''s back, nearly slipping off due to having no shoes or socks on.


    He inspected the area, then got a call. He tapped his ear piece, well aware of who called. "I found her. I''m headed over now, bye." He hung up as quickly as he answered.


    "Grandma Wakaba told us not to enter Tambara''s garden, Hana. Geez," the boy thought to himself, watching the creature now in a deep snooze with a bubble forming over one of its nostrils, only for the bubble to sink into its nose and come out of the other nostril. Golden dust twinkled onto its body, as a loud crunching sound came from the distance. Trees overhead were being pushed aside. From the other side of the forest, more Tambaras were nearing the garden.


    "Ugh, we''re gonna get in so much trouble if she finds out." He facepalmed himself, but couldn''t bring himself to scold her after seeing the smile she had on her face from the flower she held up to her face. "But it was worth it for this flower. Hey June, this flower really looks pretty in your hair." She placed it in, causing him to blush.


    The boy with no words, scooped her up into his arm. Her feet flew around causing one of her sandals to drop without him noticing. "Why are you giggling?" he asked her.


    She didn''t respond, keeping it all to herself, as June focused on leaving the Tambara''s garden behind. Small twigs and branches snapped under their feet as the boy pulled the girl up into his arms and jumped over a random log that was in their path. The boy landed on his knees and dashed down the leafy path, heading in the direction of a clear lake. The closer the children got, the mistier it became around them on the lower floors of the forest.


    On their way, the boy saw a blonde, slumbering bear ahead of them and lunged up to the nearest tree. He applied so much force upon pressing his bare feet against the tree''s bark that the tree almost gave way, but the boy then shot up from tree to tree like a ping-pong ball. Erupting in glee, the girl waved her hands wildly over her head and cheered loudly. "WEEE!!!" The boy backflipped into the air, brushing past some tree branches with a wide smile on his face and landed down on a tree branch about fifty feet from the ground.


    He looked around as some yellow birds flocked past him. There were more tree branches ahead of them that resembled skyscrapers. The boy knelt over, looking dead ahead. An ethereal sense overtook the two.


    "Grab onto my shoulders and hold on tight," he instructed her hastily. She tightly wrapped her small arms around him and pressed up close, making him blush as he stood back up, snuggling his head below her chin. She was reminded of his sweet honey scent she had known most of her life. A refreshing breeze blew past his curly blonde hair, drowning her in this smell.


    Unlike her, the boy detected a waft of roasting chestnuts coming from the lake they were headed towards, a sure indication that they were close. The boy stepped off the branch in one overbearing leap, as the girl felt her gut rise up as she took an exasperated breath and felt the sensation of him landing on another branch.


    "Scared already?" he teased her, making her open her eyes and courageously shake her head with a no. With that, he took another step off and landed on another thick branch. In the process, he scared some flying squirrels that were playing near the branch he landed on. The combined weight of the boy and girl caused the branch to nearly snap. The squirrels scurried off the tree, flying out of view as the boy quickly jumped onto a thicker, more supporting tree branch. He drew a sigh of relief.


    Like an acrobat he continued to fly around with the girl, spiraling up the trees, getting closer to the sun. He took a huff when he burst out through a cluster of bushes into the cleared sky above the water. The sunlight that reflected off of the lake''s surface resembled diamonds that hit their eyes from below. Waves swung back and forth with the wind that pierced past their ears as the girl buried her face in the boy''s hair, causing the boy to instinctively shoot his eyes open. They plummeted at a rapid pace, and the pressure pressed against his ears.


    The pair plunged into the lake as the water swallowed them whole. Bubbles erupted up above them as sprouts of water shot into the air like a landmine going off. The boy cocked his head from side to side in search of the girl who had lost her grip when they crashed into the water. He couldn''t see much at first because of all the white bubbles spinning around him.


    A school of small, violet guppies swam past him as he glanced up where it was much clearer. The girl''s crimson hair swung freely as she swam towards him. As soon as their eyes met and she was close enough, she took his hand between hers. He took note of how the girl''s eyes complemented the aquatic atmosphere. A pinkish blush spread across his cheeks, but was soon replaced with surprise when the girl began kicking her feet back and forth and pulled him along with her as they both  swam up to the surface.


    Upon reaching the surface, the pair took a breath of air, freeing their lungs from the temporary constriction felt below the rippling waves. The girl whipped from side to side while the boy swiped his palm across his face to remove some of the water the girl had got into his eyes when she whipped her hair around. Both broke out in a fit of laughter, but looked down with expressions of shock when they felt something lifting them up. Just below them, an old, gigantic, dark green turtle that was about twelve feet in both length and width swam and suddenly rose up lifting them out of the water with its slippery shell.


    The turtle''s motion and its rather slippery shell made the girl nearly roll back into the water, but the boy caught her and pulled her over to him, pressing her cheek against his damp, puffy white button down shirt. Water rolled down the ends of the girl''s crimson mane. The boy turned his head up ahead and quickly looked away upon spotting three other children they knew by the lakeside and another two further ahead, who were whistling and rowing a small canoe together towards them.


    Hanami snuggled her cheek against his chest and scrunched her nose in comfort. A magnificent rainbow reflected right off of the waves as the turtle swam around with the children on its back, forming ripples and faint currents as it swam through the refreshing lake headed towards a boulder that had algae floating around it.


    It was half submerged, too, and only held up by a coral structure below. The boy stood up, wiping his left arm to the side, setting his sights on to the boulder.


    He jumped off of the turtle''s shell and landed on top of the boulder as the creature stopped in front of the grassy boulder and began to eat large pink plums that were growing off of some of the branches that hung below. The girl stood up and grasped onto some of the green vines that hung off the cliff-like boulder and began to pull herself up using the boulder wall as support for her feet. When she neared the top, the boy held his hand out. The sun shined past the boy''s shoulders, as his lips curved into words.


    "Take my hand, Hana," the boy said as a strong wind that came from the blue sky above flew across the lagoon. It washed down past him and the girl, noticeably causing her to shiver. The blinding breeze made her turn away momentarily and when she turned to look up and take the boy''s hand, Hanami''s eyes widened. The freckles and the curly blonde hair¡­ she slid the image of the child and the current individual in front of her across each other, and it all came back to her. "J-JUNE-PYO!!!"


    Hanami excitedly rose up, feeling her injuries disappear, and didn''t even realize she let go of her kendo blade. The metal clanked a few times upon falling against the tile floor. She grabbed June''s hand while lunging up and tackled the tall fellow.


    June stumbled back a bit and patted her head a few times in an attempt to get her to calm down with a wide smile. "There, there! Hana, stop." He blushed as Hanami reached up to his cheek and pinched it, pulling him down. "Loooook at you! YOU''RE SO BIG! SO THIS IS WHERE YOU''VE BEEN!" The girl stretched his cheeks out, forming silly faces as June attempted to speak while prying her hands off his face. "I didn''t know where you went! No one told me anything, not even Uncle Yuko¡­"


    "You didn''t give her the letter I gave to you?! Father¡­ you traitor!" June screamed in his head.


    "It''s been about five years, and you didn''t leave a single note! I think someone has to explain themself!" Hanami cracked her knuckles to which June rubbed his cheek.


    "The thing is, Hana¡­ like my other siblings were sent to other regions by the Tensei, I''m here as a certain lady''s watchdog."


    "But you could have told me before leaving!" Hanami called out, giving him a pissed off glare that made him try and think up a reason. In sincerity, he didn''t tell her because it would have been too painful to do so with the girl he fell in love with, but he couldn''t say anything for numerous reasons.


    "Y-Yeah, hehe. We can talk about all of that later, right now I have t-" June turned his head, finally prying the girl''s hands off and dropped his jaw. Marco was gone.


    "Ahhhhhhhhh¡­ HE GOT AWAY AGAIN! Not good." June tapped the tip of his left baton against his forehead repeatedly in frustration.


    "Again?" Hanami raised a brow.


    June nodded and explained,


    "This is the second time he''s gotten away from me. That Marco. Marco is a member of the Hirazawa gang that was formed about two years ago by Heisuke, who''s from a dangerous family of loaning gangsters here in Osaka."


    "Marco, during his first year, not only beat down the old Hirazawa gang as a form of discipline, but then got lazy and practically got recruited into the gang, since he''s Heisuke''s watchdog and a Setsu servant to the Yataro. Their little gang thinks they can do whatever they want, no matter how many times we of the Day Patrol reprimand them."


    June recalled last year when Marco had escaped him on the last day of his freshman year. He had set a low level Goshtra that June had captured free on the campus. He was hot on Marco''s trail. June turned the corner and spotted Marco scaling a fence towards the wilderness around the campus. As June dashed through the slippery path of ice that covered some of the campus'' pathways, a group of girls from the nearby female''s locker room intercepted and blocked his path. The girls all bombarded June simultaneously about a "large rodent" roaming the locker room. June attempted to get through them, saying he''d check in a moment as politely as possible, but there were too many girls crowding him.


    Marco looked on from over the fence and made a peace sign  as though to say, "better luck next time, sheriff!" He winked and landed down on a pile of fluffy snow that reached about seven feet and disappeared, much like he had a few moments ago.


    June struck his forehead twice out of irritation. He swiped his baton down to his side as Hanami held in her giggles at how funny it seemed. "The next time, he won''t. Not with me around, at least," she told June in an attempt to cheer him up, flexing one of her muscles to which June laughed.


    "But you''re not strong enough to back that up. You''re gonna end up getting someone else in your fights, Hanami," June thought to himself.


    "The good old, one, two, one, two!" He spaced out for a second, recalling little Hanami throwing jabs his way until accidentally hitting him square on the nose. Much like that moment as a child, she ended up actually hitting him on the nose by accident, leading him to cover his nose.


    "Oops, sorry! I got carried away!" she quickly apologized, to which he commented, "You still pack a good punch."


    "Hehe¡­ wait, look!!!" Hanami swung her finger


    in the direction of the other thugs and then back


    over to Heisuke, who was already tip-toeing


    slowly out of the scene.


    A sweat drop rolled down Heisuke''s cheek at the sight of June. He panicked and stepped onto the ledge of the fountain. He then plunged his feet into the clear, chilly water while ignoring the fact that the water filled his socks and reached his knees, making a mess of his khakis.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Heisuke planned to dash right through the fountain to make a quick escape once he got into the crowd of spectators, but was stopped by the girl he had been holding hostage just seconds ago.


    She grabbed the back of his blazer before he could even take another step, took a hold of his wrist. "NO YOU WON''T!" With a firm grip on Heisuke''s wrist, the girl whipped him right back around, shaking him like noodles, and gave his arm a strong tug over her shoulder as he cried out after hearing a snap.


    With his body on her back, she leaned up, causing his body to rise up above her head. "HHHHYYAAHHHHH!!!" She yelled, with one onlooker screaming out "SHE''S GONNA KILL HIM!!!" and others gasped soon after, only bothering to record.


    The world seemed to spin around for Heisuke and he felt his insides rise up before the steep drop as she flipped him straight down against the sturdy ground. His head made a direct collision, with his body following soon after. He laid flat on the tiles, completely knocked out.


    "Got him!"


    Hanami raised her right arm up to pat her forearm in a flexing motion. "Yeah!!! That''s what I call girl power!"


    June dropped his head back and laughed, punching his chest a few times before looking back at the female with a serious face. June strolled over to her with Hanami lifting her kendo blade back up and following behind him.


    "Minami Momogi¡­ were you aware that it''s forbidden under school regulations for Setsus to drain other students of Retsu on campus?" June spoke low enough for only her and Hanami to hear.


    "How come you know my name, Mr. Sheriff?" Minami tapped the side of her head with her knuckles and stuck her tongue out, maintaining a dopey face.


    "I''m supposed to recognize important guests. So, how could I not know of the Chinese emperor''s daughter, who''s now attending Hirazawa?"


    She knew it''d be pointless to hide it from him, especially after he flat out said it to her face. "Okay, you got me! But I wasn''t acting like that for no reason¡­  we just moved here today, and I didn''t get to eat much on the way. I figured some Retsu wouldn''t be bad for a morning snack¡­ my Setsu side got the better of me, I''m sorry." She briefly bowed.


    June rolled his eyes, faking a laugh. "I''m sure you totally are!" he responded sarcastically, and dug his left hand into his back pocket to pull out a small card that resembled a mirror. Minami flinched, expecting June to have something that''d harm her, but eased up after nothing happened.


    He pressed his thumb at the center of this mirror and a holographic notepad appeared. June looked over to the five thugs, typing in the information on the scene and what had occurred, then turned and asked Hanami, "So, what led to all of this?"


    She raised her index finger to her lower lip and explained, "Well, they were harassing this girl here, uhh¡­  Minami, was it?"


    "That''s right," Minami responded.


    "And no one did anything about it, so I dealt with it. The rest is history, hehe."


    June slightly laughed, unsurprised at her actions. Fitting the pieces together, he suspected this as this was the usual way the thugs attempted to recruit females into a harem club they were eager to make since last year.


    He turned his attention to the other girl. "Was it that the thugs conveniently walked up on you and you decided to play along in order to have a ''morning snack'', as you called it?"


    Minami waved her hands back and forth. Her single fang stuck out, as if she were showing it off. "It all happened randomly, I swear! What can I say? I''m an opportunist, and the opportunity presented itself! I only get like this when I''m really, really hungry though." She fiddled with the ends of a strand of her hair and looked up to June as she bit her lower lip nervously before completely shifting to a more serious gaze as her hands lowered to her side.


    The sound of people chatting in the back grew louder, drawing his attention to the fact that they still had onlookers. June turned his torso a bit and called out, "Alright, alright! Nothing to watch here. Day Patrol has it under control, everyone off to where they have to be. Enjoy the ceremony! Thank you!" June waved the hologram around, shooing the visitors and the students.


    They all turned away, headed towards their various destinations murmuring amongst themselves, except for three females in purple uniforms who pretended to leave, but hid behind a metallic trash bin. One male also remained perched behind a tree, and the three girls noticed this fellow, but said nothing, finding his attire to be very creepy for a young kid. The kid moved his binoculars over to them and then set them back onto Hanami and June.


    Hanami interjected, confused at the sight of Minami''s tooth. It suddenly dawned on her. "Wait, you''re a Setsu?" She placed her hands on both sides of her cheeks, blown away by the fact she hadn''t noticed.


    "Not completely. My mother''s human."


    "Really?! No way! Mine, too. I''m Ha-" Hanami paused. "Haruna Hasegawa. I transferred here today as well actually!"


    "Well, that''s nice. I guess that makes us destined besties!" Minami nodded her head and bowed forward, apologizing again.


    "I''m sorry for the trouble I caused. I''m Minami Momogi! Thank you for stepping in for me, that takes a lot of courage!" Minami said, catching onto Hanami''s scent. Her eyes briefly darkened until June''s vibe snapped Minami out of her not-so-subtle desire for the girl''s blood.


    "It''s no problem. As the great Solten Guy says, ''Evil deeds will not prevail for I fit the hero''s needs!''" Hanami then coughed, trying to imitate the deep voice the hero had and went on to say another phrase. "My creed! I am here to vanquish evil deeds at lightning speeds!"


    "Well, he has different catch phrases," she mumbled, thinking to herself while tapping her chin and then felt Minami place her hands onto her shoulders.


    "You''re talking about the manga Hero Trails, written by Satsuki Miwa?!" Minami squealed as Hanami took her hand.


    "That''s the one, teheh. He makes the best action mangas. It was in the top four in many polls a few years back."


    "I had so much time to read manga and novels while stuck¡­" Hanami thought to herself. "It''s the only good thing that came out of those years! I at least have an idea of how to write a story if I decide to make one."


    June watched the two chatter before he cut in. "Well, where were you headed exactly again? And Hana, you should head to the infirmary for those burns on your arm." June placed his palm on her shoulder and showed off his dimples. She looked down to her arm and shook her head, indicating that she was fine.


    "I''d go with you, but I have to take these guys to the silencing room." At the words "silencing room," the thugs who were laid over twenty feet behind June all began to groan.


    "I downloaded an app for directions on campus, but it doesn''t work at all." Minami tried tapping the screen, but only bubbles fluttered with each contact.


    "Here, let me take a look." Hanami made grabby hands, taking Minami''s phone.


    "See? It shows a screen with a swimming fish."


    "Did you try pressing the fish?" Hanami tapped the center, causing the fish to squirm. Its shape shifted to a barcode.


    "I didn''t, I was scared it''d swim away¡­" Minami laughed along with Hanami. "Oh wow! It worked, what''s next?"


    "I think you have to put your PIN?" Hanami randomly guessed. Minami did so, but an error in red popped up repeatedly along with a voice telling her to "stop." That confused both girls, who stared at the screen.


    "Here, take his map." June reached into his back pocket. "The entrance ceremony is going to begin in about twenty minutes," he added, as he finished typing the last of the report and powered the hologram off. He handed them a card, and Hanami took it, studying the odd white card.


    "That''s the map," he told them, tapping the center. Blue glowing straight lines formed all along the card. The lines rose up to form a field of the campus. It had all the areas detailed well. June pressed down on a few of the visible locations to show how to use it. The girls awed in amazement. "Whenever you want to expand the map, drag any corner outwards; of course, do the opposite to shrink it."


    "Nifty! Hey, that''s a castella stand over there!" Hanami initially got excited but¡­ "Darn, there really isn''t a kendo stand." She sighed.


    "Kendo?"


    "Yep, I was hoping to join a kendo club, but there isn''t one."


    "Oh, but you can always make one, you know," June informed her, checking off a list quickly. Her eyes flared up. "REALLY?! HOW?!" She dove on him and shook his arm as Minami watched, amused at their interaction. "You have to talk to the school principal for that. I''ll introduce you later. For now, you really should go to the infirmary for those burns." June glanced down to her arm, very concerned.


    "Nah, it''s okay. I don''t feel anything, really!" Hanami tried to wave her elbows, but quickly knelt over as she flinched in pain. Minami moved down to check on her. "That''s my fault¡­ oh my, I''m sorry."


    "No, no. I got reckless back there." She tried to wave Minami off as June frowned.


    "Hana, you''ve got to listen to me. I don''t want that to fester. Those burn marks could leave a scar. I wouldn''t want your body messed up."


    "I see what he did there¡­ too bad that''s not getting him anywhere. Poor guy," Minami internally thought, as June continued.


    "Head over and have Doctor Galahan treat you right away. Miss Momogi can go with you." June spun his baton, stopping it along his forearm as the end continued past his elbow, while directing a menacing smile at Minami.


    "Sure, count on me. It''s the least I can do, ahaha," Minami awkwardly laughed and reached down. She helped Hanami up, making sure not to grab at Hanami''s forearm. "Let me return the favor, come on!"


    "But you have to get to the auditorium. I''ll head to the infirmary alone. Really, it''s okay." Hanami''s Aries tendencies surfaced off, reminding June of her stubbornness.


    "No it''s not, Hana!" June''s voice rose, as both girls'' eyes widened. "If she doesn''t go with you, I''m afraid I''ll have to


    take Minami off to the silence room as well¡­


    or even worse!" He practically blackmailed them.


    "June-pyo, you can''t be serious." A sweat drop rolled down the back of her head as June headed straight to her and brought her face to his chest. His hands slid  into her silky hair, as he pressed his face atop of her head. This shocked Minami and some of the girls that were hidden away,  gawking at the interaction.


    Hanami stood still, a tad surprised, but then eased in his arm. "Still as overprotective as ever¡­ but come on, not in front of everybody," she thought to herself, letting out a faint smile as her knees became wobbly, thinking of the misunderstandings that could come from it.


    Unlike her, June''s mind filled with anger. "Wait until I get my hands on that Marco¡­"


    "June-pyo," Hanami mumbled. Seconds seem to slow down. She felt him touch her chin suddenly and tilt it up, as he went down. She wanted to step away, but at the same time, simply froze. "June-pyo? You okay?" she asked, concerned.


    June shook his head and responded, "Yeah. I''m really happy to have you here is all¡­  though this isn''t the circumstance I wanted." He gave her a brimming smile, the kind that she remembered him often giving her whenever he had something going on. That''s why it made her uneasy.


    She spaced out, not noticing that his sights were on her lips. "Just work and make father Yuko proud," he repeated in his head everyday across every season. "Only serve him, repay him. Keep the Hasegawa in power. I can''t step out of line." The reminder helped him ease his grasp on her.


    Minami blushed, as fumes fizzled out of her ears. From her perspective it seemed as if June had kissed Hanami. When Minami got closer and slid to their side, she realized that June simply kissed her forehead. That didn''t stop spectators from making a ruckus over it though.


    "Click shhh click shhh." Silently, a camera clicked repeatedly, taking holographic photos of the scene. A shady individual remained hidden, recording it all until a squirrel scurried down the tree, prompting the individual to snap two final photos and retreat further into an underbrush.


    "Jeez, what was that for? I''m not a kid, you know," she mumbled, lightly pushing her hand up against his chest to part away.


    He chuckled and apologized, and watched her turn away as she went off in search of her kendo bag. Once she spotted it, she ran over to where she dropped her kendo bag and picked it up, before going over to get her kendo blade.


    All the while, Minami stood beside June, who told all of the girls that were still around to keep it moving. "Nothing to see here! Continue on, go! Enjoy the festivities!" To his baton flicking up, the remaining females and males took the cue and fled as June glanced down to the sheepish smile Minami had on.


    "You''re a slick operator, Mr. Sheriff," she teased, to which June warned her. "Step out of line with Hanami, and I''ll rip out those fangs of yours. I don''t care who you are." His threat sent shivers down her spine, prompting her to nod several times in compliance as Hanami returned.


    "He is such a weird guy¡­" Minami told herself.


    "Uh, why are you nodding so much?" Hanami asked out of curiosity.


    "He told me the best path we can take! Time to go!"


    "Hang on, make sure it''s set first! Let me see it one more time." June grabbed Minami''s arm before she could go.


    He tapped the card twice and placed a green holographic marker over where the infirmary was. "You see the building near us? Keep going straight, cross over the bridge that''s in the distance over there, then keep going straight. There''s going to be a huge pond, but don''t take too long sight-seeing."


    "Well, thank you." Minami squinted her eyes, as Hanami formed a smile while rubbing the side of her neck.


    "When you continue, look for an oval building. It''s going to have a red ''H'' hovering in front of it. Try to get treated fast. As for the club, I want to introduce you to the principal- actually, she''s been meaning to see you."


    "Really? You''re the best, June-pyo!" Hanami ran in and gave him a quick hug as she said, "I am definitely gonna make the kendo club!" She raised her fist and brought it back down.


    "Okay, let''s go!" Hanami strapped her bag and dashed off as Minami excused herself. "Hold up!" She cried out as June smiled faintly and turned away. "Now, to take these clowns¡­" By the time he turned around, all of them were missing.


    "OH NO! They got away while I was¡­ talking." He dropped one knee to the ground, ruffling his golden hair around in frustration. "Drats, I also forgot to ask her¡­ if the rumors are true." June sighed  as he stood back up. "But I guess I''ll have time to talk to her later. For now, let me track those goons. They couldn''t have gotten that far." June closed his eyes, taking a single sniff before taking off.


    Minami cheerfully jumped onto the bridge right behind Hanami. "Are you sure he''s not your boyfriend? Seemed awfully handsy for someone that''s only a relative. Though, I guess that is common here." She watched Hanami and laughed as the girl shook her head back and forth furiously.


    "No, no! He''s like that with everyone back home, teheh. Come on, don''t ask me that again." She cut the chit-chat short, and took Minami''s hand and ran through the crowd that was up ahead until they reached an area with a river.


    "Hmmm¡­" Minami shrugged her shoulders. Both girls slowed down, taking in the festivities around them, as they passed by performers and individuals passing flyers out.


    "Oh! I just remembered my little brother. He would have really loved this kind of stuff¡­" Hanami commented with a somber look.


    "Wow, I wouldn''t expect anything less from the mighty Hasegawa. Your family must really be big. Unlike yours, my family is sort of small. It''s only me and my brother for now while my parents handle a chain of restaurants they own in China. Quite the task, being Wei Keqiang''s older kid."


    "The Chinese emperor¡­" Though Hanami felt like being honest, she kept her identity to herself.


    "My parents on the other hand are pretty common. I''m mostly human from my mother''s side and I only have 1% of my Setsu heritage from my father¡­ you can make fun of me for it." Hanami looked down to the ground in shame as they walked. To her surprise, she felt a reassuring pat on her shoulder from Minami.


    "Nah, why would I do that? I don''t think that''s funny at all. It is cool though, I''ve never had a friend I could relate to as much as you." What Minami said filled Hanami with joy.


    "Please don''t tell anyone though! I had to be honest with you about that. Outside of the Hasegawa Rikutos, no one here knows I''m mostly human. It''d bring up all sorts of trouble," Hanami whispered to Minami. "Though I honestly wouldn''t be surprised if our families knew each other."


    "Yup. My family has friendly ties to the Hachi. In fact, for more than five thousand years, our families have always done business with one another. This trip isn''t any different." Minami blushed at what she''d say next. "There''s actually this guy that I''m dying to see. He''s part of the reason I even agreed to come to Hirazawa¡­ the heir of the Hachi. I have to get the right to marry him."


    Hanami''s heart throbbed once in a big pump. "There''s no way!" she internally screamed, feeling as if a boulder had landed square on her head. "I just made a friend and she''s in love with¡­ no, no, no, no, no! I''ll just ask her¡­" Hanami gulped as she listened to Minami ramble.


    "Ehehehehe¡­ what''s the guy''s name?" Hanami asked her, praying to the universe that it wasn''t her dreadful fiance.


    "His name? Takumi Hachi," Minami said with a gentle smile as Hanami internally died.


    "What''ll she think if she finds out!?"


    "I was told he''s marrying a Hasegawa¡­ you wouldn''t happen to be that Hasegawa, would you?" Minami''s gaze shifted to a serious one as Hanami looked back to her.


    "Eh¡­ no, it''s not me! Actually, it''s a cousin of mine! Like I said! I''m not even completely Setsu. That''s actually why I''m here, to join her in Osaka for school, for supervision, er¡­ but she''s always sick, so she''s studying at the Hachi''s."


    "Oh, I hope that won''t ruin our relationship, since I have to take him from her," Minami said, worried.


    "Don''t worry about it, she''s blind. Uh, I mean! She''s not really allowed to see people," Hanami lied, trying to keep a straight smile. "No! I''m building a friendship of lies!" she freaked out internally.


    "I''m glad that won''t put a stop to our friendship. I''d be surprised if he remembers me though. I''m really anxious to see him again, but I plan to try and talk to him today when I see him."


    "But let me tell you now, it isn''t as great as it seems," Minami''s words snapped Hanami out of it. "Being of a royal family means you''re always living as someone you''re not in someone else''s eyes¡­" Minami mumbled.


    "I know, tell me about it. My sisters give me hell because my mother isn''t their mother. They think that I won''t surpass them, but I''ll prove I''m the best kendoka around!"


    "Gotcha. It''s like a test, hm? To see how well we can manage ourselves. For me, I''ve gotta focus on bringing up the restaurant now that I''m here."


    "Alone? That has to be really hard, especially if you recently got here."


    "It can be, but I have it covered, I''m going to post out flyers this week. You should stop by, I''ll treat you to some soba."


    "That sounds nice! I''ll take you up on that offer, Minami. If you need help, I wouldn''t mind lending a hand. Don''t be afraid to ask me!" She raised her arm up and flexed her muscle, giving Minami a reassuring smirk.


    "Actually, that''d be great! You should come with me after the ceremony!"


    "I''m not too sure I can. I''m not even sure how I''m supposed to get back to the place I''ll be staying at." Hanami realized she didn''t have Alto''s number, but then remembered the number Miranda had given her when she helped her prepare.


    "Wait, what class are you in anyway? We''re both freshmen starting tom-" Hanami asked as they crossed a bridge, before pointing at Minami''s pin. "Oh that number!" The number "27" gleamed at the center of her pink basking fish.


    "The class? That''s a good question." Minami responded as they stepped over the hovering blue bridge made up of Retsu that resembled a force field. Just below the bridge, ducklings followed a swan that they mistook for their mother. They all went down stream as a couple pointed down to them.


    Hanami took a moment to answer, lifting her other bag up in front of herself. She unzipped it and dug through until she found the book Miranda had given her. "Aha, here it is! Let me see." She flipped over to the first page, lifting it up as Minami got hers out too. "At the count of three, we''ll both say our class!" Minami proclaimed.


    Hanami took her up on this little game. "1¡­ 2¡­ 3!" Both girls called out and simultaneously shouted, "CLASS D-2!!!"


    "EEEEK!!!" They both sprung up, clapping their hands excitedly, before Hanami stopped herself out of embarrassment. The pair giggled uncontrollably. A sense of accomplishment overcame Hanami. She actually made a new friend on her first day in Osaka. They both continued on, enjoying their stroll as refreshing blossoms bloomed around them.

 Chapter 7

    Finally arriving at the oval building June told them about, the two girls briefly stopped to look at it. The clouds continued to roll through the sky, as warm rays brushed up against Hanami''s cheek while they made their way to the shade of a nearby tree. Letting out a sigh, Hanami brought the bendy straw of her drink up between her puckered lips. She nibbled on the tip while taking small sips. This brief moment served them well after the twelve minute walk full of sightseeing and chit-chat. Standing there, the two cocked their heads back in awe, gazing up at the massive oval shaped building before them.


    "It''s like a chicken laid a huge egg!"


    "They had to have gotten a giant chicken to lay that, but from where?!" A slew of ideas crossed Minami''s head.


    "And someone turned it into a full extravaganza. Look at all those windows! Are those all rooms for students? I don''t think we''ll ever have that many injured all at once¡­"


    "Better safe than sorry, it''s possible. Like if there were a natural disaster or-"


    "They''re just crazy and love wasting money," Hanami interrupted, adding a frown that made Minami laugh to herself. "I have to admit, it''s still really awesome," she added, sliding the tip of the straw into her mouth. She realized there wasn''t any more of the smoothie to sip. Shaking it around, she only heard the ice cubes rattling and thus, turned her head in search of a trash bin. Spotting one, she ran over to a robotic trash bin that screamed "FILL. ME. MOOOOOORE!!! GIVE ME MORE!!!" right after Hanami slipped the cup into the flap on top of its head. Minami went over and slid her cup into it, only to quickly step away before it had a chance to grab her. "That thing''s malfunctioning," Hanami noticed, as Minami added, "Let''s go before someone thinks we did something to it."


    The two returned to the front of the building, only to stop at the top step. For some odd reason, the two briefly got a bad vibe. Neither spoke up about this though. Rather, they brushed it off. Hanami continued to stare at the monumental structure, observing the decorations strung up on the building while Minami pressed her palm against the pad that''d open the entrance door.


    "What are we waiting for? Let''s go in already!" Minami turned around, becoming surprised. "The look on your face right now is so priceless!" Minami aimed the camera on her phone and snapped a shot of Hanami causing the girl to hear the sound and run over.


    "There wasn''t anything like this back home¡­  I have to stop making it so obvious that I''m not from around here." Hanami giggled to herself as she took a look at the photo Minami had taken of her.


    The door in front of them slid across smoothly, allowing both girls to step onto the turquoise rug that covered the lobby''s floor. A sweet scent filled the room. "Mmm, roasted cashews," Minami commented, to which Hanami asked her, "What are cashews?" Minami told her, ???They''re tasty nuts typically sold in movie theaters as a snack. I''ll take you to one some time, if you want."


    Hanami happily agreed. "I''ve never been to a movie theater before, even though I did read up on the history of theatre. I can''t wait!" she exclaimed as they went in further.


    "Well, this place is like a movie theater, the lobby at least. Look at those seats! I know that decoration anywhere! Seline Decor!!!" Minami thought aloud as she took Hanami''s forearm and stepped inside, mesmerized with what they saw.


    Hanami ran her hand along the helm of the coach. She too recognized the texture. "You''re familiar with the brand?"


    "It''s one of the best in France after all! How could I not know?! It''s right up there with Le-Chen Cour."


    "You''ve got a point! Their products are amazing, but the pricing is outlandishly high. I only got a few dresses from them," Hanami muttered. She tapped her chin in thought of her room and the fact that she''d have to set it up herself, since the maids wouldn''t be able to figure out how she liked her belongings arranged.


    "For a school building, it sure has pretty calligraphy, too." Minami skimmed through their surroundings, enjoying how the room came together. "They must have gotten a really popular artist to make all of this.''


    The girls'' chatter came to an end, as a chilly breeze blew past them. Their hair blew side to side for a few seconds until Hanami''s crimson hair swung forward. She caught sight of two very tall fellows. They were the only ones there besides the girls. One had dark pink hair that stuck out and the other had smooth black hair. "Seniors,"  Minami said in a low voice.


    "Seniors? How do you know?" Hanami asked, taking in their attire.


    "Their blazers¡­ it''s in the school''s pamphlet for dress code," Minami whispered back. Hanami took note of the individual with black hair first. He had a basketball between his elbow and his hip. The other male had a weight in one hand, lifting it in a repetitive motion. They were both huge. Minami was only a mere 5''5 and Hanami was an even lower 5''4. Both males walked by the girls, not paying the slightest attention to them, absorbed in their own conversation. Hanami got an odd vibe from the black-haired male.


    She stood there for a moment confused as to why she froze up with chills running down her spine. Minami raised a brow, tugging her shoulder. "Haruna?" she said in a very low voice as to not attract the attention of the two. Minami didn''t feel right about the fact that it seemed to be only them and those two in the lobby at that moment. "Earth to Haruna." Hanami stood still and listened in on the males'' conversation.


    "Let''s hope we can get some good first years on the team before the Intercity. I''d hate to lose to Seirei in the semi-finals again. We''re supposed to be the top prestigious school, Katsuya. You get that, ah?"


    "I do."


    "We were so close last year, but damn man, if it weren''t for those lousy starters and¡­" The male with dark pink hair paused, briefly thinking back to the rejected dunk and humiliation he experienced at the hands of a certain individual on the team he talked about.


    "It''s fine. It was a great learning experience. We''ve practiced enough over the break with Lala''s help."


    "Yeah, but we lost our manpo-"


    "With the loss of the seniors, our power and defense has gone down, but I hear that Taro''s little brother will be in Hirazawa soon. If he''s as good as that monster, we''ll have our work cut out for us, Ebisu." Katsuya smirked after cutting him off.


    "Don''t remind me of that monster man. You''re being counterproductive! Though I''m almost glad he left."


    "He slipped right out of our fingers, but hey¡­  you''re planning on going to uni overseas?"


    "That''s the plan, brotha."


    "No worries, I''ll replace you with twenty other people," Katsuya joked.


    Both laughed and Ebisu added, "Ah, and about those two from last year, Yuuichi and Bentei¡­  they''re sophomores now. We have to hold our own little ceremony now." Katsuya nodded without saying anything.


    "Think Yuu and Bentei deserve to be on the roster this time again?" Ebisu laughed nervously.


    "Not until Yuu learns about teamwork. We lost because he got ahead of himself in that last game," Katsuya let out a sigh, preferring to not recall the Winter Cup.


    "You''ve gotta admit, for their first year, both did great. Yuu just has to become more patient is all." Talking about the two sophomores fueled Ebisu with the urge to play and get stronger, knowing of the skilled players overseas, but it also scared him. He flexed the weight faster just thinking about it.


    Katsuya shook his head and tightened his bandaged fist. "Anyway, it''s not up to us. There are still other freshmen who may show those sophomores up. We have to wait and see. For now, it''s fine if we miss the entrance ceremony. It isn''t too serious and we''re already seniors, ahahah-"


    "Yeah, but what about Sana bro? She''ll be pretty pissed if she found out you were skipping. That''s out of character for you."


    "Nah, she knows of my responsibilities as captain."


    The two chatted back and forth. Their conversation could be heard echoing in the silent lobby along with the sound of their footsteps. Hanami was too distraught to notice that Katsuya mentioned "Hachi." Her breathing grew harder, as though the air of the place was being sucked out.


    "Haruna!" Minami said louder and shook her shoulder harder to knock her out of the sudden dazed state. Hanami turned around and glanced over to Katsuya''s arm, the source of the odd vibe. It was bandaged and she felt drawn to it, but shook it off and continued towards the elevator with Minami, who felt 1a bit concerned for her new friend.


    Both males stopped in front of the door, looking back briefly to the girls when Minami had called out to Hanami. Seeing the girls quickly make their way to the elevator,  Ebisu pressed on the pad and the pair exited. Both were headed towards the basketball courts that were at the center of the campus, near the park where the Entrance Ceremony was being held.


    "Those seniors back there¡­"


    "What was that about?" Hanami mumbled, taking in a breath of relief after holding it in for so long. She pressed the final button at the bottom of the elevator.


    "Freaked out by two seniors? After the earlier incident with those thugs, I can''t blame you. I''m being cautious myself." Minami pressed down on one of the buttons.


    As the doors closed, Hanami looked at the silver metallic door, her reflection gazing back at her. She turned to Minami and gave her a smile, responding to what she asked. "I noticed that guy''s arm is all. He must have gone to the infirmary for it. I wonder what happened to him."


    Minami nodded, thinking of an answer. "Maybe he broke it playing basketball? He did have a ball. Or maybe a pup bit him? Hehe."


    Hanami raised a brow. "Basketball? What''s that?"


    Minami was taken aback by the question, but answered, "Well, you basically have to shoot a ball into a net to get points. It''s a team sport that''s evolved over the last fifty years. There are athletes that are even nine feet tall in the big leagues."


    "Humans that tall?" Hanami''s eyes widened.


    "Some aren''t human, but get by as humans from what I was told. I''m not really into sports, but I knew someone who was," Minami explained as Hanami thought of something else.


    Hanami commented, "I guess it was a puppy bite then."


    "No, it''s really true!" Minami responded before speaking up so the elevator would know where they were headed.


    "We''re going to the floor that the main infirmary is on." At her voice, the elevator sped up from the left side and descended down to ground level zero.


    The girls stepped out and looked around. For a basement, it seemed very cozy and neat. Over to their left, there was a sign that read "Infirmary Room B-4." It floated beside a shiny door.


    "Oh, it''s over there. Come on!"  Minami led the way. Arriving at the door, Minami knocked a few times and assuming there was no one inside, she pressed her palm on the pad, causing the door to slide open.


    A male laid back with his knees in the air in his undergarments. The male had brown dreadlocks and a peachy skin. Between his legs, there seemed to be someone with orange hair, wearing a long purple robe that reached her knees and a black skirt that reached her ankles. On the side of her head, she had lab goggles that served as a bow to her. At the sound of the girls'' gasping, the doctor turned around.


    "Ohhh my, more patients on the first day of school? Goodie!" the doctor said in a Russian accent. The woman glanced down at the ointment she had in her hand and then back to the male who had his legs spread out on the bed.


    "Hello, I''m Doctor Galahan, but you can call me Gala or Dr. G." The doctor tried to introduce herself, even giving them a wink, as Minami had already covered Hanami''s eyes.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "Yeah, you girls are just high schoolers, alright," she thought to herself as she rose up. "I was in the process of treating his rashes. They''re really bad, purple and icky! If I don''t get them all, it''ll continue to spread to the rest of his body. You two walked in right on time, I could use the hel-"


    Minami quickly pulled Hanami out of the room and slapped her palm against the pad three times before holding it against the pad so the door would close. Inside, the male freaked out, letting out a frightful shriek that sounded more feminine than masculine. A nose bleed followed as he thought of the fact that two high school girls saw him at such a time. "What happened?" Hanami asked.


    "The sheriff would''ve killed me if he found out what Hanami was about to see!" Minami thought to herself, before breathing a sigh of relief. "Let''s go somewhere else for a bit!" When she took a step forward with Hanami in tow, the doctor stepped out and grabbed the back of Hanami''s burned forearm. Hanami felt a stinging sensation sprawl all over her forearm when Dr. Galahan applied force, and it brought her to her knees. She winced as the lady waved her finger.


    "Atatata, you thought I didn''t see this? You have to take very good care of yourself. I''ll have you patched up in no time! Sorry if I scared you girls earlier there. That''ll stay between us, even though you had the wrong idea."


    The "between us" made Minami''s eyes nearly pop out as Dr. Galahan told them, "Please wait for me in this room. I''ll be right over, as soon as I finish up." She pointed to the room across the one they had momentarily gone into. Both Minami and Hanami gave her a nod and entered the dark room as it became a dimly lit room when they walked inside.


    Soon after they went inside, Dr. Galahan made her way over to and slid away the white curtains that surrounded the beds at the corner of the room. The girls stood there confused as Hanami wondered where a light switch could be. She went over, tapping the walls and felt a squishy orb rub up against her palm, leading her to step away.


    "That was fast," commented Minami. "I thought you had to treat him."


    "I did, now onto you." The doctor stepped in as the door closed behind her.


    "You can sit there if you''d like. Make yourselves comfortable," the doctor said whilst searching for an antibiotic ointment that was somewhere in the cabinet beside the bed.


    Hanami kept her bag strapped to her back as her eyes wandered around the room. "This place is like a baby nursery, except ocean themed. It''s so serene." Bubbles floated around, gently pressing up against the walls in the form of squishy glowing orbs that changed to soft colors.


    "That''s to ease patients and bring out the positive energy within their brains, since it aids in the healing process."


    "It helps? The healing process?" Both girls turned to each other, then back to Dr. Galahan.


    "Yes, it does. Do you feel better?"


    "I do, now that you mention it. I think my burns have gotten smaller." Hanami raised her forearms, noting how much smaller they''ve gotten.


    "It''s all thanks to the creator, Dr. Wilhelm Reich," Dr. Galahan  informed the two. ???Well, not entirely the creator, as there are civilizations from which such ''creators'' draw their work from¡­ but long ago, he started the research. The room is one of the first ones made here with this capability. The other rooms are undergoing renovations."


    "More are being made?! It must cost a heck of a lot!" Minami wondered aloud.


    "Mhm. This room alone costs roughly 28 million holo coins. The Hachi Group partnered with the Togata''s corporation to fund it, and amongst a number of others. Do you girls know anything about their partnership? I mean, you are attending this school after all."


    Minami gave a nod. "On my way here earlier, I saw numerous hospitals owned by Togata actually. I am aware the Hachi have invested in that organization. I''ve even been to one back home."


    "They''re all over Japan. This stuff''s just being tested here for productivity first," the doctor informed them.


    Minami went down and took a seat on top of a floating orange octopus that floated slowly around the room. The room''s walls slowly shifted into different soft colors when she did this, startling the two girls. A number of gooey orbs formed out of the walls, emitting those colors as they floated about in the room.


    "Is the light show required?" Hanami asked, a tad irked.


    "Is it bothering you?"


    "No, it''s soft on my eyes, but it''s making me really drowsy," Hanami noted as her eyelids felt heavy. She softly let out a yawn, slipping the back of her hand over her mouth.


    "Oh, that''s a natural indicator that it''s working," Dr. Galahan responded,  folding her hands. "Those lights pass through and hit the receptors in your brain, which triggers an influx of Retsu to be absorbed by your body as you relax. In other words, the pleasure hormones that you put out targets the damaged area."


    "This seems like a perfect place to nap. I bet you''re going to have plenty of slackers in here," Minami joked as the doctor bent over, continuing her search. "It should be around here, I placed them here last time¡­ aha, here it is!"


    She got the ointment in one hand and gently applied it along Hanami''s forearm. The girl sighed, taking a moment to enjoy the cool sensation that came with it. The burns on her arms were practically gone by the time she looked down. "For safety, put the bandages on anyway. You can take them off in an hour or so. There are some drawbacks, since you are in a hurry."


    "Uh¡­ am I going to blow up or melt?" Hanami smiled uneasily.


    "No, nothing like that. Don''t be silly, baby doll! As soon as you leave the room, some of the wounds will come back if you feel negative emotions before you''ve been fully healed. Now, hold out your arm," the woman instructed Hanami. "You''re in luck, the bandages match with your shoes." Dr. Galahan glanced down to Hanami''s shoes as she tapped them together, laughing lightly.


    "I guess they do."


    "Are you into French clothing brands?"


    "I like the designs and they''re great to wear, but so expensive. I got these a while back," Hanami commented on her shoes.


    The woman listened as she applied the tip of the bandage at Hanami''s wrist and slowly scaled it up her arm, making sure to wrap it tight enough. "Be careful now, I don''t want to see you back here too soon. May I ask your names before you go?" Dr. Galahan asked after finishing up and stepping aside.


    As the three exited the room, the crimson-haired girl notified the doctor, "I''m Haruna and she''s Minami. We''re first years."


    "I''ll keep your names in mind. Stop by again from time to time. I''d love to continue conversing with you two. It makes me connect with my feminine charm and those days of my youth that have long passed." Dr. Galahan slapped her palms together and rubbed them up against her cheeks, reminiscing as Hanami and Minami both bowed and excused themselves.


    Hanami looked up at the clock in the hallway, worried that they might have killed too much time. "11:05. Mmm, 20 minutes left. Let''s go." She took off for the elevator with Minami close behind. Both girls soon exited the building, on their way to the auditorium.


    "Finally we''re here¡­" Takumi let out a sigh of relief, pressing the back of his head against the headrest of his seat.


    "We would have gotten here faster if we had found out about that shortcut earlier though. Note to self, get those lemon cakes on the way back," Yoshigawa snickered, stopping the hovering car just in front of the massive gate.


    "If you didn''t stop to talk to that chick when we were waiting for the lights to change, maybe we would have." Takumi leaned forward in his seat and tapped the window beside him with his index finger. "Roll down." He paused, as nothing happened.


    "Baby! Don''t forget to call her ''baby'', Tai! She won''t listen unless you say her name!" Yoshigawa corrected him, turning his face towards Takumi, who raised his elbow raised against Yoshi''s cheek, preventing him from getting any closer.


    "Bro, why did you even name it that? Actually, don''t answer," Takumi grumbled beneath his breath.


    "Roll down, ba¡­by," he said, maintaining his frown.


    Yoshigawa slapped his palm up against his mouth and gripped his jawline in an attempt to suppress the urge to laugh. He looked at Takumi doing his best to keep a straight face. The car responded to Takumi by rolling down the window and saying, "Yes big daaaad-dy."


    "BAAHHGAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!" Yoshigawa flailed his head through the window, smacking the side of his car repeatedly with his palm. Tears formed, running down his cheek in loads that dripped onto the road they passed over.


    Takumi squinted. "I''m never riding with this clown again¡­" he mumbled to himself as Yoshigawa continued to die of laughter.


    "SHUT IT, and get your pin out," Takumi snapped. Arriving at the closed gate, Yoshigawa unlatched his pin from his jersey and raised it out of the passenger window side.


    A camera zoomed in, releasing a green laser that passed over the two teens'' PIN numbers. It analyzed the code and ran it through the system of about three hundred students. "Takumi Hachi, Yoshigawa Fukushima," a robotic voice said their names through the intercom and asked, "What is your designated location?"


    Yoshigawa swiped the dried tears from his right eye and responded, "The basketball courts." The robot released a larger camera that shot a bigger beam of green light towards the hood of the car. This beam had the information on how to get there. Takumi hooked up his phone to the car and downloaded the map that''d lead them there. Both boys set their pins down in the cupboard. After about ten seconds of the information downloading, the robot bade farewell and opened the gates that pulled back, brushing over some tree branches that had stumbled onto the road the night before. With the gates wide open, Yoshigawa focused back on the road and hovered through. Takumi tucked his chin down on his right palm, quietly waiting in anticipation for Yoshigawa to park the car. His purple Setsu eyes began to glow momentarily as he spaced out.


    "I didn''t see any challengers on the registers list for the Basketball Ceremony."


    "We''re the only ones?"


    "Seems so."


    "Jeez, this ought to be a cake walk then."


    "No. That''s bad news."


    "Damn wro, you stay killing vibes. Why do you say that?"


    "Because the ones we''re taking on¡­ are supposedly two players from the Hirazawa Basketball team. If no one bothered to take the challenge, that tells me there''s a good reason. Not that it''ll stop us from taking it, but it does make me curious." Takumi glanced at the treelines along the road. Everything he looked at for that moment seemed pinkish. He turned his head towards the tree lines they passed by, taking note of how much white Retsu the dozens of trees gave off. It all twinkled up disappearing into the sky. His Setsu eyes stopped glowing and shifted back to the normal array of colors he could see. Takumi continued to distract himself, shifting his sights to the rearview mirror where leaves were being blown back and fluttered around as the car passed over them.


    "Pull up, behind that station." Takumi unbuckled his seat belt, preparing to step out.


    "Nah, you know I don''t want to attract attention. You also don''t have to fake, you know. We''re going to ace that first test."


    Yoshigawa nodded reassuringly and opened his mouth wide. "Ohhh, that''s right, I forgot you''re Mr. ''I''m too cool to socialize with new people.'' Fiiine, let''s park here."


    Takumi rolled his eyes ignoring Yoshigawa''s comment and said, "Open the door¡­ b-baby." He clenched his fist, controlling the intense urge to smash the window to pieces as the car responded, "OK daddy, opening up!"


    Yoshigawa turned away and laughed into his shoulder hysterically as Takumi swung the door open after the locks unhinged and stepped out. Rather than let it go, Takumi smashed his fist through the window, sending glass flying onto Yoshigawa''s lap. "WROOO, MY BABE! THAT''S ABUSE, TAKUMI!"


    "Not as much abuse as having to listen to such shameless innuendos. I''ll pay for repairs later, so stop your crying, Shima." Takumi turned away, getting onto the wet grass. Up ahead, there was music blasting and students in different costumes and uniforms walking around while adults and children strolled. It all resembled one huge park. Three golden dogs bolted across the field headed towards a lake, chasing after a red frisbee.


    "Darn, I forgot my umbrella," he thought to himself, but shrugged his shoulders. The sun wasn''t really going to do much to him, but if he could reduce the heat for himself, it''d help.


    "Tai, you got the ball?" Yoshigawa asked, turning the car off and closing his door. Though still pissed, he kept it to a bare minimum, letting it go as he understood his friend''s feelings.


    Takumi tossed Yoshigawa''s bag over the car towards him. "Yeah, let me get it from the trunk," Takumi responded and closed his door, turning over to the trunk. Yoshigawa slid from the side of the trunk and opened it up as Takumi took out the basketball and closed the trunk. A gentle breeze danced around them as both stared towards the dark green leaves that swayed back and forth on the tree branches that covered the blue sky.


    "Alright, let''s get to balling- OHHHH FUKUSHIMA WITH THE STEALLLLL!!!" Yoshigawa swiped the ball out of Takumi''s hands and bounced it on the ground, dribbling with his right hand and ran ahead of some metallic poles, and pretended to shoot it from behind his shoulder. The ball rose up twenty feet, tapping a lamp post and came back down towards him, but just as it did, Takumi lunged over Yoshigawa and caught it, before dribbling past two girls.


    "AYYY, I DIDN''T SAY RUN! CHECK THAT BALL, WROOOO!!!" Yoshigawa called out to Takumi. Takumi laughed faintly under his breath and spiked the ball between his legs over to Yoshigawa just as some cyclists who were most likely seniors passed by, noticing the pair. Yoshigawa pointed over to gigantic trees that brushed against huge fences far off in the distance.


    "Past those fences, huh?" Takumi turned his head up, taking a deep breath. It was finally time for what Takumi had been waiting for. The first step to his goal of becoming not only the MVP of high school basketball, but the best professional basketballer of his era. He felt the desire to play burning his palms. Yoshigawa ran back to Takumi and patted his shoulder.


    "What are you daydreaming for?! It''s time to ball wro!"


    Right then and there, Takumi slapped the ball out of Yoshi''s hands and took off. "I''m crushing this." He was dying to shoot. His body demanded movement. His chance to play high school basketball was right in front of him, but he''d have to get through the Basketball Ceremony first. "Doesn''t matter who it is, bring it!" Takumi abruptly stopped, forcing Yoshigawa to nearly trip over due to him following close behind. The breeze that came from Takumi''s previous movements, whipped away some of the green leaves.


    Yoshigawa smirked, having never recalled a moment when Takumi acted suddenly the way he did. "If only Luu, Sanosuke, and Rei were here to see this," he thought to himself, raising his hand up. In a full swing down, Yoshigawa gave his bro a thumbs up.


    Takumi watched Yoshigawa''s confident smirk turn into a cheesy monkey grin that he knew for far too long. Yoshigawa chuckled loudy, scaring an individual who sat on a nearby bench. "Shima, you''re crazy and I like your enthusiasm, but the court''s not going anywhere," Takumi muttered, shaking his head. Yoshigawa continued grinning like an idiot and pointed at Takumi, excitement oozing out of him in the form of somersaults.


    "And you''re grouchy Tai, BRING THAT ENERGY OUT!!! You''re not going anywhere with that, PASS THE ROCK BRO!!! The faster we get there, the faster we can start this show!"  Yoshigawa shouted, imagining waves of girls calling to him. "WE''RE TEARING THROUGH THAT TEST LIKE I TEAR THROUGH THE P-"


    "Don''t say it," Takumi grumbled in agony, watching Yoshigawa fling his arms around. Yoshigawa swiftly turned away for a second, thought about it, and then turned around, giving Takumi a thumbs up with a sparkling smile.


    Just then, Yoshigawa saw odd movement in the corner of his eye. He glanced back, as did Takumi, and the pair witnessed a muscular figure frontroll behind a skinny pole that didn''t help conceal him at all.  He peered from behind it, staring at them intently. Naturally, Takumi and Yoshigawa took off, realizing they were being tailed. They ran faster until they seemingly lost him and found themselves hiding behind bushes. "Yo who the heck was that?!"


    "You should know, probably a watchdog Miyumi sent¡­" Right as Takumi said that, a shadow spread over them. Takumi facepalmed himself while Yoshigawa looked back, snickering, though a sweat drop rolled down the side of his face. The two suddenly rolled aside as two monstrous palms slammed down on the grass the two had been on seconds prior.


    "It''d be awesome if it were a cute girl stalking us¡­ can''t get that lucky on a Monday, I guess. Looks like we gotta teach a guy manners before we go to the courts." Yoshigawa slapped his fist up against his palm as he landed back down on his feet. Takumi gave him a single nod, seeing as there weren''t any witnesses. Whipping his arms aside, Takumi took off first. The pair moved swiftly, ruffling through the grass, and lunged towards the muscular being.

 Chapter 8

    "There it is." Takumi nodded his head once. He stopped running. Sunlight shined down from the tall trees that stood all around them. Past a series of dark elm trees were numerous courts with players already visible. The trees cast a refreshing shade that spread out onto the court and retreated back like ocean waves. Swinging his fingers over, Yoshigawa pointed to the beautiful peachy courts, making it vocal that he wanted to play alongside Takumi already. "Yo wro, they''re over there, time to make an impression."


    Yoshigawa slid down the small hill of grass and when he got near the base, jumped over a metallic bench and pounced up against the fence after setting his green gecko bag down. He grabbed the gate with his fingers and opened his mouth wide, proclaiming to the world "THE MVP HAS ARRIVED!!!" This act attracted the unwanted attention Takumi talked to him about nearly the whole ride there. Seeing that it was the very first thing he did, Takumi facepalmed himself in embarrassment.


    Many of the players on the court couldn''t help but turn and look over to the crazy guy screaming his head off. Amongst those players, a dark pink-haired guy and a black-haired guy were sitting on top of a table located at the other end of the fence. Ebisu looked over and poked Katsuya''s side. "Would you look at that? Only two freshies again this year?" Ebisu cocked his head back at the irony.


    "And they''re going up against the two crazy ones from last year." Ebisu observed.


    "Are we really that scary? I mean, come on. I guess basketball isn''t as popular here anymore." Ebisu continued in his thoughts loudly.


    "It would have if we had won though." Katsuya sighed.


    "Better this way, we don''t need any fakes. Just look at that kid''s fire!" Ebisu''s smirk soon turned into a disgust as Katsuya kept himself from laughing because Yoshigawa seemed to be humping the fence and screaming "MVP!"


    "Ha! Yeah, those two are different, or at least that other one," Katsuya added.


    "Different? How?" Ebisu raised one of his pink brows.


    "You''ll see¡­" Katsuya answered with his eyes now pointed to the sky above. "That one isn''t an ordinary player," Katsuya thought to himself.


    Ebisu scoffed and looked back to Yoshigawa, who was attracting more attention. "Different alright¡­"


    "Damn freshmen, we always get a few loons each year," one guy said to another, discontent at how conceited freshmen always seemed. Right when that fellow turned around, a basketball hit him square in the face. Some of the other players around stopped for a moment. One girl who was having a picnic nearby whispered to herself. "Say, that guy looks familiar¡­" The girl picked up the magazine she had at her side. She flipped through it and paused at the ''Hottest Freshmen Possibly Coming to Hirazawa High'' Section. "I-It''s that boy¡­ from that noble family? Attending this private school?!" Her glasses slid down onto the picnic sheet she sat on.


    "Coming here and proclaiming himself MVP¡­ who does that guy think he is?!" Another guy asked someone else beside him.


    "Shima, what did I tell you? Get off of there¡­" Yoshigawa heard Takumi grumble and stepped off of the gate he was clawed to. "It''s all part of the plan Takumi, psychology" He twirled around Takumi and was about to run over to the entrance of the court, but felt Takumi grab his shoulder. He didn''t turn around, feeling Takumi''s glare behind him. Yoshigawa was like a child in a candy store, and Takumi had to be the parent who told their child to calm down. "I know you''re excited. Believe me, I am, too. The first test out of many start after we pass those gates."


    "Jeeeeez, Tai! Don''t say it like that man. You make it seem so intense, ya edgelord." Yoshigawa raised a brow before chuckling.


    "It''s one game bro, nothing crazy." Yoshigawa formed a sheepish smile and held out his fist. Takumi fist bumped him.


    "That''s because our basketball careers¡­ or rather, my career depends on this." Takumi turned away and sighed. "Just don''t attract anymore attention, Shima." Yoshigawa gave him a nod, calming his excitedness now.


    The glimmering stars of passion that were in his eyes shrunk. Takumi smiled faintly, showing his dimples. He himself did his best to contain his excitement inside. Though Takumi was better at hiding it, at that moment he felt like a child that had gotten a toy they really wanted.


    "That''s right¡­ the deal," Takumi mumbled to himself. Yoshigawa raised a brow. "What deal?" Takumi shook his head, walking ahead. "Nothing, come on."


    "Awww, come on Tai. You can''t say something like that and then say it''s nothing!" Yoshi complained, moving his hands behind his head.


    "We''ve got like an hour here, more or less. Let''s make it count. I''m sure my sister is going to come hound us soon enough. We''ve gotta settle this beforehand." Takumi dribbled the ball about five times as he took calm steps and swung the ball over his shoulder to Yoshigawa, who slapped it back to him.


    Takumi caught the ball with his left palm and tossed it up. It landed at the center of his index finger and he gave it two spins. They turned the corner, headed to the main gate. Both were moments away from having to prove themselves. Before they passed the gate entrance, they heard a high pitched voice.


    "Ay! Stop right there, don''t take another step! Neither of you freshies!"


    "Hm?" Takumi turned his head over, following the voice. When Takumi looked back, he saw a blonde kid sitting on a bench. The kid jumped off and walked towards them, stuffing his hands into his purple tracksuit.


    "A track runner?" Takumi pondered what such a person could want with them, then noticed a Hirazawa pin on the upper right side of the tracksuit. Behind the blonde, there was a taller fellow that seemed more menacing compared to the smaller one. "Some foreigner?" Takumi observed the small afro, though the fellow had a cut mark on his left cheek while the shorter of the two had one on the left side of his cheek.


    "Bentei, are these the guys? Check the photos," the shorter one told the bigger fellow.


    "Those two are the only two freshmen who bothered registering for the basketball ceremony this year," Bentei nodded. The smaller one laughed at the seemingly cruel joke Katsuya played on him.


    "That''s a really cute voice. Wro, is she fine? THICK, MAYBE?!" Yoshigawa asked Takumi.


    "See for yourself." Takumi squinted his eyes.


    "Oh boy, oh boy! What do we have, what do we have, what do we have here!?" Yoshigawa hadn''t turned back yet and assumed that because the voice was high-pitched, that a girl had stopped them. Needless to say, his excitement was shattered when he turned around and realized it was a short guy.


    "Don''t tell me¡­ Miyumi sent you?" Takumi ignored Yoshigawa slamming his face into the ground repeatedly. His question wasn''t answered right away. "Tch."


    "What? No! I''m the guy you''re taking on, kid!" The blonde fellow pointed to himself, spitting at the ground. "Yuuichi Togata''s my name! And the guy behind me is Bentei Togata. WE''RE THE TOGATA BROTHERS! HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW US, YET YOU WANT TO TAKE THE TEST?! Hirazawa damn near got to the semis thanks to us! Doesn''t that ring any bells?!"


    "Nah," Takumi flat out said, uninterested in the conversation.


    "Ah¡­ well, I''m taking a nap. I don''t feel so good." Yoshigawa stumbled back and stood up woozily, having successfully slammed the thoughts out of his head. He grabbed onto Takumi''s shoulder as Takumi was about to introduce himself, but was cut off by Yuuichi.


    "I did my homework on you boys. Takumi Hachi, Yoshigawa Fukushima¡­ if a royal ass whooping is what you came for, you''ll definitely get one!"


    "Woah, what?! So aggressive! Hang on!" Yoshigawa shook his head repeatedly until the drowsiness subsided. He poked his pinky into his ear and rubbed away, questioning if he had heard right. "Wait a sec!!! Who is this little guy talking to?!" He checked over his shoulder as Yuuichi began with a smirk and walked towards the two.


    "Talking to you wimps! Y''all ain''t getting special treatment from me, punk!" Yuuichi spat on the ground, the loogie landing in front of Yoshigawa''s sneaker.


    Yoshigawa opened his mouth in shock and slapped Takumi''s arm, pointing his index finger over to Yuuichi. "You didn''t tell me we''d be runnin'' into a tough guy."


    "This ceremony isn''t for any fake wannabe ballers like you two pansies. I''ll give you four seconds to take flight!" Yuuichi raised his voice again before Takumi could respond and started circling around them at a faster, more irregular pattern. A vein sprouted from Yoshigawa''s forehead in annoyance at Yuuichi''s antics.


    "Ha!" Yoshigawa closed his hands into fists.


    "Scram! Adios!" Yuuichi responded right away, making ''shoo'' signs with his hands, stopping momentarily.


    "Think again, pipsqueak. We aren''t going anywhere!" Yoshigawa raised his fist towards Yuuichi and then brought his thumb down. "We''re here to pass out Ls, pal!!! And you get the first batch!" His voice rose over Yuuichi, leading Yuuichi to walk up to Yoshigawa and size him up. Yoshigawa met Yuuichi''s gaze and they had a stare off until Yoshigawa blew his breath in Yuuichi''s face. Yuuichi stumbled back and tried spitting at Yoshigawa''s shoe, but the latter jumped back in time, narrowly avoiding the fluid. Meanwhile, Takumi checked out the other guy, Bentei.


    Unlike his brother, he seemed more cool and collected. He had his arms crossed with a grumpy glare though and seemed to have his attention on a strange small bird that landed on his shoulder. For some reason, Takumi imagined Bentei as a grumpy bear and then glanced over his shoulder to Yuuichi, who seemed like a barking dog in Takumi''s imagination. The back and forth between Yoshigawa and Yuuichi steadily got on Takumi''s nerves.


    "Watch the Tangerine Superior 5s!!!" Yoshigawa dropped down and checked his sneakers to make sure there was nothing on it. At the same time Yoshigawa checked his sneaker, Yuuichi scooped up the basketball that Yoshigawa had at his side. He kicked the ball up and then balanced it on his head.


    Yoshigawa stood back up and kept trying to snatch the ball from Yuuichi''s head in failed swipes until Yuuichi hit the ball with his head. The ball struck Yoshigawa''s face and returned to Yuuichi. That hit made Yoshigawa dive at him, but Yuuichi ducked with the ball and caught the ball as he took some steps back and shook his head with a confident smirk.


    "You can''t handle the heat, boy? Then don''t step in the kitchen, haha! You can''t even get the ball from me. Come onnnn," Yuuichi teased as he avoided Yoshigawa who came in again.


    Yoshigawa shifted his nose upward and took another lunge. "I am the heat, no question! There''s no putting me out!!!" Instead of dodging, Yuuichi aimed his head and came in full force. He rammed his forehead against Yoshigawa''s, causing Yoshigawa to stagger back and rub his forehead.


    "TRASH!" Yuuichi stepped away and tossed the ball over to Yoshigawa. The ball rolled towards his feet as he grit his teeth. After a moment, Yoshigawa composed himself and started to laugh as the wind picked up and blew the ball towards Takumi.


    "Yeah, I get it! That must be it¡­ you''re talking this much because you''re scared and you''re stalling! The chances of you evading us is as good as someone avoiding the grim reaper himself, pal. In this instance, you''re not escaping," Yoshigawa gave Yuuichi a conceited smile that ticked him off.


    Yuuichi clenched his fists as his hair hid his eyes. "What a cruel joke, captain. Really¡­ these clowns? You messed up so bad betting with me." A tingle of excitement spread through Yuuichi''s gut. "GET READY TO PAY, KATSUYA! AGHAHAHAHAHA! ACK-" Yuuichi set his hands to his hips and laughed at the top of his lungs as he brought his hands up¡­ until he choked on some saliva, leading him to cough several times and punching his chest until he regained his composure.


    "That guy has a screw loose," Takumi thought to himself, visibly concerned. "Perfect! Keep acting crazy and he''ll go away!" Yuuichi thought at the same time and then went on to outwardly say, "This is going to be a walk in the park!"


    Yuuichi slapped his palms together and pointed in Takumi''s direction. "I gave you four seconds and you didn''t run! Now I have t-" In full speed, Yuuichi barely saw the basketball shot at him.


    It struck his gut too fast, knocking the wind out of him. The ball continued spinning rapidly against the purple fabric of Yuuichi''s tracksuit as his feet dragged back a bit. The ball didn''t stop until he slapped his palms against it to get the rotation to stop. He stared down at it and then looked up to Takumi, who had his hand held out.


    "You run your mouth too much, mutt." Takumi''s small bangs swayed. "Let our games do the talking." He turned away to walk off, but a shiny light hit his eyes. He raised his hand and covered his eye until the light stopped reflecting. When he lowered his hand back down, he saw that Bentei was holding a key.


    Bentei walked past Yuuichi, who was still in pain. "This is the key to the Hirazawa gym. You win and it''s yours. You''ll need it if you want to meet the captain and the other guys."


    "Got it," Takumi responded, ignoring Yuuichi''s groaning.


    "Lousy little¡­ he''ll pay for that sneak shot." Yuuichi leaned up as the ball rolled over to Yoshigawa after it dropped to the ground. Yoshigawa stuck his tongue out at Yuuichi and took the ball. Before getting too far into the court, Takumi quickly scanned for an area to quietly sit down. Most of the benches seemed occupied, all but one.


    "Ah, to the far right." He caught sight of a bench that wasn''t occupied, so he headed towards it with his black bag in hand. Wandering eyes followed him over to where he went.


    "Who''s that new guy?" whispers began. "Must be fresh meat for Hirazawa." "I actually thought there wouldn''t be any new challengers this year." "Think he''s any good?" Different players chimed in. Upon reaching the metallic bench, Takumi slugged his bag over and took a seat briefly to open the bag.


    "So much for scaring them off¡­" Yuuichi murmured to himself in disappointment. He entered the court, right behind Bentei. Their presence, noticed immediately. One player saw the pair and ran across the court, catching the attention of the other players, who soon joined in, flocking the brothers.


    "THE SMASH BROS ARE FINALLY HERE!!!" At the name, they all excitedly stormed the pair who were well known for what they had done for the Hirazawa team the previous year.


    Takumi finished putting on his basketball sneakers and stood up. He removed his purple long sleeve and set it on the bench. He wore a jersey underneath the long sleeve that had kanji on the back that read "Hachi." On the front was written "T-1." Some ballers on the court who were taking a water break nearby couldn''t help but notice it matched with his sneakers.


    "Is that a custom made jersey by Superior?" "Woah, he''s rocking one dope jersey." "And that other guy has a Superior Waves logo on his jersey!"


    "Nah, look at the tag. That must be a collab with Superior Waves and Le Chen Cour! But how could he get something like that? It''s gotta be fake! Those two big brands on one jersey?!"


    "Hachi? Wait¡­ isn''t that the royal family here in Osaka?"


    "Yeah, that guy must have serious connections. Jeez, the collection hasn''t even dropped yet¡­ check the shoes, too. To think someone like that''s trying out."


    "Those shoes are the Velocity 5s, a smooth white limited edition for high end users only. Damn¡­"


    Takumi pulled at the top of the jersey with a brief smile. He was very proud of the jersey he designed for himself. Yoshigawa checked out the jersey he had on. "Damn wro, that''s fire, it actually came out nice."


    "Yeah, but it won''t be as special as when I get my first jersey on the Hirazawa team. Still, this will bring back memories for years to come," Takumi responded, then paused for a moment and slid a white wristband on.


    "Ay wro, that looks pretty old," Yoshigawa commented.


    "I found it a week ago while going through some of gramps'' old stuff in his office¡­ been a while since I''ve gone there. One of the maids was going to clean it up, but I didn''t want her in there, you know¡­"


    "Ah, like a good luck charm?"


    "You could say that. I don''t know if it was his or anything, but when I picked it up¡­ I felt like it was telling me to take it." Takumi thought back to when he had found it. He recalled seeing a purple glimmer in a drawer, which caused him to check it out and find the white wristband; it was a perfect fit.


    "To think that if I hadn''t checked, that wristband would have just sat there." Takumi squinted, then laughed lightly. Focusing back, it was basketball time. Takumi turned around and gave his friend a nod. "You aren''t putting yours on?"


    A small, purple bird swooped in and landed on Yoshigawa''s shoulder. He glanced at it from the corner of his eye. "Yeah, I am. Gotta stretch first," Yoshigawa responded back to his pal, as Takumi tossed Yoshigawa''s white arm sleeve over to him.


    From the crowd of chattering people, Takumi heard Yuuichi scream for the others to excuse him as he got through them and pointed over to Takumi with a cocky laugh. Yuuichi blew air out of his nostrils like a bull and tried teasing Takumi. "Awwwww look, he really put some thought into his outfit. How cute!"


    "Bro¡­ you''re so weird for calling it cute," one of the guys near Yuuichi pointed out as Yoshigawa instantly started laughing and slapping his knee. "STOP TALKING!" Yuuichi pointed at the random fellow.


    "And that baby voice sure fits you! Hope you stretched, man!" Yoshigawa hit Yuuichi with a comeback and started stretching as Yuuichi sighed.


    A nerve sprouted across the side of Yuuichi''s forehead. He stomped his way towards them, but Bentei grabbed the back of his tracksuit before he could get through the crowd. "Focus Yuu, don''t forget what we have to do here, it''s obvious you''re not gonna scare them off" he reminded his brother, only for Yuuichi to slap his hand away and zip down the zipper of his tracksuit. He wrapped the arm folds around his hip. The ballers around them ran over to them again and started asking for games as Yuuichi turned each one down and struggled with the mob.


    "Boy, do they seem like a big deal," Yoshigawa set his hands on his hips as Takumi and him walked over. They stopped to watch for a second. "They really that good?" Yoshigawa tilted his head.


    "Yeah, they''re really talented," both Takumi and Yoshigawa heard someone behind them say. The fellow stopped at their side and briefly explained, "Those Togatas, gotta watch out for their teamwork. Their style of play helped Hirazawa go straight to the semis last year."


    Yoshigawa blinked, confused as the guy excused himself to join the crowd up ahead. Though most were visibly happy, there were some who weren''t so thrilled in having the Togatas around. "You show your face after that terrible display, how dishonorable." "I can''t be around such a-" The person shut up, spotting Bentei glare his way.


    "I can''t believe Katsuya let those two stay on the team."


    "They''ll be lucky if they even get past the first round." Comments were heard here and there, with a few individuals leaving the crowd as they heard those comments.


    Yuuichi heard these as well, leading him to avoid eye contact as there were still players trying to get him to play with them. They continued at it until Yuuichi finally screamed high enough to get them to stop hounding him. "MOVE!!!"


    One of the players that surrounded them expressed how they all missed the two during the time they were gone and apologized on behalf of the others. Hearing all this overwhelmed Yuuichi with guilt. Bentei took note of the change in Yuuichi''s behavior when he lowered his head in shame. Takumi also observed this and started walking over. From the sidelines, two fellows watched in anticipation. Katsuya laughed, taking in the freshman''s presence on the court. From Takumi''s physical build to his posture.


    "Will those two actually pull off a win? Yuuichi is with Bentei, they may breeze through this and ice the freshmen completely. Any guesses?" Ebisu wondered, giving Katsuya a bewildered look.


    "Even though Yuuichi is with Bentei, you''ve gotta remember, he hasn''t played any serious games with him¡­ ever since that incident. It''s about to start, so we''ll see." Katsuya laughed uneasily. The nervousness made his stomach grumble. He forced the discomfort away, reminding himself that he needed to be right about Takumi and fixed up his posture. The shade that surrounded them came in and out.


    Ebisu closed his eyes and slapped his hands together. "Good point." He brought up his fifty pound weight, continuing his arm curls. "We could have chosen someone better though. You know how short-tempered Yuuichi can be. I don''t think picking him is the right choice right now, but then again, you have your reasons, Mr. Captain," Ebisu pointed out as Katsuya listened to everything he said over the growing noise around them.


    "You bet I do," Katsuya responded as a passing ice cream cart caught their attention. "Is that Chichi? The lunch lady?!" Ebisu blushed a tad. The girl manning the cart had on a kinky liger suit. Spotting him, she jumped up in excitement, causing her bell to jingle. She greeted the two by waving her mittens around. They returned the wave and set their attention back to Yuuichi and the other three. Katsuya was about to space out until another girl suddenly shoved a bag of chips up against his face, snapping him out of it. Tilting his head to see who was shoving the chips against him, he sighed. It was Ebisu''s mute sister.


    "No thanks Mia, hehe. Give ''em to Gon." Katsuya told her, pointing his thumb to Ebisu. The girl shrugged, taking her seat beside Ebisu and set the snack on his lap.


    "Great, the munchies are here! Thanks for bringing them, sis. Really getting into the balling mood now, ahaha!" Ebisu pat his sister''s back happily. The girl gave him an obedient nod, reaching back for her drink when a short boy with scruffy light brown hair greeted her and set up his camera on the table. This prompted her to make Ebisu and Katsuya scoot over so he could get a clear view of the court. The boy rubbed the smooth grey top of his camera, activating it. It floated a few inches above the table''s surface. Two pink orbs for eyes manifested at the front, followed by a feminine voice.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Finally woke me up, boss. What took you so long?" the robotic camera said.


    "Sorry, Mori. I thought you deserved it after all the work you did last night," the boy said, as Katsuya looked his way.


    "Kenny! I didn''t see you there, I thought you''d be here earlier than us." Katsuya winked at the renowned camera boy.


    "Sorry about that captain. Just setting up! Was running late because I got caught up with cleaning Mori''s drive. Some updates, ahaha. Yeah, that''s it!" Kenny laughed nervously, giving Katsuya a brief look, but his eyes weren''t noticeable since hair covered them.


    Katsuya moved in and cupped his ear since he couldn''t hear over all of the talking, but Kenny waved it off. "It''s nothing, I''ll tell you later in the day. More importantly, they''re starting," Kenny pointed over to the growing crowd.


    "Royals facing royals?!?!" Katsuya heard a voice cry out from the oncoming crowd. "And it''s all for free!!!" another screamed.


    "Go ahead and close off the entrance before the court gets overcrowded," Ebisu leaned to his right side and whispered to one of the guys, eyeing the amassing crowd and people calling other passerbys. The individual did as he was told and whistled over to the other ballers, giving them a signal. They went over and kept anymore people from entering.


    Soon enough there were students, children and parents pressing up against the fences with their phones out, flashing pictures as cheers erupted around the entire area. Yuuichi signaled the remaining players who were still surrounding them to get off the court. They''d be using half of the main court for this match and didn''t want any distractions on the other side.


    Takumi closed his eyes and took in the moment. Yuuichi also closed his eyes and thought back to when he had done the same when he first started, ironically. They stood on different spectrums. One had experienced the crazy world of basketball and one had yet to enter it.


    "It wasn''t easy, but new beginnings hold new memories and offer new opportunities. I''ll take advantage of this and climb back up." Yuuichi opened his eyes with a smirk. "Gotta live in the moment and start this off right. I vow that this year, no one will get past me! I won''t rely on Bentei either!" What Yuuichi said surprised Bentei as Yuuichi raised his fist to the air, empowering himself.


    Yoshigawa turned his head, looking around at all the spectators and couldn''t help but giggle. "So much for not attracting attention, Tai. Hehehehe, I''ll shut up now," he added as Takumi glared at him.


    Takumi pulled his hands out of his pockets and sighed. "Whatever, let''s start already. I have to meet the captain today." Takumi set his sights back on Yuuichi and Bentei.


    A robotic radio hovered along the court''s ridge. It blared music that bellowed loudly through the entire court. Katsuya signaled for some players on the sidelines to activate the robot for the game. As a result, a large hologram sprouted out from the top of the robot''s head. This was the scoreboard that''d be used and it also had brief information on the players and their Star ratings.


    "Neither of you have Star ratings, but that doesn''t matter. I smell it, the odds are in my favor." Yuuichi sniffed as Takumi and Yoshigawa looked up to the Star ratings of Yuuichi and Bentei being displayed.


    "Yuuichi Togata Star rating: 3.2 small forward, 1.2 for all other positions."


    "Bentei Togata Star rating: 2.9 power forward, 2.2 center, 1.5 shooting guard."


    Takumi and Yoshigawa''s star ratings were empty, so people whispered, speculating the potential of the two. As the music came on, Yuuichi tapped the tip of his shoe to the rhythm of the song, starting to feel the groove. He turned over and faked that he was going to cross Takumi up, but got no reaction from the freshman.


    "If by some slim chance you do manage to win, then suuure, I''ll take ya to him myself, freshie," Yuuichi delivered his message and turned away, tapping his chin. He felt like a superstar and was very proud of his current stats. A wide smile crept across his face. "You two do know my star rating is above 3, right? If I get the ball first, it''ll be over too quickly, so you should get the ball first," Yuuichi boasted.


    Takumi ran his right hand through his soft hair and messed it around a bit, seemingly not paying attention to Yuuichi''s bragging. "Um, if you''re in the 3 range in one of those, what is the captain''s exactly?" Yoshigawa asked, confused.


    Taking a moment, Takumi answered his friend''s question. "Hirazawa''s captain is Katsuya Hagane. He''s a senior right now. He''s been their captain for over two years now, with this being his third and final year. He''s torn up the schemes to give Hirazawa a name, but hasn''t won a single championship yet¡­ mainly


    because of Taro."


    "Because of your brother, hm? But you didn''t answer my question. What''s that Katsuya''s Star rating?"


    "Four stars as a point guard. He''s even got a 3.5 as a shooting guard. I''ve seen his mixtapes. He''s worthy of being captain." Takumi rubbed his index finger across his eyes, feeling a bit sleepy. The conversation bored him and the standing was taking a toll on him.


    Yuuichi cut in, barking at them for completely blowing off his bragging. "H-HEY! DON''T IGNORE ME! I''M GIVING YOU A-"


    Yoshigawa cut in again. "FOUR STARS?! That''s good-" Yoshigawa was about to say, but furrowed his brows. "That''s bad-" Again, Yoshigawa paused. "What does four stars mean again, Tai?" Yoshigawa laughed cheekily, admitting he didn''t really know anything regarding the star system. Takumi facepalmed himself while tapping the tip of his white sneakers against the peachy court, before turning to Yuuichi.


    "You play basketball yet you don''t know that? That''s how players get rated, that''s how you know who means business!" Yuuichi enlightened him, in hopes of finally starting the match. "Throughout a season, players get rated based on their performances."


    Yoshigawa rubbed his nose using his index finger and nodded, maintaining his fake smile. "Well, I''m only playing to hang with my pal. Give me a break here."


    Yuuichi rolled his eyes and went on, moving his hands around as he explained. "There are Star ratings that go up to six during high school, eight during college, ten if you join the Japanese Basketball Federation or one of the other foreign leagues, and twelve if you make it to the World Basketball Association. Someone who has a Star rating of two in a specific position isn''t as good as someone who has a 4 star rating in the same position. Now, if that person has star ratings of two laid out through all positions, while the other only has four stars in one position, then the person with 2 star ratings in all positions, is considered more valuable," Yuuichi began, waving his finger around. "This is calculated with stats that determine what your Star rating is for a particular position. You can improve it throughout games. Aside from stats, other factors play into your star rating as well. There are many ways to mix different players and build teams."


    Yuuichi folded his arms across his chest, as his voice shifted to a lower tone. Takumi took note of this and listened more intently to what Yuuichi had to say. "There are monsters in different regions, other high schools, that have crazy Star ratings. Even here in Osaka recently, they''ve been popping up¡­ they aren''t ordinary." In the back of his head, a series of silhouettes crossed his mind. "Five Tyrants as of now, but who knows what this year holds."


    "There were once five of them, all on the same team¡­ called Seiryuu. Other than those recent Tyrants, there are the Majestic Four now¡­ because their leader left and they all went to separate teams. Last year, they dominated everyone. We never got a chance to face them. They were led by a guy¡­ that must be your brother, huh? His last name is Hachi."


    "Katsuya''s pinning this kid on me. I wonder if he''s just like that guy," Yuuichi thought, staring at Takumi.


    "Man, Taro is that cool?" Yoshigawa cut in, making Takumi slightly irritated.


    "So he is, huh? Well, unlike him, you don''t seem like much," Yuuichi suggested, feeling slightly excited.


    "I don''t want to hear about him. None of that is my concern," Takumi responded.


    "Fine. Good to see you''re really enthusiastic about losing, but just know that we''ve been preparing for monsters way out of your league," Yuuichi muttered.


    With a nod, Takumi chucked the ball at Yuuichi, who slapped it back to him. Yoshigawa lunged up with both of his feet in the air and landed with his feet hitting the ground at the same time. He took four quick steps after landing and stopped right in front of Bentei, boxing him to the side so that Takumi had space to dance with Yuuichi.


    "The match is now underway," the announcer called out.


    "Singling us out, huh?" Bentei observed Yoshigawa''s angle. He gripped Yoshigawa''s hip in an attempt to mess with him. The attention was on Takumi and Yuuichi. Bentei let go of Yoshigawa after tugging him aside, but Yoshigawa stepped back in front of him almost right away.


    Bentei slid his right foot forward and tried to fake a left, but Yoshigawa extended his hands and hopped side to side, not giving him enough room. This forced Bentei to push himself up against Yoshigawa in an attempt to shake him off. He wasn''t going to risk letting Yuuichi face Takumi alone, even if the latter was a freshman.


    "Damn it¡­ this guy." Bentei moved back and tried to spin around Yoshigawa, who met him face-to-face every time with different troll faces that ranged from grumpy faces to flat out stupid expressions. In the last one, he stuck his tongue out at Bentei, blocking Bentei''s view of Takumi and Yuuichi, who were going at it.


    Transitioning towards the left side of the open court, Takumi bounced the ball, passing it between his legs smoothly. He had good control of the ball, which Yuuichi made a mental note of, making sure Takumi didn''t get too close yet. Takumi backed up and pretended he was preparing to charge towards the right side like a crazed ram. All the while, Yuuichi could tell he was being studied by the way Takumi shot glances at his ankles.


    Takumi was taking in Yuuichi''s timing and reactions. Each step back that Yuuichi took and the amount of steps it took for Yuuichi to step forward. Every time, it came down to five steps in order for him to rebalance.


    To combat any advancements, Yuuichi kept his left hand extended out so it''d press up against Takumi''s chest if he got too far. Yuuichi slid left to right, as Takumi kept transitioning from side to side. At the same time, Yuuichi kept his right hand extended at his side, prepared to smack the ball when he found the chance.


    "Come on, freshie. Make your move already!" Yuuichi dared him, hoping Takumi would take the bait and slip up. Takumi swung his right arm out as soon as Yuuichi spoke up. Yuuichi''s eyes automatically followed the right arm, believing that the ball would be with it. To his surprise, it wasn''t.


    The ball had bounced behind Takumi''s back. Takumi caught it with his left hand and amped up his speed at that moment. He drove towards Yuuichi''s left side, hunching into position to explosively take off. Yuuichi quickly stepped back to regain control and slid to his left, but as he did, Takumi turned his back to Yuu, baffling the sophomore as the tense rippling wind slapped up against him.


    "HE''S GOING FOR A SHOT?!" Yuuichi stepped forward and bent over to jump up and block, but as Yuuichi came up, Takumi made a full rotation around him, having tricked Yuuichi into jumping up by pump faking. This switch was too fast for him to counter in time as Takumi stepped in front of the three point line.


    "Sh*t!" Yuuichi turned around with little time and gasped in surprise.


    Just as Takumi had risen up to make a mid-range two point shot, Bentei bumped his shoulder into Yoshigawa, causing him to fall over as Bentei took off.


    In three hops, he flew up and smacked the ball back with a resounding "BOOM" sound just when Takumi shot it up. The ball spiked against the three point line, headed directly to where Yuuichi had gone. Takumi glanced over, in shock.


    "These two¡­" Takumi thought, landing down along with Bentei. His shadow spread over Takumi as he blocked the sun, while staring down at him.


    "That was a close one," Bentei spoke up in anger as it was hard speaking over the cheering crowd.


    "What was that?! Keep going!" a random baller from the sideline shouted, disappointed that Yuuichi hadn''t done anything there.


    "Yuuichi, what the hell are you doing? Switch up with me next," Bentei shouted, but Yuuichi didn''t hear.


    "If it weren''t for Ben, he would have made that. That look before he passed me¡­" Yuuichi recollected how Takumi''s eyes had seemed enlarged in a way that made him feel as if he were sinking into a darkness. "That kid¡­ just like¡­" Before Yuuichi got any further into his thoughts, his brother snapped him out of it by slapping his back.


    "Yuu, we have to work together. Switch out with me." Bentei snapped his fingers in front of his brother''s face.


    "Nah, I got this myself. Back off, I''ll get him the second time around."


    "Remember what we trained for¡­"


    "I know, but I can''t rely on you. I have to rely on myself more this year. I can''t always depend on you, bro." Yuuichi avoided looking at Bentei.


    "Liste-" Bentei tried again, but was interrupted.


    "Go keep that other freshie aside¡­ we''re done talking about this," Yuuichi stubbornly refused the help.


    Bentei closed his eyes and did as he was told, shaking his head. He eyed his brother from the corner of his eye. "Captain¡­ I get why you''ve put us in this game," Bentei thought, searching the crowd until he saw Katsuya. He turned his attention back to Yoshigawa, making his way near him again.


    The two once interlocked again, as Yuuichi dribbled backwards and kept dribbling the ball on his right side. Takumi glanced over his shoulder to Bentei and Yoshigawa and extended his arms to his side, focusing back on Yuuichi.


    "Iso, huh? He''s challenging me?" Takumi observed. At that moment, Yuuichi rushed towards Takumi''s left. Takumi lifted his arm, his wingspan extending over. Yuuichi got close and ducked, thinking he had gotten through, but Takumi whipped over in front of him and tapped the ball up with his right hand. The smooth tap was viewed in slow motion on the big screen.


    Yuuichi nearly lost the ball, but he adjusted his palm and pushed past Takumi''s right hip. Takumi wouldn''t be able to spin over in time to block Yuuichi''s way like he had the first time, but he signaled with a glance that Yoshigawa recognized. Yoshigawa tussled with Bentei and broke free, getting into the inner box as Takumi jogged right behind Yuuichi. Bentei tried blocking Takumi''s way with a screen as his brother went up against Yoshigawa within the inner box.


    All would have gone well if Takumi hadn''t faked that he was going to go towards his left by moving his shoulder a bit. The move got Bentei to move out of Takumi''s way as Takumi chased Yuuichi down like a wild tiger chasing down its intended meal. Yuuichi''s heart throbbed as he had mere seconds to pull it off. Yuuichi came up for a layup, Takumi hopped up and tried blocking along with Yoshigawa, but Yuuichi had tossed the ball up into the air too high as he stumbled down, catching himself with his palm. He barely scraped his knees and watched the ball come down and hit the rim, landing though the net, the second time around.


    "TWO POINTS FOR THE TOGATAS!!!" yelled the announcer. One of the ballers refereeing the game blew his whistle and called out, letting the floating scoreboard know who made the point.


    "See! I did it! And I''m going to guard him myself." Yuuichi punched his chest as Bentei smiled briefly, but then frowned.


    "No, even so¡­" he thought to himself.


    Takumi took in how quickly Yuuichi had moved through. "The change up, he went through it really fast. He''s a slippery one."


    One of the ballers on the sideline caught the ball that was rolling off and tossed it over to Yuuichi as he stood up and gleefully pointed over to Takumi. "YOU CAN''T GUARD, FRESHIE! I''VE GOT YOU ON LOCK THIS TIME!"


    Takumi shook his head. "Gonna have to pacify this mutt," he muttered to himself as he felt Yoshigawa pat his shoulder. Yuuichi then tossed the ball over to Takumi.


    "Yuu is still too in his head¡­" Bentei tightened his jaw. He wanted to start off with teamwork to show off what he had practiced with Yuuichi. Ebisu and Katsuya gave all the remaining members of the team goals to work on over the break; Bentei expected that Yuuichi had matured after everything they did. "We can''t let them gain any momentum¡­" he thought to himself.


    "And this guy, he''s tougher than I expected." Bentei narrowed his eyes on Yoshigawa. Every time he tried running one way, Yoshigawa mirrored his movements, making sure to always somehow keep Bentei in the left corner of the court. He got better and better at it as time went on. There was only one thing Bentei could do to combat that. Bentei pretended to wrestle with Yoshigawa while he was keeping him from going over to help Yuuichi. "Looks like you have a healthy vitamin intake," Bentei commented, to which Yoshigawa smirked.


    "Yeah, about to lay out some of my healthy Vitamin D after this game, buddy! You want a taste!?" Yoshigawa amplified his strength, nearly overwhelming Bentei, who then stood his ground, whipping his bare arm down as if it were a shield, forcing it against Yoshigawa''s throat to keep him back. Both attempting to push each other with sheer power, evenly matched. Their forearms grinded against each other. Bentei didn''t expect this from Yoshigawa, who was only about 6''0 and didn''t seem too muscular. The ballers on the sidelines were enjoying the display of power from the two and even the stand off between Yuuichi and Takumi.


    "The crowd seems awfully hungry this year! Both for food and a battle! The freshmen this year versus the freshmen of last year! Where''s the popcorn guy?! Wherever he is, he must be makin'' a killin'' right about now!" the announcer exclaimed over his microphone.


    Yuuichi shot glances over his shoulder, making sure that Yoshigawa was a good distance away, but was forced to twist his head back when he felt a strong breeze wash up against him. Takumi had increased his dribbling speed and charged towards him, abruptly stopping and stepping back to draw Yuuichi''s attention back to him.


    "Eyes on me, mutt," Takumi mouthed, angering Yuuichi.


    He accepted the freshman''s challenge and called out to his brother in assurance. "I''M TAKIN'' THIS KID''S SOUL!" Yuuichi extended his arms out in front of himself as if about to push against a wall. Once he had them in that position, he lowered his left arm down to the left outer side of his hip and bent his knees, assuming his defensive position.


    To Yuuichi, it was only him and Takumi, nothing else in their world. Not the leaves fighting feverishly against the gusts along the courtside, not the people brushing up against the fences like enraged animals, not the crowds of people shaking the gates and shoving to get in as if there were a clearance sale. No chaos could keep him from focusing solely on what went down between him and his opponent. His pride was on the line.


    In a single hop step, Takumi brought his feet together once. His sneakers struck each other and then parted them, tapping the tip of his sneakers against the court floor as he slanted forward, letting out powerful bursts from his calves. His steps started to shift around, forcing Yuuichi to his left, then his right as he got closer to the three point line.


    Yuuichi blew a huff just as Takumi spun the ball towards his face. His fingers tapped it back as Takumi caught it and shot a glance past Yuuichi''s shoulder, but Yuuichi didn''t take the bait. He kept his eyes on¡­ TAKUMI''S INCOMING FIST?!


    Before his fist actually hit Yuuichi, Takumi pulled it back. It had been a fake, but Yuuichi instinctively dodged by moving back and followed Takumi''s left arm when it swung up towards the sky. "THE BALL!" Yuuichi''s mouth dropped open. "DID HE SHOOT IT UP?! DID IT SLIP?!" Yuuichi''s pink irises traced the blue sky above in desperation; he could have sworn he saw the ball rise up with the left, but there was nothing in the sky.


    He was unaware the ball had slid along Takumi''s forearm and landed behind him, as Takumi prepared to make a full spin on the tip of his shoe. Takumi grasped the ball in his right hand and drove towards Yuuichi''s hip. Yuuichi could only waddle backwards, struck by how massive Takumi seemed in that instance. He had to regain some control, but all of Takumi''s explosive movements grew to be too much for Yuuichi to keep up while unbalanced.


    Right at the moment Yuuichi fell over, instead of passing Yuuichi towards the clear lane, Takumi turned his back and started dashing towards the half court line, confusing everyone.


    "WHERE''S HE GOING?! THEY''RE PLAYING HALF COURT!" someone from the crowd shouted, exasperated, as people courtside rose from their seats.


    Reaching half court, he took a single hop, landing two feet in front of the half court line. He let the air in his lungs come out and then sprung up, keeping the ball and his hands extended at the center of his body. His hand flew up with the ball. He was aligned perfectly with the center of the net. Like a slingshot, he shot the ball. The sun??s rays washed over Takumi, messing with Yuuichi''s sight.


    Yuuichi forced his body back up and took two steps, before freezing stiff. It was far too late. Takumi''s open hand became a fist as he landed down and turned around. Yuuichi was hit by the glare Takumi gave him. "There''s no way you made that!" Yuuichi turned around and considered getting a rebound, but when he turned around, he saw the ball sink through perfectly as the crowd cheered for the shot made.


    Yuuichi clenched his fist and a cold sweat ran down the back of his neck. He looked back to Takumi, gritting his teeth. "Don''t underestimate me. The game''s far from over," Takumi spoke clearly, his words stabbing Yuuichi in the gut. Takumi leaned up and punched his chest twice over and rose his finger up to the sky in the form of a "1." From the crowd, dozens of flashes flickered all around randomly.


    "That freshman made the shot from that far¡­ without lookin''? Unbelievable luck," Bentei was stunned. Yoshigawa chuckled and told him, "No luck there! Wro''s worked on that shot many times. PURE SKILL!"


    The ball bounced three times and struck the gate before rolling back onto the court. Ebisu''s arm dropped as his weight hit the ground. Never had he ever seen a freshman do something like that.


    "A¡­ trick shot? WOAAAAAAHHHH, NOTHING BUT NET!!!" one player on the sideline announced, tugging his hair. Cheers continued on. White snowflake-like retsu steadily formulated over the crowd of humans, slightly glimmering. The twinkles slipped past the gates, resembling a mist of cool snowflakes that were attracted to Takumi, who didn''t notice it. Yoshigawa picked up on this, and he began to worry.


    "Oh no¡­ this can''t be good. Yo, Tai!" Yoshigawa tried calling his friend, but the cheering was too loud.


    "Bentei has to put Yuuichi in his place already. I can''t believe he hasn''t taken charge yet¡­"


    Katsuya chuckled and shook his head at what Ebisu said. "It''s fine, he has something in mind. He understands why we let Yuu play this match." Ebisu raised a brow and continued to spectate.


    Reaching the gate, Bentei bent over and lifted the ball up. He turned over and shot his brother a dirty look. In response to this sign Yuuichi knew all too well, he shook his head stubbornly. "Stop lookin'' at me like that and toss over that ball!"


    "Have it your way. Get your ass handed to you all day then," Bentei grumbled in return, leaving Yuuichi clearly pissed. Bentei shrugged his shoulders, reluctantly deciding to go with what Yuuichi wanted until he came to his senses. Shaking his head, Bentei chucked the ball up into the air over to Takumi. As he did this, he took a quick break towards Yuuichi and Takumi, but Yoshigawa already expected this and intercepted him once more.


    "Wow, you''re so rude, dude! Our dance hasn''t ended yet, c''mere!" A wide, threatening grin was plastered all over Yoshigawa''s face. He did this typically to scare his opponents on and off the court, but it proved to be ineffective in this case against Bentei.


    "Get out of my way. My problem isn''t with you," Bentei mouthed with an angry look and motioned over, lifting Yoshigawa up and tossing him back. Yoshigawa landed down with ease as Bentei stepped back, extending his hands and whipping them side to side in an attempt to distract Yoshigawa. As he did, Yoshigawa pressed his left elbow against the right side of Bentei''s hip so as to not lose him and hustled him steadily to the side once again.


    Takumi jumped up a bit over Yuuichi and caught the ball. He believed he had stolen the ball, but when he was going to bring it up, Yuuichi tapped it right at the center, getting it out of his hands and spun back around. Takumi landed and met him face to face as soon as Yuuichi turned around to try a three point shot. The freshman swatted the ball and spun around Yuuichi, making him have to turn around as well. Takumi reacted faster and spun the ball from his left hip, up behind his back and as the ball dropped down to his right side, he caught it with his right palm as he landed and moved back. In position, he took off towards Yuuichi.


    "Right into my hands!" Yuuichi shouted, believing he''d get it back. The ball seemingly slipped forward out of Takumi''s palm, causing him to smile. He managed to successfully swipe the ball backwards towards the lane when¡­ he found the ball was behind him. Takumi had gotten by him, again.


    A nerve surged all across his body in a single intense pulse. His heart dropped to his stomach. He would have to turn to run and get it, while Takumi ran straight ahead and had the ball in his left hand already. "WHAT THE HELL!?" is all Yuuichi had time to yell out. On the big screen, the moment was replayed. With two smooth zig-zag steps to get past Yuuichi, Takumi caught the ball and took the lead down the lane wearing a faint smile.


    For a moment, their eyes met again. Takumi gazed over his shoulder to take in Yuuichi''s bleak expression. The crowd stood up, and one guy in the crowd flung up his popcorn, making it rain back down over the crowd. Yuuichi flung his hands from side to side, turned his torso and took two steps forward to see Takumi dash straight towards the basket explosively. Takumi slapped his shoes together and sprung up, rotating his arms in a circular motion as he released the ball. The ball rose up with a strong spin, blowing ripples of air around it before sinking straight down through the net with a clean "swish."


    A sweat drop ran down Bentei''s chin, followed by a gulp. Yoshigawa swung his thumb over to Takumi, calling out, "YEAHHHH, TAI!" Cheers and chattering erupted from the crowd as flashes of light flickered all around the court again.


    Takumi landed down with his light brown bangs brushing against his cheek. He tapped the tip of his sneaker against the ground, then lifted his legs back one at a time to swipe the bottom of his sneakers like a tiger licking its paws. After doing this, he observed Yuuichi, who seemed speechless.


    Takumi saw a purple flicker emit from his white wristband and glanced down, but when he looked, there was no flickering. Only when he looked away, did it start flickering and no one from the crowd was reacting to this. "Huh?" Takumi tried ignoring it, only to glance down again, but there was nothing.


    On the sideline, Katsuya folded his hands with a smile, liking what he saw from Takumi. "That kid is impressive. Sorry Yuu, but you''re going to have to take a loss early if we''re getting anywhere as a team. Use this as a good lesson. You may have practiced over the break, but that''s all pointless if you can''t apply it properly. I need you to realize this now before the season starts¡­"


    "This is ridiculous!!! Too ridiculous! What is he thinking?!" Kenny nervously ranted. All the while, he adjusted his camera and tapped his holo-pad, as he started a play back. "He''s being stubborn trying to hold out long enough to shut down the freshman," Kenny debated with himself.


    "My eyes¡­ I can''t stand seeing this anymore. What an embarrassment." Ebisu sucked his teeth after rubbing his eyes. "I thought he finally learned. Damn runt needs to snap out of it."


    Kenny uneasily laughed at what Ebisu said. Ebisu tapped his fingers together back and forth to get rid of the small crumbs left by the potato chip he had been munching on. "Knowing how stubborn that kid is¡­ he''s only going to get heated more," Ebisu grinned, showing off his large canines. Katsuya sighed, seeing Yuuichi''s hand opening and closing into a fist repeatedly.


    "Those guysh are sommmfing elsh though," Ebisu spoke up, stuffing his face with more potato chips from the bag his sister held.


    "You still have to get rid of that junk food habit," Katsuya frowned, as Ebisu scooted away from him to continue enjoying his munchies.


    Back on the court, the game continued intensely. Yuuichi considered passing the ball to Bentei for once, but his pride quickly crippled him, leading him to shoot a two pointer instead. The ball hit the rim and came back down to his own disappointment.


    Takumi caught the ball and ran back behind the three point line. He slid his right foot between Yuuichi''s feet in order to keep him at bay. In the scuffle, Takumi finally said something, after briefly thinking back at the scrimmages he went through during the summer in preparation for whatever came his way freshman year.


    "If you think you can be more aggressive, you''re wrong. You''re nothing compared to that one guy. I''m working for this more than you are, so when this is settled, you better keep your promise, mutt."


    The vibes Takumi gave off blew through Yuuichi''s confidence. The freshman''s serious tone resonated with the hard work he himself was far too familiar with. Yuuichi felt his chest become heavier and huffed, seeing what seemed to be snowflakes twinkling around them on the court. Yuuichi rubbed his eyes with his forearm and looked up to the score. "I''m toast."


    Score:


    Team Freshie 19 - Team Sophomore 15


    "Oh yeah, chief. Did you complete the homework I gave you concerning this Takumi kid and his friend Yoshigawa?" Katsuya asked Kenny.


    "Yes, I did, and it''s just as you said," Kenny replied.


    "Okay, we''ll talk about it later," Katsuya whispered to him and then changed the subject. "So, how good do you think they are? Specifically Takumi."


    "He''s gotta be like a 3 star, surely," Kenny estimated. Katsuya smirked, turning his attention back to the heated game.

 Chapter 9

    "Ahhh, wow there are so many people here¡­ but why are they heading away from the auditorium? What the heck!?" Hanami stopped in place, perplexed. In the distance, people were forming a mob.


    Minami sniffed the air twice; there were all sorts of delicious aromas that intoxicated her enough to distract herself from Hanami''s scent. Aside from the grilled octopus and other foods she smelled from nearby stalls, she also caught the scent of an abundant amount of Retsu forming forty feet in the distance through a bunch of trees. Even in the distant sky, there was so much of it, that it seemed as if it was snowing in one specific area.


    "Hmm, something''s creating so much Retsu over there," Minami spoke up.


    "What? Retsu?" Hanami asked, trying to see whatever Minami was seeing.


    "All of that white stuff in the sky over there, you don''t see it? It''s like a storm," Minami told her, but her friend couldn''t see anything at all. "Nope! I can''t see anything there, I give up! "


    "There must be a performance of some sort going on. I''d investigate, buuut¡­" That much Retsu in one place could only mean something big was going on and she''d hate to get herself into a dangerous position, to say nothing of putting Hanami in danger. "Come on! Let''s go find June," Minami suggested, taking Hanami''s hand. She pulled the girl along, who could now briefly see the Retsu.


    "Is it snowing over there?!" Hanami squeaked in surprise, having been squinting the whole time.


    "Oh, you can see it now? That''s Retsu. Something''s happening over there that''s attracting the human visitors."


    "That can''t be good for the ceremony," Hanami nodded as both girls passed by people admiring the building in the distance.


    A harmonic melody began to play not too far from them. It came from the building where the ceremony is to take place. The sunshine lit the top, so the building cast a refreshing shadow over the girls. Approaching the complex, Hanami''s ears picked up a note of the opera emanating from the entrance growing louder and louder until it silenced the chirping of the tiny green birds flying by. She shut her eyes, loving the melody playing around the square.


    Blinking, she turned towards the large, grey oval-shaped building. It had rows of thick grey windows that continued to the top of the building. Minami linked her arm with Hanami''s and skipped over to the flight of steps. "Is it safe? These stairs seem weird," Minami thought to herself upon inspecting the odd twinkles that emanated from both ends of the steps. She found her answer when Hanami stepped onto the first two. The steps were like springs that wobbled for a few seconds. It was something of a trampoline powered by Retsu.


    "Seems fun," Minami giggled, taking a furtive step, before finding herself taken up two steps higher than Hanami. The latter''s mouth widened and she started to hop on the step like a child. Hanami excitedly jumped higher and higher before leaning down and jumping even higher. When she had risen about 20 feet high, she found herself floating down under the force of gravity; there wouldn''t be any danger unless she jumped off the stairs altogether. Hanami spun several times in the air and landed on the final step at the top.


    "Bet you can''t jump that high," she called out to Minami, who smirked, taking up the challenge. She jumped and landed a step higher, relatively easily. "I win!!! I should have made that bet," Minami giggled as Hanami said, "Let''s do this again some other time."


    Minami nodded, looking just past Hanami''s shoulder. Just then, she noticed three girls standing close to a bin at the foot of stairs, staring at them, but they just as quickly turned away, lifting newspapers up above their faces in an effort to conceal their identities.


    "Didn''t I see them before somewhere?" Minami tapped her lower lip observing the girls. Hanami pat Minami''s shoulder to catch her attention before passing through the open entrance to the auditorium. "What''s wrong, Minami? Come on, let''s head inside."


    Minami snapped out of her thoughts, concluding that the girls were simply attending the ceremony as well. She turned away and looked up to a large hologram banner which read "ENTRANCE CEREMONY IN HERE." The words rotated over and over, pausing for three seconds in between rotations.


    Just before they passed through and into the building, it dawned on Hanami. "We aren''t late, are we?" she thought to herself, stepping onto the black marble floor that made up the hallway.


    "You ladies mustn''t treat the propellers like toys," a snarky voice called to the girls from the shadows. They tried following the voice, but couldn''t pinpoint where it was until a slankly fellow with a long, pointy nose appeared behind them, startling the girls. He made it obvious that he was watching the two when they were playing with the steps. The individual seemed to be at least forty, going off of his wardrobe and choice in facial hair.


    "So-sorry about that," Hanami excused herself, stepping into the auditorium with Minami as the individual creepily waited for the girls to disappear out of his line of sight without responding. He returned into the shadows from whence he came. Both followed the long stretch over to a metallic door. Hanami pressed her small hands against the handle of the door causing the entrance door to slide up into the ceiling. Stepping through, it was apparent that they were like ants within the auditorium. The entire place was huge. The rows of seats spiraled downwards just like in a theater.


    At the end of the opera-like auditorium, there was a large stage where people were hooking up stereos. Hanami took note of the banners that floated above each of the four rows. The first two banners in the middle had the words "New Students" rotating above it. The other two banners to the far right and far left had the words "Free Occupancy" rotating above them.


    These seats were arranged in sections. Minami observed that there were a total of four rows, the two center rows being for the new students. The rows to the far left and far right were for older students, their parents, and other family members and friends. Hundreds of dark blue seats suddenly whipped open as if an invincible force were flicking them up. This was an automatic response to someone walking down the aisle, as Hanami and Minami were doing at the moment, taking in the decorative details of the ceiling above.


    "Testing, testing one, two, threeeeeee." A high-pitched girly voice echoed alongside the opera music that resonated through the auditorium.


    "Mmm wooow, that sounds lovely!" Minami closed her eyes for a moment to listen to the music and then drew her attention back to the main stage. The music relaxed Minami''s Setsu side and made her forget all about Hanami''s scent.


    Both girls stepped onto the dark green carpet that covered the auditorium''s floor and walked down the center aisle towards the stage. Upon reaching the bottom, Minami rubbed her eyes. The music made her very drowsy for some reason, so tired that the dark blue-haired girl slid into the nearest seat in the front row almost right away. All of the repressing of her Setsu side made Minami really sleepy. She snuggled into the seat and knocked out without a single word.


    Hanami didn''t bother to keep Minami awake, since just an hour or so ago, they had both gone through quite a lot and almost as if it were fate, found each other. That''s how high school has always worked after all; you never know when you''ll make a friend or foe. Plus, Minami had on a happy smile as she slept. "I don''t want to disturb that," she told herself, unable to keep herself from smiling.


    Swinging her kendo bag off, Hanami set the bag down on the seat beside Minami''s and turned her attention back to the front podium. On the stage, there was a small girl singing to herself. The girl on the stage continued to repeat the same phrase, testing the microphone without paying much attention to the two visitors. Rather curious as to why they were the only people there, Hanami made her way to the front of the stage and stopped, falling in love with not only how pretty the girl looked in her black dress, but her bat-shaped hair and the purple gems for eyes that she had that almost seemed to glow. It was like seeing a model in person, though she didn''t know who she was exactly.


    Working up the courage, Hanami waved her hand up. "Hello there, do you know where everyone else is? Has the entrance ceremony ended already?" Her question went unanswered, since she couldn''t be heard over the noise of the mic being tapped on. The little girl continued to speak into the microphone.


    "Come around, you''re not all bound, use your sound for a few rounds,"


    "It''ll be heard all across these realms, oh wow,"


    "Time to play or slay, try not to go cray,"


    "It''s not the same, when you''re sleeping on a high mound,"


    "The skin''s deep on the taste of puffy white clouds,"


    "Life''s one sad clown, this whole world is plastered brown,"


    "Not everyone wears a crown, let''s break it down right now,"


    "Hidden away, oh hey, what can you say?"


    "It''s going down, yeah, spin and spin, around and around,"


    "Crumble it,"


    "Spliced, yeah, okay."


    Hanami listened, confused at what the girl was singing, but figured it was random. Working up another attempt, she tried waving her hands and calling to the girl, but the music totally drained out what she was saying as she was forced to listen to the girl singing for another thirty seconds.


    "Day keeps rolling, night keeps boiling."


    The little girl double clapped.


    "Mmmh, days keep rolling, nights keep boiling."


    She clapped once more, making a full rhythm out of the echoes that bounced throughout the place. Church organs blared in the back mixing with the musical AB note''s that made up the ballad.


    "Same old, same old, same old, same old,"


    "Scary," she whispered with a giggle and continued.


    "Impound, yes, yes, impound, impound,"


    "Yes,"


    "Waves of the knights, stumble all around,"


    "All around,"


    "Come, you can catch me in-"


    "Darling, come round and round, your life is forever bound!"


    "Come, let''s watch the world become safe and sound." The little girl raised her fingers to both sides of her ears and made quotation marks with a big smile.


    "It''s driven plenty deranged, yeah, penny shortchanged,"


    "Now join me, somber arranged, the lanes exchanged."


    Hanami unintentionally clapped to the rhythm as the girl did, freaking out at how catchy it became to her, despite the strange lyrics. She slapped her hands back down on the stage floor,  embarrassed and found herself getting lost in the melody again.


    "Ohhh wwwuuu ohhh, woah, uuwwwwoah,"


    "Why am I so down when I''m renowned?"


    "Oh yeah, I''m bound,"


    "Day keeps rolling, night keeps boiling,"


    "Mmmmm, days keep rolling, nights keep boiling,"


    "On and on¡­ Woah, oh, oh,"


    "At a yawn, I''m gone, never drawn, uncertain of a respawn, go ahead act on, like a pawn killing to the dusk of a dawn,"


    "At a cost, the floss, is tossed, don''t get lost in the surrounding moss,"


    "Yeah, in the moss, let''s squash the brainwash,"


    "Woah, woah, oh,"


    " Yeah, like love in the glimmer light, shines onto bitter flight,"


    "Woah, oh, oh,"


    "Take that skill and toss it off the rebound,"


    "Come, let''s catch, the trade of spade, switchblade in vein, matched foul by the nine-foot watchful golden night owl,"


    "Blaring, it''s a game of the lame untame, craft it up into a blossoming Japanese crane, mock chain,"


    "Lock of a sock, don''t ever knock the rocket''s hot pocket, no, no, oh it always happens,"


    "Pause, take it back up, embright the sight that''s life''s given right," the girl told herself, giving the imaginary crowd jazz hands side-to-side, without noticing that Hanami raised one of her hands. The girl pranced around, twirling over.


    "Smite, ignite, the vixen''s plight," she paused, turning around.


    "Snide tight despite a resounding fright, no might,"


    "You can feel this height?" She shook her hips until her knees hit the ground, and then sprung back up in one energized hop.


    "Let''s burn this stage on and on, and on, and on, like nothings wrong, in life''s bloodied thong,"


    "Mix it there now." She slid back, taking a step forward and hopped repeatedly, shaking her arms.


    The beat dropped at this moment with a loud bass. "Ablazed, you can''t tell if this is a faze, the cycle''s got you in a daze, real crazed,"


    "Mhm, that''s right!" Hanami unintentionally said, having lost herself in the melody, before squealing. "Wait, what?!" She watched the girl flail around in her own world.


    "Slumber, grow dumber as you age, get tucked away, woah okay,"


    "Defaced, replaced, like an old shoelace, too outpaced,"


    "No trace, no, no, nah, no, no waste, you empty, grimy plastered vase,"


    "You''ve long found your case, take it to the double face,"


    "Day keeps rolling, night keeps boiling,"


    "Mmm, days keep rolling, nights keep boiling,"


    "Soulja, little soul, oh soul¡­ don''t cry in your large bowl,"


    "Take your roll,"


    "It''s far, too low, too low to stay afloat,"


    "Drown right below, swim with the transient crows,"


    "Come join me under the dark bubbles, as the stars all tumble down,"


    "My intricate pronoun, my intricate pronoun,"


    "Dazzle across every town, ting, tong, bling, make all the sound, for you are not bound, bound, bound,"


    "Ablazed, ablazed, ablazed, you can''t tell if this is a faze,"


    " Yeah, the cycle''s got you in a daze, lost in the same old maze,"


    "Don''t lie to yourself, you''re not well, you can''t tell in that cell, all dying, can''t taste that smell, your state is real swell." The little girl used quotation marks again, making her adorable expressions as she waved her hands to her side.


    "Kiss the bell, it''s only time, a matter of time, oh climb,"


    "This crime has gone on and on, oh the hearts that''ve been gravely wronged."


    Hanami noticed that the little girl''s expressions became saddened. She now spoke slower.


    "Drowned, below¡­  never, ever, ever, ever to be found,"


    "Poor little soul isn''t safe and sound,"


    "For the hounds are still around,"


    "Day keeps rolling, night keeps boiling,"


    " Mmmh, days keep rolling, nights keep boiling,"


    "Yes, yes foiling.?? With that final whispered line, the little girl took a deep breath, placing her hands down to her side


    .


    "That''s pretty dark¡­ uh, what does any of that even mean? She must be emo¡­  but for a girl her age, it''s really cute. The dancing, I mean." Hanami raised a brow confusing herself. "I wouldn''t have expected that today, but¡­  get a hold of yourself!" She got distracted, only to shake her head as she realized that the girl had stopped singing and now pretended to shoot kisses at the empty aisles. Each paused kiss was followed by a "Thank you!"


    "Heeeellllooooooooooo there??? Ummm." Hanami tapped on the stage floor hoping that the vibration would get to the girl to notice her, but it was futile. She looked over towards the stairwell that led to the top of the stage.


    "I guess I have to get up there myself!" Hanami made a beeline for the end of the stage. As she ran up the steps, she looked out towards the rows where the crowd would later be. "There''s gonna be so many people," she thought to herself as a queasy feeling overcame her for a second, before she pushed it to the back of her mind. Seeing the little girl, Hanami slowed down her approach.


    "You''re such a small bean compared to this place," a familiar voice whispered into her ear. Hanami was so startled, she almost fell off the stage, but was caught just in time by the whisperer. She opened her eyes and the lightning illuminated the sides of the individual''s golden curly hair.


    "June-pyo, gosh! Don''t do that again!" June let go of her, to which Hanami softly hit him in the gut.


    "Ah, I''ll be right back, let me get something real quick." June turned away and disappeared into the curtains that covered the backstage.


    She was going to say something, but held it back since he had left as quickly as he had appeared. She shrugged her shoulders and rather than talk to the little girl right away, she decided to talk to a stereo technician who was tinkering with a large stereo that towered over the right end of the podium.


    "In all honesty, I''d rather avoid her. She seems scary." Hanami kept her eye on the girl whose eyes seemed to widen as she kept a scary smile on. Hanami kept her eyes glued on her as she went to the technician and tapped on his shoulder to get his attention. The technician fixed his blue cap around and turned around. He stared at the red-haired student, who was obviously asking him something, which he couldn''t decipher over all the sound coming from the stage.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    In order to hear what she was saying, the technician pulled back all of the wires he was plugging into the stereo. This cut out the opera music that resonated across the auditorium, leaving only the little girl''s loud squeaky voice that she used to practice vocals. Hanami and the technician both cringed at the final high pitch, as the little girl abruptly stopped and hopped off of the podium, going right around the large stereo to figure out why the technician had suddenly cut out the music.


    "Bert, I thought you were tuning the stereo to the ones at the back of the auditorium, what happened? This is my time for peaceful practice," the little girl pouted and then caught sight of Hanami. Hanami instantly felt uneasy under such a bewitching gaze that seemed to tear into her.


    "This student approached me and I couldn''t hear her. Sorry ma''am." Bert''s orange eyebrows rubbed against the messy strands of hair that dangled down against his nose. He pointed over to Hanami, who bowed respectfully. "What is it you wanted?" he asked her.


    "Yeah, sorry. I was just wondering where all of the attendees of the ceremony are? Did I get here too late? You see, I''m a new student at this school and it''s literally my first day in Osaka! I''m not sure if me and my friend over there are late," Hanami rambled on and said the last part awkwardly as Minami''s loud, grizzly bear-like snoring drew their attention to her for a second. Sweat drops ran down all of their heads.


    "I''m surprised you''re not napping like that other girl down there. She missed my performance," the little girl said, impressed. "Anyway, this is the principal of the school¡­ Miyumi Cordelia Hachi," Bert mouthed, as he raised the yellow wires he had in hand and pointed to the little girl.


    "Hachi?" Hanami''s eyebrows started to twitch as she turned to face the little girl. "The stupid oaf¡­"  An image of Takumi resembling a grumpy troll floated around in her head.


    "Haven''t I heard that name somewhere too? Miyumi¡­" Hanami turned away momentarily, thinking of where she heard such a familiar name. "In a magazine?" she tried to remember.


    "Excuse me?"  Miyumi asked, having not heard what Hanami mumbled. The girl regained her composure as she took in the little girl''s hair and eyes again, noting a resemblance in their hair. "Except Takumi''s is lighter," Hanami thought to herself. It felt really weird standing face-to-face with her fianc¨¦''s older sister as so many questions flew around in her head, the most prominent being how the girl seemed so young.


    "So¡­ ?" the principal asked Hanami, snapping her out of her thoughts.


    Hanami turned her attention over to the black curtains that twirled softly around with sounds of footsteps coming from backstage.


    "June-pyo, you''re back," Hanami said as June stepped out from behind the curtains with three boxes in his arms. "Yeah, let me set these boxes where the president requested," June replied, walking past both women and going to set the boxes down beside the stereo. He stood up, fixing his attention on the two women who were now locking eyes.


    Miyumi stared Hanami down whilst curtsying, rocking her feet back and forth with her small hands beneath her dress. Miyumi had seen someone who resembled her before. "Was it in a picture?" she thought to herself.


    "Perfect! I can introduce you two?" June felt the air thick with awkwardness.


    "PRESIDENT! That''s Hanami Hasegawa, my lovely cousin. The girl you told me to bring to you." June smiled, running his hand through his curly, blonde hair and walked over to Hanami. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, but quickly let go, taking a step to the side to avoid being tackled by the wild Miyumi who charged Hanami.


    At the sound of Hanami''s name, Miyumi''s eyes widened in surprise and she jumped up, tackling Hanami down to the ground with no question. June gasped, raising his hands up over his head and nearly fell back, startled at what Miyumi had just done.


    "WAAAHHH!" Hanami squeaked, tripping back over some wires with a thud.


    "M-MY LITTLE BROTHER''S FIANCE?! YOU''RE MY NEW LITTLE SISTER!!!!" Miyumi was thinking back to the photos she had seen of Hanami. "I CAN FINALLY SQUISH YOUUU! AND YOUR CHEEEEKS"  Miyumi squeezed her face through Hanami''s forearms and nibbled on her cheek, showing off her tiny fangs. Miyumi squeaked even louder, thinking back to when she got the news from her parents that Takumi now had a fianc¨¦. Miyumi was reluctant at first, seeing as her parents were dictating her little brother''s life, but after digging into a bit of Hanami''s past, she wasn''t put off by the marriage anymore.


    "Little?!" Hanami checked her height and stared down at Miyumi, who screamed.


    "I WANTED TO MEET YOU EVER SINCE I SAW YOUR CUTE PATOOTIE IN A PHOTO THE OTHER DAY! YOU''RE EVEN PRETTIER IN PERSON!!! My little brother is so lucky!" Miyumi blurted out with Hanami responding, "T-thanks?? W-wait, huh?!"


    "The other day when I came back from France, I was informed of it, my dear. How was your first interaction with him?" Miyumi rambled on. "It did confuse me. For my mother to agree to letting Takumi marry a girl¡­"


    "''Cause he''s a mama''s boy?"


    "No, because she''s crazy! Crazy about him ..." Miyumi cut Hanami off. "It is my little brother after all, he''d never agree to any of that," Miyumi paused to listen to what Hanami had to say.


    "I don''t mean to snitch but¡­ the first interaction was terrible. He''s horrible, he gave me a hard time earlier today," Hanami modestly informed Miyumi.


    "I knew you''d say that. He has that rough exterior, nothing you won''t be able to handle I presume, as a strong, brazen female of the Hasegawa."


    "Ehhh¡­ not that I have a choice, but that brute doesn''t scare me one bit," Hanami commented in her head at first and said the last part about not fearing Takumi out loud and proud, as Miyumi went on.


    "Still¡­  to think my mother agreed. My mother''s obsessed with him, so finding out she was fine with him having a fiancee blew my mind. Anyway, I''m so lucky!!! I get to make you into a doll! MY BABY SISTER!" Miyumi pounced on top of Hanami again and bombarded her with smooches. Pink lipstick plastered all over Hanami''s left cheek.


    "F-FIANCE?!" he blurted out, now aware of the reason Hanami was even in Osaka to begin with. Thoughts of Hanami on an altar about to profess her unwavering love and be kissed by this mysterious guy made June drop to his knees. The whole world seemed to collapse around June as he watched the mysterious guy turn around to reveal the little brother of the one he served.


    "Fianc¨¦?!" June repeated silently beating himself up in his head. His head dropped down as his curly blonde hair covered his eyes.


    "Yes, Taku, Taaakuuuuu¡­  Taaaaaakuuu, Takkuuumi." Miyumi got off of Hanami and ran over to June, who was in a fetal position on the ground. She gave him jazz hands, moving around him as she continued to chant Takumi''s name. She skipped around him repeatedly, then slumped over him and echoed Takumi''s name into June''s ear over and over as she knew of his sentiments for Hanami. "Teheheheheheheh, it''s Taku! Takummmi! Get all of those hopes out of your mind!"


    The taunting got to him, as June stood back up slapping his palm against the stage floor. "HHHRRAAAAAHHH, THIS CAN''T BE!" June cried, sounding like a loud helium balloon. Miyumi skipped back to Hanami as June shouted "TAKUMI?!"


    He glanced at Miyumi and Hanami, who jumped back, startled at the loud shout. It wasn''t like June to raise his voice or lose his cool out of the blue. "Uh, you okay June-pyo? That''s the first I''ve ever heard you speak up so loud, let alone make such an odd sound" she noted he was acting so strange. A sinister grin formed across Miyumi''s face. Miyumi had to chime in, so she teased, "Is it because Taku''s your new rival?"


    An imaginary lighting struck  the top of his head at what Miyumi said. June nearly collapsed as Hanami shifted her sight from June to Miyumi, completely lost. "Rival?"


    "Ye-" Before Miyumi could say anything else, June shook his head in response. "I-It''s nothing, we''ll talk about that later," he answered Hanami, as Miyumi got back to hugging her. Hanami was now being too squished to hear what June said, due to struggling to get Miyumi off of her.


    June frowned, spacing out. "Just when I found you again¡­  it''s in these circumstances. Anyone but him," June said to himself and looked over at Miyumi and Hanami. His eyes nearly popped out of his head, as the principal grabbed the student''s face and shoved it into her chest, smothering her.


    "Ay, pretty boy stop gawking at the girls, come lend me a hand, or hands." The technician pointed over to the stacked boxes while scratching the side of his head. June rubbed the back of his neck and contemplated snapping a photo, but turned away as the technician repeated himself louder.


    "Yeah, sure. The boxes I brought, right?" June adjusted his sleeves, folding them backwards and lifted the boxes up to get them off of the stage.


    "Oh noooo, Haaanaaaa dear, wake upppp!" Miyumi tucked the edges of her gown beneath her knees and sat down beside Hanami, fanning her hand over her face. Two minutes later, Hanami''s consciousness returned to her. She heard a serene yet deep voice repeat an odd name with the same phrase. A few taps to her shoulder led the girl  to slowly open her eyes and blink once, adjusting to the lighting above before a shadow crept over her further.


    "Hana, are you ok? Are you ok? Are you okay Hana?" Miyumi asked almost in a melody, tilting Hanami''s chin up.


    "Hana?" Hanami raised a brow with an expression of cluelessness spread across her face.


    "Lady Cordelia," two voices called simultaneously from an unknown location. "Lady Cordelia," the voices repeated, drawing Miyumi''s attention. Miyumi stood up, searching for the familiar voices as Hanami looked over directly towards two young women.


    "Twins?" Hanami mumbled, surprised.


    "Ayaka, Azami, we have talked about being so formal!" Miyumi said their names, approaching the pair who adjusted their glasses and bowed.


    At the same time, June set the boxes just in front of the stage and returned to the other side. He attempted to give Hanami a helping hand, but she gave him a cold shoulder with a furious look plastered on her face. Her cheeks puffed up, her eyebrows furrowed down. "You aren''t off the hook, pal!" Hanami pressed her small index finger up against June''s chin making him take two steps back.


    "S-Sorry, it''s-" June attempted to apologize. At the sound of the two women simultaneously saying, "Hooooi" in their direction, both Hanami and June turned their heads towards them as they introduced themselves. June already knew both women, but Hanami didn''t. The two women had violet hair that matched their fingernails. Both wore matching round glasses with a golden chain dangling from its side. Their lips were also painted violet, which contrasted with the white uniforms they had on for the special event. "I''m Ayaka." "And I''m Azami, young miss."


    "We know who you are and we''re delightfully at your service whenever possible. This year, we''ll be secretaries aiding Lady Miyumi, as we are her dolls," Azami said, tapping the center of her small round glasses back. "We help her manage the clothing lines she owns in Paris."


    "Oh, okay, nice to meet you two."


    "That''s right!" Miyumi stepped between them. "And I don''t mind sharing my dolls with you, sweetie! They''re from the Amari family''s second branch. We''ve been inseparable ever since childhood, my special dolls!" Miyumi giggled happily, bringing the two in close, smearing her cheeks on theirs. Ayaka blushed while Azami purposely coughed to get Miyumi to stop.


    "I can tell they''re pretty close," Hanami said in her head, laughing along uneasily.


    "For this trip, they''ve come to help me carry out some family duties, like taking care of you, and other Rikuto duties. I''m going to be the principal only for this year, since my eldest brother is off dealing with something I can''t tell you about. My other brother Taro is overseas and the rest of the family are all doing their own thing. It only leaves me and your fiance to look after Osaka and all of the Setsu clans under us."


    "Wow. You have a lot on your hands having to deal with him, too. It must be really hard," Hanami said, taking in the presence of the three.


    "We have the Ikigai Packs and the Shosas, so it''s not too difficult," Miyumi said with a wink.


    "I really respect that, that''s so much to sacrifice your business for family like that." Thinking about it, Hanami''s eyes lit up in astonishment, especially considering how noble it was. "That''s so honorable and unselfish, unlike some people I''ve met," Hanami mischievously giggled.


    "I left someone back there to take care of the modeling business though. Have you heard of Le Chen Cour and Gonsh Parvei?"


    "Of course I have! Wait¡­ you''re that MIYUMI?!" Hanami''s high pitched voice startled Miyumi, who gave her a nod, smirking as if boasting.


    "AGHHHHHH!!!!!" It clicked in Hanami''s head at that moment. "THE MAGAZINE I READ ON THE WAY HERE! I''M A HUGE FAN OF YOUR WORK!! All of the donations you''ve done and you''ve collaborated with Shion Senha! My¡­" Hanami paused. "My role model, Miyumi Cordelia¡­" She felt a tingly sensation run through her tummy, as she then shook her head and got herself together so as to not faint.


    She quickly passed through the subject. "Though Nana never let me buy any of your makeup products. She''s against those sort of things for some reason, teheheh."


    "That''s the elderly for you," Miyumi giggled. "I''m flattered that you know of my work though!" Miyumi yanked Hanami into a hug as Hanami flailed her arms around, but then settled down, blushing in embarrassment. "We''ll send Nana some makeup so she can look ten times younger. That''ll change her mind! Houhouhouhouhouhou!" Miyumi let out a laugh, only to abruptly stop. "In any case, you can count on me if you ever need anything. I trust you''ll manage my little brother well and I look forward to seeing changes in him." Miyumi took Hanami''s hands in her own.


    "I wouldn''t put too much faith in me if I were you. That guy''s not changing with me, but ummm¡­" Hanami suddenly remembered the kendo club. She was going to speak up, but paused when she spotted Ayaka come in.


    "She''s distracted¡­" Azami told her twin, noting Miyumi was with Hanami, leading the pair to walk. Ayaka whispered something into Miyumi''s ear. "About what you requested, I''ve gone ahead and dispatched an Ikigai Pack to assist the Yori in tracking. That aside¡­" Ayaka pulled away and said the rest normally for everyone on the stage to hear.


    "We have another problem at this ceremony. All of the visitors, new students, parents, they''re all gone." Ayaka flicked her index finger across the holo-tablet and went down the list of attendants. The particular list automatically checked off when an attendant was in the auditorium and entered through the entrance. Green flashes of light would cross up and down the open entrance, taking in the physical appearance of the individuals and matching them with the closest figure.


    "Fill me in on the details later. We''ll focus on figuring out where the attendees have gone. My oh my, this is no good," Miyumi answered back before thinking to herself with her palm on her cheek, worried.


    Hanami interjected. "I did see a crowd heading away from the entrance ceremony, but I''m not sure why."


    "Azami, check the school''s holo-map," Miyumi ordered.


    Azami nodded her head once and powered her watch on. "Where are all the guests and students?" Ayaka further asked as she ran her long violet fingernails through her violet hair and tapped her holo-tablet twice.


    "Tell you in a sec." Azami folded up her puffy white sleeve and tapped her watch twice. "Well, hurry up," Ayaka impatiently said under her breath, as Azami rolled her eyes.


    Finally, the watch emitted a blue light at its center, indicating that it was now active. Azami rose it up and spoke into the watch, "Hirazawa holo-map occupancy."


    A hologram map of the entire campus sprung out over the watch, resembling a blue disc that had numerous points. It spanned exactly one foot in the form of a 360 degree sphere. The hologram map showed the areas where there were more individuals. There were four pins that represented the number of individuals in a single area. The three main areas in this case with individuals being the school entrance, the square and the basketball courts at the center of the campus within the Itokando Park that is situated beside the park''s lake.


    This lake is connected to a series of humongous water holes that go down past the clouds and into the ocean that surrounds the island of Japan. Aside from the ocean, the poles hidden within the clouds absorb the Retsu the clouds give off and infuse it with the Retsu pulled from the ocean that creates the lake and powers the second sector of Hirazawa, called Okiri.


    There are three levels, each considered a sector. The first level is the ground level that has many of the old cities of Osaka. The other two sectors that make up Osaka are within the clouds. For instance, the Gumi Caf¨¦ is on the ground level where many of the cities that made up the Osaka prefecture in the past still remain. When someone got on the blue force field road that leads up into the clouds, they''d find themselves in Okiri, the second sector where the first floating city of Osaka sits. Hirazawa High is within this city and takes up about 30% of the sector.


    Above Okiri, the second floating city is being created, but it isn''t accessible to the public yet. If one had access though, they could take a series of networked yellow force field roads in a special hovercraft and reach higher up in the third sector known as Yomonachika, which has an altitude of 120,000 feet.


    The blue point represents the area with least occupants, green meant the area had a good amount of occupants, and red meant that the area was flocked, which is something that''d definitely concern the school''s faculty and council for various reasons.


    "There''s a single red point. Something big is happening over there that seems to have attracted the attention of the visitors. We''ll have the day patrol dispatched to assess the situation," Azami stopped with what she had been saying when her earpiece began to blink a blue light, indicating someone was sending her intel.


    Azami closed her eyes after the blue light stopped blinking. She paused with a sigh and opened her eyes, directing her attention to Miyumi. "It''s your little brother. He''s playing basketball at the Itokando Park nearby. And he''s with the vessel of the Fukushima."


    "Oh no¡­ not Yoshigawa." Miyumi rubbed her temples. "Well, at least it''s only those two right now and not all five." She nipped at one of her nails, nervously recollecting a harrowing memory of said five.


    "And from the sound of it, those boys are putting up some sort of show along with two sophomores, Bentei and Yuuichi."


    "Are those two not Rikutos of the Togata family?"


    "Yes."


    "The Togatas¡­" Miyumi tilted her head. "I wasn''t aware we had those Rikutos attending Hirazawa," she thought to herself.


    "They must be taking the basketball initiation ceremony here at Hirazawa," June cut in as he opened up one of the boxes and handed the technician a set of cords.


    "Initiation ceremony???" all four of the girls asked simultaneously.


    June smiled as he asserted, "It''s something the basketball players in this school do. It''s even on the Hirazawa web page in the club section. When you click on it, go down the list and check out the Hirazawa Basketball Club. It''ll take you to their page where they have events posted. Each year for the entrance ceremony, any freshmen who plans to gain early access to the Hirazawa gym and meet the captain, has to pass the initiation ceremony where they have to take on two members of the team. If they win, they''re given the key to the gym and invited to take on the other tests, infamously known as the, um¡­  ''Seven Days of Lala''s Hell.''"


    The girls looked on in surprise while Miyumi was confused, as it was her first year as principal. Hanami herself seemed spooked due to the added weird finger motions that June made during his explanation.


    "Should I be concerned?" Miyumi blinked in quick succession.


    June shrugged his shoulders at her question. "There''s hardly anything you can do about it though. Last year, only two freshmen managed to get on the team out of a few dozen. That scared a lot of guys. Your brother must be taking a real beating right about now, president."


    "Well, on a day like this, we can''t entertain such a disruption. These brothers of mine are so troublesome when it comes to basketball." Miyumi sighed, but then remembered their little deal, which brought out her devilish grin. "Ayaka, Azami, be sure to send off guides to bring back the attendees. The Day Patrol will break up the crowd and have everyone return to the auditorium. June, while backup arrives, go ahead and stop that silly ceremony."


    June nodded without any hesitation, as it was the perfect thing to do for him. He stepped off of the stage with a single flip and turned towards the main aisle that led out to the hot weather outside, but paused to swiftly slide his batons out of the pouches he had on both sides of his belt. He began to walk towards the center aisle and turned to look over at the stage one more time. "Do I have your permission to use force if necessary?" June asked, trying to hide his grin while thinking of Takumi.


    "I''d like to avoid that, seeing as my brother is there. He may retaliate," Miyumi observed the hate in June''s eyes.


    "I have a word or two for him. He messed with Hanami¡­" June hadn''t forgotten the comment Hanami made to Miyumi earlier. "I''m going to make things clear."


    "I know you have a thing against him," Miyumi telepathically told June, who avoided her chilly gaze. "So¡­" Miyumi set her hand on Hanami''s shoulder. At this gesture, the girl finally looked up after having spaced out.


    "Hana, accompany June! I know my brother may make a fuss about the Day Patrol disrupting their little game, but I trust that you''ll use your charm to put him in his place and reel him here!" Miyumi whacked her back, causing the girl to stumble over.


    "Are you sure about that? I think I''d make the situation worse," Hanami initially said.


    "It''s all in the mindset. If you go expecting to fight, you''ll fight! If you go expecting to defuse, you''ll defuse! It''s all in how you choose to engage, don''t forget that!" Even if what Miyumi said was right, Hanami still wasn''t so sure, as she shyly looked down to her shoes. "Awww, please! Would you be a dear and personally get Takumi for me? There''s nothing like a girl''s charm and smart mind! I have faith in you." Miyumi winked.


    "Faith¡­?" She hadn''t ever heard from someone other than her grandmother. A brief image of three tall females standing over her younger sniffling self crossed her mind, but Hanami pushed the thought away as quickly as it manifested. Her idol was asking a favor of her. Lifting her head, she brought her hand up to her forehead. With reassurance, she gave Miyumi a thumbs up.


    "Sure, you can count on me! I won''t let you down, Mrs. Cordelia!" Hanami forced a smile, remembering what transpired earlier that day. "Easier said than done," she thought to herself and felt Miyumi tugging her into a hug.


    "Call me ''big sis''!" Miyumi giggled before moving towards her ear. "I''ll let you in on a little secret: my little brother may be dense and cold-hearted, but he''s not one to disobey a woman who''s made a dent in him. If he listens to you, take it as a sign, okay?" Miyumi then pulled back after she patted Hanami on the shoulder.


    A pinkish blush formed across Hanami''s cheeks as she nibbled on the inside of her cheek and gave Miyumi a nod. "I don''t wanna know about any of that, but I promise I''ll bring him back!" she announced as she thought to herself. "I''ll knock him out with my Haru-bow if he starts acting rude."


    She raised her right arm up and placed her left hand on it as in a flexing motion. "June-pyo, it''s go time!" Before she could move, she found herself grabbed by Miyumi, who went on to drag her behind the stage curtains.


    "Lemme dress you up real quick, lil'' sis. The clothes are from my collection, by the way." Miyumi winked.


    The fact that the clothes were her size, made Hanami wonder, "How do you know my measurements?!"


    Miyumi playfully exclaimed,  "I know everything about you¡­ even the secret stuff, mwahaha."


    Hanami''s eyes widened, but before she could say anything else, Miyumi lightly pushed her back out of the curtains, telling her, "There''s more to talk about, but let''s do that later, hmm?" Giving her a nod, Miyumi made her way to the podium as the twins went off to execute their given tasks.


    Hanami hopped off the stage, taking a second to check out the brown boots she was given and smiled. She liked the nicely made peachy short sleeves and how it all complemented her well. Inside of the boots, there seemed to be cozy white fur that stuck out from the top. Behind the shoe, at its base, she spotted the Le Chen Cour logo. "I wonder how much they''re worth." She took a glance over to Minami, who was still sleeping.


    "Oh, can''t forget my kendo bag!" Hanami ran to the front row to grab her bag, but heard Miyumi call to her. "You can leave that there, dear. I''ll have someone take it to my office in the school council building for safekeeping. There''s something I have to talk to you and Takumi about over there anyway."


    "Talk to us about what?" She tilted her head a bit, wondering aloud.


    "After the ceremony. Now, off you go!" Miyumi swatted her hand in front of her face back and forth. Miyumi lifted up a tablet that had been placed on the podium and began to rehearse her welcoming speech.


    "Weird," Hanami thought to herself, slightly worried yet motivated. She could only hope it isn''t a request to join some club, seeing as she had to make her kendo club. Thoughts of the kendo club reminded her, "I''ll ask Miyumi about the procedure in starting my own club if there really isn''t one."


    "For now, I''ll get that oaf here!" She shook her head, getting the thoughts out and pulled June along with her as both made their way out of the auditorium. "Disrupting the entrance ceremony, huh? Watch when I get a hold of him!" Her fingers fidgeted uncontrollably as she looked over towards the direction of sixty foot trees making up the dark green skyline of the Itokando Park in the distance.


    Heating up, the girl''s oak eyes momentarily darkened further, noticing the white storm of Retsu floating ahead. With a tug, she let go of June and ran ahead towards the park, ignoring June''s shouts to wait for him.


    Eight minutes later, Hanami finally brought her running to a halt once she was in front of the thirty-foot long red bridge that led to the park. At the other end of the bridge were crowds of people leading towards the gates. The gates were visible from the top, but not from the bottom due to her height. The girl rolled up her imaginary sleeve since her uniform didn''t have a long sleeve and caught her breath.


    "Okay June-pyo, I''ll get Takumi. You can wait¡­" She glanced over her shoulder. June was nowhere to be seen. "Where''d he go? Aw, I let myself get carried away¡­ good going, Hanami," she told herself with a sigh. "No point in waiting around now. I''ll go ahead and stop this myself," she mumbled to herself and pushed across the bridge and into the crowd. Since she was small, Hanami managed to push past people as if in a sea and furrowed through with ease.


    The sound of a ball being dribbled grew louder the closer she got. The chatter of the crowd decreased momentarily, signifying a standoff. Upon reaching the front, she found herself pressed up against the gate, her soft bosom grazing the rough metal of the gates. She took about three seconds trying to get comfortable, but wasn''t able to, so she pushed the people behind her back, shooting them a menacing glare. In response, the people behind her jerked their children away making room for her. As Hanami turned her head towards the court, she couldn''t believe her eyes.

 Chapter 10

    Back at the Hirazawa court, Takumi scoped out the best path he could take, since the ball was in his possession again. Yuuichi had a different ambience to him, and his movements were becoming sloppier with each passing second. Takumi''s sights narrowed past his right forearm and met Yuuichi''s eyes with the determination to break him down. The words that Takumi mouthed were clear as day for Yuuichi. "Wake up."


    Yuuichi''s eyes widened in confusion. The lower portion of Takumi''s mouth changed to the one Yuuichi despised; someone he had kept himself from thinking about all throughout the break, but couldn''t escape. The irksome memories returned once more.


    Hallucinations, mixed with altered perceptions flashed in his face, terrorizing him. Yuuichi''s Setsu side slipped through, noticeable in the way his canine teeth grew into fangs. Takumi''s form shifted to the silhouette of the man Yuuichi sought to destroy.


    "GRRRRR!" Yuuichi felt compelled, unable to move from his stance. A strong wind blew down on them, forcing Yuuichi to cover his rapidly drying eyes for a few seconds as he glanced down at Takumi''s sneakers to make sure he was in front of him and didn''t get away. They doubled around, until in two steps, Takumi''s sneakers disappeared from Yuuichi''s view.


    He forced himself to open his eyes again despite being dazed. What he saw next was Takumi''s frown, shifting into a smirk. The smirk of that individual then shifted back to Takumi''s frown. The form, the maneuvers, reminded him of "Tanaka¡­" Yuuichi spaced out, imagining Seirei High''s star point guard.


    "TANAKAAAAAA!!!" Yuuichi screamed a second time, this time so loud that Takumi paused his advancement.


    "Who the heck is that?" Takumi questioned, watching a discomforting crazed expression formed on Yuuichi''s face. Yuuichi''s eyes widened in anger. Yuuichi found himself back in "that" memory once more.


    "I WON''T LET YOU THROUGH!!!" Yuuichi shouted, slapping his palms onto the peachy ground. This action swatted away the white particles of Retsu which seemed to be pulling in towards him like a magnet. All of the memories that plagued Yuuichi pulsed forward, mixing in with the white, snowflake-like particles of Retsu. These particles blew up against Takumi, entering his brain after flooding in through his direct line of sight.


    "What am I se-" An individual with swirly orange hair crossed Takumi''s mind. Swirls that made it seem as if the individual had many twisted, uncanny smiles in his hair. The feelings of anger, uncertainty, frustration, worry, and fear all emanated from Yuuichi, and Takumi felt them all.


    "You don''t understand¡­ when I told you there were monsters, I meant it. I failed. I have to get better on my own so I won''t let them down again." Yuuichi telepathically spoke his thoughts, unaware that Takumi was hearing him.


    The world seemed to spin rapidly for Takumi as he then found himself courtside, beside a referee. No one seemed to see Takumi or notice him. The referee himself walked right through Takumi and pointed to a vast, single court, blowing a whistle. Lights were dimmed all around. Holographic fish swam through the darkness overhead. Only the court was visible, although Takumi heard cheering all around.


    Assessing the courtside, Takumi figured he was in some sort of packed stadium. If anything, it seemed awfully familiar, like the ones he''d seen many times the previous year in highly contested national games. Takumi had gained insight into Yuuichi''s memories, though limited. He saw what Yuuichi imagined. Memories of the previous years semifinals came to life around him. Right in front of Yuuichi, stood a point guard whose face wasn''t visible to Takumi.


    Takumi stood on the sideline watching the memory play out. He observed the numerous cameras high up, presenting the different court positions the players went to. On the glowing court, Yuuichi''s focus, his attention, was on the smile that had mocked him all throughout the game. Takumi observed the sinister smirk the point guard had.


    In the memory, Yuuichi pushed himself up, relying on the support of his buckling knee after nearly falling back. He tried willing himself to match the individual''s rapid eye movements, but ended up looking at the chanting crowd, all eyeing his every move. Even though he couldn''t see them, Yuuichi felt their attention on him. All throughout Japan, he was being watched. The pressure mounted on his shoulders, overwhelmingly so. He couldn''t focus at all.


    "Where''s Bentei?!" He wouldn''t miss the game for anything, yet over twenty minutes had passed and he wasn''t anywhere to be seen. He wanted to check on his brother, but couldn''t get off the court. "Down by twenty-seven points¡­" Yuuichi checked the scoreboard, a dizzy spell passing through his line of sight. A cold sweat ran down his back. "Bentei ¡­" Their defense was collapsing all over. The other freshmen on Yuuichi''s team were depending on him to guide them.


    "Bentei¡­  I need you bro!" Yuuichi thought to himself, feeling worthless and vulnerable without his brother. Things only got worse. He couldn''t win like this. Not with all the problems and crippling self-doubt that spread through his head like wildfire. The dizziness worsened; his breath became uneasy. His stomach constricted. He found himself matched up against a ferocious guard at the worst of times. Like a guppy in a sea of sharks, the other players behind this guard noticed Yuuichi''s fear evident on his face. The delicious smell of nervous sweat made them smile in glee as they showed off their terrifying expressions.


    All he heard from one of the approaching players was "Showtime." His hearing felt muffled, as if he were under water. The lighting above dimmed to a light blue, adding to this further. All of the players took off, leaving the point guard for Yuuichi to take on alone.


    A disadvantageous iso situation against a 6''8 merciless brute heading his way. The referee waved his hand to continue the game. The sound of the whistle blew in slow motion. The crowd''s shouts faded into the background, along with Katsuya''s voice demanding that Yuuichi retreat and switch out. Two of the other freshmen tried to break out and steal the ball in order to help Yuuichi, who they saw fall onto one of his knees.


    "ARRRGHHH!" However, their efforts were useless, as the guard took the two of them out, putting them out of commission right before Yuuichi''s very eyes. The guard caused their hamstrings to twist over as he breezed through. Yuuichi found that he couldn''t hear his own voice, though he yelled out for the others to fall back. He ran in to try and keep the guard back.


    Tanaka dribbled the ball behind his back, making it invisible to Yuuichi, and then rushed at Yuuichi as the sapphire basketball swirled out of his back hand and spiked over to one of his teammates. Tanaka''s left foot, sneakily slipped right behind Yuuichi''s right foot, tripping him over. Yuuichi barely caught a glimpse of the ball''s direction in that split second due to its blending with one of the opposing players nearby, whose jersey had sapphire elements too.


    Catching himself, Yuuichi tried to slide over in an attempt to stop him, willing his body to move out of rage, but realized that he had slid the wrong way as the second player lobbed the ball over to a third guy, who drove past Tanaka''s left side.


    In desperation, Yuuichi could only turn his head and see his two remaining teammates attempt to block the lane, but the player was already in the inner zone of Hirazawa''s defense. They both swatted, but missed. It all happened too fast for any of them to interject.


    The player that had gotten into the paint rose too high. His back stretched, making him momentarily grow from 6''5" to 7''1", as he pushed through the two, who were blown away. Instead of slamming it down like he could have done, the player came back down instead and threw the ball overhead, kicking it back to the middle of the three-point line, to the confusion of Hirazawa''s courtside bench.


    Seeing that moment, Yuuichi used his high jumping in an attempt to intercept the ball, but felt his balance tip off, as someone had shoved him back and double stepped behind the three-point line.


    That player caught the ball. To Yuuichi''s horror, the pair of hands that caught the ball belonged to none other than Tanaka. He was now wide-open with a clear view of the top of the hoop, being fourteen feet high.


    Panicking, Yuuichi kicked himself back up and forced himself forward as fast as possible. Yuuichi heard a voice scream that there were only seconds left. Twisting his head to the scoreboard, Yuuichi took off. There was no way he could let the guard make such a crucial shot! In a single bounce, Yuuichi jumped up and attempted to block the ball, but it had been released too fast. People rose from their seats as Yuuichi fell forward, tackling Tanaka in the process.


    Flares erupted in the night skies above, along with loud horns blaring along the court as chants continued. Time seemed to slow down. Yuuichi looked back as the ball sank through. Tanaka leaned in close, his shadow over Yuuichi. He whispered something into Yuuichi''s ear, followed by his maniacal laugh, which gave birth to an ugly reaction from Yuuichi.


    Everything flashed. The single moment that followed afterwards haunted Yuuichi for months to follow.


    "It''s my fault¡­ my fault, all my fault," Yuuichi mumbled dishearteningly, with a painful sigh. He brought his trembling hands up to his face. Though he wanted to cry, tears wouldn''t come out, only the audible pain in his grunts. Takumi observed the negative Retsu forming around Yuuichi.


    "I''ll show you what I''ve learned¡­ I''LL CRUSH YOU, FRESHIE!!!" Yuuichi''s eyes darted back to Takumi, who continued to dribble and returned the glare, blitzing straight for him. Yuuichi bolted for him just the same and they once more continued their duel. The two interchanged swipes as they maneuvered around each other.


    Takumi slid his hands low, side-to-side in a sweeping motion. He now knew what he had to do. "That''s why you''re playing such a trashy iso. I''ve seen toddlers with better coordination," Takumi mouthed, each word inaudible to the Yuuichi devoid of consciousness.


    "The path there¡­" Takumi rammed his head towards Yuuichi''s hip to create separation and spun to his right, only to sweep back to his left. "Has to be one you follow with your squad," Takumi thought to himself.


    Yuuichi monitored his footwork, keeping track of Takumi''s attempts to get him off balance. "NONE OF THAT WILL WORK THIS TIME!!!" Yuuichi slapped his thighs, completely locked in, briefly seeing Takumi''s movements resemble Tanaka''s. Yuuichi''s forearm swiped across his face, tossing away the tears that had managed to slip out. Some players who noticed that, bursted out in laughter while the crowd was loving the electrifying engagement between the two, only to shout in shock when Yuuichi slipped on a wet area of the court. Yuuichi gasped and watched as Takumi ran up to the paint.


    "HE''S BRINGING IT HOME FOR A GRAND SLAM!" screamed the announcer. Takumi lunged up like a cat springing for its catch. The illusion of Tanaka shattered at that moment as the gust of white Retsu particles blew back, refreshing Yuuichi. Rather than slam the ball down, Takumi shot the ball through, surprising both the announcer and spectators.


    "He got him good!" Ebisu shouted out loud. From the look on his face, Katsuya could see Ebisu was impressed. Kenneth added, "Ahh! Two points!"


    The ball was stripped from Yuuichi moments later, when he got possession and still refused to pass it to Bentei.


    Takumi frowned. "I have to snap this idiot out of it." Takumi sighed and then let out a low chuckle. "Who would have thought I''d be walking a mutt for my first game here¡­??


    Takumi set his eyes on Yuuichi''s hips and then on his right side. This caused Yuuichi to look over at his right side, making his prediction. "What''s he thinking now?!" Yuuichi shouted in his head.


    "I vow¡­" Takumi spoke through his lips, "To teach you TEAMWORK!"


    "Cross him up, FRESHIE!!!" "STEAL THAT ROCK, TOGATA! YOU CAN DO IT, DON''T LET UP!" People cheered both of them on from the sidelines. The match itself skyrocketed through different social outlets. From a small boy eating cereal while encountering the game, to an old woman with a group of baby girls all watching the game through a laptop placed on a tatami mat. All sorts of beings watched closely.


    Moving in, Yuuichi swiped his left hand down, attempting to swat the ball out of Takumi''s palm, but Takumi whipped the ball into his other hand and looked at Yuuichi''s right side again. Yuuichi guessed that Takumi was going for his right, so he was going to hop over but hesitated, causing Takumi to smile.


    Takumi twisted his hips over to his left in a full rotation and passed the ball between Yuuichi''s feet, catching it back before it went through. Everything froze in that decisive moment for a split second. Bentei''s eyes widened along with everyone else''s.


    "WHAT KIND OF SPIN MOVE WAS THAT?!?!" One of the onlookers dropped his jaw, nearly letting go of the yogurt he had in hand.


    Yuuichi''s arm remained raised up and Takumi slid right under it, making it seem as if he passed Yuuichi, but in actuality stopped abruptly five feet from Yuuichi''s right side. When Yuuichi tried to whip over to chase, Takumi ducked below Yuuichi''s arm again, doubling back with the ball after catching it in one palm. Yuuichi lost his balance when he whipped his arm over and tripped on his other foot. Takumi took that moment to make his shot again. The ball sank right through.


    "ANOTHER SET OF POINTS!!! THE FRESHMEN ARE HUNGRY THIS YEAR!!!" the announcer cried out, throwing his hand over his head.


    "Start relying on your brother¡­ you can''t guard me," Takumi scoffed, his eyes staring at Yuuichi''s shaken body.


    "At least, not now."


    Yuuichi slapped his palms against the court and whipped back up to face Takumi head on. He found that the same thing happened once again a moment later. Yuuichi was practically getting annihilated, refusing any help from his brother. Some adults shielded their children''s eyes, while other children attempted to climb the gates, with their parents pulling them off.


    "DON''T KID ME, I CAN TAKE YOU!!!" Yuuichi grit his teeth, refusing to give Takumi any more shots. This led to another faulty play as Yuuichi attempted to swipe the ball, when suddenly¡­


    "W-WHAT?!?" He searched in a crazed manner for the ball. It had been right there when he was going to swipe it.


    "Fine," is all Takumi muttered.


    "WHOA!!!!!" the crowd gasped, when Yuuichi was going to swipe the ball. Takumi flicked the ball back over his back using his right palm skillfully to tweak the ball''s movement. When Takumi pulled his right arm back, the purple basketball spun up above him and landed down right behind Yuuichi. It rapidly burned against the smooth surface of the ground and sprung up straight to where Yoshigawa was.


    "That''s my cue!" Yoshigawa chuckled and quickly broke away from Bentei, who initially didn''t even bother following, considering that Yuuichi wasn''t willing to work together yet.


    Yuuichi turned as Takumi passed him.


    "I''ll make you¡­" Bentei thought. Bentei had the choice of either going after Yoshigawa who was on the three-point line or to get in Takumi''s way. He wasn''t sure whether Yoshigawa could drain three pointers though. The pressure of having to choose weighed down on him and his choice had to be made in a second. He didn''t know which to pursue and glared over his shoulder in Yuuichi''s direction as if saying "HELP ME!!!"


    Making a drastic choice, Bentei turned over, and in two heavy steps, lunged at Yoshigawa, who smirked, seeing Bentei from the corner of his eye. "Wrong choice!" Yoshigawa said aloud.


    With Bentei coming at him, Yoshigawa tossed the ball high enough over Bentei. The giant tried to sprint up and catch it, but it had gone up to high and came back down into Takumi''s hands. At that moment, Takumi tossed it back to Yoshigawa, who scooted over. This forced Bentei to set his attention on Yoshigawa as he spiked the ball back to Takumi.


    Bentei took note of the coordination and instinctively charged after Takumi, who took two hop steps and rose up towards the basket. People sitting near the tables rose up with the rest of the crowd, expecting Takumi to finally make a dunk as he caught the ball. They all waited in  anticipation.


    Yuuichi only had time to call out, "BENTEI, BLOCK HIS ASSSS!!!" At his request, in two powerful sprints, Bentei applied pressure into the back of his calves and with sheer power propelled himself up towards Takumi, who was seemingly about to raise the ball, elevating his hand for what seemed to be a layup.


    "KID COULD HAVE DUNKED THAT!" Ebisu shouted, focused on the game, as his concern of Takumi not going for a dunk resonated with others who wondered the same thing.


    "Maybe he can''t yet," proposed Kenny, zeroing in his camera lens on Takumi''s ankles and calves.


    "NOT ON MY WAAAAATCH!!!" Bentei grunted as he whipped over with his hand high in the sky.


    He fell for the bait. A faint smile formed across Takumi''s face. Being able to either spin the ball up into the basket or come down for something more craftier, the choice was his to make at that moment. "Something flashy could be risky," the thought flowed through his head. Before he could make his choice, Takumi looked straight ahead and, to his surprise, caught sight of a starry-eyed Hanami on the other side of the gate, watching him from within the amassing crowd. Her eyes glimmered with curiosity and confusion, yet astonishment.


    "Hase¡­gawa?" Takumi said as she simultaneously said, "Ta¡­ kumi?"


    "How didn''t I notice¡­ until now?" the thought crossed his mind for that faint moment. "Better yet, why is she here?"


    Hanami looked on, amazed by what she saw. His athletic ability, the way he twisted over in midair while having so many people watching. It really impressed her, though not as much as the smile she had seen on him before. A contagious smile unlike any other. Like a sunny day turning into a rainy one, she watched it change into a frown upon Takumi seeing her. "There''s another side to that angry house cat," she thought, but that moment was short-lived because right behind Takumi, she saw something snaking its way higher. She turned her head to get a better look behind the fence, seeing the being towering over Takumi.


    Bentei''s spine momentarily elongated two feet more. His upper body rose higher as everyone watched in amazement at him using his testosterone ability. Much higher, something blocked the sun that had been shining on Takumi. Hanami saw that Bentei''s palm was blocking the sunlight like an eclipse.


    He was seemingly going to bring down his massive hand onto Takumi, scaring Hanami. The worried yell blurted out of her instantly. "WATCH OUT!" Her eyes closed shut, clenching tightly.


    Takumi pretended to raise the ball, prompting Bentei to flinch at this action rather than fully swipe his palm down. That''s when Takumi brought the ball back down, landing down first. It happened so smoothly. Hanami let out a gasp and tightened her fist. She set her fist up against her chest and looked away flinching, thinking he''d be hit.


    "OHHH NOOOO!!!" Three basketballers beside Ebisu stood up, raising their hands up to their heads, expecting Bentei to slap him into oblivion. Katsuya excitedly sprung up from the table he sat on. The chip he was going to eat fell down.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Takumi''s purple irises expanded as he turned his head. Bentei''s shadow crept over him growing larger as he came down towards Takumi with crazed eyes that expressed the passion of a defender who refused to give up any more points. The motion of Bentei''s hand coming down created a whipping gust that blew through the gates, creating ripples along Hanami''s dress and the clothes of the others behind her.


    Takumi turned his head back in Hanami''s direction as she managed to peek with one eye.


    "GRAAAAHHHHH!!!" Bentei swiped his hand down like a speeding tennis racket would when swatting at a ball, except¡­ Takumi met the giant''s hand straight on with his own right hand! A thunderous clap echoed upon contact.


    "A¡­ A HIGH FIVE?!" others yelled in surprise, watching the replay where Takumi twirled sideways and met Bentei''s palm with what looked to be a high five. A number of people wondered how Takumi''s wrist didn''t get shattered. They compared his to Bentei''s as Takumi twirled down to the ground landing on the tip of his right shoe.


    "I MISSED?!" Bentei thought aloud in disbelief as Takumi came down first. Loosening his firm grip on the ball, Takumi swung the ball over after he landed, spinning on one shoe.


    The ball spiked against the pavement, bouncing up towards Yoshigawa who was stationed at the right three-point corner. Clapping his hands together, Yoshigawa quickly caught the ball, setting his attention on the basket. The attention went straight over to Yoshigawa as Takumi knelt over like a sprinter.


    Takumi briefly smirked, glancing over to Hanami. He found her reaction amusing, having heard her gasp amongst all of the chatter. "What a scaredy-cat," he muttered her way as a single sweat drop trickled down his chin and was carried off by the breeze that blew past him. A pinkish blush spread across her cheeks. Completely embarrassed that she had flinched, she turned away, covering her face and then turned back to the court. She couldn''t help it. She felt an attraction at that moment. Her heart throbbed irregularly, to the point that she had to raise her hand up to her chest in an attempt to calm down.


    Since Takumi was kneeling forward, Bentei believed he was going to run towards Yoshigawa, so he tried to run between the two, but Takumi shocked him again. The freshman lunged backwards and changed his direction, headed for the left corner. Yoshigawa was on the far right headed for the basket and Takumi headed to the far left.


    "These guys," Bentei growled softly, taking in their teamwork while thinking of how to react. That growl turned into a low chuckle as he looked over his shoulder to his brother with a sense of hopelessness in his marine eyes. "I hope you''re taking notes, Yuu. I hope this wakes you up," he thought to himself. He couldn''t possibly take on both freshmen alone. Zoning back into the current dilemma, Bentei focused on making a choice again. He could either pursue Takumi, who had dashed away to the left corner of the court, or he could run towards Yoshigawa, who was already heading straight for him.


    "I''ll put my money on that salamander taking me on!" he resolved, blowing fumes out of his nose as his irises disappeared.


    Yuuichi remained frozen, still observing the way the freshmen were playing and seeing his brother struggling. It was just like before. "I can''t let him down again¡­  I CAN''T!"


    Yoshigawa doubled up towards the inner box. Just as Bentei met Yoshigawa, thinking Yoshigawa would attempt a dunk, he tossed it back to Takumi, who was waiting at the left flank. Seeing it, Takumi caught it with a single inhale as his bangs swayed back. He dribbled the ball twice with his left hand, proceeding to pass it between his knees as he prepared to knock down a three.


    Takumi then paused. "NOT AGAIN!!!" To his shock, Yuuichi intercepted Yoshigawa, giving Bentei the chance to go after Takumi. Bentei''s knees buckled as he strengthened his balance and pushed his chest out towards Takumi.


    "NOT HAPPENING!!!" Bentei charged, causing faint vibrations to spread along the ground. He went for Takumi like a raging bull, releasing fumes of white Retsu out of his nose.


    "I CAN''T REACH HIM AT THIS RANGE!" Bentei attempted to extend his arm out as far as he could to block, but it was all pointless. Takumi''s soft, orange hair swayed back and forth, fluttering around when he jumped up with the ball in his left hand. His shooting form aligned as he blew out the air that had been stored in his lungs and released the ball with his left hand, flicking his wrist.


    Bentei only managed to barely graze the bottom of the Hirazawa basketball as it easily rolled right past the tip of his index fingers, rotating rapidly in the air. Takumi then made a gun sign with his left hand, as all eyes looked on. With a "SWOOSH," the ball went through the hoop.


    Takumi glared at the back of Bentei''s head, still maintaining a gun sign, and aimed the two fingers at Bentei. He pretended to pull an imaginary trigger, making it seem like he shot Bentei as the ball continued to bounce towards the back gate, rattling the gate upon impact.


    "Bang¡­" he muttered.


    Bentei''s irises expanded. He looked on in utter disbelief. The ball bounced a few times as some of the players on the side lines went ballistic after witnessing what just happened. Everyone jumped out of their seats in amazement.


    "THE FRESHMAN PUT UP THE SHOT AND IT HIT ITS MARK!"


    Hanami found herself bumping her fist up along with three children at her side. "Yeah!!! Ta-agh," she abruptly stopped herself upon realizing she almost cheered for Takumi, and quickly lowered her hand in embarrassment.


    Yuuichi''s mouth opened wide in shock. Bentei had gone through such a degrading moment, "And it''s my fault." He raised his fist and hit himself over the forehead. "Two missed blocks. If I hadn''t frozen, we''d have stolen that ball. F**k me!" The moment became worse when Yuuichi heard Yoshigawa celebrating.


    "YEAHHH!!! YOU SHOWED HIM THE SPICE! WE''RE COOKIN'' FOR SURE." Yoshigawa clapped, completely hyped to the annoyance of ballers on the sideline.


    "Bruh, has he even made any shots himself? He''s chatting way too much. Let me in the game. I could season that freshman." "I think Togata''s letting the freshmen win, he plays nothing like that." "This has to be a joke!!" "It is April, you know!" "Overhyped trash." Plenty of opinions were formulated throughout the cheers erupting from the onlookers. High school attendees shook the gates in excitement. Another round of flashes of lights flickered from people taking pictures and recording what had just occurred, and some uploaded it to Stagfam.


    Takumi smirked, shaking his head. He walked towards the center of the court where Yoshigawa gave him a fist bump on their way back. All of the emotions coming out from all the humans continued to build up above them, but Takumi still wasn''t aware of what was approaching. From the crowd, thousands of white particles twinkled, coming together to form a thick sheet of white, resembling a blizzard. It all kept accumulating over the court, invisible to the humans, although slightly vibrating the gates while passing through.


    It washed across the entire court, headed straight for Takumi, who turned his head sideways, as his fangs grew past his lips. That''s when he clearly saw all of the Retsu accumulating and the grave predicament he faced. Being overwhelmed by Retsu meant that his Setsu side would go out of control right in front of dozens of humans, most with their phones all aimed at the court, at him in particular. Not only that, but he felt an uneasy sensation, as if something were creeping right behind him which made him whip over. At the corner of his eye, he saw something monstrous for a split second speed by, masked within the growing blizzardy fog. A thick, white fog spilled all across the long stretched court. None of the humans were visible now. Only black space and an amassing blizzard.


    "What''s going on? It can''t be¡­  a Gando zone?!" Takumi growled, feeling his fangs grow longer. Yoshigawa saw the silhouette of what seemed to be a beast hidden inside of the thick fog. "Yo, Tai!" He called out. Takumi reached up and slapped his palm against one of his eyes, feeling an intense headache pang against his temples.


    Yuuichi and Bentei both froze, terrified at what they saw headed Takumi''s way. Slanky paws dripped on the ground, releasing steam that pooled into the fog around it, creating an apparition of what could only be described as a saber-toothed liger. Takumi took in a few breaths and then looked up ahead. There it stood.


    A beast with elongated, protruding fangs resembling a massive liger made up of what seemed to be raging purple flames. Particles formed the outline of its bulky body. A darker flame made up its swirling mane, surging down its front legs. It was on all fours. Hunching over, it rushed towards Takumi in the blink of an eye. He could only lift his arms up in the form of an X and meet the gaze of the thing that stared down at him.


    However, the purple flames blew by him without hurting him. After ten seconds of silence, Takumi noted that the particles of Retsu were gradually disappearing, as people were being yanked away from the gates and into the chaos that was happening past the gates; he turned his sight back to the liger only for it to tilt its head up and give an empowering roar as a bright flash forced Takumi, Yoshigawa, Yuuichi, and Bentei to turn their heads away. The roar shook the blizzard strongly around Takumi. It came in close like a tornado and then just as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished. Takumi''s bangs fluttered, slowly stopping against his cheeks.


    "Ack!" Yuuichi fell over, but was caught by his brother.


    "What was that all about?" he mumbled as his attention was brought back to the sound of  Yuuichi yelling. Takumi blinked and gained control of himself again. The court was like it had been before. The sun shined down on them, with the shade of a passing cloud spreading over them.


    "RAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!" Yuuichi ran towards Takumi, having completely blacked out into a rage. Bentei slid in, bear-hugging his short brother from behind. "WHAT''S THE BIG IDEA?! WHAT WERE YOU TRYING  TO PULL, BRINGING THAT NIE OUT?!"


    "Yuu, get a hold of yourself!!!"


    "NAH! This guy tried bringing out a NIE!!! HE COULD GET US IN TROUBLE!"


    "A what?" Yoshigawa went over, stopping beside Takumi.


    "How do you not know?! You''re both ROYALS!!! THERE''S NO TELLING WHAT''D HAPPEN TO US IF THAT WOULD HAVE MANIFESTED COMPLETELY FOR ALL TO SEE! THERE WERE PEOPLE RECORDING!"


    "I was jokin'', calm down. He didn''t know the Nie would appear over some basketball," Yoshigawa attempted to calm Yuuichi.


    Yuuichi''s barking progressively annoyed Takumi until he raised his hand up and gave Yuuichi a middle finger. The cheering from some of the crowd that had remained continued to die down.


    "Shut up. Who says I''m the one who brought that thing out?"


    "It went after you!"


    "I have a lot of things coming after me everyday¡­  what''s your point?"


    "You can''t play if you can''t even control yourself, that''s the point."


    Takumi stared at Yuuichi clear-eyed, and maintained his middle finger raised towards his direction the entire time. He brought up a second middle finger. "I don''t know what you''re talking about, but I''m not ever going to take anyone''s crap. I''m going to become the best basketball player of my era, regardless of what you or anyone else might say." Yuuichi observed him silently while listening. He was taken aback by what Takumi had said, as was Bentei.


    April marked spring, the season of promise. Unlike years back, this April was different. A painful memory briefly crossed Takumi''s mind of that time years ago, drowning his hearing as the heavy droplets of that day filled his ears. He could feel his wet clothes pressed against his skin as rain soaked him from head to toe. The agonizing feeling of sitting in the rain all alone coupled with the reality that no one was coming, ate away at him. He didn''t want to continue with a life of strife and solitude. He wanted to live a new ordinary life. One that he decided to create himself, since no one else would.


    "Listen closely. I vow to reach that final stage, one game at a time. This first finger is for anyone who tries getting in my way." Takumi swiped his right arm down, only maintaining his left middle finger up, aligned with Yuuichi. "This second one, is for those that doubt me and quickly find themselves beneath me in their own sh*t."


    Yoshigawa proudly stood behind his pal and jumped on him as Yuuichi shut his eyes after folding his arms. A low laugh soon turned into a fit of laughter from Yuuichi. "That''s some real fire, I can''t put out. No way I can stop you with that enthusiasm. I guess I''ll need to change¡­ considering I lost to a freshman. Then, I vow to change for my team. I''ll work hard to improve alongside them." Yuuichi flicked away a tear that formed along his eyelid.


    "Ah, damn it. My eyes are drying up, what''s with the breeze around here?"


    "Stop lying! You''re close to crying!" Yoshigawa pointed out, causing them to laugh.


    "W-What was that just now?" Hanami asked herself under her breath. Then, she snapped out of her thoughts, hearing one fellow nearby laughing at Takumi still holding up a middle finger. Another man told his daughter to not look over at the court due to this, commenting, "I wasn''t expecting that here of all places. That''s a no-no honey, put your finger down, you don''t do that." The father attempted to get his small daughter to lower her small swaying middle finger she lifted up to a different child.


    From the crowd, Hanami saw this go down, completely horrified by the behavior Takumi displayed. "HEY!!! YOU DON''T SHOW A CHILD THE MIDDLE FINGER! BAD BEHAVIOR, ANIMAL!" She screamed and started squeezing through the crowd, snapping out of the admiration she had had for him a moment ago.


    "That''s right! How could I have forgotten? I came here to stop that freak show, not encourage him," Hanami whined, staring at the time watch in the sky. "I''m so lousy. I have to get him to the auditorium, not watch him!"


    She watched Takumi maintain his finger aimed at Yuuichi, which only made her fight through the crowd harder. "HEY! PUT THAT FINGER DOWN!" Hanami squirmed back to the front of the fence. She slapped her cheeks twice and pointed her finger through the fence. "DON''T MOVE!!! STAY RIGHT THERE, JERK!!!"


    Her voice echoed through and Takumi picked up on the annoyingly high pitch. He plugged one of his fingers into his ear. "Hm?" Takumi glanced around, but didn''t see her in the crowd where she had been. He felt a headache coming on once more. "Damn it, that squirt''s here to get in my way."


    From within the crowd, Hanami made a beeline towards him as people complained all around her due to all the shoving that suddenly started when a blaring voice commanded that everyone had to return to the auditorium.


    "Out of my way!" Hanami yelled, clawing her way onto the shoulder of a big, fat fellow. She nearly lost balance but went on to jump off his shoulder and onto the shoulder of another guy. She did this swiftly until she swooped down, telling those whose attention she had to "STEP  AWAY!!!" With a swipe of her elbow, she directed her attention to four basketball players who had been keeping people from going into the court area.


    "Whoa, girly. No one is getting through. Turn away with the rest of them folks!" One of the basketball players approached her to gently push her away, but when he set his hand on her shoulder, Hanami quickly grabbed his wrist, tugged it over behind his back and kicked him into the crowd that started raging again with the intention of getting signatures from the guys on the court. "Sorry!" she shouted. As the crowd tried to stampede their way through, the other three basketball players blocked the way, but she managed to squirm between them and get into the court.


    Meanwhile, all the way in the back, a hovering truck stopped on the road. Along the car''s side, letters read "Day Patrol." They''d arrived to break up the mob. People from the front stepped away when the sound from the loudspeaker reached them. "We repeat! The ceremony will commence in fifteen minutes. Report to the auditorium. Those who aren''t part of the ceremony, enjoy the rest of the festivities. This area is now closed."


    The other sounds on the court died down. Only Hanami''s voice was left. "TAAAAKUUMIIII HACHI!!!" Her resounding voice nearly made Takumi''s ear bleed, as Yoshigawa was startled by the sudden loud sound and pressed his hands up against his ears in agony.


    "The heck is that?! YOOOOO!" Yoshigawa spoke up and looked past Takumi''s shoulder. There she stood. A girl with her sleeves rolled up looking like she was about to commit a murder. Yoshigawa watched Hanami raise her elbows as she hopped momentarily in place.


    "Dude¡­ one of the fans got through, and she looks batsh*t crazy!"


    "I''m not a fan, dill weed! I''m taking you down!" Hanami shouted at Yoshigawa, who ducked behind Takumi right away.


    "Nice to meet ya, taking you down!" Yoshigawa responded back, whispering to Takumi "She has a weird name to match. What''ll you do, Tai? Oh!"


    Unable to really register what she had been rambling about at such a high pace, Yoshigawa initially thought she was heading over to talk to him. "Okay, okay! If you have a marker, I''ll sign. But chill, Ms. taking you down!" Yoshigawa yelled at her, poking his head behind Takumi''s shoulder.


    "My name is not taking you down!" She flailed her arms around.


    Yoshigawa completely ignored what she had said. He slapped his hands together and said, "Hand it over. I''ve got you, I love my fans, regardless of whether they have weird names or not!" He walked by Takumi, and approached Hanami, only to scream a second later. "AGGH!" She shoved her palm up against his face and flung him aside, after digging her fingers into his mouth. Yoshigawa tripped over, landing face-first against the court, and groaned as he turned around and saw the girl jump in a single step over Takumi.


    Hanami brought down her elbow straight onto Takumi''s head, expecting to knock him down. The full force landed, but Takumi remained in place, unfazed by the direct hit to the top of his head. All it did was piss him off more. She observed him with a frown, suspended in the air for a few seconds, only for Takumi to swipe his hand up. He caught her arm and yanked her back down to the floor where she tussled, giving him a number of ineffective kicks to the shin. Seeing as that didn''t work, Hanami then tried using her elbow to hit him, which he prevented by keeping his hands on her upper forearms. She twisted her arms until he let her go and came at him again.


    "Chill out, damn squirt¡­ we''re in public." Takumi maneuvered around her attacks until he caught her knee, causing her to hop at the same time that he slid his hands firmly to her ankle and elevated her up roughly from there. There was no stopping her regardless; she reprimanded him to no end, despite his effort in covering her mouth as she held onto his shoulders.


    "MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY! THAT DIDN''T STOP YOU FROM GIVING THAT BOY OVER THERE THE MIDDLE FINGER, IN FRONT OF CHILDREN, YOU BRUTE!!! WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO?!?! USE YOUR BRAIN!!! YOU CAN''T DO THAT."


    Takumi sighed, not looking her way. "You''re as annoying as him, I might as well give you one, too," he spoke his mind, leading her to lean in and bite his shoulder. Takumi in turn flailed around in an attempt to get her off. "She¡­ she bit me! Shima, get this thing off me!" Takumi tried getting her off, tugging on her shoulder, but Hanami pounced on his back and coiled her legs around him tightly, refusing to let go.


    Meanwhile, Yoshigawa rolled around on the ground. He''d never seen Takumi in such a situation before. "Just who is this girl?! She''s hilarious!" Yoshigawa clenched his stomach, leaning upright.


    "Thanks for helping me out, old pal!" Takumi yelled to Yoshigawa.


    "I have to save this for the other guys to see! HANG ON! Luu''s gonna love this!" Yoshigawa reached into his pocket and brought his phone out to record. "Guys! Watch this chick go! We have a crazy fan this year that finally got Takumi!" He angled it at Hanami squirming to get free from Takumi''s sudden headlock.


    "I''ll strangle you to death for that!" he threatened the girl, who in turn reached to give him a purple nurple. The action itself caused Takumi to let her go as he swatted her hand away and took off, running around the court with her following close behind.


    "You''re coming with me, right now. There''s no escape, Takumi! Stop making this harder on me!" she spouted.


    "Guys look at what I''m seeing right now, you  can''t say I''m making it up! Tai''s gettin'' handled by a girl that isn''t Miyumi!" Yoshigawa moved the camera around, keeping track of them.


    "Woaahhh, where''d you get the pretty little lady, Tai? She''s dying to get her hands on you! BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Yoshigawa tried to wipe away a tear. "You didn''t tell me you got a girlfriend!!! And I didn''t know you were into freaky stuff! Rawr!" Yoshigawa teased.


    Hearing Yoshigawa forced Takumi to stop. "Cut the crap!" Right at that moment, Hanami jumped onto his back, locking her arms around his neck. Yoshigawa felt the death glare from behind the camera. "I''ll strangle you if you continue entertaining this instead of helping me, Shima."


    "WOAHHH, PAUSE! A three way?! Nah, I''d only do those with-?? Yoshigawa laughed as Takumi shook his head, pushing his hand up against Hanami''s shoulder pointlessly. Takumi''s attention was solely on Yoshigawa, and he didn''t do anything other than give him a glare, slowly moving towards him as he cracked his knuckles.


    A sweat drop ran down Yoshigawa''s head as he laughed and shook his head with a bit of fear. "O-Okay, I''m only messing around! I''ve gotcha! Coming to help!" Yoshigawa took a few steps, but then stopped as Hanami shouted at him. "YOU STAY BACK! THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU!"


    "No, Shima. Come over here and pry this b*tch off me," Takumi responded right behind Hanami.


    "HE IS NOT! You''re coming with me, and he''s staying over there!" she shouted in Takumi''s ear. "AND DON''T YOU CALL ME THAT!"


    "Don''t listen to her. She won''t do anything to you, her threats are empty."


    "OH YES I WILL! TRY ME! YOU WANT TO BE A SPLATTERED ORANGE?!" Hanami shouted at Yoshigawa, looking at his hair.


    "I''d rather not¡­" Yoshigawa laughed uneasily, patting the top of his head. Rather than get into their scuffle, Yoshigawa raised his hands and stepped away cautiously. "Honest conflict is better than dishonest harmony, you know. I''ll let you lovers work things out."


    "Shima¡­" Takumi growled in his head as he frowned. Frustrated, Hanami subconsciously clamped down on Takumi''s ear, leading Takumi to wince. Everyone still on the court was confused as they stared in silence. Takumi''s eyes were wide as he too stayed still and the silent atmosphere made Hanami realize what she was doing. As she noticed what she did, she jumped off Takumi''s back, embarrassed. "AGH! TWWT." She spit at the ground. "See what you made me do! Gross!"


    "I should say that about your disgusting slobber¡­ I guess you really are a dog." Takumi stared at her, flabbergasted. He used the ridge of his jersey to clean it off.  Taking a single breath, Takumi told himself to be patient. He turned his attention back to his fiancee spitting at the ground, hands on her knees. "Maybe if I reason with her, she''ll give me time to get that info from Yuuichi."


    Deciding to gamble, he did so. Takumi found himself knelt beside her. "Listen¡­  that guy is older than us, and he was barking up my tree the whole game. I had to do it to prove a point, but I shouldn''t have to explain that to you anyway. Just to clear your ignorance¡­ anyway, I''ll go with you if-"


    He was silenced by the girl''s attempt to raise her hand up to slap him, but he caught her hand and yanked it down again, applying slight pressure to her wrist. The pressure made her faintly flinch for a second.


    "A point?! Ignorant? What you did is still ethically wrong!" she spouted.


    "Try simmering down that inflated head of yours, do me a fa-"


    "I''ll have you know, my head has a really intelligent brain, unlike yours, jerk! You could have done whatever you were intending to do without using a middle fing-" She suddenly stopped and blinked three times, before tilting her head. "Did you say, he''s older than us?"


    "Mhm." They both looked over to Yuuichi, who was being manhandled by two taller guys who had their backs turned to them.


    "Well¡­" Hanami brought her attention back to Takumi and swung her finger up against his nose. "It was still wrong to do that, ya know!"


    "Okay, chill out." Takumi stared over to the eyes that were glued onto the two of them. "There''s also another issue¡­ we''re being watched," he told himself.


    "How can I calm down with the way you act? We aren''t getting through any of this with the way you are and it''s barely been a day," the girl continued whining.


    Takumi sighed, with no other alternative. "Wouldn''t you prefer to be in my arms, as opposed to having me hold you down like this?" He leaned in, tickling her ear with a whisper, making Hanami blush.


    "Ay, not so close creep!" She pushed her hands against his chest, noticing Takumi was staring elsewhere as he slightly lifted her up when he stood.


    "You should really get out of here." Takumi sighed and pointed over to the gates, making her look over to the girls glaring at her.


    Sweat dropped down along the side of her face. "I don''t care who sees us! We''re leaving immediately, don''t make this worse." Hanami reached for Takumi''s wrist.


    He placed his hand over her small hand firmly. "I have to find out about the captain or else this would have all been for nothing. Give me sometime. Even two minutes-"


    "Sorry, but we can''t, we have to go!" She continued to yank at his wrist, prompting Takumi to let go of her hand and grab her wrist, plastering her small hand against her forehead while his other hand kept her head in place. The move confused her as he was trying to get her away. Suddenly, a familiar and displeasing scent passed through with the arrival of a strong gust.


    His attention went over to the entrance gate. The girls who had been standing were moved by Day Patrol members that went over. Only one being stood near the front gate, passing right by the remaining ballers, who excused themselves. From his peripheral vision, Takumi checked out the grey suit and casual shoes the individual wore, which was the source of the scent. Those shoes were polished with a shoe polish that he recognized all too well. One that stung his nose, a strong dark chocolate stench.


    "Of course she would send that mutt¡­" Takumi grumbled.

 Chapter 11

    "I advise you to get your hands off Hanami¡­ Tachi," June warned in an intimidating tone.


    "Tachi?" Hanami repeated in a low giggle that earned her a scowl from Takumi. June all the while hummed, nearing towards them.


    "I''ve come to escort you to Lady Miyumi. The ceremony is starting." Both Takumi and Hanami directed their attention over to June. "And she''s not your girlfriend, let her go."


    Hanami blinked, surprised at what June said. She then glanced at Takumi''s arm, coiled around her waist. "Hey, watch the arm," she said quietly with a blush, as Takumi pulled her in closer.


    "Don''t call me Tachi, mophead. I do what I want," Takumi spat back.


    The comeback itself pissed June off, but he maintained a fake smile, approaching them in casual steps. Takumi noticed the batons that June didn''t bother to conceal flailing around, visibly hung out of the belt pouches. A murderous vibe emanated from him.


    Seeing as it was only June, Hanami sighed in relief¡­ until she was yanked out of Takumi''s hold abruptly. June had pulled her away from Takumi and into his own arms.


    "Be gentle!" she shouted at him, gently slapping his hand. "Why are you grabbing me so hard?!"


    "Sorry for being late, Hana."


    "It''s okay, I did sort of run off¡­" She rubbed her index finger along her cheek and admitted it was her fault for rushing off.


    June shook his head, maintaining his smile before setting his attention on Takumi. Hanami did the same. She couldn''t help but wonder what was with the intense vibe she got between the two. Strangers don''t randomly glare at each other with such intensity. "You two like each other or something?"


    Her question was answered by the both of them simultaneously saying " Hell no."


    "Eh¡­" She turned her head back and forth and picked up on Takumi glaring at the arm June had around her. Being in June''s arms in Takumi''s presence made her feel uncomfortable. She didn''t want Takumi to get the wrong idea, but¡­


    "Is she your girlfriend from Hokkaido?" Takumi asked.


    "N-No, she''s not. Why?" June stuttered, regaining some confidence a second later. "Are you jealous?"


    "Nah. I asked because it''d suck to be you, since she''s my property."


    "No she''s not."


    Takumi couldn''t help but laugh in an evil tone that surprised Hanami. "So obvious¡­"


    "These two know each other?" Hanami took in their exchange while gently tugging June''s arm away. "Uh, Takumi¡­"


    "I know who he is," Takumi responded back as she quickly got quiet. "June Hasegawa," he muttered, drawing out a silent moment.


    "Step away from my property," Takumi spoke up with a warning directed at June. Authority ruled in his outward voice, but in his head, he sighed, wondering why he didn''t want June so close to her. His Setsu side was getting the better of him. "My property?" he muttered in his head, finding it unfathomable that that actually came out of his own mouth.


    "Your property?!" Hanami''s jaw dropped as she felt June wrap his arm around her again, this time tighter than before.


    June whipped his baton up in front of himself. "As I said, she''s not-"


    Takumi closed his eyes, sliding his hands into his pockets.


    "What are you smiling at?" June questioned.


    The smile was followed by Takumi laughing faintly. "You''re such a beta¡­ gettin'' worked up over a taken meal," Takumi mouthed, turning his face away with a faint smirk.


    "Hey! I''m right here you know!!! And I''m not owned by you, so don''t call me that," Hanami shouted, but was ignored by the two.


    At that moment, June remembered what Miyumi had told him about Hanami''s situation and the reason she was brought to live in Osaka. "Wait¡­  I forgot." June frowned, thinking in his head. "By the Tensei''s decree¡­ she''s under his courtship," June sighed internally.


    "Come on now, be a good boy and let go of my toy," Takumi bluntly added.


    "Enough!" Both June and Hanami yelled out, as the latter pushed June''s arm away and bolted towards Takumi. Before she could act impulsively, the voice in her head got her to stop in time to push June back from helping her pummel Takumi.


    "No! I''m here to solve a problem, not make it worse. Relax, me," she told herself while keeping June from moving towards Takumi after noticing June had raised his batons.


    "We''re on campus. I''m part of the Day Patrol and he''s disobeying a director order from the principal herself," June said aloud, rationalizing his desire to attack the freshman. "Hana, step aside," June spoke in a deeper tone than usual.


    She caught sight of Takumi slipping one of his hands out of his pocket. Takumi''s arm shifted to crystallic black, mixing with his once white claws, that turned into black claws and steadily elongated. "What''s that?!" she internally freaked out and tried tugging June back as Takumi gave a low chuckle.


    "I won''t say it again¡­ she''s not your property," June repeated himself, making more of an effort to get by Hanami.


    "June-pyo¡­ take a breather, I''ve got this handled. He''s only playing around," she tried telling June, but he wasn''t having any of that.


    "She''s my entertainment, a plaything you can''t have."


    "Take that back!!!"


    "That''s enough, Takumi!" Hanami screamed. "He''s trolling!" Hanami patted June''s chest, trying to get to him, to no avail. Both Takumi and June continued their argument until she blew up, unable to take the back and forth. "STOP IT!" her shout got their attention.


    They both shut up, feeling her intensity rise higher than ever before. Takumi''s arm revered to normal, as he noticed he subconsciously allowed his arm to shift back. Takumi looked at their surroundings, relieved to find there weren''t any humans around.


    With one strong shove, Hanami whipped around and ran at Takumi again. "I''m bringing you in to Miyumi without any further delay!"


    "Not this again," Takumi grumbled, in search of Yoshigawa, who was preoccupied checking out the video that he recorded. He could only watch Yoshigawa''s cheesy smile in discontent.


    Yoshigawa felt this strong stare and looked over to the three. He shared the video file to three contacts on his phone and quickly closed the app. "Hey, it''s the golden dude! Been sometime! We''re all here in Hirazawa now! Isn''t thaaat something?!" Yoshigawa tried to banter.


    Takumi turned away, avoiding Hanami''s first attempt at grabbing the front of his jersey. He ran up to Yoshigawa and gripped his shoulder tightly with one hand as he quickly whispered, "I was distracting them this whole time and you did nothing¡­ get that key and find the captain! I''ll distract her some more." Takumi pretended to run past Yoshigawa''s left, but spun over to the right, fooling the girl into running up against Yoshigawa.


    "Woah, where ya going?" Yoshigawa teased, getting in her way every time she tried to go left or right.


    "Move it!"


    "No, no, nope! Gotta be faster, babe!"


    The struggle went on until Hanami managed to push Yoshigawa aside and jumped onto Takumi in a ferocious lunge that he couldn''t escape. Swooping right onto his back, she got him into a constricting headlock once again, this time, using all her weight to try and pull back. Like an anaconda, she took it a step further to get him constrained, by wrapping her legs around his hip and tussled with him as he brought his palm up to her face in an attempt to get her off. They struggled with each other, and Takumi pinched her thigh, but she still wouldn''t let go.


    "Shima!" Takumi spoke up in a growl, failing to shake her off.


    "You got it! Remember, patience is a virtue; last as long as you can!" Yoshigawa shouted to his friend and went off to Bentei, who was talking behind two others that were still hustling Yuuichi away.


    "Great, now I have to take care of the mutt¡­" Takumi stopped struggling with his fiancee and took in June''s appearance. He figured that if he set June''s attention to him, Yoshigawa would go unnoticed. Of course, this worked, since June was laser-focused on Takumi.


    A few of the basketball players that returned to retrieve their jackets from a nearby table instigated and mimicked what Takumi called June. It made June feel embarrassed, seeing as Hanami was present in the middle of the skirmish.


    To Hanami, it was clear things wouldn''t be easy. Takumi wasn''t about to let his sister get in his way. Seeing the silver badge on June''s forearm agitated the young Setsu above everything else. He wasn''t going to let June get in his way of his plans. Thinking back to the several times Miyumi kept tabs on him and messed with him, Takumi only grew more upset. From locking him in a ship for thirty days to no specific destination, to trapping him in a pool filled with basketball-shaped man-eating tadpoles; she had messed with him far too much.


    It was a reminder of his imprisonment. "I''m still a valuable tool that has to be monitored by this cursed family, huh?" he grumbled to himself. Now he had another headache to deal with. His attention went over to Hanami, who let go and moved in front of Takumi to prevent him from going at June and vice versa.


    "Takumi, stop calling him that!" she snapped at him, sliding off and running to the center, lifting her hands up, one at Takumi and one at June.


    "June-pyo, I''ll handle this. Why don''t you go take care of the-" Before she could finish her sentence, June cut in.


    "I won''t be insulted by you any longer!"


    June had his own uncomfortable memories of Takumi messing with him. That day spent sedentary until he was told to pick out a tarp from a closet on the seventh floor, June found himself knelt down, rummaging through one  of the boxes when Takumi passed through the hall. Hands in his pockets, Takumi spotted June. He made sure no one was coming from both ends of the hallway and proceeded to kick June''s rump, causing the latter to tumble over the box. Takumi slammed the door right after and continued on his walk with a whistle while June struck the door, calling for someone to open it. He could only wonder why anyone would do something so mean. It wasn''t until hours later that he was found and ended up being scolded by Miyumi, who reviewed footage and then punished Takumi for having been rude to June. Still, June had gotten punished without him having done anything wrong. June rubbed his behind, recollecting the spanks he received from Miyumi even though he hadn''t done anything wrong. She told him that he should have been more alert so that Takumi wouldn''t have caught him off guard. To that, she resumed the degrading spankings.


    "You owe me a nice battering!" June spouted.


    "Come and give it to me then." Takumi turned over with a serious expression that screamed danger to Hanami, who found June tugged her away from Takumi again.


    "Again!?" Takumi thought, having seen June walk up and pull Hanami into his arms. Although he wasn''t about to outwardly admit it, seeing her in June''s arms made him feel disrespected. "Not jealous¡­" he assured himself. He took in June''s blush. "What a f*ckin'' weirdo. If only she''d look up¡­" Takumi squinted his eyes, seeing June''s googly eyes enlarge with her being so close.


    With the flash of sunlight shining from the horizon, they both found themselves transfixed in the memory of their previous encounters.


    June recalled a particular night, a few months after he became Miyumi''s watchdog. The large doors once barricaded with boxes of furniture were now wide open. He distinctively first remembered that as he found himself at a Royal ball hosted by Miyumi. Being her watchdog meant he had to work all night until her departure. He went around serving the guests, carrying trays of glass that were filled up with the finest of drinks imported from Italy and Spain.


    All seemed great for most of the evening. He had no problem until he crossed paths with Takumi. Up until that point, he had only met his master''s political party, mother and father, and a number of others from the Hachi house except her siblings.


    That is, until he got the scary sense he was being watched by someone. When he turned in search, those eyes stayed glued right on him, unfazed. His eyes weren''t like any of the other attendees. Wide and menacing, they were a dark purple with slits in them that resembled a liger''s, indicating that he was of the Hachi domain.


    The eyes that were across the room seemed scornful. They had hatred in them. "What did I do? Is that directed at me? Maybe I look funny in this get-up?" June questioned himself, turning his head around the room and checking himself out in reassurance. "It''s probably him¡­" June guessed, noticing an odd fellow in a goose suit breakdancing in a weird fashion just a few feet ahead of him. "Someone should really tell him he''s had too many drinks," June said in his head and walked over to the tray table, where he set down the drinks that he had in hand. When he looked back to where Takumi had been, he noticed he wasn''t on the crates anymore.


    June felt unease by this, but tried to brush it off and turned around, only for his face to run into the chest of another fellow watchdog serving that night too. Before he fell back, she grasped his shoulder and apologized, combing the top of his curly puffy hair. He rubbed his face and looked up, only to see that it was "Nami?"


    "Sorry, I should have seen where I was going!"


    "No problem! By the way, mind giving this to Miyumi''s younger brother?" She asked, holding out a letter.


    "Huh? Sure." June looked at the letter before taking it. "Oh yeah, I gotta return that ''lucky porcupine'' doll," he recalled.


    "Excuse me?" Nami questioned, but June brushed it off and asked, "What does my Lady''s little brother look like?"


    The description Nami gave him matched exactly with the boy who had been staring at him with hateful eyes earlier. Before he could say anything else, June was already searching for the boy. He passed through the crowd as he recited what he''d say to avoid any awkward tension. He''d only hand him the letter and do his best to be polite, then take his leave.


    Once he was outside, he let the ambiance help relax his nerves. June''s first impulse was to take a seat before he went on to search for the boy. He approached the steps, only to find Takumi there alone.


    "Ah!" June quickly slid behind a nearby pillar. He masked himself in the pillar''s shadow and held his breath as he peeked over. Takumi''s ears twitched, as he remained in place. There were many cars parked on both sides of the stone path that stretched out for miles. Their headlights were all on, making the area clearly visible. Some attendees were still in their cars, as music echoed quietly in the distance. It didn''t seem like Takumi was aware of his presence yet.


    "That kid¡­  he''s gotten others fired before. If I get fired, father will be mad. I don''t want to be a headache for father. Okay, breathe¡­  I''ll go right over and give it to him, then run." June thought of the rumors he had heard of the young master known as Takumi, the candidate for the Alessandro Enigma.


    Considering that he was serving Miyumi, June wasn''t looking to cause any trouble and the mere thought of interacting the wrong way stressed him out. June ruffled his hair around in frustration of having forgotten what he was going to recite before. He started contemplating what he should say, but paused when he saw Takumi''s shoulders budge. He stood there in the silence. "How old is he anyway?" June wondered. Takumi''s height caught his eye, considering they were more or less even.


    The clear blue moonlight shone in the distance, illuminating the passing clouds that summer night. Back and forth, the light refracted across the pillars. Takumi tilted his head slightly, picking up on something. The passing breeze alerted Takumi of June''s presence and his disagreeable eyes were on him once more. The silence seemed excruciatingly long until he heard Takumi ask, "What do you want?"


    June faked a kind smile and slid his hands from behind his back. He held out the letter and said, "Here you are! Special delivery for you!"


    "Hm?" Takumi glanced at the letter June was giving him. From the golden sticker at the center, he knew what the letter was about. It was always the same. "Take down the target mentioned in this letter¡­" Without saying a single word, he stood up, approached June and just when June thought Takumi was going to take it, Takumi slapped the letter out of June''s hand and shoved him aside.


    This action took June aback, as he fell to the tile floor. June rubbed his aching tailbone in slight pain. "Why''d you do that?!" June shouted.


    Takumi responded, "Because you''re fake," and then walked off without another word. June felt like yelling at the kid, but bit his tongue instead and clenched his fists. After a moment of just staring at his reflection on the waxed floor, June crawled over to the letter. "What''s in that letter anyway?" He was going to reach for it, but before he could, he found a shoe on the letter preventing him from getting it. He looked up, to see it was Takumi again. Takumi slid the letter back and bent down to get it himself. He flicked it around, then stuffed it into his pocket, walking off.


    "What a weird kid¡­"  June mumbled with a frown as he stood back up. June''s watch beeped, emitting a white glow, alerting him to return back inside; a message passed through, informing him that guests were to be escorted to another location for a bidding event. He took that as a chance to leave the hostile situation altogether, very upset.


    In June''s eyes, Takumi''s nothing more than a rude brat. The only growth he noticed in Takumi over the last two years was his height. Other than that, every instant they crossed paths, Takumi always messed with him for no reason. From pranking him into falling off a ship, to filling June''s shoes with cupcakes. Takumi did it all, but those two memories made June cringe in his shoes.


    "You''re still acting like a stuck up d*ck!" June ran his fingers across his hair, aligning it well with his eyebrows. Takumi didn''t enjoy his response, but gave June a fake smirk that matched the annoying one June gave him. The wind picked up between them.


    "At least I''m not a branded mutt who got sold off like trash," the purple-eyed Setsu shot back. His response triggered June, who reached for his baton.


    "Mutt, mutt, mutt! Is that all you''re going to say?"


    "Keep barking." Takumi''s claws elongated as he raised them up.


    "Woah, woah!!! Let???s not let things get out of hand, you two." Hanami pushed Takumi back with her, wearing a sad and worried expression that broke June''s heart. He immediately dropped the baton to his side, losing interest in fighting Takumi. "June-pyo, I''m going on ahead. I''ll see you later, okay?"


    June spaced out. "It can''t be¡­" he mumbled.


    "Stop trying to get into fights, Taka Baka! And you call me the brat?! You big baby!"


    "Touch me and I''ll bite you," Takumi argued, but silenced himself, as she cupped Takumi''s hand with a squeeze that caused him to flinch and yanked him over. June''s heart throbbed in a panic when he saw this, as the emptiness of his own hand crept in.


    Takumi tried pushing her hand away, but the fiery girl gave his hand a tighter squeeze so he wouldn''t get away and passed by June, forcing Takumi to walk behind her.


    As Takumi passed him, he remained silent and glanced at June from the corner of his eye, then closed his eyes. June couldn???t believe it. "She chose him?" June remained frozen in place as he heard her voice dying down over howling wind. The sound of the gate doors clanging together echoed in his head.


    "Hang on, squirt! I have to meet the captain before I go anywhere," Takumi tried telling her as he looked over his shoulder. He met June''s scorned glare through the gate, but ignored it and looked over to Yoshigawa, who was talking to Yuuichi.


    "I hope that loser coughs up the info. Good luck, Shima." Once again, he felt a tight squeeze he had only ever experienced from one other person in his lifetime. It made him feel uncomfortable, yet at the same time comfortable. He squinted and told her, "Tug my arm any more and you''ll dislocate it. I need my arm."Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Jeez, you were doing all sorts of fancy tricks not too long ago and now you can''t walk properly?!" she nagged. Takumi sighed, not responding, he maintained his head turned in the direction the courts were.


    Hanami again tugged his hand to get him to focus ahead, instead of back at the court that faded into the distance. "Eyes over here, Taka Baka!" Takumi scoffed at what she said. There she went again with the sudden nickname.


    "When did you come up with that name? Quit callin'' me that, I''m not stupid." He glanced down to her hand.


    "Oh yes you are! At that moment, you were stupid for wanting to pick a fight with June-pyo ''cause he''d wipe the floor with you. I saved those¡­ preeeecious arms of yours," she mocked him.


    "Oh please," Takumi sighed at what she said.


    "I totally did! He''d have schooled you and classes aren''t even in session yet."


    He didn''t bother fighting Hanami as they walked by random people. She took a moment to get further up the track where there were less people and the sound of the ice cream hover truck wasn''t around. "Just don''t call me that name again."


    "Oh really? I''m calling you that whenever you act like an idiot. Aren???t you supposed to be smart? Trying to fight my cousin¡­ seems like you''re dumb-smart!" she chewed him up.


    He sighed quietly, not responding for a few seconds. "He was asking for it. Not my fault he was out to ruin me¡­  like you are," he mumbled to himself, very annoyed the weird feelings that had sprouted back on the court.


    "Like what?!" Hanami spoke up over the sound of bicycles passing by and kids running around in giggles.


    "Not good¡­" he thought to himself, ignoring her. As usual, he was having what he''d call an "ordinary day." Although now, it was much worse. Takumi glared intensely at the hand that strung him along once more. They passed through the park silently. Dizzying sunlight washed over them on and off as they went down a path.


    "He''s not giving me trouble, I did it! Mission complete!" she internally cheered. Hanami took the silence as a sign of him obeying her and couldn''t help but giggle to herself as they both looked up to the sky. The enriching view made her raise her hand high over her head. She stretched, rolling her shoulder, watching square clouds pass.


    The top of the auditorium was visible in the distance, with a series of blimps rotating around the dome, high in the sky. Takumi looked over his shoulder and back ahead. He felt the uncomfortable stares of the people they were walking by. One couple commented how cute they looked together, embarrassing him greatly. His fiancee had heard them too and nervously started to walk faster whilst squeezing Takumi''s hand harder.


    "Ay¡­" Takumi whispered at first, but since she seemed to be out of it, he had to speak a bit louder to get her attention. "Ay, Hasegawa." Unknown to him, she purposely ignored him as she slipped into thought of him picking her up, seeing as she was smaller than him. Her thoughts then drifted to her small hand and if it was sweating or if it was his hand sweating. "YO!" Takumi said aloud, snapping Hanami out of it as she stopped just in front of the large red bridge she had rushed through before.


    "H-Huh? Yeah?" She turned up to look at him with a spooked look and quickly turned away when she noticed Takumi staring down at her and then down to their hands.


    "We''ve gotten far enough. Let go, your little hands are sweaty. It''s disgusting." Takumi cringed at the sensation.


    "Sweaty?" Hanami frowned, puffing up her cheek. She flicked his chin lightly in a single hop, but Takumi didn''t flinch, merely glaring down at her. "Listen here buster!" Before she went on, Takumi cut in.


    "I can walk on my own. Relax, I won''t run away."


    "How can I trust that?" she slowly said, nibbling on her inner cheek as she realized that her hand was in fact sweaty. She momentarily let go of Takumi''s hand and ran her hand across his forearm as he squinted, maintaining his gaze on her. She realized his forearm was sweaty also, so tried using his jersey, but¡­  "It also has sweat!" She freaked, making Takumi turn away and laugh. He pressed the back of his palm to his mouth to maintain the serious composure. "She''s something else," he muttered and felt Hanami take his hand again.


    "You''d chase me down. It''s hot right now. No point in me trying to escape. I''ll walk ahead of you¡­ I give you my word," he replied, firmly grasping her hand. His sights drifted off to birds in a nearby pond splashing about. The way their hands fit perfectly made the thought of parting surreal.


    Hanami thought about his proposition. She played the scenario in her head. If he did try running, she''d remove one of her shoes and chuck it at the back of his head and would jump on him as soon as he fell over. "That''s right!" she told herself.


    On the outside, she wiggled side to side, pretending to be indecisive. "Okay¡­" she mumbled as she felt Takumi loosen his grip. She didn''t loosen hers though; she kept it held and looked up at him as they awkwardly stared at each other for five seconds. "Don''t give me any more problems."


    "Okay, you can let go now¡­" Takumi set his left hand over her hand and gave a few good tugs, but couldn''t get his hand free until the fourth tug; Hanami let go, but popped his wrist out of place. Takumi faced away from her, popping it back just as fast. He glared at the dopey expression she made.


    "Sorry about that," her apology went unanswered. He didn''t question her weird behavior, seeing as it made him feel really shy, so he passed her without saying anything else.


    As he crossed the red bridge up ahead, he had the urge to look back to her. An unknown urge that he couldn''t explain.


    When he did, he met her gaze. Her eyes expressed sorrow for some reason but she wasn''t staring at him, she stared through him, spaced out. That''s when he remembered earlier that morning¡­ her dream, her memories that he had seen. "I wonder if she even knows¡­" His thoughts drifted to what could be running through her head at that moment.


    Curiously, he considered checking, but decided not to intrude; he wouldn''t want to accidentally trigger anything. If it had to do with her past, it was best that he knew nothing else. "None of my business anyway, cursed Hasegawas."


    He couldn''t let himself get attached. He didn''t understand himself. Why exactly did he hesitate when he thought of letting go of her hand? It was as if he knew the answer, but didn''t want to think about it. He refused to think about it at such a time. "I''ll get her out soon enough, maybe as fast as tonight."


    A faint breeze blew through his hand, prompting him to slide his hands into his pants. This lingering sensation urged him to return and take her hand as he stepped off the shiny red bridge, but he didn''t do so. Hanami remained in place where he left her. She looked on, as sunlight shone over Takumi.


    "Today''s mighty hot, sweet iceys, sweet iceys! Come get your iceys!" she heard someone over a speaker coming from a passing hover truck.


    Hanami stepped forward and called out. "Wait for me! Don''t go so fast." Her voice went over a lot of the surrounding noise as she passed people and stepped off of the last floorboard of the bridge in a final hop.


    Ten minutes later, the two were backstage, within the auditorium. Two muscular stylists locked their arms around Takumi''s and hauled him into a changing room against his will. "Relax, we''ll get you prepared for the event."


    "I can do this without help, bud!" Takumi complained, but they ignored him. "Miyumi!!!"


    Meanwhile, Miyumi expressed her gratitude by momentarily bear-hugging Hanami, before letting her go. She tapped her bicep and winked, proclaiming, "No big deal, piece of cake," to which Takumi poked his head out from behind the curtain, giving her a glare. He tried to escape the two stylists, but was yanked back in by the back of his belt, which was hooked to a hold one of the muscular stylists had.


    Hanami stuck her tongue out at him mockingly and turned away, since it was time for her to go take her seat in the first row. Inside of the changing stall, Takumi continued struggling, insisting that he could take care of himself. Thus, the two allowed him to do so. He checked himself in the mirror and pressed his index fingers at the button of his long sleeve. He noticed the "Le Chen Cour" logo, squinting his eyes at the promotion Miyumi was slipping in, knowing the event was being televised in Osaka.


    Takumi slid his index fingers from the bottom to the top and like an invisible zipper, the two sides came together. He stepped out and avoided Hanami''s and Miyumi''s starry eyes, both mesmerized by how well he pulled off the look.


    "F-Flawless¡­  the suit that is," Hanami''s goggling intensified.


    "Ah, shut up," he muttered.


    "Jeez, I gave a compliment." Hanami waved her finger around then set her hands on her hips.


    He only replied with his signature "Tch."


    "That''s typical of him, he never likes any of the stuff I come up with. He only likes Superior and those other brands, I think it''s a phase," Miyumi giggled to herself.


    "I don''t wear your trash because I don''t like you," Takumi uttered while taking his leave.


    His comment struck a nerve in Hanami. "He really said that to his sister of all people¡­"  She raised her fist up, but before she did anything, Miyumi stopped her, ignoring what Takumi had said.


    "Oh, let him be. He''s only being stubborn, what he says shouldn''t be taken so seriously. Anyway, take a look at these, Hana deaaarrrr." At Miyumi''s call, Hanami turned around to three robotic jellyfish with slippery tendrils grabbing her and pulling her into the changing room besides the one Takumi had been in. She giggled as one of the robotic jellyfish raised her arms up and skimmed its slippery nob along her armpits.


    "What are these things doing!?"


    "Since you''re not in your school uniform, they''ll put you in one that I prepared for you, and wipe away sweat," Miyumi responded. After twenty seconds, she was changed into the appropriate school uniform for the ceremony. She checked herself in the mirror and flicked her red hair back, then stepped out with her hands on her hips. Miyumi patted Hanami''s shoulders and gave the nod of approval. "You can take your seat outside now."


    When Hanami opened the curtain, it was as if she was hit with a blinding light, followed by all types of voices and faces storming her all at once. The chattering sound emanated from the crowd of students and their parents. Everyone seemed happy, casually conversing. People found their seats within the auditorium and the final preparations were complete. She turned her head, impressed with the sea of onlookers. She blinked and looked around, searching for Minami in the front row. Once she spotted her friend, she quickly descended the stairs and ran to the seat beside Minami, who was now fully awake with a confused expression all over her face.


    "Hey Haruna, where''d you go?" Minami reached up and stretched, twisting her hips to crack her spine and when Hanami sat down, she scooted closer to her. "I woke up and you weren''t here. There are so many people now," she spoke up so Hanami could hear her.


    "Sorry teheh, I met the principal and she had me run an-" Before she could finish, a large platform rose from on top of the stage, drawing everyone''s attention to the flamboyant light show. Miyumi was on top of it. A series of seats rose up from below this platform. These seats each had one of the committee members all seated behind the principal. Hanami realized that Miyumi was now in her adult form, not the chibi form she used around her before.


    "Hmmm, so she uses this form in the presence of humans and the media," Minami deduced while Hanami was glued to Miyumi''s mature physique. The dress Miyumi had on complemented her figure to the extent that no one could look away. Even the husbands in the crowd had their eyes all on her until their wives gave them a few good whacks to screw in the loose eyeballs.


    Miyumi elegantly walked up the steps of the podium. She set her hands down over a holographic sheet that had all of the rules for the classes and an old speech she was supposed to quote. Instead of doing this, she started with her own special greeting.


    "Hello and welcome to Hirazawa Private High''s Fourth Entrance Ceremony. Already four years have passed since the school first opened. This very year, our first graduating class of seniors that stuck around from the very beginning, will be leaving. Some to our university, others overseas. I''d like to commemorate them for showing up today in support of the next ones up! Shout out to you all!!!" Miyumi waved her hand, not paying mind to where they were exactly. "We have a few new committee members too. This is certainly going to be a very special year for all of us, and we wholeheartedly appreciate you all for being here today to watch a new batch of tomorrow''s future entering their new home. Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in all of your lives, a new dawn, a new journey. I am Miyumi Cordelia Hachi, and I thank you all for entrusting your loved ones to not only me, but the staff behind me as well. I will play my role as close to perfection as possible every day to make this a productive year for you all. From this point on, your growth begins. Allow me to introduce those who will play a part in that happening!"


    Miyumi closed her eyes, bringing her hands to her chest. She sprouted her hands up and whipped her hands down to the row that was at the far left behind her. "We''ll begin with the staff. Teachers, stand when your names are called." The teachers all nodded as their faces were put up on the screens of the different blimps circling above. "Our well-known and brilliant class D1 teacher, straight from France''s top tech institutes, Mr. Sadao Guillermo Fujiwara!!! The quirky and strident giant, class D-2''s teacher, Ms. Tsuzuri Soh!!! And Mrs. Hobobobo, Mr.Clambsy, Ms.Tweedie, and Emore!!! Please stand!" Each teacher rose up and proudly bowed to the hundreds of onlookers, except for the slumbering Emore.


    Clambsy moved over and whispered at the other two. "Why did she give them cool descriptions and not us? First day and I already smell favoritism, there goes my higher paycheck¡­" The other two laughed fakely, shrugging as the crowds clapped delightfully.


    "Moving on, let''s hear some words from these teachers who will guide you through this year." Miyumi giggled, waving over to the individuals who all rose, except for one. The crowd murmured, noting that one of the teachers in the last row hadn''t stood up. From within the crowd, Yoshigawa nudged for Takumi to look at the slumbering guy beside him that was sleeping out cold. When Takumi looked beside him, he realized the giant fellow beside him nearly drooled over him, but slid his seat aside, avoiding the saliva.


    Takumi kept the same expressionless face and didn''t budge from his position, as Miyumi elevated one of the papers over her face so the crowd wouldn''t see and signaled for him to poke Emore, urgently. Takumi could see her signaling in the corner of his eye, but he stared ahead blankly until Miyumi gave up and went on with the ceremony. She requested that each of the teachers and staff come up to give their own brief speeches, which all of them did in the span of two touching hours, where they spoke of themselves, why they became teachers, and how they hope to impact their new students to change the world for the better, especially in the face of the current conflict plaguing most countries worldwide.


    After the last teacher spoke, Miyumi signaled for Takumi to come up to deliver his speech by setting her papers on the podium and flicking her wrist over in his direction. An impactful speech meant to motivate his peers, delivered by the top student of the new grade. Peers who for the most part, praised him.


    "Now, in order to wrap this ceremony up, we''ll have a well-known prodigy impart words of guidance to his fellow students. Please welcome, Takumi Hachi." At the sound of his name, many of the young girls in the crowd all went ballistic. Even some of the older students who were present commented on his appealing physique.


    Takumi rose from his seat with his eyes closed. He had on a plain look that expressed his disinterest in the whole event. "Those who work hard come out on top¡­ has to be the stupidest lie ever told." This thought shifted over to the reason why he never enjoyed most holidays, why he didn''t like what most humans were made to believe. "Valentines, Christmas, New Years¡­ yes, that one in particular. Only used to keep them all blissfully oblivious to the promises never followed through¡­ pathetic. I''ll just get this over with quickly." He pushed the thoughts away after clearing the final step and approached the podium.


    Minami slapped her hands together forming heart eyes. "That''s him! The guy I told you about!" She tapped Hanami''s shoulder repeatedly. "MY FUTURE HUSBAND!!!" To her dismay, Minami grabbed her hands, professing unforeseen desires that blew her away.


    "He''s grown so much! I could just bottle him up and keep him all to myself!!! HE''S GOTTEN SO HANDSOME!!! I need a nibble, EEKK!" Minami fangirled, ogling all over Takumi''s body¡­ or at least, the body she imagined him to have under his uniform, as she contemplated running up to the stage, but fought the strong desire, knowing it would most likely get her kicked out.


    Hanami forced a smile and looked up towards the hovering stage. Just then, confetti started to float downwards, one landing against Hanami''s nose and another brushing up against her eye, making her lift the back of her hand to her eye. She flicked it off as she observed Minami''s intense stare projected at Takumi.


    "Can I really blame her? She doesn''t even know he''s my fiance. I''ll have to tell her sometime¡­ but how? Would she stop being my friend if I do?" Hanami pouted in doubt. The thought of Minami not being her friend made her sad. She couldn''t bring herself to show it though. She pulled herself together once again and set her sights on Takumi. "That guy is ruining my life¡­"


    Again, he seemed very upset. He still had that frown that she couldn''t understand. "What could it be now?" she wondered. "I''ve only known him for a day. One moment he seems happy¡­" She thought back to when Takumi was driving down the court cheerfully. A sequence of the memories she had gained throughout the day played out. Moments when he seemed distant and others when he showed some emotion. Now, before all of the people present, he seemed upset. "So bipolar¡­" Hanami mumbled.


    Gazing at the thousands of onlookers that formed a sea of white and  purple, Takumi searched around for no one in particular. Cheers erupted all around with the sound of trumpets beginning to play. Bursts of flares blew up in the sky, left and right. Takumi''s arms laid at his side. He waited for the crowd of parents, students and other visitors to calm down, then lifted the wireless microphone that was neatly set on the podium for him. Everyone sat down and Takumi closed his eyes and began.


    "Classes D-1, D-2, D-3, and D-4¡­ rise." At his command, the new students in the center row rose. Hanami tilted her head and did as the others did, helping Minami up. Out of the entire crowd, Takumi naturally found Hanami and focused on her as he spoke. "Feel that breeze?" Takumi asked as a gust blew down into the dome.


    Students shut their eyes and briefly held their breaths before taking in a long draw of the air that passed. A sense of peace was present. Takumi smiled faintly, but Hanami found it unusual. She wondered what crossed his mind and felt weird that his eyes were on her for a moment. Takumi went on to look up to the sky and raised his index finger, cueing for the passing blimps to release blossoms down.


    "You''re all blossoms entering Hirazawa with this refreshing breeze. Fresh blossoms that will cultivate the grounds and lay the future foundations for generations to come in your own way. Parents, new students, and staff of Hirazawa, I am truly grateful to be here amongst you all. This is the beginning of an amazing year that will not only test us, but improve who we are as individuals and unite us all together as one big collective. When you''re down, look to your peers for reassurance and support to stand back up and push on."


    People couldn''t help but applaud. The staff itself followed right after, rising from their seats aside from the snoozing Emore. They clapped at Takumi''s inspirational words. A melodic piano tune played with the emotional hearts of everyone exposed to it, bringing in the entire mood. White fuzzy particles twinkled up out of the crowd, embracing the blossoms that glided down. The particles were white Retsu that came from the human''s positive emotions. Shared emotions of hope, joy and happiness that all came together at this wonderful moment.


    A tingly warm sensation overcame Hanami. She had the urge to wiggle around, but she kept it to herself, only searching for words to express it all. "How is it¡­ that he''s like this? This is really sweet¡­ is he faking it?" For someone who seemed rude and insensitive half of the time, his words were those she would have never expected to hear from him of all people.


    "Create your plans each day and execute them. Do not dwindle on an unchangeable past; focus on today and look forward to tomorrow. Work efficiently in every moment and it will pay off. Every single one of you has dreams you wish to turn into reality. I, too, have a goal I must accomplish. We will all be doubted¡­ we will be faced with obscure difficulties and there may come times where we may want to give up, but I urge you to remember this moment when that thought crosses your mind. Focus on not only reaching your goals, but motivating those around you as well. Take this moment to familiarize yourself with the faces you''ll be seeing this year."


    Minami pressed her hands down on Hanami''s shoulders, pouncing on her friend. "Just how dreamy can one guy be?!?! I can''t wait to talk- oh no¡­ I have to get back home early." She briefly paused, before jumping again. "I guess I''ll see him in school at some point!" Hanami laughed awkwardly, only giving Minami silent nods whilst dying inside.


    Confetti blew up into the skies, being shot out from cannon-like boxes that were set up in front of the first three rows at the front. Yoshigawa gave Takumi a thumbs up from within the crowd and turned over to greet some of his fellow peers that engaged him in frivolous banter. People took this time to hug and express gratitude for being in the momentous occasion with one another.


    "At least¡­ that''s what I''d like to say, fools who don''t question their ordinary lives," Takumi thought to himself.


    "With that, the honorable mentions for this year''s freshmen roster goes to¡­ Himari Ginko, Minami Momogi, Yoshigawa Fukushima, Luu LaCroft, Koujo Makura, Chizuru Lopavia, Rae Reigns, and Sanosuke Belclaire. Some are not in attendance today, but these are the freshmen who marked the highest scores in the entrance exams. Give a round of applause¡­ and may we all have a successful school year in Hirazawa."


    "Chizuru¡­?" Hanami mumbled when she heard a familiar name.


    Takumi closed his eyes and raised his hand up, forming it into a fist. "Now¡­" Takumi glanced down to a small paper Miyumi had left on the podium. He had to say what was on it and he felt embarrassed that she''d make him say it. "Enjoy the rest of the festivities. I¡­" Takumi coughed hard. "I like the energy. May you all have a great year, and don''t get in my way. Thank you."


    Miyumi yanked Takumi behind the podium as the podium disappeared to a lower floor, out of the audience''s view. After this, the robotic assistants backstage started the upbeat music once more. The stage hovered back down as people came together in celebration in all rows. Day Patrol members were near the exit of the auditorium, urging the mob of people to exit in an orderly file.


    Instead of waiting in the long line, Minami and Hanami exited from the backdoor that was located backstage. It was Hanami''s idea. Once outside, the girls headed to the courtyard, where they had met earlier that day. Minami commented, "Today was so much fun! We should take some pictures to celebrate, bestie!" She looked at her phone, and realized it had died. "Oops!"


    Hanami giggled while taking out her own phone. She pulled Minami in for a hug as the two girls tittered. Hanami moved over and brought her phone out for the shot. They both made a duck face, and the two posed near fountains that started to glow as the sun began to set gradually above the school''s skydome.


    After this, June appeared, informing Hanami, "It''s time for us to go." Hanami nodded, saying her farewells to Minami. Minami waved her goodbyes as she walked off. The rest of the evening went smoothly for Minami, who got a call from her younger brother. He asked her for some lemon cake as compensation for missing his induction. Though her answer would have been a flat out no, she ended up going anyway since she was in a giving mood.


    To her surprise, when she entered the shop, she saw a fellow that was present at the ceremony: Yoshigawa. She wondered what he was doing there. Of course, she answered her own question right after remembering she was in a bakery. Minami shook her head, to avoid focusing on his orangey scent. Ironically, it matched his hair. She shot glances his way and walked into a different aisle. "Great, he didn''t see me," she thought, and turned her focus to the shelves around her. She looked through the different candies and crossed over to the bakery area. The lemon cakes were nowhere to be found. She sighed and grabbed a random can of crackers and got in line. To her surprise, he moved over beside her, waiting in line too.


    After a moment, Yoshigawa kindly greeted her after noticing her. "Hey there, how ya doing?"


    ??I''m fine¡­" she responded, obviously nervous since it was her first conversation with someone like him. After a brief silence, she introduced herself. "I''m Minami."


    "Minami? You seem very calm like gentle waves, hehe. You can call me Yoshi." Yoshigawa continued to look around.


    She laughed, wanting to hide in a shell. She kept her eyes glued to her shoes and at the corner of her eyes, noticed he had lemon cakes.


    "Lemon cakes?" she thought aloud.


    Yoshigawa lifted the three he had up and tilted his head. "Yeah, someone wanted me to get them some, but they seem really popular this week. Dunno why."


    "Tell me about it. Ugh, my little brother wanted lemon cakes too. I was just going to ask one of the employees where I could find some." Yoshigawa nodded and pointed over his shoulder. "Ah, they''re over there."


    Minami grabbed the side of his elbow and glanced over in the direction he pointed. "Wow, thanks! Can you hold my sp-" Her eyes widened at the sight of dozens of people clambering for the lemon cake shelves.


    "Are those things that popular!?" She dropped to her knees in disappointment. Yoshigawa took a slight step back, watching her fling her hands up before dramatically slamming them to the waxed floor. "That kid is not going to let me hear the end of it¡­" she groaned and felt a hand placed on her shoulder.


    "Here, you can have one of mine."


    Hearing this, Minami shot up ecstatically. "MY SAVIOR!!! Y-You''d really give me one?!" She reached to take it, but Yoshigawa moved it behind his back and jammed his face in towards her chest when she stood up, catching her completely off guard.


    "Just play along¡­" Yoshigawa told himself.


    Him being so close made her blush. He wasn''t giving off positive Retsu though, which weirded her out until she remembered he''s a Rikuto. She shot a glance at his jawline as he motioned his face, and when he looked up to her she looked away embarrassed. "What do you¡­ want? Why are you so close?"


    "You aren''t objecting?" The Rikuto kept his face there.


    She tried registering if what she heard and saw was correct. "D-Does he think¡­ I''m easy?"


    "I''ll give you two lemons for¡­ your two melons."


    "THIS WORM!" Surely she heard wrong. She told herself. Aloud Yoshigawa shouted "AWWWWW YEAAAAHHHH BABBBYY!!! JOIN MY SWEET MEMORIES!!!" Before he could reach up to feel one, Minami''s fist flew right up and uppercutted him straight into the lights above. Yoshigawa''s face hit the lights as his body was hurled back down to the ground.


    "DIRTY PERVERT!!!" She screamed, getting the attention of the whole bakery, and ran out of the bakery with her hands pressed against her eyes. Yoshigawa laid out flat, twitching, as other people in the store ran up and tried taking the lemon cakes out of his hands. Outside of the store, two watchdogs took note as Yoshigawa glanced to where they were.


    "I''m truly sorry about that¡­ but with the plans I have tonight, I had to do that," Yoshigawa''s voice shifted to serious as he stood up, only to notice his lemon cakes were missing.


    Back on school grounds, there were still plenty of individuals around that wanted to stay longer, but were being told to leave. Unlike those individuals, there was one that had to stay despite wanting to leave. He went to the front of the building that led to the entrance of the entire compound. The thought of June crossed his mind. He sighed with a shrug, and recalled that Miyumi wanted to see him over something. The thought of what it could be made his heart heavy again. He had to go to the Von Caust Castle to find out what she wanted. "Better not be that¡­" he grumbled under his breath. With that, he walked off in the direction of the castle that was above the campus, taking in the evening shade that brushed up against its glass and obsidian structure.

 Chapter 12

    Takumi made it to the final steps leading into the Von Caust Castle, a castle made to resemble a bat expanding its wings made from glass stone. It hovered just along the left side of the campus with misty clouds covering half of its grand structure, namely the clouds came out from the infirmarator that circled round and round right below the structure. The evening sun complemented its intricately crafted outer walls greatly. After a twenty minute ascension, Takumi finally made it to the top, passing through the mist that hid the thousands of steps that he cleared.


    "Welcome, state your business." Takumi caught sight of two Sono-guards that helmed the outer gates. They were posted right in front of the floating castle''s massive entrance doors, assuring no unauthorized civilians passed. Before going any further, Takumi looked back to the white puffy clouds that surrounded the castle and spread smoothly along the thousands of steps. If he didn''t know any better, it''d be like gazing at a sunset whilst in heaven. The puffy clouds made the descending steps disappear due to all the mist and complemented the baby red sky that nearly blinded Takumi, who stared for too long, prompting him to face away. "Please state your business," the guard repeated.


    "What a day it''s been so far¡­" The realization of everything that went down that first day set in. It wasn''t even over yet. Monday continued on and there was a lot he had to do still. "I still have to deal with that night stalker pestering Senji''s cafe¡­" With this in mind, Takumi questioned what could possibly be so important that his sister had to summon him right after the entrance ceremony. "I bet she''s gonna make me join that stupid council¡­ or throw more work at me." Small purple birds passed the chamber door that creaked open, letting out harmonic chirps that snapped Takumi out of his spaced out state. Takumi glanced down to his wrist. The Le Chen Cour brand logo that was on his sleeve let out the current time upon detecting eye motion onto it. He knew it wasn''t right since it said 2:12 a.m. Takumi scoffed, rolling up his other sleeve to check his watch.


    "Ah, I forgot I placed that watch in my bag¡­ Shima took it." He sighed. "Do you know what time it is?" Both had already registered Takumi''s face in the school''s database and now knew his identity. The guard patted his iron helmet twice. This action activated one of the helmet''s interior features. The time appeared in the form of violet hologram numbers that floated in front of his face.


    "Tis 6:17 p.m. at the moment, sir," the guard spoke in a deep chiseled voice. Takumi didn''t respond, instead waving to him in thanks, and carried on, disappearing into the vast empty hallway with a solemn expression.


    His steps were silent, as was the castle. He studied the various old paintings hung on the walls and came across an odd one of a shirtless Count Dracula in kinky clothes that consisted of a pink coat, a cowboy hat and black leather tights. "What kind of trash is-" Takumi shook his head, preferring to not question his sister''s absurd taste in art.


    "Wandering aimlessly is no use," he told himself before coming to an abrupt halt. It seemed as if the hallway were shifting shape, the hallway now narrow like a slithering snake, except the corners were in zig-zags. "Someone''s gotta be messin'' with me¡­"


    Takumi stopped just in front of the flight of steps that led upstairs. "Green," he muttered at the sight of a green button shaped in the form of a smirking bat. Takumi pressed the green button that was below a statue of a clown beside the stairs. He waited for a moment and after a faint ringing sound, a feminine robotic voice asked where he''d like to go. "I''d like to go to the school council''s main office, Principal Miyumi Cordelia." Takumi set his sights to a blue beam of light that landed on him.


    At the top of the stairs, a blue goo-like substance dripped down and formed a see-through field that connected to both sides of the stairs. It slid down towards Takumi and the robotic feminine voice informed Takumi of how the goo was connected to the top stairs that''d lead him directly to the council room. Takumi stepped through this field and found himself on a new floor. He looked around, rather impressed that such an old castle was being renovated to such a degree.


    "Transport complete," the same robotic voice said, with the statue at the top of the steps mouthing what the robotic voice said. Takumi nodded and shifted his attention to the large wooden chamber door that led into the office. It was only twelve feet away, he assessed, contemplating whether he really wanted to go in.


    Before Takumi got to the chamber door, he spotted a set of heels and narrowed his sights upon the person they belonged to. "Ayami, what are you doing here?" He squinted, as her presence made him feel discomfort.


    "It''s been a while Tai-chi. It seems everytime I see you, you''re bigger," she giggled under her breath, sliding a strand of her hair behind her ear.


    "Don''t dodge the question, what are you doing here? I thought Miyumi shipped your ugly mug to France." Takumi slid his hands into his pocket and began to walk towards the office door with Ayami now stepping in the way.


    "What does it look like?" She waited for Takumi to stop in front of her before she continued. "I''m accompanying your sister, as is Azami. We''ve been put in charge of monitoring Hirazawa and assuring the safety of students and the public of Osaka alike."


    "Good for you," Takumi said with sarcasm in his voice.


    "I''m sure you''re well aware why your sister has summoned you. Go right in." Ayami stepped to the side. Takumi didn''t respond and instead squinted his eyes as he walked past her. He set his palm against the pad. A refreshing breeze blew past Takumi causing his bangs to brush across his cheeks for two seconds before settling.


    Takumi stepped into the room, masking his eyes with his right hand until they adjusted to the room''s lighting and then took in the presence of the five who were present. Once adjusted, he automatically set his attention on the familiar scent of cherries that came from up ahead. This scent that he found obnoxious came from Hanami, who was seated on one of the black floating couches to the right side of the vast office. His gaze met hers when she turned around and blinked twice whilst nibbling on the edge of a muffin. Takumi turned his head away in disgust at how alluring it was to his Setsu side.


    "Uh¡­" She raised a brow.


    Azami and June looked at each other and quietly laughed amongst themselves after picking up on what was bugging him. The two were seated on a coach parallel to Hanami''s. Miyumi ran up to Takumi just as he stepped onto a carpet.


    "TAI-CHI!!! BABY BROTHER!!!" Miyumi pounced on him in her child form. She greeted him gleefully, nuzzling her cheek against his.


    "You made it! Come right in and make yourself comfortable. Grab a zenzai!!!" Miyumi released Takumi from her grasp and skipped back to her desk.


    Takumi observed the positive vibes Miyumi exerted. "That smile¡­" It irked him because he knew she wanted something he''d disagree with. The same one she used whenever one of his pets was killed by his father. He grew accustomed to it; all throughout his life, it was a way of Miyumi sugarcoating an issue. Takumi flat out ignored the food offer, knowing full well it''s meaning.


    "How about skipping to the reason you''ve summoned me? I have important things I still have to do today, so I''m trying to get home as soon as possible," Takumi spoke back bluntly in order to get his sister to control her hyperactive state. Miyumi practically seemed as if she were hyped up on too much sugar, the way she spun around with her floating chair. "And will you cut it out with all that giggling? You sound retarded," Takumi further muttered.


    Hanami finished her muffin and dabbed a napkin along her lips, all the while trying to not pay attention to the way Takumi was speaking to his sister. "He has a really great sister, a great home, he''s so ungrateful," she kept her thoughts to herself.


    Miyumi continued to giggle to herself as if in sudden thought. To add more effect, she even kicked her feet around, humming over him.


    "This is a total waste of my time," he went on. "You only called me in here to piss me off, that''s it. Once a b*tch, always a b*tch."


    Hanami''s small plate clasped against the floating table in front of her. The sound interrupted Takumi. She let out a growl that prompted him to shut his eyes in an effort to ignore her. Her irritation slowly stirred. She couldn''t stand the way he spoke to his sister, especially considering Miyumi was someone she greatly respected.


    Shaking over, she kicked herself up and off of the couch and spoke up demandingly, "Your sister wants to tell us something important, so how about you shut up and listen! Don''t be rude to Mrs. Cordelia!" She set her hands on her hips and reprimanded him, waving her index finger towards the end of her sentence.


    "She''s slipped into her feminine energy," Takumi thought, heading to the front of Miyumi''s office table. Slamming one palm on its surface, he reached over and knocked his knuckles against the top of Miyumi''s head in order to get her to poof into her more serious adult form, which she did in an explosion that spread a thick clump of white chilly smoke throughout the room. June stood up from the couch and clapped, facing the window just behind Miyumi''s desk. The curtains slid aside as the windows automatically slid up by themselves. A gentle breeze blew in and then out, pulling the smoke outside with it. The rest of the smoke spread out evenly onto the ground, gradually clearing up.


    This brief breeze made everyone raise their forearms up to their faces except Takumi, who waited for his sister to explain why he was summoned. Miyumi set her hands down on the desk and met the boy''s eyes with a stern demeanor. Her lips parted, curving into a devious smile. No longer was she giggling silently. "If you want me to be direct, little one, it''s regarding the promise you made father. You know, your little deal."


    "Of course it''d be about that." Takumi squinted his eyes.


    "This is just a reminder that you have to take up your duties of looking after Osaka while they''re gone." Takumi closed his hands into fists whilst his sister continued to speak.


    "In exchange for allowing you to play your precious basketball, of course!" Miyumi giggled with a glint in her eye.


    "That was if you didn''t interfere, but you sent little Miss Hanuisance over there at the most important moment¡­" Takumi spoke, not raising his voice.


    Hanami shifted over in place, discontent at what Takumi said about her. "Really now!?" She called Takumi out on it, but he ignored her. "I-" Before she spoke any further, Miyumi quickly answered her brother.


    "I''ve summoned you and Hanami here to sign the contracts for now," Miyumi started as Takumi dropped his head in frustration at what he just heard. "No complaining¡­ you played your little game, and I sent Hanami to put a stop to it, okay? You''ll have other days to play; for now, you have to sign, little brother." Miyumi slid a cabinet open.


    Hanami had been close to yelling at him, but from Miyumi''s answer and Takumi''s reaction, she slouched back into the couch, embarrassed that he forced her to behave in such a way in front of Miyumi. "Humiliating¡­" she thought, dropping her head. Miyumi reached into the cabinet and grabbed a holo-pad she had prepared prior to the two''s arrival.


    "You''ll join the council for requests." Just before Miyumi took the holo-pad out of the cabinet, Takumi replied, twisting his torso in the direction of the door. "I''m not joining any council, that wasn''t part of the deal."


    "It is now. If you don''t want to be homeschooled that is¡­ and you know what that entails," Miyumi replied, pursing her lips out with an authoritative gaze. The rest of the attendants stayed silent.as Hanami pressed her index fingers against her lips to hold back the urge to laugh. "Hey, that''s what he gets. Makes it easier for me," she told herself internally, trying not to feel bad for almost laughing.


    Takumi couldn''t believe what he was hearing. He sighed a second time and ran his hands through his soft hair, scruffing it around. He didn''t like the idea of being in the school council, but his sister wasn''t giving him any other choice. He shot a glare at the others who were looking his way and over to Hanami. Everyone looked away, except for her. She went on to stick her tongue out at him to which June laughed, raising the back of his hand to his mouth.


    "No integrity. Unfair as usual," Takumi thought to himself, only for Miyumi to pick up on his thoughts.


    "Funny coming from you," she responded and turned over on her seat. "It''s not like you''ll be doing extra work, silly boy." Miyumi waved her finger around pretending she was spinning a basketball.


    "Go on¡­" Takumi raised a brow and remained frozen, curious as to what she meant.


    "The only thing you''d do as a school council member is go on the same requests you''ve been going on all this time. You''ll be fulfilling your duties, except Hana and the others will be accompanying you at times. The Ikigai will have your back on certain occasions as well." Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "No, that''s practically babysitting. I can do it alone. I was told to just handle my Setsu duties, not babysit some problematic brat like the one behind me! I''m not signing."


    A bat formed out of Miyumi''s hair. It tried carrying the papers for him to sign, but he slapped the bat away, making it nearly drop onto the carpet, but it managed to return back to Miyumi. Takumi dug his hands into his pockets and headed towards the door.


    "Excuse me?!" Hanami slid in his way. Takumi rolled his eyes and looked down to her. "Problematic?!?!?! WHO''S THE BRAT?!" She shoved her index finger up against Takumi''s chin.


    "You," Takumi responded flat out, staring her down. The alluring scent once more poured out of her shoulders, swirling towards him. He found himself pulling in, finding it difficult to fight such a temptation.


    At Takumi''s blunt response, she set her hands on her hips and rose up on her tiptoes. "You''re the one acting like a brat over the whole thing! You''ve got me worked up, it''s not right! Take a moment to think about what comes out of your mouth!" She protested, but stopped talking the moment she noticed Takumi was moving down on her.


    Her sights went from his lips, up to his purple gem-like eyes; she felt the difference in her height when he hunched down onto her, casting a shadow, but at the same time, it wasn??t as if she felt threatened, just anxious. "Why is he getting so close?!" She freaked out.


    Takumi couldn''t resist. What Hanami expected to be a stand-off, turned into a near-kiss as he brushed his nose against her nose. "Out¡­ of my way." Those words were said slowly, close to her lips. This startled her, as she quickly staggered back, her pale cheeks shifting to pink as Takumi cocked his head sideways, directing his sights to June.


    June protectively stormed in and tugged her over to his side as Hanami yelled, "J-JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU''RE DOING?!?! Y-You almo-"


    "I''m a pervert¡­ a lustful animal. Keep her away from me," Takumi purposely said in a monotone voice. He looked away, directing this response at Miyumi as June was restraining himself from his urge to strike Takumi with his baton.


    "UGHHH!!! You''re so full of yourself! I just can''t ta-" As Hanami spoke, Takumi made gestures with his hand indicating that she was yapping too much. In response, she rushed him and reached up, grasping Takumi''s collar, but he swiped his hand up, catching her wrist and spun her out of his way. She tripped backwards, but June passed Takumi and caught her.


    "Hana, breath." June lessened his grip and helped her up. "I''ll handle this for you." When he let go, he reached down to his baton and grasped it. "You''ve gone too far! I don''t care if Lady Miyumi is in the room. I''ll teach you manners myself if I have to."  June rose up as his shoulders reflexively tensed.


    Takumi''s dark purple eyes let out a ghostly glow. He stared at June from the corner of his eye. "Yet again," Takumi scoffed. "Buzz off, Goldilocks."


    "Not gonna happen! You know, I''m getting real tired of your sh*t. Going too far with Hana is where I draw the line!!! Offend her again and we''ll throw down. I''m not scared of you, punk ." June slapped his palm against his fist, his glove gripped tightly around the baton in hand.


    Takumi had enough of the back and forth, he was tired of talking. His white claws shifted to black, gradually elongating as he was slowly sliding his hand out of his pocket for the second time that day. Miyumi, who had been silently observing them, shifted her sights onto each of the teens in a very unnatural way that they all felt. She emitted a killing intent, disrupting the hostility brewing in the office from both sides. Takumi eyed over to her with hatred. She noticed Takumi hunched back, defying her, and took a step out to lunge at June, who had no time to react to the claws that were already inches from his neck. "Sting the boy."


    Then and there, Takumi''s collar appeared again around his neck. Without him noticing, the collar activated. Only when he got zapped did he notice the collar appear, as it choked him. Such a voltage led him to spring up, before falling to the carpet floor. His arm spasmed for ten seconds as fumes spread along his clothes as he flopped in place three times.


    "There you go, jerk," June muttered. leading Miyumi to reach below her desk. She tapped a button below the desk, causing the back of June''s pants to buzz, registering electric shocks that sent him scooting forward until he caught himself. Then, Takumi slowly raised his head to glare at Miyumi, who brought out a nail clipper to cut the tips of her nails.


    "Stinggg the boy," she sung, causing three silver marbles along the collar to spread down, encasing Takumi in a cocoon that electrocuted him.


    Her authority ruled over and the faint release of her vibe got their full attention. Takumi knew all too well not to take it any further, at least not now. Miyumi considered using the collar to shock him again, but rather, proceeded to speak. "Takumi, that''s enough. I won''t tolerate this behavior towards your fiancee and my watchdog any longer. Your way of saying things is what leads you to being misunderstood. You can think about my order and take your leave after you give Hanami a modest apology for disrespecting her."


    Hanami internally shouted in her head, "Right on!"


    Takumi sighed as the cocoon shifted back into three marbles along his collar. "Right, I suppose¡­" From his response, Hanami thought that he was going to apologize. She folded her hands waiting, but instead heard something else. "All Hasegawas are problematic mutts and nothing will ever change that," Takumi sighed.


    "Excuse me?!" Hanami raised her right hand high and slapped her left hand down on her right elbow. "That''s enough!" She rolled up her sleeves, taking successive steps towards Takumi, with the sole intention of whacking him with her elbow. When she lunged up, she was surprised June caught her, slipping her into a half nelson when Miyumi telepathically told him to hold her back.


    "J-June-pyo!" She gasped, not having expected for him to stop her. "LET ME GO! I''LL GIVE HIM PROBLEMATIC!!!"


    Takumi let out a nasty smirk in her direction. "DON''T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT!!! I''LL STAB YOUR EYES OUT!" She tried pulling her hand from June''s grasp and continued yelling. "WHEN THE DOCTORS CAN''T RECONSTRUCT YOUR FACE, REMEMBER THAT YOU BEGGED FOR IT, PIG!" She viciously kicked around, wiggling her hips side to side in an attempt to get free of June, who now had her in a full nelson.


    "He''s Bipolar!!! Egomaniac!" She told herself.


    Takumi rolled his eyes with a faint smirk and arrived at the door. He set his palm against the pad while the enraged girl took a few seconds to catch her breath, and then tussled around attempting to squirm out of June''s grasp once more, but stopped again when Miyumi cleared her throat rather loudly.


    The door slammed shut after Takumi exited the room. He ruffled the back of his head, muttering curses. Knowing his sister, he''d have to do so or else she''d follow through with her word, but right now he couldn''t worry about that. He had to head back to the Gumi Cafe.


    Miyumi massaged her temples. "I''m sorry for his behavior¡­ I should have privately told him," she lamented. "It''s best to leave him be for now."


    Hanami sighed, as June let her go. She moved down and pressed her knees to her chest and messed her hair around, questioning how she''d possibly survive with a fiance like that.


    "And please Hana, you''ll have to stop letting what he says get to you. I know it''s your first day with that sort of person ¡­ but please, that isn''t proper" Miyumi kept a close eye on the girl who gave her a silent nod extremely ashamed.


    "He''s been the defiant type for some time, but least you''re hearing me out," Miyumi giggled, signaling Hanami to come up. Although she was still put off by what had occurred a few moments ago, Hanami approached the desk and bowed, apologizing for the way she raised her voice. "It''s understandable, just please don''t hold it over him. He''ll come around. There''s a reason he acts out when it comes to his duties¡­" Miyumi''s expression shifted into a worried look.


    "A reason?" Hanami asked.


    Miyumi waved it off. "It''s nothing really important right now. What''s important is that I explain why I brought you in. You see, I want you to join the council. It''s very important, and your grandmother agreed that it''d be essential to your development."


    "Join the council? If you don''t mind me asking? Why did Nana give permission? What''s a¡­ council? I mean, I still have to form my kendo club," she explained.


    Miyumi pondered for a second, recalling the conversation she had with Hanami''s grandmother. Miyumi''s demeanor changed into a serious one as she blinked. Hanami could see it in her posture, as her shoulders had risen and Miyumi set her palms in front of her face, with her elbows down on the desk.


    "I''ll be blunt here," Miyumi began. "By joining the council, you''ll have the opportunity to seek out answers to your father''s disappearance."


    "My¡­ my papa?" She nearly spaced out, but Miyumi tucked her chin down for two seconds. June took the signal and patted both of her shoulders to keep her from spacing out.


    "There''s a chance you may find the answers by taking part in requests while under our protection." Hanami set her hands together, listening attentively. "Certain endorsers pay a sum to the school and we send our best Setsu to go out to assist clients in whatever they need. All Setsu students take part in requests, to a certain extent, while majoring in their particular field. Requests are supernatural tasks our high school Setsus carry out. From cleansing to destroying, it''s something only highly qualified Setsus are able to do¡­ though there aren''t many in our school this year. At times, you may have to deal with supernatural beings like Goshtras or even Shikis. Other times, you may run into Strays."


    "Strays?" Hanami restated.


    "Yes. There are different kinds, so I''ll go over them for your sake." Miyumi adjusted herself in her seat, shifting back, sighing. "The first kind of Strays are humans who have been turned into mindless vampires. These humans aren''t able to control themselves at night. As soon as midnight strikes, they become Strays and hunt aimlessly, seeking blood and flesh from everything around. It doesn''t matter if it''s big or small. If it has blood, it will hunt." Miyumi tapped the back of her pen down against the holo-pad. Behind her, the curtains slid aside as thunder flashed in the grey sky. "That specific kind makes messes without concern for anything. We slay them, no questions asked, due to their destructive nature. It is very rare for a human to become a stray and not slip into the curse befell upon them¡­" From Hanami''s silence, Miyumi knew she had her.


    "Moving on, the second kind of Stray is a basic Setsu who''s run away from its home for whatever reason. Regardless of the reason, due to an agreement within the Order, those Strays are captured and returned to their families for their families to decide their fate, if possible. If it''s not possible, they are killed. Strays either leave of their own accord or commit a taboo. It''s very dangerous for a Rikuto house to allow an old member to leave, since that''d put their region at risk."


    "The third kind are Strays that leave a region due to various circumstances and enter a new region legally."


    "I don''t want you to zone out on me now, so pay attention. Your father disappeared long ago. It''s speculated that he was assaulted by more than one Stray, but his body was never discovered. He must''ve been abducted, but no one''s come forth with a ransom or anything. What we do know is that there is a terrorist group seeking to terrorize and shake the confounds of this current society. We don''t know what that potential group wants yet, but ever since, there have been many attempts to go against the Order orchestrated primarily by bastards who chose to curse themselves and the world around them." Miyumi clenched her hands together at the end, very uncomfortable by the topic.


    "Being in this council and taking up requests means that you will run into these beings. I''m not saying you will right away, but you may eventually encounter a Stray that may know a thing or two regarding your father. You''re quite sought after, whether you like it or not, and those who targeted your father will undoubtedly target you. Your grandmother knew about this and sent you to us. So, you''re here to seek answers, and we''ll protect you while you do."


    Miyumi noted that she was being too serious and switched up to a cheerful tone. "Though you will be playing a special role too." Miyumi winked at her, loosening up her shoulders. "You get to meet so many who will depend on you. By joining, you must protect the lives of all of Osaka''s inhabitants. What you do, the choices you make, will drastically affect those around you¡­ not only yourself."


    Hanami looked down to her shoes. She took it all in. "It''s a huge responsibility, I understand if you won''t be able to do it. Your grandmother just wanted me to tell you, so I don''t expect you t-"


    Before Miyumi could finish, the girl spoke up with determination. She had an assurance that was clear in her oak eyes, which had shifted from pink briefly. "I can, I will do it! I can handle it for sure. This moment is exactly what I''ve been waiting for" She walked up to Miyumi''s desk and held her hand out to sign.


    The way she had said it without giving it another thought briefly surprised Miyumi, who snapped out of it and set the pen on the holo-pad and slid it across the desk. The pad spun around and smoothly stopped in front of Hanami, flickering on.


    "How could this girl just agree so easily?" Miyumi wondered, as she still had her doubts, but she just had to fulfill her promise and offer all the guidance she could. With this confirmation, Miyumi delightfully laid back and clapped her hands together twice as she poofed into her child form and stretched in her snuggly seat. "Being an adult is so hard sometimes-"


    "Great! Happy to have you on board, Hana!!!" Miyumi swung up onto the table and jumped out onto Hanami. Her small arms linked around Hanami''s neck and she whipped her around, almost making the latter lose her footing while they laughed. June stopped her from tripping over, and Miyumi unlatched and grabbed the pen as she walked over and accepted the document the girl had signed. "Your council uniform will be delivered to the mansion and I''ll let you know whenever you have a request. Any questions?" Miyumi hopped up onto the desk and crossed one leg over the other.


    "Not really, but I still want to make my kendo club," she mumbled. Miyumi nodded, clapping her hands together. "Kendo club! Yeah, you can make one. You just have to fill out a form."


    "Awesome! Where is it?" Hanami looked along the top of Miyumi''s desk, wondering which stack of papers the paper she had to sign was in.


    Miyumi shook her head, setting her left hand below her right elbow. "Having a club is also a huge responsibility, and you''re still a freshman starting tomorrow. So I''ll have to test you first before I hand you the form."


    "Awwwww." Hanami put her head down as June patted her head. She looked backup and nodded, raising her thumb up. "I''ll complete it! What test?"


    "I''ll have you go on your first request. You''ll just have to meet a woman tomorrow¡­" Miyumi tapped her bottom lip with her index finger, "And help fulfill her request. Takumi will accompany you after school. Succeed, and the club form is yours."


    "Okay, got it!" Hanami lifted her arm up with a fist. "I won''t let him get in my way," she reassured herself, then turned around and walked over to the couch where she grabbed her bag and lifted it up as she turned on the heel of her shoes and bowed.


    "Good! Drive her home," Miyumi ordered her watchdog. Hanami waved goodbye and walked out of the office with June, as Miyumi turned her attention over to her office phone ringing.


    "Keiichi, Ikigai Task Force," a female robotic voice repeated over and over, followed by a beeping sound. The orb rose up and hovered over to Miyumi''s side. She stared down at the orb and tapped it as the orb expanded and shifted into a holographic image of the fellow. "Great. You have the report for me." Miyumi pressed the orb and stepped back as he came into view along with some other Setsu present within the lobby of the Ikigai''s department.


    "Aimi, gimmie. That pocky is mine!!!"


    "NOOO, I grabbed it first!!!" Two young twins fought over some sweets behind Keichi.


    "Things seem lively over there¡­" Miyumi giggled. Keiichi looked over his shoulder as Sayuri stepped in and lifted the two younglings up by their collars, keeping them apart as the one on the left wanted to attack the one on the right. After the girl on the left scarfed the pocky into her mouth and chewed, her puffy cheeks moved to the motion. The boy on the right started wailing as he dangled.


    Another Setsu appeared in the frame and stuffed the wailing one with a pink bat shaped lollipop. "There, Cici quit your crying!" The one on the little girl made grabby hands at the lollipop. Linolin shook his head, blocking her from grabbing. "NO! You took the pocky!" His frown got the little one tearing up.


    "BAAA!!!" Aimi bit down on her bottom lip, trying not to cry due to being yelled at as Keiichi turned over. "Can y''all keep it down?!?! I''m speaking to Miyumi!!!"


    "Mistress Miyumi?!" Linolin whipped over and jumped to Keiichi''s side as soon as he heard the name. He tried getting in the way, but Keiichi pressed his elbow against his cheek to keep him off, as two other Setsus grabbed him and tugged him off.


    "Lively as always," Miyumi happily commented. "I''ll be sending you the files so you and your pack can begin the request."

 Chapter 13

    After receiving a delivery call, a pizza man arrived at an old factory still undergoing renovations. He pulled his old pizza car into the broken down sidewalk and stepped out. His car blew fumes from the front hood, but he figured he''d worry about the old dark green vehicle after he made his delivery.


    He recollected someone telling him to get rid of the car, though attempting to recall who specifically said it proved to be futile since dozens of others had told him the same. "Those other cars are too fancy for me, besides have you seen the price on those things?! It''s not worth it, I''m living fine with what I have." He sighed, as he remembered telling a customer that very line earlier that day. Even if he could afford a newer car one day, he wouldn''t change the one he has.


    It has gone through a lot with him. It has never once stopped him from making deliveries. "It''s also why you don''t have a girlfriend and never will." The customer joked after receiving his order. The pizza delivery man laughed along with him though he found the comment cruel. "I wouldn''t want a chick like that anyway!" He''s told himself these things time and time again. It somehow always went back to that. It wasn''t like he hadn''t heard it a thousand times  from his own mother. Never did he buy into the notion of love often sold by movies and people who only sought money while regurgitating the same lines.


    "Someday when I open my own pizza shop, I''ll eat all the cheese I want!!! AHAHAHAHAHA!" He happily nodded, stepping onto the sidewalk. "The best delivery guy, soon to turn pro! I can see it now, the pizza king on hundreds of billboards!" He spaced out, with a wide smile at the thought of himself with a crown and numerous women around him.


    "OH YEAAAAAH!!! MY PIZZA''S ALL OVER THE PLACE! CHEESE HERE, CHEESE THERE!" He proudly pointed to himself, envisioning the thousands of pizzas he''ll supply neighborhoods all around. All the smiling faces he''d put on many people of all ages. They''d swarm him with unconditional love, he shaked his hips side to side, too giddy for his own good. There was no delivery he couldn''t complete. He''d deliver everywhere, even if the place were a rundown factory outside the city. He tilted his head up to the cloudy sky, as an ominous wind passed by. Chills grazed his arm, but he paid no mind to the goosebumps. He carried on towards his intended destination.


    The delivery man took in the cold air that entered his nostrils. He adjusted his cap and realized that it was snowing in the area up ahead. "It''s spring, why is it snowing over here?" He scanned for anything or anyone, but there wasn''t anyone in sight. Just lines of dead, black trees. Tilting his head up, he noticed a greyish light coming out from the top of the factory. "One of the infirmirators must be busted," he guessed, only to shrug it off. "Oh well, not my business. I''m just here to deliver this pizza, onnnnly me."


    He figured there was no point in questioning. He just had to do his job and leave. The order was for hard working men like himself. He built up his courage. He''d get it over with and return to the cozy pizza shop he had worked in ever since dropping out of high school eight years back. The pizza delivery man made his way to the old fence that was just a few feet away from his car. He moved it back and squeezed through with the pizza below his arm. It took him a moment to get the pizza box through properly, but after a few tugs he did so and walked through the snowy terrain on foot, as the sun finished coming down.


    He could see the factory in the distance as he avoided the piles of snow and took a path that had a trail of footsteps leading to the entrance. There were random construction tools and other devices laid out in the area, seemingly unused. "How long have they been there? No one here either." Snow was stacked on top of the construction vehicles.


    Judging from the distance, he guessed it''d take him five minutes to reach the entrance. An uneasy feeling spread all throughout his body as he got closer and closer to the front gate. "Maybe¡­ I''ll leave the pizza at the top step. Or actually, let me call to let them know I''m out here, so they can come out and get it."


    The pizza man brought out his phone and tried calling the number of the construction worker who had made the order. In the distance, he heard ringing faintly. Oddly enough, it rang for twenty seconds yet wasn''t answered. He hung up and tried again. Once more, the ringing seemed to be coming from the entrance area.


    "You''ve gotta be kidding me." He gripped his phone. "That''s the oldest trick in the book¡­ thinking he''s gonna get a free pizza out of me by not answering?! Think again!" He stomped about four feet, only to stop. "On second thought¡­ what if it''s a setup?"


    "Aw, come on don''t be a wuss. If you made a delivery to Jisatsu Forest, you can do it here, too. It''s just up ahead, let''s do this!" His knees shook weakly, but he adjusted his hat and continued on. Each step, he felt his stomach burbling. "Maybe there''s a bathroom inside? I''ll use it before leaving," he kept talking to himself to fill the awkward silence until he made it to the entrance gates.


    The gates had developed moss over the once golden ridges. "How long has this place been down?" he asked himself, taking a look up at the gigantic sign that read "Fillies Factory." "So it''s a candy factory?" He shrugged and pushed past the gates, which were now wide open.


    He went up to the entrance and knocked. Three loud bangs, with no reply. The door creaked backwards. Seeing this, he found it odd, but decided he''d go in and inspect the area. He couldn''t return back to the pizza shop with a failed order. Not to mention that he spent money on fuel for the car. "Where are all of the hard working men?" he asked loudly, with chuckles, but no one responded back.


    "Yeahhhhh, this is the part in the movie when the character should run, but he goes inside anyway, right? I''m an idiot. I''m too lame to be in a movie, but that''d be awesome," he thought. "Let me call that phone again, maybe he''ll pick up this time."


    The pizza man, for the third time, made the call. This time, the ringing was much louder, so he followed the sound¡­  right to his feet. Right in front of him, the phone laid with its screen slightly cracked.


    Although his fear of the big place grew by the second and his whole body told him to run, he stayed still, not daring to move another inch. Just then, he heard a slam behind him and flinched, only to realize it was the wind whipping the door back and forth. Reassuring himself that nothing was off, he entered the darkened place. Dust particles littered the corridor ahead as if frozen in time. Suddenly, a nauseating smell smacked him across the face, prompting him to cover his nose and pass through quickly. He heard squeaking, and wondered exactly how hardworking men could possibly eat in such a place.


    Up ahead, a bright light shined down. It seemed welcoming and familiar. A sense of relief washed down on him. He happily approached the light, stepping into the lobby. The radiant lights blinded him momentarily, so he took a moment to adjust his sight.


    Once he finally opened them, he noted that something rushed behind him. It felt like it was crawling up his back, so he reached over and tapped his back, only to realize nothing was there.


    "Agh! What the?" He smacked his free hand to his back, moving it along his shoulders as far as he could. He didn''t feel anything. Just to make sure, he twisted his head back, and froze. His skin turned a pale blue for a second, as he caught a glimpse of a shadow mixing in with the darkened hallway he had just been walking through.


    "Hehe, this place must have a really bad rat problem. That rat''s shadow almost gave me a heart attack." He laughed nervously and picked his hat up, which had been knocked off when he looked back. He reached over to lift it, only to see that its orange color darkened as it laid over a puddle of red.


    He tripped backwards and fell down on the dusty carpet. His first thought was to rush out through the darkened hallway, but the entrance door that he had left open was now closed. A strong breeze blew against it, coming from an old dirty windowsill from the upper right corner. For a second time, he could have sworn he spotted a face past the windowsill.


    "Okay, okay¡­ first the snow, then not picking up my calls, and now this? Was I pranked into coming all the way over here? I swear if it was a group of lousy teens again¡­ you know what!? Someone''s paying for this pizza!" He stood back up, upset, but his anger turned back to fear.


    In retrospect, he should have turned tail instead of attempting to deliver the pizza, but he never had to run from an order. All his hard work would be thrown down the drain if he did that. Though he could always come back another time, he quickly argued with himself and decided to bolt, but soon realized that escaping the place was futile.


    Everytime he walked towards the hallway, he looked down to his legs and saw that he was walking in place. He hadn''t gotten anywhere. Shadows shifted along the metallic entrance door that was at the end of the hall. He took a step back and twisted his head around. "Crap, this place is too creepy. I have to get out! Exit, EXIT!"


    Just as he saw an exit sign with a red arrow and was going to run for it, he heard a faint "Hello."


    What kind of person could speak so softly? Only a child. It had to belong to a child. The hello was weak. In his head, he imagined the worst scenario, being that it was a little girl who had been wounded, lost in the factory or maybe even kidnapped. Anything was possible nowadays. He considered turning around to look in the direction of the voice. "But what if I get attacked?" he thought.


    He argued in his head whether he should or shouldn''t look back, until he finally turned around. To his surprise, it wasn''t a child. Instead, it was a young woman, who seemed no more than twenty.


    "I should have turned around sooner!" His mouth nearly dropped along with his glasses, but he caught them and nervously placed them back on. The fumes that blew out of his nose floated up, fogging up his glasses as the area seemed to grow cold. His cheeks instantly turned red. She had on what seemed to be a nun''s outfit that accentuated her curves. He could see that under the nun cap she wore, she had light purple hair that appeared silky. The light shining from the snowy sky made its way down around them, complementing her.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "Wow¡­" She looked completely innocent. All he could see was a young woman who might need help finding her way out of the factory, like him. Yet, she seemed completely fine, especially with the smile she had on.


    "What could a young woman like her be doing all the way out in a factory? A trap? Or a cult?!" He felt his heart pound against his chest, accelerating at his thoughts.


    "You''ve got one new voice message." The sound of his phone startled the pizza man, causing him to almost fall over as he brought his phone out and saw that the voicemail was from the very phone of the man that had ordered the pizzas. He excused himself for a second and pressed play. The voice message lasted for seven seconds of a man screaming. "AGHHHBKD AGHBHBHHABHA ACKKKK!!!" The traumatizing shrieks ended abruptly along with the voice message.


    He looked down to the sticky note on the pizza box. "Factory under renovation, one box of pizza for a group of hard workers." His eyebrow raised. He hadn''t really noticed the note until that moment. "For a group of hard workers¡­ only one box?" The creepiness of this order set in. "Why didn''t I notice before?! I should have asked if they wanted more." On the note, there was a second number.


    The pizza man quickly reached into his pocket nervously, nearly dropping the phone in the process. He dialed that number, only for the ring to come from the girl that was just a few feet from him.


    He looked at her stomach, where the ringing came from. "Huh!?" His sight became hazy, as he started to feel sick. "Why? Is my hearing okay?" Rather than question, he told himself it was time to go.


    The young woman spoke softly a second time. "Uh¡­ excuse me."


    The pizza man blinked, his attention setting on her face. She had an unsettling smile. "Yes¡­? Sorry. I came to deliver a pizza, but it doesn''t seem like there are any workers, so I''ll just have to excuse myself. BYE!" With that, he turned his back to her.


    An unnaturally wide grin formed along her face, releasing black smoke that spiraled past her shoulders. The woman''s smirk curved upwards, straight to the ends of her ears as the delivery guy''s heart throbbed in desperation. A strong urge to escape overcame him. Now he missed the sun and it''s warm sunlight out of all things. Her head cocked back, and from it, black smoke poured out, taking irregular forms.


    "WHY ME?! I''M NOT LOOKING FOR TROUBLE!" He screamed within. His sight became distorted for a moment. He found himself trembling under the haunting gaze of the woman before him. Her black attire shifted to a shining red as her eyes enlarged abnormally. To make it worse, he became frozen under her glowing golden eye that mixed with a salmon-like color. The eye soon disappeared behind the black smoke that had been amassing around him. He suddenly felt his balance tip, as if someone had swept his feet.


    He fell over, but caught himself. He didn''t understand what happened and looked over only to see¡­ his right foot circled around in loops that traveled around his neck. He was being choked by his own leg. "AGGGHHHH!" He struggled with it until it spasmed back and he glanced down to see that it was now missing.


    Hot blood stained his hairy stump and red tainted his tattered jeans. His eyes widened and he screamed, twisting his sight away from the horrific sight of his missing leg. Before he knew it, the black smoke formed into three large monstrosities that could only be described as some variation of massive wolves.


    Their golden eyes all glued to him. To his horror, one of the three was devouring what seemed to be his foot, while the others neared closer for another attack. The black smoke all around further prevented his mobility. His shrieks rang out through the lobby, passing through many of the corridors. All the pleading, no one to help in his time of need. Only he could help himself.


    "What''s all the screaming for?" A voice echoed, coming from the top floor. A sliver of hope cast high over him. An individual walked hurriedly to the staircase that led down to the center lobby. Each of his hurried footsteps made the metallic floor below his feet vibrate until he had stepped onto the marble floor.


    "Silence!" The individual spoke in a stern, demanding voice. When he said this, the pizza man found that his scream for help had been silenced. He continued to scream, but it was inaudible over the blizzard that started to brew outside of the factory. Though he soon realized that not even he himself was making noise; his voice, simply empty. Hopelessness sunk in, as that last dwindling hope extinguished.


    The female turned over to a tall slanky gentleman that had on a bloodied coat. The pizza man managed to only see a zipper at the top of the individual''s head, as the rest of his body and even his clothes, all had spiralled lines going down.


    Tears blew through the pizza man''s eyes and snob erupted from the pizza man''s nose. "Am I going to die? Grandma, no¡­" In a complete state of panic, he couldn''t fathom what he got himself into, only that he had to get away as fast as possible. He flopped back on his back and wormed his way backwards, clawing into the carpet, refusing to be dragged off, but they all lunged onto his back, breaking apart into gooey monstrosities that tore simultaneously into him.


    "Oh dear¡­ Seilei, you stained the carpet again. Just when we cleaned up, too." The being ran his hand across the top of his padded head, glancing down to her.


    "What do you want me to say, Konbasa? That I''ll clean it up? Not happening, hehe. Keep luring them here and that carpet won''t stay clean." Seilei shrugged, nipping at the tip of her index finger before swinging it towards him with a faint pout. "And that''s very reckless. Do you want to get us caught? Ugh, I swear¡­" she further complained, not that Konbasa bothered to reply with as much energy.


    He softly replied, explaining himself. "Ease up a little. I couldn''t resist. I gave the place a call for some¡­ now toppled pizza." He shot a glance to the overturned box, disappointed. "And after I called, I tossed the phone away. One of your Shikis ate it, hm? You made yourself a fine meal out of those who were working in this section of the factory. You got your fill, I haven''t."


    "We don''t have that much time left at this location. If the master gets word of this¡­" Seilei faced away, worried. She contemplated the possibility of being found earlier than anticipated.


    Konbasa lifted his head up, as if speaking to the empty dark ceiling. "Oh well. Mormur, take the rest to the boiler room. I''m headed there later. So much work, so much work. I wanna finish in time for my break." Konbasa disappeared out of view with his words.


    The monstrous entities twisted their heads up and broke apart into smoke that steadily seeped back into the ends of Seilei''s lips. She watched a being manifest. "Mormur," Seilei said, after drawing in the last of the black smoke. This being silently floated to the partially eaten body of the pizza man. The remains floated up towards a hidden stairwell.


    Seilei shrugged to herself. "Never any casual chit-chat." She shook her head and went off to the long stairwell at the center of the dusty lobby. She began making her way to the top step, where she was greeted by another fellow, less sinister looking.


    "Dredger! Is the manufacturing going smoothly? I came back real quick to check up," she said, as she twisted the tip of her pony tail up across her lips.


    "Yes, marvelously! All thanks to you, of course. I would have never dreamt of having it up in just a month! Production is going even better than planned. Tonight, another wave will be finished without fail!" he answered, sliding his hands behind his back.


    "You''re welcome," a third voice echoed through. The two glanced at a fellow walking up the steps. He had on a helmet with an odd swan design spread over the front and was accompanied by a fourth, who had a smirk as he puffed away inhaled smoke.


    "Oh, Neifer? And our client?" Seilei gasped, surprised.


    "Seilei, shouldn''t you be out with the others? There''s still much to do tonight. Strict business that has to be completed," Neifer reminded her in a cold tone.


    "Yeah! You see¡­ I wanted a little break. I''ve done sooo much already, but I''ll get back to it. Thanks for reminding me, master. I expect a reward from you later tonight." She nervously giggled and took flight, leaving Neifer with the other two.


    Finding his moment, the businessman cleared his throat after drawing a smoke. He adjusted the silver pipe he had between his lips. "About those papers, what prog-"


    "As you can tell, everything is in order, Mr. Burke. You''ll have your papers soon enough like we discussed; if you want, you can even leave in advance and we''ll send it to you."


    "Great, I wouldn''t expect any less from the Bakufu, hahaha! I''ll stay to have them in hand, so I''ll be keeping you company until tomorrow night." His laughter quickly died down, replaced by a crazed look as he rubbed his belly. "A friendly reminder: you and those bottom-feeding Strays better do a good job or I''ll have your asses!"


    "I assure you-" Neifer paused when he heard the businessman speak over him.


    "I''m concerned for good reason. Those damn Ikigai of the Hachi are too skilled not to find this raggedy place. I don''t want any mistakes, CAPISCE?!"


    "Don''t worry, the head Rikutos of the Hachi are gone."


    "Even so, I wouldn''t put it past those dogs to find this place," Mr. Burke broke out into a pace, going back and forth, visibly nervous.


    "Don''t worry, we have everything covered. Go rest in the office. Your trip here was long, and sneaking here must have been stressful enough as," Neifer said, giving off a menacing vibe that shut the nervous businessman up. "You should have sent someone else in your stead."


    "No, Noivern wanted me here¡­ but nevermind that. For your sake, have those papers here by tomorrow night. Oh, I almost forgot, get the girl, too. That little sh*t evaded me long enough, and I hate it when I''m ignored!"


    "You''re turning red, please lower your tone. Right this way," said a Stray who entered. Mr. Burke turned over and was led back up to the office where he''d relax.


    Neifer waited until the sound of the businessman''s hurried steps died. Once it did, he sighed. "Dredger¡­" He brought his attention to the other being beside him who quietly observed the exchange. "We still have much work to do. How are things on the production side?"


    "It''s all well, follow me to the boiler room." Dredger flapped his white, bloodied coat aside, skimming his fingers along his turtleneck long sleeve. Neifer glanced at the blood that splattered on the ground, then followed him down a series of hidden stairwells until they found themselves inside of a steamy room.


    Wires covered the walls all around, most torn, as the passage of time was evident in the molds. Within the narrow space they got through, a horrid stench washed up against them, though neither noticed due to being used to the smell of corrosion and death. Thick heaps of gas blinded them momentarily as they maneuvered through the many pipelines until they arrived at a clear opening. Up ahead, a series of capsules hovered along the walls of the dimly lit room. An old television provided the little lighting available, as its static expanded out, past them.


    Dredger pointed over to the capsules. Each had a long see-through tube hooked at their side. These tubes spread over to a boiling red pool that had steaming water constantly being pumped into it and heated up to intense boiling degrees for the capsules. Neifer strolled over to one of the capsules and peeked inside, where a series of human limbs floated around inside. "It''s to have them cleaned¡­" Dredger spoke up.


    "Hmm¡­ an interesting process you have going here. I haven''t seen it for myself," Neifer observed carefully.


    "I know, right!? Isn''t it beautiful?" Dredger exclaimed. "Over there, we''ve got the tables. I put the construction workers to good use. They''re such hard workers¡­" Dredger pointed over to the center of the room, where there were over two dozen irregular humanoid shapes.


    The now mutated construction workers, all sat around the two long conveyor belts, breaking apart the human bodies that passed them as their souls weeped, begging for death. A number of dismembered parts belonging to the slain pizza man.


    "Mhm, nice use. The others are sure to bring more without being captured. And those Setsus haven''t the slightest clue. Soon enough¡­  we''ll be reunited, my darling," Dredger thought aloud. "I''m back, and this time, my revolution will not fail. It''ll expand everywhere, and you''ll have it all, my sweetie. The Tensei has no chance of stopping me!" Dredger dramatically raised his hands up, relishing the future he envisioned. The static from the old television continued to fuzz over, momentarily darkening before lighting up again.


    Meanwhile, Neifer brought out a watch and checked the holographic numbers that it released. "4,401 and counting¡­"

 Chapter 14

    Through the dark and lonely streets, a child ran frantically for his life. He didn¡¯t know what he was running from. He only knew that if he stopped, something bad would happen. Not taking that chance, the boy kept running, stumbling around with his lungs ablaze. Corner after corner, he dove, but the same light peered past his shoulder persistently. Tripping over, the boy coughed, gasping for air as rain continued to pour down all around him. The sound of the downpour filled his eardrums, and for a moment that was all he could hear.


    ¡°Where did that come from? From me?¡± The boy fell back and felt his body. There were no cuts and the blood on him wasn¡¯t his, yet he felt pain all throughout his body. He looked back to a black hover car pulling in. Motioning over, he reached for his slipper and put it on, and desperately ran for a chained fencing up ahead.


    ¡°Run little sheep, run¡­ or they¡¯ll get you.¡± He heard a faint voice whisper close to his ear, though no one was there. He turned to look back and saw a figure inside of the car, revving the engine that loudly blared. He had to escape. His sight was fixed on the chained fence up ahead once more. His lungs felt like they were seconds away from exploding if he continued to take in large amounts of air, but he couldn¡¯t control his breathing.


    He willed himself and jumped onto the fence. His small hands clawed onto the fencing and he mustered what little strength he had left in his legs to kick himself up. His muscles felt sore, but he scaled up, as his fear of being caught forced the fatigue to the back of his head.


    After struggling for a few seconds, he managed to land on the other end, resuming his escape. A red light shined past his shoulder and he knew it likely belonged to his pursuer, but he didn¡¯t dare take a moment to stop. The sounds of a car¡¯s raging engine getting closer terrified him. The boy looked around frantically for a place to hide, but there wasn¡¯t such a place. ¡°The street¡¯s too long, the car¡¯s definitely gonna catch up if I go that way.¡±


    Glancing over his shoulder before making his decision, he saw the same hover car smash through the fence he had cleared moments ago. Unable to run any further, the boy used the last of his strength to try and pass the muddy path that led into the abandoned building¡¯s indoor parking lot, but his legs gave out halfway there. The vehicle¡¯s headlights shined upon him as tears blew out of his eyes. He tried to push himself up, to no avail.


    The man peered through the foggy glass. It was hard to see, but he could make up a small figure shaking in an amassing puddle. Taking a closer look by sticking his head out of his car window, a tightening feeling hit his chest as a boy laid crying in the dirt. ¡°This is Joshua, I¡¯ve found the suspect near an old parking building in the Chiba residential area. It may be one of the missing children¡­ possibly age ten to twelve.¡± The male released the pressure he had on the transmission button and swung the car door open, stepping out as thunder erupted in the turbulent night sky. He left the engine running and observed the boy for a bit, before moving forward with his briefcase tightly clenched in his hand.


    Before taking another step, Joshua took out a holographic image of the boy he was after. The child looked like a complete mess from running, but he fit the description. With this reassurance, he walked closer. He had a feeling of what was going on, but wanted confirmation. ¡°What are you doing out so late, buddy? Are you lost? I¡¯m here to help get you back home to your parents.¡±


    The boy¡¯s head jerked in his direction, a glimmer of hope somewhat relieving his pained face. ¡°Help? Home!? No¡­ not home.¡± He stared at the older man with less fear, but total desperation. ¡°I didn¡¯t wan- I was¡­¡± He tried to fathom what had happened, but the harder he tried to remember, the more frustrated he became. A sharp pain behind his head forced the boy to clench the back of his head, resulting in him ripping patches of his hair off. His spasms were accompanied by uncontrollable sobs. A stronger pain spread along his stomach, intensifying the already unbearable pain. Joshua observed these symptoms and dropped his head down, ashamed that he was too late.


    The boy clenched his stomach tightly, hugging himself. He balled up, then twisted his back over as he cried. Joshua winced after seeing the child¡¯s torn lips and glowing eyes, an indication that the transformation had begun. The small smile the child had on his face only seemed creepy to him, yet this was still a child hoping to get help. ¡°Do you know how this happened?¡± Joshua asked.


    The boy, still letting out tears, answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know. All of a sudden¡­ I was sleepwalking and acting weird. I¡¯m so scared, please help! HELP MEEE!¡±


    Joshua¡¯s eyes fell to the bite mark on the boy¡¯s neck as the child finished speaking. As much as the idea of what was necessary pained him, there was no other choice. He gripped the briefcase one final time, steeling himself for what would be coming next.


    ¡°Please make it stop,¡± the terror in the boy¡¯s voice rose. ¡°It hurts, it hurts, IT HURTS!!!¡± he repeated. The final ear-piercing plea spurred Joshua into action.


    ¡°I¡¯m officer Joshua of the Yori and I promise to help rid you of your pain.¡± The man inched closer to the child, trying to assure him, ¡°I will make the pain go away. You didn¡¯t deserve this¡­ I¡¯m sorry this happened to you.¡± He started opening the briefcase.


    ¡°AGGGGHHRHRRRRRR!!!¡± The child suddenly screamed to a crescendo. His body contorted as he was introduced to a whole new level of agony. His skin started stretching and swelling to gross proportions beyond his tiny body. He went pale, but then took on a reddish hue, before his skin bubbled and liquefied before Joshua¡¯s horrified eyes.


    He watched the dripping skin hit the pavement and spread out towards him as a pink arm reached out for his leg. Before it could latch itself onto him, he jumped back and made sure he was at a safe distance. The red mass flickered on and off, emitting a steamy glowing mist. Joshua ran off to a nearby wall to avoid the toxic fumes, which melted everything that it touched.


    It was too late to save the child. Guilt gripped him for not killing the poor kid sooner, but he had no time to beat himself up. An explosion soon rocked the structure Joshua stood behind as a brilliant light flashed into the dark sky. He could hear the child¡¯s final shrieks as a thick red mist started spreading everywhere. Shielding his face, the officer took out a mask from his coat to protect himself from the amassing fumes.


    A feminine robotic voice spoke, ¡°Activation success, oxygen supply of twenty minutes confirmed.¡± Joshua opened his eyes, weezing until breathing became easier. He felt nauseated and his ears burned as he pressed the mask to his face. The mask spread upwards, covering his entire head and stabilizing his breathing. Through infrared vision, he could see the mist poisoning the plant life around the area. ¡°Scan for the Shiki that¡¯s formed from that child¡¯s body. Search for the direction of negative Retsu,¡± he instructed the system. He was determined to destroy that thing, but knew he needed to be better prepared. After re-opening his briefcase, he set it on the ground and stepped onto the center.


    ¡°Gotta end this in five minutes,¡± Joshua thought to himself, aware of the lethal consequences of exceeding his limit. The briefcase was made of Woshu, and the living energetic organisms called spirits within the briefcase. Focusing on his strongest emotion, his killing intent, he projected it towards the spirits he called forth. Anger radiated from his body, attracting the Woshu, as they spread across his body, ready to transform the Yori officer. One slip up in his concentration, and the Woshu, Girisuzo would leave him at his adversary¡¯s mercy.


    ¡°That boy¡¯s death cannot go unpunished!¡± Joshua shouted, letting out all the rage he felt. His eyes shot open as black particles from the briefcase formed over his entire body. He felt it go up his spine, fusing with him. It clumped together forming black skin and his eyes shifted to a bright red as veins of a similar shade formed along his new body. From these veins, hundreds of red chittering small mouths spread out, with a red string-like aura connecting them to the veins along his body.


    A small hovering camera unlatched itself from beside the briefcase and floated up into the sky, extracting data of the surrounding area. It sent this information to him through the mask he wore. Taking in the information presented to him, Joshua started returning to the area where the boy took his last breath.


    Rage rushed through him, as he only thought of destroying what had taken the poor boy so brutally. The shrilling mouths that surrounded him all chanted ¡°SLAUGHTER!!!¡± in a distorted effect. This drove him, but would cause any normal being to go insane. He had to keep his rage in balance; if he were to allow it to take over, he would end up losing himself.


    A cackling laugh mixed with wheezing spread out through the area, leading Joshua to follow the unearthly sound. Arriving at the source, he noticed a crater. Within it, the creature formed from the boy¡¯s remains and stood there, snarling with its rows of sharp teeth and drooling at the sight of its first meal. The Shiki shoved its face to the ground and started to eat away at the remains of its host.


    Joshua¡¯s red hair spiked up behind the mask and in a single burst, the mouths that formed from the red glowing veins that spread all over his black body, shot out towards the Shiki, striking it at multiple points. The Shiki collided with the brick wall that was several yards behind it, but quickly whipped itself into the sky and pounced back down, as if nothing had happened to it. It had a portion of the boy¡¯s jaw between its claws and went on to shove it into its mouth, revealing one of the boy¡¯s eyes in its mouth.


    The Woshu-empowered officer allowed the rage to course through and flew straight at the terrifying Shiki. Its claws twisted backwards and stabbed into the ground in order to brace for the tackle it was about to receive. Though it had attempted to stay grounded, the attack was surprisingly overwhelming and blew it back. The Shiki spiraled over and then like a cat, landed on all fours and began moving too quickly for Joshua to see. It zig-zagged straight towards him, bearing its claws towards his face.


    Joshua quickly caught the Shiki¡¯s claws and whipped the creature backwards onto the ground, and stabbed his fingers into the Shiki¡¯s eyes, proceeding to tear it across the field straight into a number of building pillars. Seeing as how the officer had gained the upper hand, the Shiki quickly grabbed a pillar that laid nearby and swung a portion of it at him. Joshua smashed it away with his fist, creating a dust of debris that washed up against him, giving the Shiki an opening. He quickly flapped his other arm in front of himself, creating a ripple of wind that blew the clustered debris out of his line of sight, but as he did, the Shiki appeared right beside him.


    At that moment, his anger diminished, and was replaced with shock and the fear of not being able to counter what¡¯d follow next. A single thought of his daughter living without him brought a spine-chilling fear that killed his rage. This disturbed the synchronization he had with his Woshu weapon and thus, the black mass broke apart, detaching itself from his body as he was shot backwards by the Shiki. His body tumbled over several times. He had been severely struck in his gut, leaving him gasping for air as he struggled to keep his vision on the Shiki that mockingly crept his way. Joshua punched the ground with his fist in disappointment.


    A loud bang followed by a radiant light forced the Shiki to dash off into the darkness of the nearby abandoned building. Both the Ikigai and Yori had arrived. Two dozen Setsus swarmed through and some from the Ikigai stayed behind to cleanse the outside area, as small low-level Shikis began to grow from the nearby plants, taking up pink irregular forms.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got eyes on the target,¡± a dispatcher spoke through Joshua¡¯s earpiece. Four Setsus took off after the Shiki, as others brought a stretcher in for him. He vaguely saw their figures standing over him and recognized one of them, her light wavy hair instantly recognizable. His Setsu partner, Hoshio Algata.


    Watching Joshua force a faint smile upset her, as she puffed up her cheeks and charged right to his side. ¡°Jeez Jo, I told you to wait until I finished my coffee! You¡¯re a grown man! Make wiser choices! You can¡¯t run out so recklessly every time you hear a child¡¯s involved! One of these days, you¡¯re going to get yourself killed doing that.¡± She sighed and set her attention to the entrance of the building. More Setsus passed by her and jumped up to the final steps of the staircase, where they surveyed what was ahead in the darkness of the abandoned parking building.


    A strong corrupt vibe came from inside. Their Setsu qualities allowed them to pick up on the irregularities. Tracing the amassing Retsu, they took off after the Shiki. Inside, the Shiki dove from pillar to pillar, making its way to the second floor. It growled knowing it was outnumbered, but fought hard in an attempt to escape. It clawed at all who got too close, forcing several Setsus to back away and circle over. Two came in, connecting with the Shiki¡¯s claws, while a third came from behind and slashed at the Shiki¡¯s back, causing patches of black puss to splatter across the cold dusty ground.


    The Shiki whipped the back of its long right arm over, nearly striking the Setsu that had slashed it, but the Setsu kicked back as another swooped in from under the Shiki. By the time it looked down, the Setsu pierced his saber through the Shiki¡¯s left cheek while a fifth Setsu swept its feet and a sixth smashed her fist straight into the Shiki¡¯s gut, hurling it into a thick wall.


    Try as it may, the Shiki couldn¡¯t move as fast. All of its maneuvers drained it of the little negative Retsu it had and none of the Setsus surrounding it gave off any fear. The Shiki slumped over weakly, leaving many areas exposed for the Setsus to attack. Its eyes shot everywhere, as it couldn¡¯t make up its mind of who to attack. ¡°YOU DAMN ANTS!¡± it screamed out. The Shiki willed itself to lean up and attempted to dive aside, but the moment it did this, it was kicked face-first across the parking space. Its body thrashed several times against the ground, ultimately crashing right through the second floor wall, where it splashed into a series of puddles that continued to form outside.


    The Setsus stepped out from behind the pillars, approaching the now giant opening in the wall. A chilly wet breeze blew in through the opening as they hopped from the second floor down to the ground level, one by one, getting into formation again.


    ¡°Those things never cease to amaze me. They¡¯re capable of adjusting to a human¡¯s brain so quickly. This one already knows about the existence of ants? Even though it incorrectly referred to us as them¡­¡± Lacy analyzed as she adjusted her glasses and chuckled, moving in.


    ¡°Lacy¡­ don¡¯t get me started, you short scrubby nerd. It¡¯s disgusting, especially when you consider they primarily target the weak-minded,¡± Neal whispered back, watching their captain hop onto the Shiki¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Speak! What is your connection to the rise in Shikis?! You¡¯re all connected, so don¡¯t lie to me.  Who do you serve?!¡± Two Setsus stabbed their sabers into the Shiki¡¯s thigh and shoulder, pinning it down. Liquid oozed out of its wound, contaminating the puddles that surrounded it. The Setsu¡¯s released vibrations through their sabers, that spread into its body, increasing the pain it felt from the stabs. More Setsu swooped in and stabbed it in different areas, further immobilizing it.


    ¡°Shousa Vasco, please be wary! You mustn¡¯t slay it yet!¡± Lacy¡¯s words went unheard.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t tell us, I¡¯ll have them amp up the pain!¡± Vasco threatened, but did not receive any response. ¡°You will not speak? Fine, you monstrocity! Forever disappear into nothingness!¡± Vasco yelled, arching his arm up as thunder surged through the cloudy sky above. The Shiki shrieked in pain as two other Setsus grinded their sabers into its twitchy shoulders, lodging them further in as blood oozed out.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Hoshio commanded, attracting the attention of all the Setsu who froze and glared back at her. ¡°Don¡¯t kill it yet. Stand down,¡± she requested, approaching them. Thunder flashed, creating a bright light that temporarily allowed them to see the Yori emblem on her chest. The two that had approached her, stopped in place and bowed down, catching her Setsu scent that she had been masking. ¡°Pack unit?¡± She stopped behind the Setsu.


    ¡°Pack five! Zensuke Shichirobei, ma¡¯am!¡± he said as sweat ran down the side of his forehead.


    ¡°AGHHHHRRHHHH!!!¡± The Shiki¡¯s head twisted all over the place in an effort to get free. The Setsu withdrew his second saber and stabbed it into the Shiki¡¯s back, causing it to let out another roar as another Setsu stepped off of its back and approached Hoshio.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill it?!¡± one of the Setsus asked as another added, ¡°That thing is a category 2 and already claimed a human life! It¡¯s under strict protocol to be slain!¡±


    ¡°Take it easy. I¡¯m Detective Hoshio of the Yori. That Shiki mustn¡¯t be slain yet,¡± she introduced herself, passing by the two. ¡°Do not forget it still has the memories of the boy. Those memories must be brought out and collected. Tampering with that process will result in punishment.¡±


    ¡°Collected?¡± the Setsu asked, only to be scolded by Neal.


    ¡°Baku, you lousy scrub. You¡¯re new here, shut up and watch instead of yapping! Captain lost his cool again. Bunch of scrubs, I hate all of you.¡± Neal smacked his head, causing the young Setsu to reach up and cover it as he got shoved aside.


    ¡°Well, at least explain it to me! I¡¯m terrible at remembering things, you know that. Don¡¯t be so cruel!¡± Baku whined at Neal, who watched Detective Hoshio step over a puddle.


    ¡°A basic Shiki needs negative Retsu and memories to sustain itself,¡± Lacy hit the side of Baku¡¯s head as she began to explain. ¡°During its final stage of life, it goes into a mindset of biting and passing on a virus. It¡¯ll go after a human. Once the human is bitten, the virus spreads into the body, forming into the Shiki. It gradually gains control of the brain, while growing within the human. It¡¯ll take a few days or even a month until it decides to get rid of its host. During that time, it hunts at night for human flesh. Sometime¡¯s the human may be able to hold it back, but if the human develops bad habits that create negative Retsu, the Shiki will grow stronger which speeds up its development. The easiest targets are children, teens and those who can¡¯t control their negative thoughts.¡± She eyed Baku, who seemed confused. ¡°Have I lost you yet?¡±


    Baku turned his head back to the Shiki. ¡°Woah, then that thing must have eaten a lot¡­¡± he uttered.


    ¡°Judging from that one¡¯s size, it must have eaten at least ten humans,¡± Lacy responded.


    Hoshio observed the Shiki, seeing the boy¡¯s soul at the center of the Shiki¡¯s body. ¡°The soul is still there, we can work with it,¡± she noted.


    ¡°The soul?¡± Baku inquired. ¡°Hey Lacy, do you know how this stuff even works?¡±


    Lacy sighed. ¡°Oh yeah, it¡¯s gonna be a long one though. I¡¯m not sure you¡¯ll remember it all.¡±


    ¡°Might as well tell me.¡±


    ¡°There are two kinds of phases. The one where it¡¯s healthy, and the one when it¡¯s on the verge of death. The healthy one primarily hunts children solely for their adrenochrome and some have managed to even hide in society. It¡¯s the very problem the Tensei and other civilizations are facing. That first phase¡­ they have no self control. If they can¡¯t find children, they¡¯ll get the next best thing: women. Men are the least preferred, as they typically exert the least amount of fear. When the healthy Shiki devours the human, it starts with the brain, so that it can gain the human¡¯s consciousness, it¡¯s soul. From within the Shiki, the soul will witness everything the Shiki does from that point on. Seeing such horrors will corrupt the soul, causing it to slip into negative emotions, which of course creates the negative Retsu that the Shiki lives on. The soul disappears when the shiki has used up the negative Retsu it has produced, but if the soul is saved before being used up, we¡­ the Tensei, can bring it into a resurrection state where it will manifest in a new body at a future point.¡±


    ¡°How is that?¡± Baku asked, scratching his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how the hell you got out of the academy and made it here. This is your job,¡± Lacy groaned and gave Baku a light slap on the cheek as she continued on. ¡°Listen up, you owe me for going through the trouble of telling you all of this.¡±


    ¡°The soul starts out as a sphere of light, representing positive Retsu. A portion of that sphere is turned black, and eventually the soul will completely turn black, emitting negative Retsu. The Shiki will completely drain that negative Retsu out of the soul for its use, and at that point, the soul will completely disappear. Thus, in order to maintain itself, the Shiki needs to continuously hunt each night while already exerting Retsu when fighting us. A Shiki can infiltrate anybody and that¡¯s how they¡¯ve destroyed civilizations in the past, causing them to war with each other, as it always sneaks itself to the top. In the event that it finds no humans to prey on and drains all of the souls it had stored, it¡¯ll slip into the survival phase. In the survival phase, it¡¯ll be short on time and thus, will attack any human it runs into. It¡¯ll only be able to register one bite and then ¡®die¡¯ shortly after. That single bite passes on the virus, and those toxins are only released in the survival phase. After it enters through the victim¡¯s wound, the individual becomes a host that has from four days up to a month before being disposed of. It absorbs the human¡¯s brain along with its memories and will push the soul back, whilst taking over. The Shiki will hunt down any humans the host had hatred for and when it¡¯s ready, it¡¯ll blow up the host¡¯s body, now ready to hunt for other humans to maintain its new corrupt existence.¡± She took a long breath after finishing.


    The other Setsus kept their Sabers lodged into the Shiki, wondering what was going on. Detective Hoshio circled the Shiki and then stopped in front of it. The Shiki tried stretching its neck in an attempt to take a bite out of her leg, but it didn¡¯t have enough Retsu to do so.


    Hoshio knelt down in front of it with a smile. ¡°If you tell us what we need to know, there¡¯s a reward in it for you. You¡¯ll be released.¡±


    All of the Setsus glanced at each other, concerned about what she had said. ¡°That¡¯s absurd!¡± ¡°Is she crazy?¡± The Shiki let out an odd laugh, followed by coughing.


    ¡°It¡¯s as you heard. We will set you free, outside of Osaka in exchange for some information,¡± she spoke meekly.


    One of the Setsus that was standing on the Shiki¡¯s shoulder barked at her, alarmed. ¡°SET IT FREE? WHA-¡± He stopped talking, halted by Detective Hoshio raising her hand up. She closed her eyes. A moment of silence allowed for the rain¡¯s presence to be felt. Drips clapped against the black pavement below and helped the Shiki ease itself.


    Detective Hoshio went on to telepathically ask. ¡°Life is quite beautiful, so many experiences for you to gain, experiences like this calming rain washing down on you¡­ do you remember the last time you experienced such sensations?¡± A sense of tranquility spread through the area. Two of the Setsu¡¯s rubbed their eyes sleepily.


    ¡°Rain¡­¡± the Shiki said in the voice of the boy that had been killed. Its eyes glimmered, becoming heavy.


    ¡°Yes, like the rain that splashes around when it¡¯s stepped on. The same one that¡¯s accompanied you on a trip to school not too long ago.¡± Her words brought back memories for the boy, which flashed in an arranged sequence of weeks prior to the current time.


    ¡°Yes¡­ rain, school¡­¡± The Shiki¡¯s eyes glowed a soft blue. Particles twinkled out, forming orbs that rotated around. Each had different memories. The boy seemed to be gaining control over the Shiki, only for it to force him back into painful submission.


    ¡°GRAHHHH!!! I¡¯LL TEAR YOU APART!!!¡± it blurted out, snapping its jaws at the nearest Setsu. It almost bit the Setsu¡¯s calf, but the Setsu jumped up and slammed her foot down on the Shiki¡¯s head.


    ¡°Meat¡­ meat¡­ perfect for feeding,¡± the Shiki started repeating. ¡°No protection here, voice said¡­¡± The Setsus looked at each other, bewildered by what it said.


    ¡°Tell us, who is this ¡®voice¡¯?¡± one of the Setsus on the Shiki¡¯s shoulder knelt over and asked, but the Shiki¡¯s behavior progressively grew worse.


    ¡°There¡¯s little time, it¡¯ll be disappearing soon,¡± Hoshio told the other Setsus as she walked up to it. ¡°Give us a name,¡± she spoke up, stepping away as the Shiki¡¯s neck flopped over and its claws tore into the concrete ground.


    ¡°CHASE!!!¡± it blurted out. The voice changed and it¡¯s mouth moved differently. ¡°Chase all you want, the fall is beginning¡­ Osaka, the Order, all will meet its end. We will ensure this.¡± The Shiki burped, releasing a thick grey smoke from its mouth as its body started to irregularly grow. The Setsus loosened their grip, sensing that something bad was about to happen. The Shiki gave off negative vibes rapidly. A mixture of emotions stirred within the Shiki coming from the child, and it progressed to the third phase, no longer able to keep itself together. Its body bloated up like a balloon.


    The Setsus that were mounted on the Shiki quickly left their sabers behind and grabbed Hoshio, all taking off towards the farthest pillars at random. The Shiki soon exploded, blowing hot green flames in all directions. These flames seared out of the driveway, severely burning the pillars and rupturing them in the process. The Setsus protected themselves by using their capes and after assuring the explosion subsided, they all stepped out from the pillars they had been behind.


    ¡°GARI!!!¡± Baku saw one of the Setsus whose leg had gotten caught in the explosion. The Setsu was wincing in pain, avoiding the sight of his missing leg.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stand around, go get him help! Everyone else secure the area!¡± Vasco ordered, going over to the Setsu¡¯s side. Dozens of orbs fluttered around holding streams of memories.


    ¡°Quickly! You! Capture the memories!¡± Hoshio ordered Baku to go over. At her command, he approached where the Shiki¡¯s crispy body laid. He shut his eyes and then opened them. A bright purple flash pulled all of the memories floating around into his eyes. He dropped to his knees, gripping the side of his head.


    ¡°The boy¡¯s memories, go through them.¡± Hoshio walked over and pressed her palm down on Baku¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± Baku clenched his eyes, waiting a moment for the memories to settle.


    ¡°His parents¡­ the home. What do you see?¡± Hoshio asked him, concerned.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard¡­ a door seems to be opening, there¡¯s arguing coming from the hallway. Something was thrown and he slammed the door shut¡­¡±


    ¡°Search through until you find memories of what transpired four nights ago. He must know what happened to those other children,¡± Hoshio ordered him.


    The Setsu found himself sinking into the memories of that day.


    The boy walked out of his house late at night, with troubled thoughts of his school life and his home life; the boy decided he couldn¡¯t stay any longer. It seemed that the fighting would never end. Every other day, his parents brought other people home. ¡°What¡¯s the point in being together?¡± He asked himself that question plenty of times, unable to come to a specific answer.


    Until one night arrived where his mother accused his father of cheating, and having a child with someone else. She claimed it to be with one of their friends who they¡¯d regularly go out for drinks with. Their voices died down when the boy sneaked out through the front. He made sure he had some holo-coins in his pocket, so that he could buy snacks.


    Feeling around his pocket, he was sure there was enough and tiptoed down the stairs as quietly as possible, until he reached the bottom and ran onto the sidewalk. He weighed life¡¯s ups and downs as he walked the two miles, sticking to the side of the road to avoid being run over by any hover cars. The night was really warm. The boy started to remember wanting to get a smoothie, which led to memories of other boys from his school picking on him after he defended a girl, who did nothing in return to help him. That girl actually joined in on teasing him. He couldn¡¯t understand why they were so mean. He wasn¡¯t aware of how ¡°children are conditioned into behaving that way, that those who teach them are the artists and beings people watch through social media.¡± That was the apparent answer given to him by the old man who worked as a cashier at the Taco Shell he went into.


    After buying himself the smoothie and nachos he craved, he sat down near the front door of the store and watched a few cars pull in for fuel and left afterwards. He lamented how he couldn¡¯t get up and leave, start a new life. He felt as though he deserved it. Negative seeds gradually sprouted, killing his desire to finish his nachos. He left the half eaten nachos within its bag and set it on the sidewalk.


    He really thought about what he was informed of within the Taco Shell. Still, it wasn¡¯t fair to him. He thought to himself again: could he continue on while constantly getting trampled upon? What action would he have to take to end this? He had spoken to his mother about transferring for the third time, but it didn¡¯t seem like that wouldn¡¯t change anything. What if the situation progressed to the point where he¡¯d be killed? He shivered vigorously. He¡¯d have to make a stand for himself, as it was better to act early than regret later. He thought about scaring the kids with a switchblade or one of the tools his father kept within their home. That¡¯d have to be the answer: scare those that tormented him.


    Just as he arrived at a solution, he stopped for a moment when he saw movement from the corner of his eyes. It came from the treeline. His initial reaction was to run, but he found himself frozen. The lighting from a nearby lamp offered sight only ten feet towards the treeline. From this darkness, a small nose sniffed. He compared it to a bunny¡¯s nose. Believing it to be an innocent creature, he approached, only to find out moments later that he was gravely mistaken.


    A beast walked out of the shadows, causing the boy to fall down. His knees quivered as he lost all sense of his bladder and urinated himself. The thing before him did not look like any animal he had ever seen. Drool started escaping its mouth, and the boy quickly returned to his feet, the sense of flight kicking in. As soon as he started to run, the creature leapt towards his back with ease, and chomped on his neck. The boy instinctively swung his elbow back in a struggle, connecting with the creature¡¯s jaw, causing it to get off of him. His desire to escape got him onto his feet, only for him to lose consciousness seconds later, while attempting to reach home.


    Baku couldn¡¯t continue, as he automatically gurgled and vomited at the sight of the child¡¯s gradual transformation. Having gotten the information needed, Hoshio taped Baku¡¯s shoulder to get him out of the boy¡¯s memory pool, and then rubbed the back of his head in an effort to calm his vomiting. ¡°Take it easy kid¡­¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting that¡­ calling it gross would be a huge understatement.¡± Baku shook his head back and forth, attempting to shake off the snot that dripped out of his nose. He pressed his palms up against his stomach, as the memories escaped through his eyes in the form of twinkles.


    ¡°Describe it,¡± Hoshio ordered, gently hitting the back of his head.


    Baku groaned, regretting that he volunteered. ¡°Night two, the host had nightmares of the boy named Hide. He went to the home and dragged Hide outside after snapping his neck in two. Hide is responsible for distracting the boy in his class. He¡¯s the one that took the boy¡¯s spot in their class lineup. Hide began messing with him. Other children saw this and thought it was funny how the teacher singled out the boy when he called Hide out on it. Night three, the Shiki spread further into the host¡¯s brain. Making him act on the urge to claim the two other children who messed with him that day. Hide hadn¡¯t gone to school, so the two children thought they¡¯d continue bullying the boy. The girl joined in, tossing the boy¡¯s bag into a ditch. His intentions were to get the girl that night, but the Shiki lost its control on him shortly after devouring the third victim. Hide and his entire family were found dead in their homes the following morning. On the fourth night, the Shiki seemed to do something different. It went after a random human, and I saw it taking the human to a factory. It seems to be an old one here in Osaka. East off towards the Tombasa ruins.¡±


    ¡°A factory?¡± Hoshio repeated.


    ¡°From what I could see, there was a logo that read ¡®Fillies.¡¯¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s weird¡­ we¡¯ll have to look into that. Did you see what it did with that pedestrian it took? What¡¯s in that factory?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see what it did with the human, but it left the factory without that human, so something did happen there. Negative vibes were emanating from that place. It was so strong, that the link I had to the memories was completely disconnected.¡± Baku released the pressure he had on his eyebrows. ¡°Berry, did you get all of that?¡± he asked a Setsu who had been recording on standby.


    Berry gave him a single nod. He finished taking final notes and turned off the recorder he had running. ¡°Okay, we have all the pieces to bring this case together.¡± Berry handed Hoshio the holo-pad with the organized details. The detective organized it all in her head after skimming through it in a little over fifteen seconds, and gave the others a nod.


    ¡°Perfect. It can go like this.¡± Hoshio cleared her throat. ¡°The troubled suspect known as Suu, age 10, left home late night as a way to escape his family troubles. On the way back home, he attracted a dying Shiki that bit him, beginning his transformation. The following nights, he targeted and devoured the classmates he had hatred for. Those that traumatized him, who themselves were traumatized victims that took up toxic mentalities the media exposed them too. That stirred the tragedy that occured. Okay, case resolved. A total of 6 parents will be taken in for reinstallation. Suu¡¯s class is to be visited. Track down the culprits that spread the toxic thought forms by taking the devices of the children and pulling up their search history. It may lead us to the responsible forces outside of Honshu. This case has been solved by a collaborative effort between Ikigai and Yori.¡± Berry finished taking his notes and the four returned to their respective vehicles. Each vehicle went a separate way while Hoshio headed to the boy¡¯s home, where reinstallation would occur.


    ¡°Cleansing Protocol A3, harsh.¡± Baku took one last glance to the parking building after his comment.


    ¡°That¡¯s how order is maintained, scrub. Shut up and get in.¡± Neal shoved him in the hover car.


    Once the reports were in, a total of five Yori officers headed over to the Moto residence. Ten Ikigai Setsu accompanied Hoshio for what would have to be done, and she could hear arguing coming from within the home already. ¡°Nothing¡¯s changed, even though their kid is gone,¡± she noted and shook her head. The Yori banged on their door until Suu¡¯s father opened the door, sweating profusely at the sight of the many officers.


    ¡°How can I help you?¡± he asked nervously in a raspy tone.


    ¡°Yori? Has my son been found?¡± The woman passed her husband, visibly bruised over her eyebrow.


    Neal quickly moved in not answering, and dropped the father to the ground. Many others stormed in right after him as the mother screamed in shock. She took a step away, but tripped over a chair. The two were quickly put to sleep after having gas blown across their faces, before being carried out to the trucks. ¡°We¡¯ll be taking them to the HQ now,¡± Hoshio was informed.


    ¡°It¡¯s a real shame,¡± Baku mumbled, stopping beside Hoshio.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let it get to you.¡± Hoshio brought out lipstick from her purse. She slid the see-through lipstick across her lip in order to moisten it, then continued. ¡°They¡¯ll have their memories wiped. They¡¯ll have new identities. They¡¯ll be trained to behave like decent humans. It¡¯ll be as if they are coming into this world as newborns, and the process should only take about 4 months. Once it¡¯s complete, they¡¯ll be put back into society and continue their lives in a completely different place where they won¡¯t add to the negativity that already exists in this world.¡± She looked up at the stars.


    Baku looked down to his feet and heard his partners from Ikigai 8 calling out to him. ¡°That sucks for them, don¡¯t you think?¡± He looked at Hoshio and waited for a response. Hoshio sighed, lamenting that this was the twelfth case in the last month.


    ¡°People shouldn¡¯t be with each other if they don¡¯t even understand themselves.¡± She shook her head. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have ever been able to understand each other. They would have passed that onto any other child they¡¯d have, and that child would grow to create more negativity. Many are subconsciously taught to behave ignorantly and not sympathize because of certain forces being handled in the Tensei courts. Regardless, these two were incapable of seeing eye to eye. Removing their memories, giving them new lives¡­ is better than killing them, don¡¯t you think? There¡¯s a negative influence out there looking to increase the amount of negative Retsu for their own twisted gain. If that happens, Osaka will fall. You make sure to remember that.¡± With that said, Hoshio walked down the stone path.


    ¡°Baku!!!¡± Lacy landed on his back, shaking him around. ¡°You can treat me to pocky on the way back!¡± She set her chin on his head and stared at Hoshio leaving. ¡°Hey, was that the famous detective Hoshio?! What¡¯d she tell you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±

 Chapter 15

    "12:35 a.m¡­. we''ve been here long enough. I don''t know how Senji stands this coffee smell for so many hours," Takumi muttered to himself irritatedly, and brought his sights to a camera screen displaying different angles of the cafe''s sidewalk.


    "Y-Your refreshmen-t, sir¡­" a child said, shyly.


    "Put it on the table," Takumi growled without looking.


    "You''re always grouchy about something, Takumi. Lighten up," Senji spoke across the cafe. "Good job, Touka." Senji gave her a pat on the back as she went off to the counter.


    "That thing should be in the area by now," Takumi silently thought to himself. "I''m gettin'' a headache just sitting here¡­ I need fresh air." A whistling breeze carried off empty bottles across the sidewalk, as Takumi observed. A floating clock above Takumi''s head continued to rotate as jazz music played, giving the place a sense of peace. A calm, drizzling rain persisted in front of the cafe''s entrance, sliding off the umbrellas they set earlier at Senji''s request.


    "This smell has to be lo''peva¡­ the components of the herbs are great for stimulating parts of the brain. Prepare some for when I return. I''d like to take some with me." Yoshigawa finished his cup of tea, peering into the cup to see a broken twig. "Ah¡­ a bad omen?"


    "With marshmellows?" Senji asked Yoshigawa, not having heard what Yoshigawa whispered to himself.


    "No- I mean, sure, in a bag. Those can go well with what Naomi has cooked for later."


    Inside the cafe, business wasn''t so fast paced anymore. There were only a few elderly Setsu sharing drinks, chattering about sports. Looking at their robes, Takumi assessed they were from the neighboring clan tasked with protecting that sector.


    "Those Zilt Chargers aren''t making it past four rounds, I''ll tell you now!" one of the Setsu shouted, pounding his chest, showing he still had a youthful spirit despite being in an aging body.


    "Pipe down before you rupture a lung, bag of bones," Takumi said from across the lounge, causing two of them to laugh. "The Chargers have Toto Shimizu on the floor. It''s been statistically proven, whenever he''s in deep waters¡­ there''s no one in Japan that can shut him down," Takumi shot back.


    "You youngsters chat too recklessly! Stats this, stats that¡­" the Setsu went on as the game continued to play holographically behind the counter. Rather than argue, Takumi sighed, shifting back to keeping to himself as the others continued on with their debates.


    Yoshigawa swung the pool stick he had in hand, slamming the end of the stick onto the pool table. He aimed and hit an assortment of small colorful balls, as the jazz music slowed down in the background.


    "Would you like to try some caramel shil vah?" Senji held out a cup.


    The question made Takumi squint his eyes. "No, I''m good¡­ the smell is enough. You do realize, you''ve been filling me with drinks, dude. If I didn''t know you, I''d be suspicious."


    "Nothing is better than an honest take on my drinks, Takumi."


    Contrary to Takumi''s comment, Yoshigawa sniffed, loving the aroma of cocoa. "Imported right from England, huh? Man, that flavor''s the best! It''ll get you craving for more later," Yoshigawa teased.


    "English coffee goes well with many of the desserts we serve here. It''s not something you find everywhere in Japan, but sales for it have been dropping since you know¡­ the dilemma you two are helping with tonight," Senji responded, striking Yoshigawa''s shoulder on his way back to the front counter. Yoshigawa exaggerated, flopping and rolling along the table before continuing his game of pool as they waited. He leaned up when he heard a beeping sound coming from Senji''s watch.


    Senji proceeded to ask, "Is your father managing well? I forgot to ask earlier. He''s in England right now, right?"


    "Yeah, busy in his world and¡­ it??s time to go already?! I''d chill and chat if I could, but the faster I get this done, the more time I can spend with Naomi! We didn''t see each other at all last week." Yoshigawa dropped his head, laying across the table for a moment, only for Takumi to pull him back up by his shoulder.


    "Come on, we have school tomorrow. I want to get home and practice for a little. It''ll help the annoying squirt stay away from me, too."


    "Aw, but Taaaaai, it''s rainy. Whenever my surroundings are wet, you know I get sleepy bro," Yoshigawa complained for a moment, only to place down the pool stick back on the pool table.


    "Don''t forget these." Senji walked over to a closet compartment and after some searching, tossed two brown coats over to the pair. Takumi caught them and handed Yoshigawa one.


    "Huh? Why the cafe''s uniform?" Yoshigawa asked. "We gonna serve coffee or something!? Hahaha!"


    "It should aid in luring that beassst," Senji responded.


    "We almost forgot¡­ thanks Sen," Takumi mumbled as Yoshigawa checked his out, flailing it around in search of defects.


    "Aw man, this is pretty stylish now that I''ve put it on." Yoshigawa slid the coat on and flicked the hood on, modeling it for the two.


    "I''d imagine Naomi would find it dashing on you," Senji raised his hand over his mouth and hissed quietly in laughter while Takumi''s eyebrow twitched in annoyance to Yoshigawa bringing out his phone and taking a quick picture.


    "They''re not supposed to be stylish, they''re for masking our Retsu¡­ come on," Takumi grabbed a hold of Yoshigawa''s hood, blocking him from taking a second photo and gave him a single tug, as they headed for the door. The pair exited the bright warmth of the cafe to get hit by a chilly breeze that swept in from the dark night. Leaves soon swept across their pants, fluttering across the empty street. One of the leaves brushed onto Takumi''s hair as he pulled the hood over his head.


    ???Hang on, let me get that for you wro." Yoshigawa reached into Takumi''s hood and flicked the leaf away. "Thanks," Takumi said, tilting his head up to a flickering post sign at the other end of the street.


    From the camera that Senji had set behind the alley, a figure was visible. Takumi and Yoshigawa saw it through Takumi''s phone. Senji had granted them access to his camera earlier so they''d know when it was there.


    "It''s right on time, like he said it''d be¡­" Takumi looked over to his left side. There weren''t any people around, only closed store fronts. An empty hover-bus passed, as the pair watched it wash away the water that accumulated along the sidewalk, practically overflowing the sewage bars.


    "So, Sen thinks that¡­ that thing ate his pet dog and we just have to catch it?" Yoshigawa asked.


    "Yep, pretty much."


    "Does that include ripping it open?"


    "Possibly," Takumi responded.


    "Alright fam, don''t miss a beat. It''s been ages since we played catch." Yoshigawa slid his hands into his pocket and grasped his keys nonchalantly.


    "I guess so¡­ not like it was much fun," Takumi responded.


    "Lighten up Tai," Yoshigawa smiled at Takumi.


    "Remember the plan, wait for me to get into position¡­" Takumi yanked Yoshigawa back before he had a chance to run ahead, and walked ahead of him, over to the corner that''d lead into the alley. Once there, he signaled Yoshigawa to come over to the car they strategically set right in front of the alley.


    Yoshigawa chuckled, doing his best to hold back the excitement he felt. He strolled over to the car, humming until he began to ramble randomly for added effect. "Succccchhhh a long day at work!!! Gosh, Marie! When will I catch a break?! Got bills, gotta feed the guppies, so many car payments, debt. Repeating the same things every day is tiring! What was I thinking to have bought such an expensive HOVER-CAR!?" His loud voice echoed throughout the area. The only sound besides his voice was that of passing cars, splashing aside water that they passed over.


    "I can''t believe I got drunk without bringing someone along¡­ how am I gonna drive home?! Maybe I''ll take a moment to look at social media, give my yummy body time to detox." Yoshigawa burped, as he pretended to stumble about when he got near the alley. He reached into his pockets and ravaged through them, then tossed some random crumbled papers over his shoulder and tripped up against the car. As he lifted his head from the hunched position, he spotted a shadowy figure. He hit his cheek on the window, rubbed against its slick surface and then glanced at the reflection in the mirror. A pair of glowing yellow eyes swayed. "Checking me out, eh?" he smirked.


    "Alright! Where did I put my keys, huh?!" Yoshigawa quickly twirled around, and in that instance, caught a glimpse of the Night Stalker ducking. Its black ears twitched, as it sat above the dumpster, listening closely to Yoshigawa''s ramblings.


    Yoshigawa stumbled around in a clumsy way as he dug around in his coat for the car keys. "I can''t find my keys! Jeez, this is not good, I''m so vulnerable! Someone can sneak up on me and really take advantage. I could be in big, big trouble right about now!" Yoshigawa spoke louder and banged his palm against the glass of his car, pretending that he was trying to look inside and wipe the fog off the window. All the while, he kept an eye on the reflection as the Night Stalker rose from its concealed position.


    Taking this as a sign that Yoshigawa wasn''t paying attention, the Night Stalker crept out of the dim alleyway and crept on all fours. It sniffed at the ground, rubbing its nose into a murky puddle and sneezed, tumbling back before laying its eyes up ahead. It didn''t sense any strong Retsu, meaning there was no threat to it. Assuming Yoshigawa was human, the Night Stalker rose to its hind legs, shifting from six feet to ten feet. It walked directly towards Yoshigawa and swung its paws high up, slapping one of its floppy ears behind its shoulder in the process.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Yoshigawa smirked as his fangs elongated past his lips. He lowered his hood as the wind whipped his orange hair around. "AHA!!! GOTCHA, BIG FELLA!!!" He whipped his arms around and pointed at the large creature that stumbled back, surprised by the weird behavior. "YOU''RE SO FLUFFY!"


    Yoshigawa punched his palm and took a step forward, getting a good look at the Night Stalker. It was nothing like the prolific killer he had imagined. It seemed less threatening, aside from its height and shrunken eyes. Its entire body was patched in dark fur that was now wet due to the current rainfall.


    "But¡­ being a total creep out here, that''s not cool. You see, there''s a lot of Shiki activity and it''s getting in the way of business, so we''re going to need you to cooperate. I see you need a haircut, too. Just so happens tonight, I can show you a thing or two on cutting things,??? Yoshigawa rambled on, to Takumi''s annoyance.


    The Night Stalker continued creeping out towards Yoshigawa, not noticing Takumi. The outer lining of its body resembled a wolf, except a series of thorns stuck out of its back and its face resembled a child''s. The creature scanned Yoshigawa in a crazed manner, attempting to process what was truly in front of it and what the being was saying. Suddenly, it saw a misty aroma seep up over Yoshigawa and wash down past it. In that very moment, it knew that what stood before it wasn''t a human, nor an ordinary Setsu. It was much more dangerous¡­ a Rikuto.


    Its instincts to get away kicked in, as a device within its head alerted it to escape. Without a second look, the Night Stalker turned to retreat back into the alley, but abruptly stopped when it saw Takumi come from the corner over to the front of the alley, blocking its way through.


    "Woah! Not so fast pal! Lemme hook you up! The cut''s free," it heard Yoshigawa shout behind it as it stepped back, staring at Takumi, who clenched his eyes shut before opening them again. The young Hachi emitted an intense purple glow that nearly blinded the Night Stalker with a surgical flow, forcing it to temporarily look away until the brightness decreased. It soon realized there were now two walls of purple flames at the ends of the sidewalk that prevented it from escaping. Its shoulders tensed up when Takumi lowered his hood, his Retsu revealing that he too was a Rikuto.


    "Yo Tai, I sorta realized¡­  and believe me, I know it''s weird to bring this up at a moment like this¡­  but you smell like grapes. What kind of conditioner you been hiding wro?" Yoshigawa''s voice passed over the Night Stalker.


    "Seriously?" Takumi found himself appalled. Unlike Yoshigawa, the Night Stalker didn''t want to find out any of that. It twisted its head over and stepped back further, aiming its head for the alley as it dropped onto all fours.


    "It''s cruel to keep that sort of stuff from me! You''re pulling a Rae!"


    "Now''s not the time Shima¡­ ask me again later," Takumi responded back, cutting the chit-chat short. Takumi slid out a pair of gloves from his pocket with a sigh. He slid the white glove onto his right hand and after fitting it, slid his black glove onto his left hand. He signaled Yoshigawa to get closer to it as he raised his left black gloved hand to his side. His black claws came together to form a sharp tip as he took calm strides towards the Night Stalker.


    "Despite my hatred for the Tensei, I shall be your slayer tonight as Ale-" Takumi stopped himself from saying the full name, dodging that formality.


    Each footstep made the Night Stalker more uneasy until it couldn''t handle the pressure bearing down onto it any longer. Seeing that it was about to do something crazy, Takumi dropped his arms to his side, then swiped his right hand in front of himself. The black merged claws came apart, stretching further out of his black glove.


    As soon as Yoshigawa started running towards it, the creature dashed towards Takumi on all fours. He prepared to defend against it, but instead of engaging, the Night Stalker shook its tail side to side, furiously blowing thick quills Takumi''s way and like an eruption, propelled itself high up over Takumi, who slashed away all of the quills that rained down on him.


    The creature landed against the side of the building, behind the pair. It eyed Takumi and growled at him, then pounced on the end of the opposite wall. The way it crawled along the wall resembled an erratic spider. Its claws lodged into the wall tightly, tearing chunks of the structure back.


    Takumi whipped his coat aside to reveal a silver pistol within the holster he had on his belt. The ridge of the Woshu weapon molded into a liger that had a menacing vibe coming from it. Seeing Takumi reach down for it made the Night Stalker drop down within the alley until it landed on the wobbly gate and sprung off, into perceived safety.


    "Shoot it down, wro!" Yoshigawa shouted, slapping Takumi''s shoulder.


    "I''ll use the Incisor later, Shima. There''s no point in wasting my Retsu here." Takumi glanced over his shoulder. "Get in your car. We''ll intercept it."


    "Open up baby, we''ve got somewhere to be!" At his voice command, a brimming green light ignited below Yoshigawa''s vehicle. The door opened and he got in and watched Takumi disappear into the darkened alley.


    "WOOOOOOHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO The chase is on!!! Get in, let''s go!!!"


    "Get comfy daddy," the car replied back in a mature woman''s voice. Yoshigawa smiled as he started the car while the door closed, releasing a cool breeze. He drove onto the road and sped down the empty Sakai streetline in a blitz.


    "That thing''s fast." Takumi kept himself low and dashed at a moderate pace, making sure that it didn''t escape his sight. His once dark purple eyes flickered on once more, making it easier for him to follow the trail of black particles that the beast was leaving behind.


    The Night Stalker tore through the dirty ground below it, chucking chunks of debris back with each step it took. It didn''t bother looking back until it sensed danger coming closer and closer. Just as it looked back, a bright flash of purple light flashed towards it, but the Night Stalker jumped out, twirling away from the purple blast that continued on up into the night sky. "Tsk," Takumi sucked his fangs.


    It had narrowly avoided the purple flames and tumbled out of the alley. The radiational heat emitted from this flame momentarily stunned the creature, whose eyes had been blinded. A random man who''d been taking off his helmet found his bike was overturned, not being able to see the invisible force that''d blown him over. All the while, the Night Stalker shook its head back and forth and released a series of black thorns out of its back that shot randomly throughout the sidewalk. A group of late night drinkers who were just turning the corner scrambled away and only saw the street lights near the alley explode with a "POP." Indentations were made onto cars near them as they were unaware of what was really going on.


    Glass spread out everywhere and the Night Stalker ran up to a traffic light, searching for a path to take. There was only one way. The cars were still passing by at full speed and it had no other choice. It''d have to risk either being struck by one of the speeding hover-cars or plummet into the ocean hidden in the darkness below the pass.


    With limited time to act, the Night Stalker took a leap¡­ and miraculously landed on one of the passing hover-cars that breezed by. It almost lost its grip, but tore its claws into the metallic roof of the car, as it stared down at the darkness the hover car passed over in relief. Its tail flicked over, striking the car''s glass window. The driver heard the glass window crack and looked back, but before he could say much, he felt the pressure that had dropped down on the car lighten. The Night Stalker had hopped off and landed on another car. It hopped from hood to hood, with the intention of reaching the sidewalk that was across from the one Takumi arrived at.


    Reaching the sidewalk, Takumi glanced down and saw the Night Stalker getting away. He grit his fangs, displeased at how the creature forced him to chase. "It''s gonna get captured anyway. Why make it hard for me!?" Takumi grumbled in his head.


    Quickly making it across the intersection, the creature front-flipped onto the sidewalk and looked up to the platform where it had been, expecting to see the young Setsu still on the other end. To its surprise, Takumi was jumping from car to car, following along closely, headed straight towards it. Stepping off of the final car, Takumi rose up high and grabbed onto the top of a 12 feet light pole. His black glove allowed him to firmly grip the surface as he dug his claws into it and skimmed the sides, coming down the pole towards the Night Stalker.


    Takumi drew his Incisor once more upon landing and just as he was about to shoot, he took note of a woman approaching with a little boy and quickly slid the hand behind his back. The Night Stalker took advantage of that, as it stepped into the shade that the alley provided.


    The boy glanced over to the alley up ahead, looking for something, anything interesting. To his horror, he caught sight of the Night Stalker''s filthy teeth, followed by the terrifying face that poked out from the corner of the alley. The little boy stopped his mother by tugging at her sleeve. "Mommy! Don''t go that way, there''s a tiger baby monster thing over there¡­" he warned. However, his mother laughed and lifted him up into her arms, brushing the child''s warning aside.


    The Night Stalker glared over at the child and had the urge to attack the two humans, but it heard the click of a pistol. Takumi had walked behind the woman and aimed the weapon in the Night Stalker''s direction, ready to shoot it down if it attempted to lunge at the two humans.


    The Night Stalker let them pass by without harming them and instead used it as a chance to take off. The little boy nudged his mother''s shoulder, asking if she didn''t notice the monster and his mother laughed. "Honey, you''re imagining things. Just look at the pretty city lights." The little boy looked on, doing as his mother told him as she snuggled him in her arms. He pressed his cheek against her shoulder and looked back, only to see Takumi, with his pistol aimed at the Night Stalker. The child''s eyes widened and blinked, as he moved his hands up. He rubbed his eyes and when he looked again, neither Takumi nor the Night Stalker were there.


    "SSSWWWWWWWWWWUUUUU!!!" Yoshigawa''s car sped through the city streets, ignoring the stop lights. He set his sights on the corner he was just about to turn and spun the wheel over, allowing him to swerve into the lane. The street lights made the road ahead a visible yellow and the back of the car shook back and forth. "Come on, baby! Faster!" He tapped the shift knob, speaking to the A.I. within the car.


    At the center of the knob, the female A.I. came out and twirled over to his shoulder in the form of a holographic idol. "Yes daddy, amping it up to two hundred kilometers per hour!" A green light flared out of the exhaust pipe behind Yoshigawa''s car, blowing his vehicle faster through the lane.


    Yoshigawa smirked and asked, "How long to our destination?"


    "Four minutes," the A.I. answered back just when at the corner of his eye, Yoshigawa saw a woman stumbling down a series of stone steps that led to the top of the Minami Alps National Park. He quickly commanded the car to "stop!", causing the A.I. to fly up against the windshield face-first due to the abrupt halt, leading it to erupt into coding as Yoshigawa twisted his head over to see through the back window.


    "Back it up, baby! Reverse!" The car''s tail lights blinked on and off wildly, and she did as she was told, moving back and parking on the sidewalk.


    Yoshigawa peered through his window and took note that the woman had her hand over her shoulder where blood was dripping down. He jerked his seatbelt off. "Could it be¡­ a Stray attack and no Ikigai around? Hurry, open the door baby!" he ordered his car and stepped out, nearly stumbling over.


    Yoshigawa looked to both ends of the street. Seeing that there weren''t any lights moving in, he crossed the street quickly and caught the woman just as she collapsed forward. She wheezed as her eyes expressed fear¡­ eyes that made Yoshigawa remember something unpleasant briefly. A girl with light green hair in a boy''s arms crossed his mind.


    He shook his head to get the thought out and asked the woman, "What happened?!" She struggled to raise her hand and pointed up towards the park. "My d-daughter¡­" Her hand dropped down and her head tilted. Yoshigawa quickly moved his head down to her chest to check for a pulse.


    Her heart was still beating. In order to stop the bleeding, Yoshigawa removed his jacket and ripped some of the fabric off. He tried adjusting it over her wound and released green twinkling particles from his fingertips. These particles went into the fabric and tightened on the wound. He then adjusted her beside a street lamp and set his attention to the park. An ominous vibe with negative Retsu flowed down the stairs. It reeked of death and fresh blood.


    "Damn¡­" Yoshigawa glanced around, catching the scent of many other Shikis. With little choice, he reached into his pocket and brought out his phone to make a call.


    "Lord Fukushima, where have you been?! We''ve been worried sick!!! How many times have I told you not to turn off your locator?!" A British woman''s voice blared out of the phone, forcing Yoshigawa to hold it away from his ear. He gave her a second to ramble and then put it on speaker.


    "Yeah yeah! You know I don''t want you tailing me around¡­ unless I need you, which I do now!" Yoshigawa explained with little time. "I turned the locator on now. Kara, bring Zumepaki and get a hold of an Ikigai pack or two. There''s trouble over here."

 Chapter 16

    Sliding his phone back into his pocket, Yoshigawa jumped onto the third step and bolted up, ignoring a chilly breeze that washed down the steps. "Come to think of it¡­" He realized it wouldn''t be wise of him to go straight in, as numerous Shiki were likely awaiting.


    "It''s gotta be Shikis hiding in this park¡­ but so many of them? What a pain. Still¡­ whoever''s behind this could be a problem, so it''s best to deal with it now than have Naomi sent over!" He paused for a second. "Is her pack patrolling these parts? Or someone else''s?"


    Certain of what he''d do, Yoshigawa shifted his direction and dove over a railing to his right. He rolled up onto his feet in two front rolls and pat the grass below him, leaving an imprint of his palm. This mark released a toxin that oozed towards the sky. Though not traceable by just anyone, it''d alert Yoshigawa''s watchdogs of his current location.


    "They''re gonna hound me to no end, but oh well¡­ can''t be helped." Yoshigawa messed his hair around with his free hand, then snapped his fingers and stood up, focusing on the current matter. He dusted some of the small grass that got on his black jeans and sniffed. After taking this precautionary measure, he ruffled his dark orange hair around a second time and advanced up the rocky path within the park. The eeriness could easily disturb anyone else, but Yoshigawa kept himself composed on his ascent.


    "It''s darker than usual here¡­ a Gando Zone?! It''s gotta be a strong Shiki controlling others." Yoshigawa unrestricted his Setsu side in order to heighten his senses. His eyes went from dark oak orange to green, emitting a glimmering green light that brightened his path.


    Yoshigawa jumped from tree to tree, nearly stumbling into one, before stopping beside the large dark tree to scope out the area. "Good timing!" he told himself, laughing as he tapped the tree and looked around to make sure there wasn''t anyone nearby.


    "I almost ran into ya¡­" Before he could finish his sentence, the scent of fresh blood became stronger, reminding him of why he was there in the first place. The area ahead was denser and creepier. He felt eyes on him, confirming that he''d stepped into a territory that Shikis were attempting to claim.


    "Aren''t gonna take the bait?" He purposely stepped on twigs as he continued on to see if the entities observing him from the tree canopies would attack and give up their positions. Aside from tree branches rustling, nothing else happened, prompting Yoshigawa to press on. The further he went up, the sound of his shoes stepping over small rocks was replaced by the sound of crickets chirping as he was now on soil.


    He leaned down low, crouching over, now closer to the area where the scent emanated from. Yoshigawa progressed steadily on all fours, until he felt the ground become muddy when he passed an area that didn''t have many trees. Rain washed down over him, prompting him to get up and dash behind a tree ahead.


    "Aw damn, my gloves¡­  and look, those things became fans, followin'' me¡­" Yoshigawa laughed at himself and grazed his hands together to remove the dirt once he was between two dry trees. "If an autograph is what you want, just ask! No need to be shy!" Yoshigawa yelled up to the treelines above, receiving no response. Water droplets continued dripping from the leaves that were above Yoshigawa. The droplets twinkled down, kissing Yoshigawa''s cheeks when he took notice of a shadow moving up above.


    Yoshigawa''s expression became a serious one as he turned his attention back to the playground. He reached down and tossed a stick up to one of the branches above, causing some nocturnal birds to flock off as he moved his head around scanning the area.


    "Luring me into a false sense of security?" he questioned, finally reached the last tree. He knelt down and increased his sight, since the humid weather created a fog that thickened with the rain coming down on the rubber ground of the playground ahead.


    "Been a while since I used it for something serious like this," he snickered, internally agitated. "What''s a good excuse to give them for why I wound up in this park? Maybe¡­ I was driving by and¡­ a lass lured me here? Then, she got eaten¡­ but not by me, in the way I would''ve liked?" He sighed, preferring to not recall the fact he has to pretend to be a pervert in his estate.


    An acorn dropped down on his head, as if nature itself were telling him to focus. He rubbed the back of his head and clapped his hands together, holding them against his forehead to block the strong rain coming down. Different areas were being filled with puddles of water. A few light posts made some areas visible, but all of them suddenly flickered, turning off one by one. Yoshigawa would have remained still if it weren''t for a wet wind brushing into the bushes where he hid, prompting him to lift up his hood in order to avoid being drenched a second time. The hood pushed his orange hair in front of his eyes, so he pushed it to the side.


    From his point of view, he only noticed a large shadowy figure and what seemed to be a long tail swaying side to side. "That can''t be a lion¡­ can it? Did a lion break outta the zoo? No¡­ that tail isn''t normal. That thing''s easily eight feet¡­ and reeks of negative Retsu."


    Yoshigawa studied the mass further. It was crouched beneath a large playground slide, so it wasn''t easy to see. From its position and the sound of crunching, it was munching on something. He now spotted small black figures he could make up. To his shock, there were Shikis feasting on small human bodies, as the fresh pool of blood spread out from underneath the monstrosity. Yoshigawa immediately sprung out of the bush, the movement alerting the creature as the quills along its tail bent backwards, materializing into a long grey tail. It whipped up, pointing in Yoshigawa''s direction, notifying the surrounding Shikis. Seeing there was no point in remaining in his position, Yoshigawa jumped out onto the playground.


    "Okay, okay. You found me. Now what?"


    It twisted its head back with a shrilling horse-like neigh. It had a slab of pale flesh between its rows of teeth. The closer Yoshigawa got, the more he saw. The slab was a portion of a young adult''s disfigured face, torn from its cheekbone. Behind the beast, the individual''s mauled body twitched, rising up like a zombie. It had now turned into a low-level Shiki, but before it could pass into the fading light of a nearby lamp post, the beast chomped on it, gulping the body up in two bites. The only thing left behind was one of the bloodied shoes, with part of the foot still inside.


    Yoshigawa''s inner heart gem spiked up, his killing intent now at a boiling point. He cracked his knuckles, as sheer rage and disgust filled him up. "How dare¡­  you?!" Yoshigawa howled, gazing at the rumbling monster just ahead. It tried cocking its head aside to show off its muscular chest, but Yoshigawa had no fear as he took in the slightest movement the beast made.


    The murderous energy ignited the humid atmosphere, as the beast stepped out of the darkness of the playground slides to let out a low belch. The light coming from the nearby lamp post reflected against the puddles of water that formed randomly along the playground. Shaking side to side, it grabbed a hold of the shoe and chucked it overhead. Yoshigawa watched it pounce up, devouring it in a single gulp as it crashed back down into the amassing puddles. The impact drifted water in Yoshigawa''s direction, as a dozen of the lesser Shiki rushed him, only to find themselves outmaneuvered by Yoshigawa.


    Blood stained the creature''s brown mane and trickled down the Shiki''s paws with each step it took. The impact caused the ground to rumble, its paws stomping down one by one; it had a set of six smaller legs between its main legs and its hind legs. These paws were sharper than the ones in the front and the back, as they served to tear its prey apart and pull the limbs into the Shiki''s mouth, located at the center of its stomach. The Shiki''s facial construction resembled that of a horse''s, yet its cheek bones were far wider than a normal horse''s. Complete with a curved smile that such a maniacal eyesore would have, it showed off its squared teeth that still had flesh sticking out of them.


    "Is the pack assigned to this area not doing their job or what?" Yoshigawa asked.


    "A pack¡­ of food? Goigar ate those earlier," The Shiki teased, as Yoshigawa adjusted his left hand in his pocket.


    "Ssssrrrrrrrrrrr," the large Shiki let out another bellow as its eyes adjusted to what was before it. The distance between Yoshigawa and the Shiki was about thirty feet. Yoshigawa strolled into the lighting of the playground, pulling his hand slowly out of his pockets.


    The Shiki saw everything in a dark blue near Yoshigawa''s pocket, and an even darker blue swirled around his fist, alerting the Shiki to fight. The Shiki burped, as a thick grey foggy substance blew out of its mouth.


    "Arrrhhh¡­ another meal has stumbled into Goigar''s den!"


    Remembering the partially eaten face of the victim, Yoshigawa''s eyes shot open as his hair rose up. His irises flickered on, emitting a green electrical light. The creature dug its claws into the ground and prepared to lunge towards Yoshigawa. With an inflamed look, Yoshigawa simply uttered, "Disappear."


    Retsu fluttered out, causing Yoshigawa''s hair to blow back as he extended his arm out. A long green crystalized shard encased his arm and wires tangled along the fingers of his other hand coming out of his pocket. In a single thrust, the wires spread high up, disappearing into the misty sky and flickered on like Christmas decorations. Yoshigawa emitted his Retsu into them and the wires swayed around until they snapped, taking the form of a school of translucent green eels frantically swimming about, connected by the wires.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    The rain whipped sideways as the Shiki slashed its tail back to the playground, smashing through two trees. Its tail broke apart into a set of four large quills that parted and came down on Yoshigawa from left to right. The ends of the quills enclosed, so Yoshigawa wouldn''t be able to easily get through, but as the quills pressed against Yoshigawa, they were not only repelled, but shredded to pieces, seemingly by nothing.


    "RRROOOOARRRR!!!" Goigar dug its paws into the ground, hunching over behind its powerful hind legs. The Shiki boomed straight towards Yoshigawa, dodging the sharp tendrils his eels shot down at it.


    A thunderous flash of green light rose up into the sky like a flare that brightened the area for three seconds, attracting the attention of passersby in the distance. From afar, Takumi caught sight of it and abruptly stopped in his tracks. He then heard the thunder strike.


    "Shima''s Retsu?! That''ll get attention from the Ikigai," he thought to himself, but didn''t have time to question it. "You better be safe, Shima!" Takumi focused on the Night Stalker, who front-flipped over and turned to face him briefly.


    Takumi swiped his left arm to his side protectively upon seeing that the creature released a series of sharp thorns that headed directly towards him from twenty feet away. Takumi knelt forward and started running towards the thorns. As the thorns came in close, he looked over to a trash can and stepped onto it, gaining momentum to run along the wall, narrowly avoiding the thorns that continued through the alley while Takumi was airborne. Although Takumi had avoided the spikes, a homeless man who had been sleeping soundly beside a large trash bin, wasn''t as lucky. He was woken up by the sudden commotion and when he had turned his head, a single thorn pierced through his left eye socket and passed right through his head, as his body collapsed backwards and his life came to a swift end.


    Takumi saw the man''s body collapse as he was suspended in the air; though his sense of care was absent initially, he felt pity for a brief moment. Though he may have not known that pedestrian, he was well aware that the man could have had a family. With this in mind, Takumi took advantage of the fact that he was right above the Night Stalker.


    The Night Stalker shot more thorns into the sky in an attempt to impale the Setsu, but Takumi slashed them away with his claws and came down with the pointed tip of his sharpened arm. He nearly landed a devastating strike to the top of the Night Stalker''s head, but the creature abruptly stopped and made a u-turn onto the walls of the buildings ahead. Takumi smashed his arm down onto the ground, blowing chunks of debris up into the air. He quickly adjusted his sights on the Night Stalker, who now scaled the walls of the building like a spider once more.


    It was headed straight for a little girl who was gazing out of her window, visibly spaced out as she was taking in the air. Seeing that the creature was headed up towards the little girl''s window, Takumi yelled "WATCH IT!", startling the child. Confused where the voice came from, the little girl turned her head back and forth. She was just about to glance down, when the Night Stalker breezed past her windowsill, knocking her back as the curtains continued to violently whip about. Takumi quickly lunged up and landed on her windowsill, giving the child a scary glare that caused her to whimper and jump back when she was just about to stand up. "ACK!!!" she squealed, shutting her eyes.


    After four seconds of silence, she opened her eyes and the first thing she noticed was Takumi''s purple eyes, which complemented the golden moon behind him as he remained knelt on her windowsill. His presence gave her a strange sense of tranquility. The sounds of the busy street below made it a bit difficult for the girl to hear him as Takumi spoke. "This is more annoying than I expected¡­"


    Takumi turned his head up, poking it out to see that the Night Stalker was jumping from windowsill to windowsill, getting further away. "Close this window, kid. Don''t you know there''s danger lurking in the night?" he growled as she noticed his fangs. A breeze blew through, causing her curtains to flutter, blocking Takumi''s view. She ran over to the window to move it aside, but Takumi wasn''t there anymore. She rubbed her eyes as Takumi dropped back down, having almost forgotten to do something important. He flashed a bright purple light out of his eyes, which enveloped her eyes, causing her to drop back and sleep. From within the home, her father heard the noise, but when he went to check, he only found her tucked in her bed as he went and shut her window.


    Takumi swung onto a fire escape, which shook for a second, but settled right after Takumi climbed the ladder and jumped onto a balcony, making his way up. Though the Night Stalker wasn''t in sight, Takumi could still sense the negative Retsu. He continued his way up easily, until he finally reached the rooftop. He was forced to jump back down to a lower ledge as the creature had shot out a series of thorns that flew overhead.


    A single bat formed out of the Gumi Cafe overcoat Takumi wore. It sprouted out of his shoulder and flew up to gauge the Shiki''s position. The Night Stalker looked over towards it and slouched up on its hind legs, bearing its rows of teeth. Its glowing yellow eyes suddenly heated up to a dark orange. A loud shriek came from the Night Stalker, who swiped its claws into the roof below it, causing gravel to soar up towards the bat, which maneuvered past the rocks and came down in an attempt to latch onto the creature''s face. Before it had the chance, the creature turned away and bolted.


    "SHHHREEEHHH!!!"


    Takumi had jumped up, but upon being met with the altered shriek, he was forced to slap his palms against his ears. The Night Stalker took this moment to make it to the end of the building''s ledge. Takumi forced himself to stand back up, ignoring the strong ringing, and elongated his black claws. Acting quickly, he swapped the tips of his claws in front of himself.


    A clean purple line of Retsu was shot straight towards the Night Stalker in the form of exuberant flames that burned strongly, stimulated by the atmosphere that surrounded it. This flame only lasted three seconds before being extinguished, but it was enough to burn across the beast''s right thigh in time, causing the creature to lose the feeling of it''s right leg. "Now, I''ll never lose track of you," Takumi smirked.


    The Night Stalker stumbled over, as the stinging sensation spread through its entire leg from the opening. It was as if dozens of needles were picking at a scab, repeatedly making the wound deteriorate. The irritation drove the beast mad as it desperately crawled off in struggling limps. With Takumi walking and getting closer, the beast looked down to the long drop below, where cars passed and people moved through the street, enjoying their night life.


    Takumi''s purple eyes glimmered as he telepathically told the beast, "You won''t survive if you jump off this time." Instead of waiting for him to get any closer, it leapt off of the ledge and landed on the ledge of another building, its claws saving it from falling down into the oncoming traffic below. Kicking with one leg and its tail, it managed to push itself back up onto the ledge using its hind legs; after establishing its balance, it jumped up to another ledge and onto another rooftop.


    Takumi sighed, resuming the pursuit he thought had ended. He could have caught it then and there, but wanted the Night Stalker to give up on its own accord. Takumi''s Setsu side made him subconsciously crave the chase instead of just ending it. He dashed to the end of the ledge and in a single quick step, jumped up, before gracefully landing down. He glanced down to the trail of orange blood that the creature left behind, making sure not to step on it. If the beast bled out, it''d surely die. "Gotta figure out where this thing came from¡­"


    Following this trail, he stopped at the end of the rooftop and scanned the area. An ominous wind whipped his bangs back as he caught sight of a swirling portal. The Night Stalker limped towards it and Takumi jumped down, landing on his knee. He was about to rush at it with the intention of completing the hunt, but his Setsu senses told him to quickly lunge back, which Takumi did.


    A series of daggers shot down, stabbing into the ground just in front of him. "Huh?" Takumi paused, before evading a second round of daggers raining down on his position by hopping backwards. Scanning these, he noted that they were sturdy and weren''t actually made of metal. "Formed from Retsu. Whoever is greeting me has skill."


    A passing cloud soon darkened the entire rooftop. Aside from Takumi''s glowing purple eyes, a set of red glowing eyes were just on top of an electrical conductor. "Who''s up there? You better think again if you wanna get in my way," Takumi said, angered.


    The entity''s form became clear as the cloud finished passing. A black fur coat, and pale scaly skin complemented by the moonlight. The entity''s scruffy red hair elongated past his shoulders as its skin suddenly shifted to red.


    Takumi rose up to his feet. His sight went from the being''s shoeless feet to its face. The character raised his index finger up and greeted Takumi, "Why hello there, Setsu scum." The voice echoed, followed by a wet breeze washing up against Takumi.


    Over at Yoshigawa''s end, the Goigar had been slain, its body nothing but withering black chunks spread around the playground and the ground below it, a boiling mixture of colors. Other Shikis crept out from the surrounding tree lines, creeping towards Yoshigawa. Catching his breath, Yoshigawa slid the back of his hand across his forehead and sighed in relief, lightening up. However, right after he stepped off of the Goigar''s severely burned back, he was met with a sharp pain in his gut, one that made his stomach crunch up. Saliva blew out of his mouth as his body convulsed, before he was flung up against a concrete wall. Sirens blared in the distance within the mist.


    There was nothing Yoshigawa could do to rip himself out of the wall, as his hand twitched. His lower body grew limp. He breathed slowly, pressing one of his hands to his gut, and looked on to five silhouettes hidden underneath the strong fog as rainfall continued to pour.


    "Agh¡­ who''s the little puss that caught me off guard?" Yoshigawa groaned slightly, as his vision blurred when one of the five individuals approached him. "Oh man¡­ five v one, sweet."


    Those five hastened their steps, headed to slay the Rikuto, but to Yoshigawa''s relief, a number of Setsus rained down, landing between him and his attackers; it was the Ikigai. Among them, Yoshigawa recognized a very familiar face.


    "Naomi? My darling¡­" The other Ikigai dashed, clashing against the cloaked Strays. Each Stray quickly took off and were followed by the Setsu that''d arrived, while the Ikigai who looked back to Yoshigawa gave him a relieved smile.


    "Shousa, we will go on ahead and completely secure this area."


    "Sure, go for it," Naomi responded with a thumbs up, making her way to Yoshigawa, who tore himself out of the indented structure he was in.


    "Gosh- they almost did a number on you" She reached for his cheek.


    "It''s embarrassing to have you see me like this."


    "That''s what I''d like to say¡­  this uniform is really tight on me!" Naomi commented, glancing down to her new Shosa uniform as Yoshigawa blushed, but kissed her forehead upon the young woman pouting.


    "Congratulations on becoming a Shousa. Who would''ve thought we''d run into each other like this on your first night?"


    "I know, right?! You have some explaining to do. Where are those lemon cakes? You bought them right?"

 Chapter 17

    "The moon is so beautiful tonight," June peered past Hanami''s side mirror, staring at the golden moon that glowed through the grey clouds surrounding it. The wind that entered the open rear-view window grazed his blonde curly hair as if actual hands were gently stroking them back. Such a sensation was calming, but made him long for a real touch.


    "You know... some say if you gaze at the moon for a long time you could look into other worlds and other''s can look at you"


    ¡°Who¡­ the heck said that?¡± Hanami murmured in her own thoughts.


    June couldn''t help but glance in Hanami''s direction and observe how the moonlight reflected on her. When she turned her head over to him, June jerked his head to the side before turning his attention back to her for a second. He winked at her while showing off his dimples.


    To June''s surprise, Hanami momentarily slipped her fingers through his hair. "Boy, your hair hasn''t changed at all¡­ it''s as soft as ever, but needs a trim" she commented, recalling the days when they''d do each other''s hair. "Except, it was never this curly either," she noted, making June blush when she tugged on it a bit.


    "I haven''t bothered to comb it, although the pres has insisted to do it herself for me" he modestly informed her.


    "And I didn''t have anyone else''s hair to play with since you were gone, so¡­"


    "I''d imagine¡­ you''re one crazy stylist, please have mercy" he replied as he thought back to the weird styles she''d made for him as a child, laughing. "But yeah, it gets that way. I barely have time to myself as you know," he mumbled.


    "You''ll have to let me straighten it sometime! I think I have the straightener in one of the boxes here¡­ my hair supplies are packed, but when I find it, I''ll use it on you." Hanami slumped beside the window, comfortably cupping her cheek on her small palm, turning her head to the window. She lost herself in the serene view of the ocean in the far off distance. Its calming waves allowed her to slip deep into thought.


    "Something on your mind?" June asked, turning the music on slightly.


    "I sorta miss nana, even though it''s only been a day. But I do love this liberty¡­" Hanami said softly.


    "Same here," June shook his head. "Osaka''s pretty insane, but what can you expect? It''s a commercial powerhouse, as most business is done here. It''s like the Newest York of Japan."


    "Newest¡­ wait, have you been to Newest York?!"


    "On one occasion with Lady Miyumi, but I can''t really speak on that¡­ because of protocol." Hanami gave him a confused nod. "Anyway, it seems like things are still off in Hokkaido, huh? How''s my father and the others?" June asked out of curiosity.


    "About that¡­" She slid her hand into her hair. "I can¡¯t really say since I got cooped up for the longest but things were pretty tense by the end of my prison time. Someone¡­ tried to kill me, but uncle Yuko checked up on me before the elders sent me here. I got locked away and didn''t get to see any of the others for months prior to that. When I did get a chance to go outside, I wasn''t told anything. They had me go back to my room, so I was stuck there."


    "Hang on, someone tried to kill you?!" June brushed the rest aside.


    "I wasn''t told much about why¡­ but I''m fine now." Her attempts at smiling in an effort to hide the sadness prickling in her, was seen through by June.


    "I can''t believe that someone tried to kill you¡­ and those elders are still alive, that''s a shame."


    "Ah! And uncle Yuko is being appointed the head of the Hasegawa until I turn seventeen. Angie wasn''t opposed to it, surprisingly."


    "That''s hard to believe. She''d want the position more than anyone. I wouldn''t hold it past her to be plotting something¡­" June thought, angered. "I bet she''s thrilled you''re gone." He glanced at the pensive girl. "I actually have to visit father during our next vacation," June noted.


    "He hasn''t called you?"


    "Not since I left Hokkaido¡­ years ago." June kept an awkward smile despite the fact that he wasn''t so happy about it at all.


    "H-he is busy after all, I''m sure there''s a good explana-" Hanami jumped to cheer him up, catching on to the depressed vibes by the tone in his voice. Suddenly, she was cut off by her phone ringing. She picked it up and checked her mail.


    Her eyes almost blew out of her face, seeing June''s father messaged her to check up on her at that very moment. Not only that, but her phone finally had a connection, so she saw a list of messages. She quickly shoved the phone down to her lap and laughed uncontrollably at the irony.


    "Uh¡­ is everything okay?" June asked her, glancing down to her phone as Hanami pressed it to her chest and then peeked to see the message. "Heyyy girl! What''s cracking in the napkin?!"


    Hanami herself didn''t understand the message, but responded to June. "Eeehh! Like I was saying, he has his hands full with all that political stuff and whatnot!"


    "Hm¡­ I guess I''ll see him when I go to Hokkaido for the next vacation in three months."


    "To spend family time, yay!" Hanami cheered, swinging her hands up, hitting the roofing of the car by accident.


    "Nothing like that, it''s only business with him," June cut in, frowning. Hanami laughed uneasily, recalling the message her uncle sent her.


    "Hello? I see the bubble says you read! How''s Osaka sweetie?! I wish I could have been there with you, I miss you so much! The palace has been so empty without you! Send my warm regards to the Hachi, and if you need anything reach me ANY TIME! Please come back home real soon! XOXO"


    Hanami let out a long sigh. "Empty without me? I was kept no where near the palace¡­"


    "I wonder how nana''s day went. Better than mine, for sure. Should I call her when I get to the estate? She''s probably busy, too."


    "Maybe try calling the h-"


    "Not calling the house phone¡­" Her eyebrows twitched, shooting down June''s proposition before he could even get it across. "Those elders didn''t even give me the number to the house phone¡­" Hanami thought to herself. June watched from the corner of his eye, avoiding some of the random animals that were roaming the roads.


    "So many sheep on the road¡­ and not the ones I''d like to hit," he mumbled to himself, drifting around the herd. "You keep sighing, don''t tell me it''s about that guy," June wondered as his grip on the wheel tightened. It still bugged him that Hanami would have to marry someone like Takumi, of all the possible suitors. "What could those elders be thinking, pairing her up with that guy?" June quietly thought, spaced out.


    Hanami picked up on the tone of his voice, recalling that whenever something bugged June, he''d speak slowly. Her mind went directly to Takumi, causing her to reach her phone and fumble it whilst pretending she was clueless as to what June was talking about. "Why does June-pyo have to bring him up?" she thought to herself, tilting her head aside, evidently disgusted.


    "That guy? What guy?" she played dumb. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    "Your fiance," June responded back sharply, picking up speed as they crossed a restaurant stop that was beside the curving road that led up the mountainous forest terrain.


    "Fiance?! OH!!! Nononono, Takumi?! He''s the last person on my mind! I was thinking about nana still." Hanami forcefully laughed, waving her hand in front of her face, and pulled her knees up against her chest, fixing her attention to the smooth and vacant road the car soared over.


    It was like an ongoing tunnel; it reminded her of the morning when Voltaire drove down this track, when they were heading into the city that day. She looked over to the right. As expected, the ocean was still there, except now it was glimmering from the rays of the moonlight that continued to reflect off of the dancing waves. Ships were visible, heading for a harbor.


    "You''re so unlucky that you have to marry that little jerk."


    "That''s for sure teheh. It''s not happening though! We agreed that when the time comes, we''re both going to object."


    June''s grip on the wheel lightened a bit. He felt as if a weight was lifted off of his chest. His shoulder muscles loosened as he felt more comfortable in his seat. "I''m relieved to hear that, Hana. I really don''t like how he treated you back there. Those old rules of arranged marriages within the families really have to go, I can''t le-"


    "I don''t want to be with him, but for now, it doesn''t seem like I have a choice." Hanami sighed. "Even if we both object to the marriage, I''m sure we''d still end up having to uphold our families'' customs, so¡­ ugh, let''s not talk about this for now," she replied, quickly adding, "Think you can spar with me later? I want to add to my diary that I finally beat June-pyo on my first day seeing him again!" She brought her elbow up, giggling.


    June took a moment to process how she was feeling, half-heartedly giving her a smile. "I haven''t held a kendo blade in years," he admitted with a giggle. He added, "I''m sure you''ll find some tough opponents when you make Hirazawa''s first kendo club."


    "And that''s all thanks to you! Can''t wait!"


    "I can tell¡­ I got to see a few matches last year. If you give the club a good name, you''re bound to attract special talents." June paused, and sucked his teeth. "Remember to watch out for the five divas though¡­"


    "Five divas?" Hanami inquired.


    "They''re female students who give freshmen girls trouble. Just ''cause they''re seniors now, they think they run the place. It got so bad last year that a girl jumped off of one of the school buildings," June said, regretfully.


    "Oh gosh! They got someone to kill themselves?!" Hanami gasped.


    "Don''t worry, she didn''t die¡­ luckily, it was just a broken leg," June replied, making Hanami sigh in relief.


    "I''ll keep that in mind. As for recruiting, maybe I could start by making some posters¡­" Hanami slid her hand down into her bag to get her phone. Upon finding it, she pulled it out and clicked through her phone, searching for Minami''s number.


    June maintained his sights on the road ahead. The lights gave him a complete view of the road, but due to the oncoming curves up the mountain, he reached over and flicked to lower the car''s lighting. The click sound that the knob made reminded him again of when Hanami slapped his hand away. "She chose him¡­ in a way," he mumbled.


    Hearing the mumble, Hanami looked over to June. "Did you say something June-pyo?" She tilted her head, a strand of her crimson hair brushed across her cheek.


    "No, I was just thinking of that one show¡­ Fantastic Dovers."


    "You watch that too?! Colonel Gonstanza, GAHHH!!! There''s a special going on today, I was actually planning to watch the latest episode if I got the chance! But¡­  I''m not sure if I''ll be able to at the Hachi''s, at least not today with packing and school tomorrow." Hanami lowered her shoes off of the seat and tapped the center of her phone, still searching for Minami''s number.


    "Well you see, Lady Miyumi puts it on from time to time, so I have no choice but to watch it, heheh. Who is that fellow exactly?" June smiled and kept his right hand on the wheel as he scratched the side of his cheek with his left index finger.


    Hanami blinked. "Colonel Gonstanza?"


    "Yeah, him," June responded back, thinking back to when he had locked eyes with Takumi. A frown formed subconsciously, making it seem as if he were really focusing on the road. Leaning back against her seat once more, Hanami tapped her chin and was just about to answer when she noticed that June was drifting dangerously close to the curve.


    "JUNE!" Alarmed, Hanami reached over and patted his shoulder. "You''re getting too close!" June snapped out of his thoughts and spun the wheel to the left, adjusting the car back onto the road upon reaching the top of the slope. The lights hit a deer, causing it to freeze. June jerked the wheel to the right once and then spun it once more to the left in order to skim past the deer without hitting it.


    "A-ACKK!!!" Hanami reached down and gripped June''s forearm, quivering. Her head landed against his shoulder and she clenched her eyes. June looked across the rearview mirror on her side and saw the deer scurry off of the road.


    "Phew¡­ that was a close one." He opened his eyes and turned. "S-Sorry Hana! Focused too much!" June tried to laugh it off, but stopped abruptly when he felt Hanami hold tightly onto his forearm, gripping the fabric of his white poofy long sleeve. She glanced up at him, her eyes had a tint of fear in them.


    "W-What''s wrong?" he asked, concerned for her. He slowed the car down and leaned in, gently kissing her forehead. The action made Hanami pull away from him, letting go of his forearm. She rubbed her eyes to get rid of the small tears that formed.


    "You aren''t going to cry, are you? You''re too big for that now." he teased.


    "CRY?! WE COULD HAVE DIED! You''re lucky I''m not a driving instructor, I''d fail you!" Hanami turned to face June, swiftly rubbing the back of her hand across her forehead. She gave him a stern frown, pointing several times at the road.


    June spun the wheel twice to the left and laughed awkwardly while she puffed her cheeks and laid back in her seat, gathering her thoughts. At the same time, June reached over to his cup of guava juice and bit down on the straw, slurping until Hanami went on with what she said earlier.


    "Colonel Gonstanza is the main character in the novella. He''s a royal guard to a princess in England. They grew up and he went to battle for her, only to return and find out that she was being married off to someone else. So far, he''s tried telling her how he feels, but he fears rejection."


    June''s eyes grew and he felt the liquid go down his windpipe, forcing him to punch his chest repeatedly and spit the juice out of the window. The liquid streamed by the side of his car. He pushed down on the brake to stop the hover car and continued to cough, prompting Hanami to reach out and hit his back repeatedly until he felt better.


    "You''re so clumsy tonight, gosh," Hanami expressed concern and continued to rub his back. "Want me to drive?" She giggled, eyeing the wheel excitedly. The idea seemed bright in her head, but June knew better.


    June laughed and gave her an immediate, "No! All''s good!"


    "Why? I can''t possibly do worse than you!" She puffed up her cheeks.


    "Because the last time you were behind the wheel, we crashed into an apple tree. If it weren''t for me, you''d have gone face first and died. I haven''t forgotten," June brought up an incident that occurred years ago when Hanami had stolen one of the royal rides parked near one of the Hasegawa''s palace entrances.


    Remembering that, she couldn''t agree more. "You''re sorta right there," she hated to admit as June started driving again. "I just thought of how silly that guy is to not express his love is all," she went on. June glanced over to the rearview mirror, seeing some headlights beaming.


    "Yeah, totally. He should confess already¡­" June replied.


    "But I guess there wouldn''t be much of a story if he did," Hanami responded and raised her phone when she heard it buzz.


    "If only it were that easy¡­ I sympathize with you Colonel Gonstanza," he turned away and thought to himself, continuing on the long stretch of the dark road. Empty fields on both sides were visible.


    "Yeah, I''m almost at the place I''m staying at! There''s this show I''m dying to watch but I can''t tonight!! Tomorrow''s the first day of classes anyway," Hanami typed and clicked send. With the message sent, she looked up towards the moon, now seeing vast crop fields below it.


    Back within the ground level of the city, Takumi found himself almost catching the Shiki he had been pursuing. In the distance, he saw it leap up onto a ledge. It stared down at him, turned around, and then dove. Takumi flew up onto the same ledge a second later and saw the Shiki run into a swirling portal. At the end of the portal, there seemed to be something. He saw snow twinkling down, along with a view of what seemed to be a factory''s clocktower within the portal.


    "That must be where it''s been hiding." Takumi leaned over and dove from the ledge onto the ground. He ran towards the portal, only for vibes to alert him to stop. Just as he did, a series of bright flashes blew down in front of him, sending loads of gravel towards him.


    Takumi staggered back and backflipped three times, and reached down for his Woshu weapon, Incisor. Rain continued to pour around him as he saw a series of daggers lodged into the area he was headed for.


    Tilting his sights up to an air vent, a shadowy being seemed to be dancing on it, making its way to the front of the portal the Night Stalker had escaped into. A scent of decay emanated from this being. Its slick pale skin came into view as a cloud finished passing overhead. Rain washed over this entity, who was shielded from it by a trench coat it wore. Taking in its form, Takumi noticed an odd looking symbol on the trench coat. The symbol of a swan made up of blades. There was a strong vibe of corruption coming from him.


    "Look here, one actually came," the being spoke with a cackle at the end.


    Takumi stood up and silently watched him, shooting a glance at the portal behind the being.


    "A Stray¡­" Takumi grumbled.


    "Wait a second¡­" The entity sniffed the air, cracking a wide grin of delight.


    "Get out of my way." Takumi bolted straight for the being on top of the large vent.


    "No can do! Jeel the Sitter, here to CHOMP you!"

 Chapter 18

    The mysterious figure took in Takumi¡¯s strong scent, still shaking its hips. Such casual movements concerned Takumi, who watched the being¡¯s nose poke from the darkness of the trench coat. The two sniffs were enough to make its mouth water, as drool poured profusely down it¡¯s stretched lips. ¡°Almost like the smell of fresh mangoes¡­ you wouldn¡¯t happen to have a special liking to such fruits, hmm?¡± It hadn¡¯t seen a Setsu like that before. Ordinary Setsus wouldn¡¯t smell like this. It was far too exquisite. ¡°I¡¯ve had far too many rotten humans recently¡­¡±


    Takumi observed, growing in anger when Jeel pulled out a small hand from his coat that he went on to consume. Though furious at what the Stray did, Takumi reminded himself to relax.


    ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I last crossed a pampered Setsu,¡± the Stray said aloud. He tapped his lips with the tip of his long nail, pondering on the rumors he had heard of Honshu and its Setsu. Of all of them, there was one he was told to watch out for. One that came up the most among the rumors he¡¯d heard through his travel to the region. A Setsu he hoped to encounter at one point.


    ¡°Judging by the scent and those haunting purple gems you call eyes¡­ you¡¯re a Rikuto. How lucky am I!? You¡¯re the third Setsu tonight and a Rikuto at that-¡±


    Front flipping onto the vent, Takumi engaged Jeel in hand-to-hand combat. Jeel avoided each swing with ease. Takumi all the while, attempted to get to the portal, but was grabbed and flung to the end of the vent, where he shot a glare over to Jeel who raised his hands up and pointed over to Takumi.


    ¡°Now, now that¡¯s not nice! What would I be if I let you escape me? It¡¯d be a shame if the others got a piece of you. I can¡¯t let you through to them.¡±


    ¡°Complimenting me won¡¯t save you if you stand in my way again,¡± Takumi responded, standing back up. His claws were aimed down at the ground. Takumi didn¡¯t want to rely on his Setsu side, but went about emitting his Retsu.


    The purple flames flowed down, burning the rubble that riddled the rooftop. The rubble melted while being pulled up along Takumi¡¯s arm to form a seven feet long blade of molten rubble, which was thick to the core. To Jeel¡¯s surprise, Takumi lifted the seemingly heavy arm. Dashing in, Jeel engaged the Setsu, who slashed right through Jeel¡¯s tail, shocking the latter. The Stray retreated back to guarding the portal as Takumi flinched, realizing he wouldn¡¯t be able to sustain the arm. The rubble soon scrambled off as Takumi took a deep breath, calming himself.


    ¡°Oh, that attitude, that response¡­ it¡¯s only gonna make you taste better when you beg to be devoured quickly. Could it be, you¡¯re the notorious Alessandro I¡¯ve heard about? The Stray Slayer of Osaka? That scent doesn¡¯t lie¡­ though you seem far weaker than I expected Alessandro to be. I thought he¡¯d be a tall, dazzling gentleman¡­ but you look like a teenage boy. Though I heard he was not in Osaka presently. Guess I was mistaken, since he also supposedly carries a small sleepy girl around his neck.¡±


    Takumi didn¡¯t respond. His glare remained on the being before him, briefly switching to the shrinking portal from which the sound of a blizzarding storm emanated. Jeel waited for the portal to close and then skipped along the ridge of the electrical retsu conductor and hopped off, splashing randomly into the puddles that were on the rooftop.


    ¡°You let the portal slip away. Could it be¡­  you¡¯re scared of me?¡± Jeel mockingly asked.


    ¡°No, but you mentioned others are past that portal, dumbass. I¡¯m not one to rush into things. It¡¯s fine though¡­ you¡¯re going to tell me everything you know, before dying,¡±  Takumi responded over the sound of the rain pattering around them. The puddle at Takumi¡¯s feet continued to grow larger. He kept his sight on Jeel¡¯s movements as the Stray tapped his claws together, displeased by what Takumi said. Takumi was prepared to draw his pistol the second Jeel tried to rush at him, and Jeel took note of this, as their standoff was accompanied by the sirens of an ambulance off in the distance.


    ¡°My, my¡­ quite the talker. You¡¯re giving off a magnificent killing intent now, and it¡¯s speaking to me so sweetly.¡± Jeel tapped his fingertips together.


    ¡°Blood lust¡­ so it¡¯s that type of Stray,¡± Takumi muttered, adjusting his glove. ¡°The kind that gets strong by feeding off of what it takes from other creatures¡­ parasite.¡± The momentary silence ended with Jeel¡¯s loud chuckle. He turned over and jumped off of the second Retsu conductor, landing down onto the same ground with a graceful backflip.


    ¡°Three toes and one at his heel. A mutated Stray?¡± Takumi tried to figure him out. Twisting his head back, Jeel ended his laughter and whipped his scruffy red hair around while licking his lips aggressively as Takumi looked on awkwardly, squinting his eyes by the end.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you wanna talk some more?¡± Jeel asked.


    ¡°Not really¡­ you seem preoccupied with your chapped lips,¡± Takumi responded.


    ¡°They are not chapped!¡± Jeel tried to check.


    ¡°If I had enough Retsu, I could use the Berserk blade a second time¡­ but this isn¡¯t my Setsu body,¡± Takumi contemplated.


    Jeel suddenly burst into casual laughter. ¡°Maybe I should take you back with me and dissect you before making a meal out of you!¡±


    ¡°Take me where?¡± Takumi finally responded, as the rain continued to fall from the darkened sky.


    ¡°Take you to the fac-!¡± Jeel nearly gave out the location and quickly covered his mouth, then laughed some more. ¡°Kaakakahahahaha, I see what you did there! Good one! You almost got me, ALMOST!¡±


    Jeel clapped his hands together and added, ¡°I won¡¯t tell you that I keep Setsus like you from thwarting the Bakufu¡¯s plans.¡± A screeching sound rang out through Jeel¡¯s head, causing him to flinch from the pain. He chuckled, taking that as a sign that he was saying too much.


    ¡°Aghh!! I get it! I¡¯ll add this then!¡± He bumped his fist up as if he were talking to someone. ¡°Plans of a turtle, bud!¡±


    Takumi stared at Jeel, checking out his footing. ¡°What are you seeking exactly? Where do you come from? Why are you here? Or is it just vanity?¡± he asked Jeel, who continued on, blurting out more information.


    ¡°I am one of the abominations here to bring Honshu¡¯s demise into fruition! And I¡¯ll enjoy devouring all of you sheep while I¡¯m at it!¡± A single red tail flicked from beneath his cape and swirled around his neck as it swayed side to side, as if it was checking Takumi out. ¡°That¡¯s all you¡¯re getting out of me,¡± Jeel winked.


    Takumi reached down to his pistol in a quick draw at that moment, deciding to just shoot him and take his memories, but before he could shoot, Jeel¡¯s tail flicked over and wagged along with his finger signaling a ¡°no.¡±


    ¡°Not so fast! I¡¯ll say something else!¡± A wide grin formed across Jeel¡¯s face, showing off all of his teeth. Takumi paused, maintaining his firm aim as he listened. ¡°You will die in under three minutes. So, prepare to meet your END!¡± At those words, Jeel¡¯s tail flicked up, twirling over head as a gust of wind blew down around him. Jeel¡¯s wild cackle echoed all throughout the area, passing by Takumi in powerful vibrations that shook the rooftop¡¯s foundations.


    From the dark maroon spots on Jeel¡¯s tail, daggers sprung out, striking down the rooftop¡¯s concrete ground around Takumi. One had nearly slashed across his cheek as the violent wind that blew nearly whipped Takumi off of the rooftop. Takumi flipped backwards and stabbed his black claws into the ground to keep himself from slipping on the wet floor.


    ¡°The elements aren¡¯t to your favor!¡± Jeel snarled, taking that chance to zero in on Takumi as the Setsu quickly recalled he had to be careful with his Incisor¡¯s rounds. He couldn¡¯t waste them all carelessly. Thus, Takumi raised his right hand up as his black claws elongated out and in one swing, met Jeel¡¯s claws straight on. Their jackets flapped back violently, as the impact blew them both to opposite ends of the rooftop.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Rain continued to drizzle down, as a thick fog had been created. Jeel quickly used this to his advantage as his tail circled around, hidden, and tried to sweep Takumi off of his feet. Takumi hopped up, swiftly tethering his left arm around Jeel¡¯s arm the moment Jeel flew up at him. He locked it in and whipped over, delivering a quick kick to Jeel¡¯s chest as he had let go and the impact forced Jeel to crash back down to the ground below. Takumi landed and quickly fixed his composure, noting that the thick white fog was forming progressively faster.


    Jeel let out a cackle, slipping back into the fog after briefly rising up. The fog mixed with white particles that were released out of the daggers. This cluster rose up, creating a white dome that brightened the entire rooftop and rotated around them, expanding thirty feet away from the rooftop.


    ¡°A Gando Zone?¡± Takumi twisted his head around, as he watched the darkness of the sky disappear. It wasn¡¯t visible anymore; the only thing visible was a red blinking light that was stationed at the top of a tower. He was now stuck within a bright misty space, losing sight of the red blinking light.


    Takumi closed his eyes, attempting to sense Jeel¡¯s vibe. It was hard, due to all of the Retsu that surrounded him. This Retsu was white while Takumi¡¯s was purple. In a sense, he was visible, while Jeel wasn¡¯t. After a minute of no action, a red flash shot sideways out of nowhere, striking Takumi¡¯s shoulder. It was Jeel¡¯s tail, and it sent Takumi crashing sideways as he tried to catch the tail the second time around, but it had whipped away, disappearing back into the mist.


    ¡°Crap¡­¡± The young Setsu gripped a fist full of gravel and stood back up. As he did, a dozen daggers rushed past him, slashing into his thigh and shoulders. Right after the last dagger had hit, the red glowing tail had entangled itself into a fist and swung from the fog straight into Takumi¡¯s gut, forcing him to cough up blood as he fell backwards.


    ¡°Danananalalalaaaa, la laa, la daaaaan, dalala,¡± Jeel¡¯s humming continued messing with Takumi¡¯s concentration. Being pummeled around, Takumi listened to the deranged Stray¡¯s ranting.


    ¡°If you aren¡¯t going to make this amusing, then I¡¯ll have to eat you now! I love playing with my food, come on! PLAY WITH ME! It makes you TASTIER than the artificial food you feed humans!¡±


    At that moment, Jeel¡¯s tail shifted into a simmering red tip, and Takumi sensed Jeel¡¯s killing intent. Pinpointing where the tail was, Takumi spun several times to his left, narrowly avoiding the tail that crashed down right through the building¡¯s ceiling. The Setsu emitted a bunch of purple particles that swirled out of his claws and spun around him, creating a small circular purple see-through barrier. This barrier spread out seven feet around him.


    A series of daggers shot out from the mist. As they passed the barrier, Takumi felt them pass in and with precision, slashed his claws all around, knocking the daggers aside. He now figured out Jeel¡¯s position.


    ¡°MUCH BETTER!!! DANCE FOR  ME!!! DANCE!!!¡± From within the fog, Jeel¡¯s crazed smile became visible.


    Takumi¡¯s bangs flopped backwards as the Setsu rushed at Jeel once again. Jeel swung his hands up as his claws elongated and engaged Takumi. Takumi set his fingers and thumbs together and swung his arms to his side. His right arm shaped into a black spear as his claws further crystallized along his arm. Jeel tightened his hands, but kept his thumbs apart.


    With each impact, Takumi¡¯s claws slashed across Jeel¡¯s claws, as Jeel redirected them and tried to get Takumi to slide sideways. After about three exchanges, Jeel finally managed to do this and swung his right palm up, planning to stab his thumb into Takumi¡¯s gut, but Takumi guarded by rolling down before Jeel could, causing Jeel to front flip and avoid Takumi tripping him. At the moment Jeel had front flipped and turned around, Takumi¡¯s claws nearly slashed into Jeel¡¯s face, but it had only grazed Jeel¡¯s forehead as his tail rose up from right under Takumi and smashed into Takumi¡¯s stomach, blowing the Setsu up into the foggy sky.


    ¡°GGKKT!¡±


    Takumi flinched, and looked around himself. He couldn¡¯t see any landing spot or anything, just mist. It happened too fast and he crashed back down, as Jeel casually began walking towards him. Jeel suddenly stopped when he felt something trickle down his forehead. When he lifted his hand up and tapped it, his fingers were red.


    Jeel lowered it and sniffed, realizing what it was. ¡°My¡­ blood?¡± Jeel¡¯s surprised face looked like that of a pedophile¡¯s, as he sniffed his finger aggressively and his heart rate started accelerating. He was getting a rush from it and started laughing again. Takumi slowly opened his eyes and slumped forward as he started to pull the white Retsu into himself. Purple flames splurged out of Takumi¡¯s eyes, flicking on and off as his bangs were blown back.


    ¡°Ohhhhhh, how I¡¯ve longed for this! AGHHHH!!!¡± Jeel found himself slipping into a catatonic state as he shoved his fingers into his mouth, sucking on the blood, and swiped his hand out to his side. The slobber formed around his fingers into a red sharp see-through sphere tip. In a flash, he sprung out straight at Takumi. Just as he was going to pierce the Rikuto, Takumi raised his palm up, setting his right hand on his left wrist. The white Retsu heated into purple and the tip of the sharp see-through sphere shattered, as Jeel¡¯s eyes widened at how fast it happened.


    Just when Takumi thought he had him, two dozen daggers that had been hovering from above rushed down, forcing Takumi to throw himself aside as he rolled over and retreated behind an AC. He felt the cold hard ¡°thunks¡± coming from the daggers that slammed against the AC like bullets hitting a car door. More of the daggers that had been heading towards him impaled themselves into the other side of the AC unit, leading white Retsu to pour out and spread past the unit¡¯s sides. Jeel¡¯s maniacal laughter echoed over the sound of the simmering fog.


    ¡°You almost killed me! YOU ALMOST KILLED ME THERE AND NOW YOU WANNA HIDE?! Don¡¯t tell me the great Stray Slayer of Honshu is afraid of little ol¡¯ me? Come out, come out Alessandro!!! Midnight snack time is almost over! This is practically the highlight of my night,¡± Takumi heard Jeel sing. Laying on his back, Jeel sprung up with his arms behind his head, and his tongue flicked over, pointing in the direction Takumi was. All he could think about was his teeth ripping into Takumi¡¯s flesh, getting a taste of the pair of eyes he had. ¡°I want to hear the sound of your skull breaking like an eggshell already, give me that pleasure! I can¡¯t wait to find out what sort of powers I¡¯ll get from your heart gem!¡± Almost as if hyperventilating, Jeel¡¯s breathing became louder and louder.


    Takumi remained in place, thinking of how he¡¯d finish things. After much thought, Takumi rose up from behind the AC. He lifted his forearms in front of his face to block the thick cloud of white fog that swept over him. When he swiped his arms aside to remove the fog that was covering his vision, he jumped up onto the AC, catching sight of a series of silver daggers a few feet from the AC. The white particles that twinkled down from the bright dome elegantly glimmered against the daggers. It seemed hypnotic enough to make any being gaze at them and lose sight of everything else.


    Just when the daggers were shaking, ready to impale Takumi, the young Setsu grabbed his Incisor and aimed down. In a glowing purple flash, the blast along with the series of pebbles that were blown up stopped the daggers from going through. Takumi slowly tilted the Woshu weapon sideways to see how many shots he had left. ¡°Two.¡± He stopped the gun in front of himself.


    With the Incisor extended out and the pebbles raining down, Jeel couldn¡¯t see what¡¯d be coming out from behind this. Jeel took off straight towards the AC, as saliva slipped out from both sides of his mouth and his tongue flapped around in the wind like an exhilarated dog within a speeding car.


    Focusing the shot, Takumi closed one of his eyes, forcing what he was seeing to slow down. The single eye he had open started to glow into a bright dark purple. Once more, the purple flame flickered in front of his eyes before quickly disappearing. He channeled his vibe that came from his mind, down through his spine, and over to his palms. The gun absorbed this vibe as purple particles twinkled out from within the black barrel, about to spread out into the blank space ahead that Jeel found himself in.


    Jeel¡¯s eyes widened when he had swiped the remaining cluster of debris, as he was met with the barrel straight in his face. ¡°OH SH-¡± His heart skipped a beat, as his red skin shifted to a ghostly white. Takumi¡¯s lips motioned, ¡°Buzz off,¡± as he pulled the trigger. The blast heated Jeel¡¯s surrounding and erupted out. Portions of Jeel¡¯s clothes ripped apart, as he bounced against the ground repeatedly until he crashed up against a gigantic vent at the end of the rooftop, eliminating the foggy terrain he had created.


    Takumi lowered his gun to his side and took a few steps forward, then stopped in place. Jeel¡¯s entire skeletal face was slowly restructuring itself. He coughed up blood, visibly shaken up. His hands twitched as he raised them up and pressed them against the cool surface of the vent. He pushed himself out of it, nearly falling over, and tried running at Takumi only for the Setsu to raise the gun up again and blast him into the same position. The vent made a raspy clunking sound, which was followed by an ¡°Owwwww¡­¡± from the groaning Stray.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to talk now. I¡¯m through with your games,¡± Takumi growled, sliding his gun back into his holster, believing the fight was over. Suddenly, he saw a bright light reflecting on the ground, indicating that something was above him. When he looked up, a series of daggers rained down, impaling him several times as his body dropped down.


    Takumi¡¯s body broke up into a series of bats that fluttered up into the night sky. Jeel laughed triumphantly and pulled himself out. ¡°YES! I killed him! But now I can¡¯t slowly eat him¡­ and his body is gone?¡± Jeel messed up his hair and his stomach grumbled, forcing him to drop down on his knees and clench his stomach momentarily.


    His phone rang, so he lifted it to see who it was. When he did, it was from an entity he called ¡°Big Cheese.¡± He picked it up. ¡°Big Cheese¡­ oh, it¡¯s only you Seilei?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the hold up? I presumed you were on your way, yet the indicator tells me you aren¡¯t! I¡¯LL CHOP OFF YOUR BALLS IF YOU DISAPPOINT NEIFER, YOU SCALY PUNK!!!¡± An aggravated feminine voice bombarded Jeel.


    ¡°Hey! I killed a Setsu, no big deal.¡± As he rambled back and forth with the being behind the phone, Jeel turned away and didn¡¯t notice the bats swooping back down and shifting into a total of two dozen Takumis, who stood by listening to him talk on the phone. The Takumis stared at each other, then to Jeel.


    ¡°I¡¯m starving though, save me some of those candies for when I get back at the very least or I might just have to eat everyone there! Ahahahahaha! Hello? Cow Pillow?¡± Jeel cackled as the entity on the other end hung up the phone with no response. ¡°They¡¯re no fun.¡± That prompted Jeel to drop his head down in disappointment. Once he slid his phone into his pocket and looked back, he was met with two dozen silent glares. The mist had cleared over by then. A chilling breeze blew across the rooftop, fluttering Jeel¡¯s hair around.


    ¡°Sooooo¡­ this is awkward.¡± He forced a smile, as the end of his eyebrows twitched. ¡°Did you hear all of that?¡± Jeel cleared his throat.


    One of the Takumi duplicates slowly tried to slide into a running position as Jeel raised his hand up slowly, then yelled ¡°BYE!!!¡± With that, he took a single step back and bolted towards the ledge of the rooftop. As soon as he had turned away, the two dozen Takumis ran after him.


    Jeel sprung onto the ledge as they all stopped in their tracks. ¡°I may have not eaten you this time around, but there will be more opportunities to do so! Toodles, Alessandro!¡± Two of the duplicates dove over in an attempt to catch his hands, but before they could grab Jeel, Jeel¡¯s body plummeted eight stories down as he screamed.


    Takumi pushed the two duplicates aside and glanced down, only to hear a loud shattering of glass, followed by a car siren wailing. Jeel had crashed down onto the hood of a hover car with his arm smashing through the car¡¯s window. He groaned, regaining sensation through his body four seconds later, and pulled himself off of the damaged car. The Takumis looked on, seeing him limp down the block, disappearing out of view.


    ¡°Great, another one got away.¡±


    ¡°Maybe if you¡¯d have moved.¡±


    ¡°Says the one that didn¡¯t move his big bobble head in time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same head you have, doofus.¡±


    ¡°You two should have jumped, at least then the hot air in your heads would have been put to use.¡±


    All of the duplicates argued with each other as the real Takumi stayed silent, staring off to the skyline and it¡¯s hundreds of city lights. He considered going after the Stray, but he couldn¡¯t successfully jump down and chase after the Stray. He simply didn¡¯t have enough Retsu. The duplicates shifted into small bats and entered his shoulders. Taking in the mess that was made on the rooftop, Takumi walked off and remembered what he saw through the portal.


    ¡°That factory¡­¡±

 Chapter 19

    June¡¯s hover car slid onto the sidewalk, parking just beside the main mansion¡¯s entrance. The nearby plants blew around as its engine made a low rumbling sound, slowing down and finally halting to a gentle stop.


    Hanami¡¯s gaze fell onto the posted street lamps she recalled seeing earlier that morning. Now that it was nightfall, they were on and brightened the driveway. Unclipping his seatbelt, June turned to Hanami, who felt her phone buzz. As expected, when he hunched over and peeked in hopes of catching a glimpse at what she was texting, he found she was texting her new friend, Minami.


    ¡°W-WHAT THE?!¡± To his surprise, they were sharing images of odd looking creatures, ones he¡¯d never seen before. Nonetheless, Hanami¡¯s smile filled him with joy. June chuckled and tapped her cheek in order to get her attention.


    ¡°Since we¡¯re here, I guess I may stay to talk for a bit and help you unpack if you haven¡¯t already.¡± Although he was happy he had gotten her home, he didn¡¯t want to part from her side yet. There was still more to talk about. Namely, rumors he¡¯d heard of the current situation in Hokkaido. ¡°Who could have tried to kill her?¡± June asked himself. He could only hope they weren¡¯t true. ¡°Then again, she wouldn¡¯t know and if I were to tell her, I¡¯d be exposing her to information she isn¡¯t supposed to know directly,¡± the thoughts raced in his head.


    ¡°Hanami,¡± he called out to the girl. Hearing June¡¯s gentle yet firm voice, she took her eyes off of the enticing conversation, texting Minami that she¡¯d text her back in an hour or so, since she just got back.


    ¡°Sorry about that. Unpacking? I have it covered, but if you want your hair straightened, sure!¡± Hanami slid some of her crimson hair behind her ear and glanced through the rear view mirror where she could see a figure approaching her side of the car. June froze at the mention of straight hair.


    ¡°You really zoned out there with your friend,¡± June replied back, turning the ignition key backwards, turning the hover car off. Its yellow back lights blinked, shutting off completely once the car had landed gracefully.


    ¡°Sorry! Minami sent me a silly picture of a tontoron teheh.¡± She flipped her phone so June could see the image of a fluffy pink adorable aquatic creature that had yellow flippers. ¡°That¡¯s really something¡­¡± He rubbed the back of his head, then realized, ¡°Wait, you¡¯re not scared of fish anymore?¡± June pressed his hand over his mouth as Hanami nodded her head.


    ¡°EW! NO, NEVER! I only fear big, slimy, ugly fish! Like the one that nearly ate us when we were little. Oh no! Now it¡¯s in my head!¡± Hanami slapped her hands up against her cheeks and wiggled in her seat until the memory subsided.


    ¡°Haha, how cute.¡± June gave her a nod and turned over, giving her the side eye as she nodded with a giggle and tapped the armrest of her passenger seat in order to open the door. Before sliding out though, she glanced through the rear view mirror to get a better look at the individual she saw and realized that it was someone she had met earlier. The short height along with the bushy mustache indicated it was the courteous butler who had treated her kindly earlier that day.


    The figure stepped out of the shade and into the lantern¡¯s light. His suit was now mauve, unlike the yellow suit he had on in the morning. The single strand of blonde hair along with the pig tail at the center of his head revealed to her that it was indeed none other than Alto. June slipped out from his seat and tapped the roof of his car as Alto waved to June and then to Hanami.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve made it back safely,¡± Alto began. Thrilled, Hanami lunged over to the small man who fell back, but caught her. Alto chuckled, patting her back after she had lightly tackled him. ¡°Welcome home Lady Hanami, pleased to see you again!¡±


    ¡°Same, happy to be back after such a long day!¡± she answered back with a cheerful smile. Again, she subconsciously noted that he offered a familiar warmth she hadn¡¯t felt in a long time, as she pulled away. The girl walked back and reached into the car seats as Alto went on.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard splendid news. The ceremony went well¡­ I do hope you had a pleasant time.¡±


    Haruna moved her feet around to get herself further in and happily agreed. ¡°Yeah, I made a new friend!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to invite her over sometime then. Also, did the young master behave well?¡± Alto continued to converse with the girl as she had finally grabbed her kendo bag. She realized she wouldn¡¯t be able to pull it out through the front, so she slipped out of the door once more with her phone in hand. She ignored Alto¡¯s question, hoping he wouldn¡¯t bring it up again, and opened the back door as Alto moved in and helped her with the bag. After Alto got the bag, Hanami shut the door and fixed the bottom of her dress.


    ¡°The young master did something, didn¡¯t he?¡± Hanami only shook her head, huffing when he mentioned Takumi.


    ¡°With all due respect, I don¡¯t want to talk about my toxic fiance, ¡®kay? Thank you!¡± Hanami bowed respectfully, not wanting to think back to the last conversation she had with Takumi at Miyumi¡¯s office. She was reminded of the burning desire she had in Miyumi¡¯s office¡­ the desire to shove her elbow into her fiance¡¯s face for the rude things he said to Miyumi and her.


    With that, Alto didn¡¯t speak of the ceremony any further, hoping not to get Hanami in a worse mood, especially with what¡¯d occur later that night. With a single blow, Alto whistled. In response to the sound, five Setsu maids appeared right behind him, picking up on the small whistle that Hanami hadn¡¯t heard Alto blow. They approached the girl, knocking her out of her thoughts as they greeted her together. Each of the girls knelt down, setting their palms against the creme pavement and then stood. They all seemed about her age or at least slightly older teens.  ¡°Welcome home, Lady Hanami,¡± the five maids said simultaneously.


    Hanami nearly jumped back, surprised at how they all swooped down right in front of her. She quickly fixed her hair, patted her skirt and fixed her composure at a moment¡¯s notice. All five soon stared at her with different expressions, as she took in the appearance of the five and smiled. ¡°Um¡­. collars?¡± She eyed the collars on each of the girls, quickly looking ahead to the mansion¡¯s porch as to not offend them if they caught her glancing. ¡°2108¡­ and this is still going on? Or is it really fashion here?¡± she thought to herself as she went on to say, ¡°T-Thank you teheh¡­ ninjas?¡±, noticing what seemed to be a tattoo of a shuriken, above each of the girls chin¡¯s.


    Out of the five, three exchanged glances and turned back to Hanami. Their violet eyes were wider than typical eyes and their irises seemed to be shaped like piercing kunais darting to the bottom of their eyelashes.


    ¡°M¡¯lady?¡± the one in the middle responded.


    ¡°Ninjas?¡± The farthest of the maids pointed to herself and looked to the other four for a response.


    ¡°We¡¯re of the five Senja servant clans surrounding the valley of the Hachi. Rokuro, Saotome, Uesugi, Kobail and Sato. At your beck and call,¡± said another one.


    ¡°More maids¡­ goodie¡± Hanami thought to herself.


    Alto waved over to them. ¡°Now now, there will be time for more formal introductions. It is brisk tonight, so let us head inside. For now¡­ Aimi, Mikiyo, take Lady Hanami indoors. Shelby, you can park Sir June¡¯s car out back. Ubri, you get his bags. He¡¯ll be staying the night.¡± The four all separated, getting to their individual assigned tasks upon hearing Alto¡¯s order.


    ¡°What¡­ about me sir?¡± Asked the only remaining one.


    Alto observed her for a second. ¡°You¡­ I¡¯m not sure why you came. I only requested four. You¡­ can see to it that preparations are done in the kitchen Nithilith.¡± She maintained a smile, bowing as she took her leave.


    The butler then stepped aside, signaling with a nod for the maids to take Hanami inside by shooing them.


    Aimi and Mikiyo locked their arms together with hers, lifting her up and taking her in, as Alto approached June, making a quick grabby hand signal that indicated he wanted the keys. June took note of his, blinking twice and indecisively handed Alto the keys, still unsure of what he had just done.


    ¡°Wait, I¡¯m staying the night? Uh¡­ I only came to drop Hanami off. I really should be getting back to Pres. It¡¯s quite dangerous Sir Alt-¡± Before he could say anything else, Alto cut the young man off, patting his shoulder encouragingly.


    ¡°That¡¯s nonsense! The Mistress called me moments ago.¡± Alto groomed his mustache, before turning away and handing the keys over to the remaining maid. ¡°She told me to pass on a message,¡± Alto coughed, clearing his throat and went on to make an attempt at speaking in a squeaky voice. He mimicked Miyumi as best he could by batting his eyelashes and tried his best impression of Miyumi¡¯s chibi side as he spoke while winking. ¡°Shiro, the watchdog that came before you, has returned. For the time being, he¡¯ll be overseeing my care for the night, so you can stay the night over there, June-June!¡±


    June awkwardly laughed at Alto¡¯s impersonation of his master and explained ¡°I still have to go,¡± as Alto lamented the impression he had made. Before June could turn around and go for the keys, Alto firmly gripped his shoulder. ¡°As a Noble of the Hasegawa, it¡¯d be dishonorable if I were to leave Pres¡¯ side for too long. It¡¯d be me betraying my duty-¡± June tried to speak, but when he turned over and saw Alto¡¯s stern cold face, he froze, slightly scared.


    Alto shot a quick glance over his shoulder, making sure that Hanami and the maids were considerably far. He moved in and signaled for June to move down so he could tell him something. He whispered, ¡°You also have another duty to uphold, Sir June¡­ it is Lady Hanami¡¯s birthday. As her beloved relative I thought you¡¯d stay and make her happy.¡±


    June¡¯s eyes flared up, not with shock, but with anger. ¡°Emotional blackmail! Hanami¡¯s birthday?¡±


    Alto raised his brow, noticing June¡¯s serious expression. ¡°Did you not know?¡± Alto asked, adding, ¡°That¡¯s the reason why Miyumi has allowed you to stay. Do thank her when you see her, my boy.¡± Alto turned away from June, but before he could move any further June mouthed, ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea,¡± as his fists tightened.


    ¡°There¡¯s a chance you could end up bringing back some¡­ some troubling memories for her. And that could trigger¡­ what¡¯s unspoken¡° June bit down on his inner cheek. Alto shook his head and raised his hand up, waving off what June said. Alto knew perfectly well what June was talking about, as he had consulted with their grandmother on the matter the same morning.


    ¡°I¡¯m well aware that you want the best for her, but part of her being here is to bring forth a positive change in her. She¡¯s been locked away for far too long, but her visit isn¡¯t merely a way for her to stretch her legs. During her stay, my role is to ¡®fix¡¯ her and help her on her path.¡± Alto paused, then went on. ¡°You¡¯ll be doing her an immense favor by assisting us tonight with what we have planned. Please follow me.¡±


    June firmly stared Alto in the eyes, upset. Alto slid his hand into his pocket and took out his phone, prompting June to blink in confusion. Alto raised his hand up to his mouth and coughed a few times as he opened one of his eyes and kept his other one closed with a smile. ¡°Follow me on Stagfam and let¡¯s get going.¡±


    What Alto had said left June dumbfounded. He rubbed his eyes and took the butler¡¯s phone as he questioned, ¡°YOU HAVE A SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT?!?! And¡­ what a username¡­¡±


    ¡°Even I have been around long enough to have at least one.¡± Alto turned away, setting his arms behind his back, as June went over to follow Alto on the app and nearly cried out in laughter because of the username: OG.6GoatSmashta49.


    Alto continued down the sidewalk and turned, reaching the mansion¡¯s porch. June followed the short butler closely, picking up his pace. Upon reaching the entrance door, June paused, admiring the dimly lit entrance. ¡°Why are all of the lights soft?¡± He leaned down and whispered beside Alto. Alto glanced up at him. ¡°Because of the birthday of course¡­ and we¡¯re taking a few precautions to relax her.¡±


    June nodded and Alto led him into the living room where the maids had set Hanami down. She awkwardly looked at the two and stood up, only for the two to set her back down. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± the girl said and tried standing up a second time only for the two to set her down again. They began their little playful tussle, restraining Hanami. Alto slid in front of June and snapped his fingers to get the maids to stop messing around.


    The two let go of Haruna, bowed, and left to assist Miranda and Gustov in the kitchen while a third maid entered the room. ¡°Mina, you can escort Sir June to the hot spring.¡± The butler reached up and fiddled with the end of his blonde mustache. ¡°H-Hot spring?¡± June stuttered.


    ¡°Yes, please get comfortable.¡± Alto winked at him, hinting at the celebration, but June cringed at the wink. ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t know about that!¡± he exclaimed, but was tugged out of the living room too quickly for Hanami to even respond to what was going on.


    Alto turned around to face her, but as he did, June had quickly rushed back in and gripped the door frame as Minaka returned to pull him away. ¡°Right this way, Junny-wunny. Cooome on-¡± She pinched June¡¯s cheek, yanking him aside.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I want to practice kendo with Hanami,¡± he told the maid, recalling when Hanami mentioned it during their ride, but before he had the chance to continue, he was already out of the room and didn¡¯t want to go back in a third time as it¡¯d make things worse. Instead, he figured he¡¯d practice the following morning if he got the opportunity. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten stronger, that grip of yours¡± he commented, surprised as Minaka happily gave him a nod.


    Back in the living room, Hanami stood up and asked Alto why the maids were holding her against her will. Alto apologized, adding, ¡°We have something to discuss. Do you have any other questions before I go on?¡±


    Haruna nodded. ¡°Is there a room where I can practice my kendo? I just got back, but I can¡¯t put it aside teheh¡­ gotta practice more.¡± She wore a brimming smile, though in the back of her head, she remembered when she had struggled against Marco. The only Hirazawa Thug she hadn¡¯t taken down. ¡°I¡¯m settling things with him the next time he acts up, you betcha!!!¡± She yelled in her head.


    Alto looked up to the chandelier above them, which was hovering steadily up and down. After three seconds, he responded, ¡°Yes, there is a room. I suppose I¡¯ll tell you what I wanted to discuss later.¡±


    ¡°What is it you wanted to say? You can say it now, gramps.¡± Hanami giggled, watching the elderly fellow.


    Alto walked over to the living room table. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± he replied, as he dug his hand into a bowl of keys and searched until he found a small golden key in the form of a ¡°T¡±. He lifted it up and the small key dangled down, as the long golden chain tapped his sleeve. ¡°The master¡¯s old dojo is being prepared for your use, since he hasn¡¯t used it in a long time. The maids fixed half of the room, but there are still boxes with your kendo belongings that haven¡¯t been unpacked.¡±


    ¡°Thanks grandpa!¡± The girl nodded as she briefly sunk back into the couch, setting her arm onto the floating couch¡¯s armrest. ¡°He had his own dojo? What did he practice? Not kendo, right?¡± The question slipped past her lips almost right away.


    ¡°He used to fence and practice kendo, though it wasn¡¯t of his own free will. He has a strong dislike for kendo especially.¡± Alto rubbed his temples in a fastened motion, knowing well what he had said was the honest truth.


    ¡°D-DISLIKES KENDO!?¡± Hanami¡¯s jaw dropped as she recalled that Takumi had glimpsed at her kendo bag earlier that day. ¡°WHY WOULD NANA MAKE ME MARRY A GUY LIKE THAT?! WE¡¯RE ALL ABOUT KENDO!¡± she stood up and yelled out, shaking her head back and forth as her crimson hair whipped around. Anyone who¡¯d enter the room at that moment would swear she was having a seizure.


    Alto¡¯s hands fidgeted as he waited for her to calm down. The girl dropped to her knees, digging her palm into the soft carpet below her. ¡°My life is really over¡­ I can¡¯t be with someone like that,¡± she murmured to herself until she looked up and shrugged. ¡°Hmmm, we¡¯re both gonna reject the marriage when the day comes anyway.¡±


    Alto didn¡¯t respond, although he had a look of worry¡­ particularly about his well-being if what Hanami said were to happen. Thoughts of Takumi¡¯s mother bearing her claws down on him and Miranda sent chills all over his body. He lifted his hand up and coughed in order to get Hanami¡¯s attention. ¡°Please follow me this way.¡± He turned away, exiting the living room. The Hasegawa stood up and followed right behind Alto as they passed through the main lobby.


    The heel of his black shoes squeaked against the shiny marble floor. Alto nodded and pressed his palm against a pad that was beside the elevator door. ¡°Right this way,¡± he spoke urgently. While waiting for the elevator to come down, Hanami looked over to the flight of steps. Her eyes skimmed up to the top where she saw multiple portraits along gigantic grey windows that went straight to the transparent ceiling.


    Within the giant canvas, a figure was painted. Aside from this figure, there were four other portraits around it. The central one stood out the most. The head of a tall, pale Setsu. He had dark brown spiky hair. His bangs went down his cheeks and the most distinguishable feature was a black dot he had below his left eye and the dark purple eyes.


    The eyes seemed to follow her, which sent chills down her spine. Though she couldn¡¯t help but blush upon inspecting his symmetrical features that complemented his perfect chin. It all came together perfectly with the dark purple Royal Armor and Hachi emblem carved on the front, with spirals twisting along the armor. However, the portrait¡¯s resemblance was too close to Takumi¡¯s. His eyes and the eyes of the individual within the frame were the same. ¡°Both hollow for some reason¡­¡± she thought to herself.


    A ding echoed through the lobby, snapping her out of her zoned out state. Alto looked up to the portrait the girl had been staring at and knew she¡¯d want to ask questions about Takumi and his father. ¡°Those are the Hachi Portraits. Portraits of the previous Sekiha of the Hachi. It¡¯s a custom to have the portrait of the current leader at the center¡­ in this case, Takeshi Hachi¡± Alto briefly paused. ¡°His son, your fiance, is next in line.¡±


    Hanami¡¯s eyes widened after what she heard. It was the current Sekiha himself, who she had heard a lot about. ¡°That¡¯s Takeshi¡­ the one that put an end to the Seto War long ago.¡± She remembered a morning when she stumbled upon some old books and took them to her grandmother. The books interested her because they had stories that she didn¡¯t know were real. As a little girl, she was introduced to Setsu history at that moment. Her grandmother told her of Takeshi and the crucial role he played in it.


    ¡°Being raised by someone like that¡­¡± she thought aloud. ¡°He surely picked his behavior up from his father?¡± She considered the possibility, only entangling her thoughts further. ¡°No¡­ Lord Takeshi is very dignified, truly kind, a Rikuto amongst Rikutos,¡± she remembered her grandmother telling her. It was as if fumes swirled around in her head and escaped her ears as she tried to wrap her brain around the two.


    ¡°No, the young master isn¡¯t hostile because of him entirely¡­ though partly,¡± Alto practically read her mind, but she didn¡¯t pick up on it due to being stuck in her head.


    She found herself gawking at the mental image of her fiance and then Takeshi. ¡°I-Is he going to look like that later on?!?! Or more handsome¡­ mmmm.¡± Her face lit up and she shook back and forth in denial, then jokingly said loud enough for Alto to hear, ¡°Get a hold of yourself, Hanami! Good looks don¡¯t beat personality¡­ if only that jerk were more like his father.¡±


    ¡°You misunderstand Master Takumi. He has his reasons¡­ like many of us, a past.¡± Alto mumbled and signaled for her to enter the elevator. With a deep sigh, Hanami stepped in. Now she was really curious, but before she could say anything else, Alto shrugged and reminded her, ¡°You said you didn¡¯t want to talk about him, right?¡±, recalling what she said when they were in the driveway. He chuckled, with one eye open, before closing it again.


    ¡°B-but¡­¡± Hanami puffed up her cheeks, but gave in. The girl closed her eyes and recalled when she was crossing the red bridge on her way back to the entrance ceremony. Takumi had let go of her hand and stopped just at the other side of the bridge, as a gentle gust lightly waved their clothes around. That¡¯s when he had looked over to her. The light reflecting from the water that passed just below the bridge hit Takumi¡¯s side and made him seem almost angelic, but he had an empty expression on his face. ¡°What could have been on his mind at that moment when he looked at me?¡± she thought to herself, until the elevator¡¯s ding snapped her out of her thoughts.


    Each time the elevator went up a floor, a ding followed right after as she fiddled with her thumbs. The elevator door finally opened as they arrived on the third floor. The butler stepped out and continued on ahead, his footsteps echoing through the empty hallway. Alto stopped halfway down the hallway and fit the golden key into a large white door. When he turned the lock, the doors slid back themselves. The moonlight that crept into the room from the windows within spread out past Alto, illuminating the hallway. Hanami stepped in as Alto flicked the lights on, gasping at how vast the space was.


    ¡°It¡¯d be perfect for the kendo club I wanna make,¡± she happily said aloud. She clapped and kicked off her heels, and ran over to one of the windows to look out to the fields that had fluffy sheep in them. Alto couldn¡¯t help but feel happy seeing that she had forgotten all about what she was wondering before.


    ¡°Giving her time to practice will allow us to make final preparations¡­ good,¡± Alto told himself, clearing his throat before asking, ¡°Would you like me to retrieve your kendo uniform, Lady Hanami?¡± There was no response from her, as she was too busy admiring the moon that was out that night. ¡°Miss Hana?¡± He tried to get her attention. ¡°Huh? Oh! Um, sure. Thanks grampa!¡°


    ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll return soon.¡± Alto excused himself, calling over to the kitchen staff using a hover phone that floated over to him. ¡°All ready?¡± he quietly whispered. He shot a glance past his shoulder, making sure Hanami hadn¡¯t heard him.


    Back in the city, Takumi finished sliding down a set of silver escalators, avoiding a big muddy puddle. Making sure no one saw him, he walked out of the alleyway on his way back to the Gumi Cafe. He sighed to himself, thinking back to the Stray he ran into. ¡°Not good. I don¡¯t want to get myself involved in this shit, but¡­¡± He stopped to take a look at the car Jeel had fallen on and took his phone out to give the Yori a call. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m on Abeno Avenue. I¡¯d pursued an illegal Stray type thing, but it got away. You guys should analyze the car and gain some samples to create an image of the Stray.¡±


    ¡°For now, I¡¯ll let them handle this themselves,¡± he thought to himself. Ending the call, he turned away and continued walking down the busy street up ahead. A sigh escaped his mouth in disappointment of the failed hunt. The thought of the Stray with its tongue hanging out crossed his mind, only for him to push the weird image out of his head. There was nothing he could do for now; he had gotten a lead, so all he had to do was get home and get down to practicing his handles. That was the plan¡­ but he then briefly remembered Hanami, leading him to squint.


    ¡°Ah yeah¡­ she¡¯s waiting at home. Damn.¡± Takumi slid his hand into his jacket and pulled out his phone again, quickly checking if Yoshigawa had left any messages. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll crash at Shima¡¯s place,¡± Takumi contemplated, scrolling through until he found Yoshigawa¡¯s chat.


    Yoshigawa did in fact leave a message. Takumi walked along, ignoring the sound of the chattering humans that bumped into one another drunkenly. The phone¡¯s light glowed across his face as he arrived at an empty crosswalk and started to read the message. ¡°Yo Tai, I got caught up, sorry I couldn¡¯t help. I sorta ran into a Shiki on the way over. Don¡¯t worry, I handled it. After I destroyed it, five really strong Setsus appeared. They had to be from another region for sure and they were rocking freaky outfits. Seems we have things cut out for us, just like I told ya.¡±


    ¡°More Strays?¡± Takumi¡¯s eyes widened. He continued to read through the message. ¡°Those Strays nearly got me, but Zumepaki came in time and forced them to retreat. I haven¡¯t gotten word on whether they tracked them down but we¡¯ll see. Text me back. Worried about ya, wro.¡±


    Takumi turned his phone off, only to hear it buzz again. He checked and saw that Yoshigawa had sent him a picture of his hand with his fingers together and a message. ¡°And don¡¯t leave me on read wro! I just remembered I have something to make for Naomi before she gets back,  I¡¯m taking my ass home. ttyl.¡±


    ¡°Jeez¡­ Shima,¡± Takumi grumbled, glancing over his shoulder to an LED Teriyaki store sign that flickered on and off. He texted Yoshigawa back with a ¡°¡®Kay ttyl¡± and buried his hands into his pockets. He frowned, looking out to the other side of the street. Cars pulled in, honking as they took off due to one car stopping near the sidewalk. A swishing sound continued with each passing car. Takumi dug around for his black earplugs and sighed as he remembered he had left them in his car.


    Things were beginning to become quiet though. Not too many people were around, and there weren¡¯t any cars approaching in the distance. Just as soon as Takumi had closed his eyes though, he heard a group down the sidewalk coming over. When he looked over, it was five teens, more or less his age. He only glimpsed for a few seconds and turned away. ¡°Teens this late at night? Probably low-level thugs.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­¡± He raised a brow and turned back to look again. Each of the five had a Hirazawa school pin clipped onto the left side of their chests. On the right side, they had pins of their first name and initial. The five seemed scruffy.


    ¡°Hmph¡­ punks,¡± Takumi murmured to himself. From left to right, the first one was Uda, Sada, Miyoshi, Heisuke and Asa; the five thugs June had brought in for punishing. They had missed the entrance ceremonies and had letters they had to give their legal guardians. Sada, Miyoshi, Heisuke and Asa were clearly upset, but Uda seemed gloomy. Heisuke ordered they all give him the letters and he went on to rip them to shreds, chucking them forcefully into the passing street. ¡°That¡¯s littering, boss,¡± one of them said.


    ¡°Shut up! What are you, a cop?!¡± Heisuke shot. ¡°You want to get in trouble?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re sending copy letters by mail anyway, you know,¡± replied Uda, making Heisuke seem stupid as the others tried not to laugh as they walked.


    ¡°You think I don¡¯t know that?! I¡¯m gonna wait for them to send it so I can trash it! Stupid Hachis.¡±


    He looked up ahead and caught Takumi looking over to them. Takumi didn¡¯t avert his gaze from them. His gaze made Uda timid, as he slid over behind Miyoshi, who was the tallest one. They were all silent for a moment until Miyoshi spoke up to kill the silence. ¡°Ack, I shoulda brought my brass knuckles,¡± he growled, to which Sada replied, ¡°You still would¡¯ve failed, you would''ve got your ass kicked either way bahahaha¡­ to a little girl!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re one to talk, Sada! You got swept faster than I could blink!¡± Sada set his foot in front of Asa in an attempt to trip him as the guys started up a conversation again. ¡°Hey! She caught me slacking is all!¡± Sada yelled out.


    Heisuke interrupted all of them by smashing his fist into his palm, gripping it tightly. ¡°I have to redeem myself¡­ as the leader, I failed you guys. We couldn¡¯t recruit a single hot babe to our club!¡± Tears blew down his cheeks as two of the other guys pressed their forearms against their eyes not to show their tears. ¡°It¡¯s okay boss! We failed you, too!¡± Miyoshi whacked both of them over the head.


    ¡°But I promise you! I¡¯m going to get that tiny redhead back!¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± They all raised their fists, holding back tears.


    ¡°You idiots! You¡¯re going to make me cry, too!¡± Miyoshi pressed his palms against his face as Asa laughed at them and they glared at him. ¡°What the hell are you laughing at?!¡± they all asked in sync. Asa looked up ahead to a random dancing panda sign and tried using it as an excuse as they stopped near the cross walk Takumi was near.


    ¡°Well guys, I¡¯ll be heading this way. You take care, we¡¯re gangin¡¯ tomorrow and the week after that. We¡¯re taking the Hotaka¡¯s turf¡¯s! They¡¯ve been yapping online this week,¡± Heisuke said as he started walking away.


    ¡°Sure thing boss, keep an eye out. We¡¯ll hang tomorrow!¡± They all said their individual farewells. ¡°No worries, we¡¯ll get that red haired chick back!¡± Sada yelled out to them as he waved his hands in the air until they disappeared into the distance.


    ¡°Red hair?¡± Takumi squinted, wondering if they were talking about Hanami, since she was the only redhead who crossed his mind. The two stared ahead, as dozens of the city¡¯s lights flashed around them from the cars and bicyclists speeding through. Heisuke tried looking at Takumi from the corner of his eye. He seemed awfully familiar, but Heisuke couldn¡¯t tell where he had seen him exactly. When Takumi turned to look at him, he quickly looked straight ahead as the light changed.


    Hover-cars halted and Heisuke stepped onto the street, crossing until he disappeared into the crowd of oncoming pedestrians. Takumi looked on, but brushed it off. Before he could take a step onto the street, the car near him honked repeatedly. He glanced at the car and stepped back onto the sidewalk as the window rolled and a familiar voice called out.


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t the half pint, Takumi!¡± The young Setsu raised a brow and approached the window. He peered inside and saw it was none other than¡­


    ¡°Shiro¡­¡± Takumi groaned internally, recognizing who it was.


    ¡°That¡¯s my name, part of the fame! Hop in, lil bro!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not your little brother,¡± Takumi answered back with a frown as he turned over and found Shiro reached over through the window and grabbed the back of his arm.


    ¡°You¡¯re as cruel as ever! Get in!¡± Takumi squinted and reached down. He pulled the handle of the car and slid in, shutting it as Shiro tried high fiving him, but Takumi ignored him. The light flicked on, so Shiro focused on the road. ¡°I ride into town and the first one I run into is you, haha. What are you doing downtown in such a sketchy area?¡± Shiro asked, trying to start up a conversation. ¡°Awfully near the red light district, you know¡­ wait, you are about that age.¡±


    ¡°None of the perverted garbage you¡¯re thinking about is why I¡¯m here,¡± Takumi sighed. ¡°Was just handling some business¡­¡± Takumi responded.


    ¡°You? Handling business?! What kind? Don¡¯t tell me Setsu work¡­ I thought you said you were done with Setsu duties.¡± Shiro shook his head, recalling the very words Takumi had told him years ago.


    ¡°It¡¯s been five years, things change. Besides, I¡¯m not doing it ¡®cause I want to¡­ just have to get this little thing out the way,¡± Takumi replied, setting his cheek against the back of his hand, and gazing at the different buildings they passed by. ¡°How about you? Why are you here anyway? Thought you were running Miyumi¡¯s clothing line in Paris,¡± Takumi added as Shiro turned on the car¡¯s windshield wiper to get rid of the droplets of rain. The chilly breeze that blew in front of Takumi made the Setsu slide his free hand into his pocket as Shiro reached over and turned on the stereo to listen to some casual music.


    ¡°I thought she gave me a vacation¡­¡±


    Takumi raised a brow. ¡°By vacation¡­ you mean?¡±


    Shiro nodded and started to laugh as Takumi smiled, finding it amusing. ¡°That sister of yours called me over here to do some Setsu work, so it¡¯s a vacation from the ordinary human life,¡± Shiro snickered.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Takumi tapped the tip of his nose with his pinky and then leaned back, looking ahead.


    ¡°For her to call me back with urgency, something must be going on. The Stray activity must be hot,¡± Shiro added, shifting the wheel as he drifted along the road. ¡°Supa hot,¡± Shiro added, noticing an advertising post for spicy ramen over the freeway.


    ¡°Drop me off at the Gumi Cafe,¡± Takumi told him.


    ¡°Gumi Cafe? They finally renovated the place? Sweet! I¡¯ll have to stop by for a drink, it¡¯s been a mighty long time! You were just a small kid back when the place was running. Senji must be huge now, right?¡± Shiro rambled on.


    ¡°Sorta.¡± Takumi heard a phone buzzing. He glanced down to the cupboard, noticing it was Shiro¡¯s. The latter dove down to take the phone, as the profile picture showed him kissing Miyumi, causing the young Setsu to squint. Takumi had the urge to throw up, but managed to control it.


    ¡°Great, I¡¯ll drop you off then.¡± Shiro pulled into the street that¡¯d take them to the Gumi Cafe. The hover-car sped up and stopped just beside Takumi¡¯s car. The young Setsu pulled up his hoodie and slid out of Shiro¡¯s car, avoiding a puddle that was just in front of the door by hopping over it.


    ¡°See ya.¡± Takumi slammed the door shut, and pondered on whether to enter and let Senji know of what happened, but figured he¡¯d just return the following morning since it was already late. It¡¯d take some time to drive back to the Hachi Estate, and he still had some research to do on the factory name he had caught a glimpse of just before the portal had closed.


    With a sigh, Takumi entered the bar and went to the back of the lounge where he had left his bag. Senji wasn¡¯t around, which he found weird. ¡°Where¡¯s Sen?¡± Takumi asked the clerk near the cash register.


    ¡°Downstairs in the office,¡± the individual answered. Takumi didn¡¯t question him any further, only giving him a faint nod.


    ¡°Tell him I¡¯ll be stopping by tomorrow morning¡­  possibly.¡± The clerk bowed as the jingling sound announced Takumi¡¯s exit. The young Setsu got into his car and sped onto the road.


    Elsewhere, on another road, Shiro lifted up his phone. ¡°Shiro, we¡¯re all set up at the Minato Ward and the Hercules Shiki has been spotted,¡± Kiku informed him.


    ¡°Got it. Get to work lil sis. I¡¯ll call back.¡± Shiro tore through the empty highway, tossing his phone onto the passenger¡¯s seat. ¡°Looks like things are as lively as ever. Some vacation this¡¯ll be,¡± Shiro laughed and cracked his neck.

 Chapter 20

    ¡°KYA!!! KYA!!!¡± Hanami¡¯s blade swished aside, creating a refreshing gust that blew along her side. She eyed the robotic kendoka¡¯s stance and stepped into close range. ¡°KAIZEN!¡± Her empowering scream added strength to her swift strike. The attack knocked the robotic kendoka back several feet as the next two robots passed it, headed towards her from both sides.


    Running over to the nearest robot, she quickly struck the side of its knees, leading it to nearly stagger off balance, granting her the opportunity she needed. Hanami stepped onto its head as it looked up, knocking it down, and she gracefully backflipped back onto the ground. The other one moved in, only for the girl to block its downward thrust in time and look around. ¡°I¡¯m actually breaking a sweat here!¡±


    There were three around her now, with others rushing into position. ¡°Think Hanami¡­ think!¡± Allowing the weight of the struggling kendo bot to come down, she rolled sideways and whipped her blade across the side of its head, disabling it as the others closed in. She zoomed in, striking them all down while evading smoothly like an ice skater in a rink. One of the grey robots that stood at about 5¡¯10 swung its blade down towards Hanami¡¯s left hip. She blocked it and forced the robot¡¯s blade to rise up, and as it did, she spun below and struck the robot¡¯s thigh, causing the robot to buckle. Hanami backed up as the second robot advanced towards her, attempting to jab at her. A third robot joined in. Both forced her to move back to avoid their attempted jabs.


    ¡°Hauuuu!¡± Hanami said loudly, her voice gradually lowering. She focused on the angle that the two blades came from when she was pinned up against a wall and knelt down to swing her blade downwards to halt the one on the right, and jumped up and set her feet against the wall. Boosting off of the wall, she went above the robot, striking it directly at the top of the head. ¡°Maybe I ought to increase their speed!¡± She thought as she managed to roll into a smooth landing right behind the second one.


    Hanami swirled the kendo blade along her forearm to confuse the robot, as its eyes moved around trying to track the tip of the kendo blade. The blade spun around too fast and before it could track the tip, the blade whipped down, with the tip striking the robot straight down from the forehead to its nose. With the bot stunned, Hanami slid her feet over and took a single step up, delivering a second strike that made the robot drop back. Now there was only one left, but it was already behind her.


    She lifted her kendo blade up and blocked the robot¡¯s blade, but fell on her back as the robotic kendoka jabbed the blade down towards her. Hanami moved her head side to side, avoiding the strikes, and as her neck started getting tired, she tapped the tip of the bot¡¯s blade, causing it to rise high over its head. She used that instance to lunge forward and roll onto her feet, leading the robot to slam the kendo blade onto the ground, making a strong striking sound. The sound echoed around, giving Hanami jitters throughout her body as she rose and dashed in to finish the last kendo bot off.


    The strike landed right across the bot¡¯s face where it had the button. ¡°KAIZEN!¡± She whipped her arms back and brought the blade back to its face for a second time. The amplified force pushed it further, smashing the kendo bot over straight to the ground. Hanami took a single hop step backwards and maintained her stance until it was clear it wasn¡¯t moving. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. After four seconds, she exhaled, relieving her shoulders.


    She turned away and walked over to the boxes where she had set her towel and grabbed it, setting it around her shoulders after placing her kendo blade down. ¡°Whew, that was great! June must have really known I¡¯d gotten much stronger to not want to face me in kendo,¡± she told herself and exited out of the room. As she left, she was met with her reflection on the window straight ahead in the hallway. Taking a glance, she recalled when she¡¯d been stuck in a cell, with tattered clothes. Now she was slightly different than that and it¡¯d only been a day. She turned away and walked over to the third floor staircase. When Hanami set her hands on the armrest, she glanced down and saw maids crossing the lobby.


    ¡°Lord Hachi is nearing his return!¡±


    ¡°Run! No panicking! Prepare the foyer properly!¡±


    ¡°Put that over there, quickly!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s bound to fire us all with that sort of dusting! Airi!¡±


    Hanami heard the maids preparing for Takumi¡¯s return. They all seemed scared, all unwilling to be the first to greet him home. They all played rock-paper-scissors as they waited. She slumped down, pressing her cheek to her forearm as she watched.


    The maids played on until Miranda came around, asking, ¡°What in the world are you girls doing?¡± To her dismay, they all bombarded her with the same answer that came down to none of them being able to greet Takumi. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it again,¡± she said, as all of them quickly surrounded her with a group hug.


    Twenty seconds later, they all saw the front door open, prompting them to all get into position. Takumi arrived home. He rubbed his neck in annoyance as he stepped into the entrance. He slid his shoes off in front of Miranda, who presented him with some fuzzy bat slippers.


    ¡°Welcome home, young master!¡± the five ninja maids said in unison in front of the other maids, bowing down before him. Takumi stared at them blankly. ¡°Thanks,¡± he replied. Just as he did, he caught a particular scent he was familiar with¡­ one that ticked him off and made him feel uncomfortable. Initially, he swatted the memories attempting to get into his head, but went on to follow the scent anyway. He followed this scent straight into the lobby, shifting his sight over to the upper staircase. The strong scent of cherries stained his nose. The darkened staircase was lit by a passing orb which stopped beside that certain someone, revealing Hanami, who sheepishly watched him.


    ¡°Awww¡­ those adorable slippers suit big bad Taki. Your feet are the cutest thing about you now, yohoho,¡± her voice echoed down through the lobby. Some of the maids did their best to not laugh as it almost flew out of their mouths. For once, someone said the thought they¡¯d all had. Takumi looked down to the slippers and automatically kicked them aside in response to what she said. His cheeks shifted to a faint pink as a sense of embarrassment filled him up. Hanami couldn¡¯t help but laugh at him, completely having forgotten what occurred earlier in the day in Miyumi¡¯s office.


    ¡°Sir, you don¡¯t want your slippers?¡± Miranda asked, concerned when he had kicked off his favorite slippers. She stood up and hunched over, retrieving them. Takumi shook his head when Miranda raised them up for him to take.


    ¡°Mira, put those silly things away right now. I told you to keep those in my room!¡± Takumi whispered down to her in a grouchy tone, as his eyebrow twitched uncontrollably. Her blank eyes went down to his favorite slippers and back up to him. ¡°What¡¯s with this strange behavior?¡± she wondered. Curious, she went on and asked. ¡°Silly? But you really love your slippers.¡±


    ¡°I do, but that damn Hasegawa is here. Use your head, Mira!¡± Takumi spouted in return, facepalming himself. He moved over and plopped down beside Miranda to remove his socks. He slipped one of his socks off and tossed it at one of the maids on standby. She didn¡¯t dare move as part of the wet sock had landed in her mouth. She remained frozen like the other maids that kept their mouths open, as they each held in the internal desire to shriek. Takumi passed by them all, not paying them the slightest attention. They remained still as if he were a t-rex passing by.


    Miranda held the slippers out, and ran around him, holding them out to him at different angles. She raised them up towards Takumi¡¯s face. Takumi stepped aside and passed her, avoiding eye contact with Hanami, who watched him walk off, only for him to stop momentarily. He removed his other sock and handed it to one of the maids that had followed behind him as he crossed the lobby barefoot and passed the staircase beside the one that led to the upper floors.


    He didn¡¯t dare turn his head up to his fiancee at all. He knew he was being watched and laughed at. She was even now sticking her tongue out at him, until he disappeared out of her line of sight. ¡°What the heck is his problem? Can¡¯t be mad because I saw his big boy slippers. Maybe I can use that against him some time. Oh this is good, really good!¡± she told herself, giggling even more. She skipped off, now in an even better mood.


    ¡°I ought to rip off that b*tches hair,¡± Takumi thought to himself.


    All of the maids let out a deep breath once Takumi wasn¡¯t visible anymore. Miranda proceeded to turn the corner and saw him remove his coat. ¡°So, you¡¯re really ditching your slippers? Should I throw them away?¡± she asked him, as he opened a closet door.


    ¡°Miranda, Miranda¡­ you¡¯re having a hard time using your head today, eh?¡± He sighed. ¡°Give me that.¡± Taking the slippers, Takumi flung them into the closet, growling under his breath. He went on to hang his coat onto one of the rackets and slammed the door shut.


    ¡°Okay, attitude. You¡¯re not having dinner either?¡± Miranda stared at him.


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m going off to the hot spring to cool down. Been a long day, sorry.¡± Takumi placed his hand on Miranda¡¯s head, then peered out through the glassdoor. The path seemed muddy, and he could also see the bamboo path he¡¯d be taking in a moment. ¡°Have honey rolls delivered to my room,¡± he told Miranda and slid into the closet again. As soon as he threw the coat in, he stood up, with the intention of washing them himself rather than having the maids do it. All the while Miranda remained on standby, her expression shifted to a silent squint.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a balanced meal, master,¡± Miranda uttered, hearing him instantly spout, ¡°I told you a thousand times, don¡¯t tell me what I can and can¡¯t eat, Mira! Have the meal delivered to my room. I don¡¯t want any more run-ins with that brat tonight.¡± The door swung open soon after Takumi adjusted his robe.


    Before passing Miranda, he hunched in close and tapped her lips twice with his index fingers, a signal established between them. The other maids ogled at the sight of this while Miranda simply answered in her mind, ¡°As you wish M¡¯lord¡­¡±


    With her agreeing, Takumi went off to the glass door. He tapped his palm against the door¡¯s pad and stepped onto the stone path that had a series of leaves and boulders scattered up ahead. ¡°One of you come out here and clean this,¡± Takumi telepathically told the maids that were inside and gracefully avoided the mess as he walked off.


    He got onto the grassy spots and went through the purple bamboo path. Each bamboo seemed to radiate a soft purple glow, complementing the night sky overhead. Lanterns illuminated the path, hovering beside the thousands of bamboo trees. It displayed the natural scenery that Takumi adored. ¡°Finally, peace,¡± he thought to himself.


    With a deep breath, he adjusted his bathrobe and looked up at the clear night sky. ¡°Mmm¡­ what a day,¡± he reflected on the atrocious weather he had just left behind. From it being sunny to rainy. It was an issue that still had to be fixed: the Census system that shifted the weather to keep the city clean and the upper sectors afloat.


    ¡°That¡¯s something¡­ the elders can handle it. Got my own share of problems as is.¡± Takumi jumped down some steps, his thoughts going off to basketball; despite the fact he got to play, he hadn¡¯t completed his mission of finding the captain. To make matters worse, it didn¡¯t seem like he¡¯d be able to practice either.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way I can focus on balling tonight with that brat around. Gotta talk to Yuuichi myself tomorrow and figure out where Katsuya is.¡± Takumi¡¯s eyes glowed in the darkness. He picked up his pace, gripping the wooden bin under his arm tightly. He felt himself slip into slight desperation over the current situation. ¡°Taro is overseas already¡­ and I¡¯m stuck here.¡± He stepped forward and swiftly jumped up onto a boulder, as dozens of gleaming lanterns floated around.


    ¡°At this pace, I¡¯ll never catch up to Taro¡­ he¡¯ll figure out grandfather¡¯s reasoning first.¡± Takumi dropped off of the boulder and swiftly cleared a hill of boulders in a matter of seconds, dashing off into the bamboo forest at the top. He continued through, following the arrows that pointed in the direction of the hot spring bath house. The running gave him flashbacks of sunlight hitting his eyes, as two figures swiped their hands down towards him and the next thing he saw was the ground. In the memory, he felt the air escaping his lungs. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    He felt an intense sensation on his knees, as if they were being scorched. He rolled onto his back with blood messing his eyesight. ¡°Pathetic loser,¡± a certain someone said. ¡°Can¡¯t believe this is the kid that wants to take on Taro.¡± That individual stood over him with a smug glare that angered Takumi. In the distance, a maid posted at the entrance of the hot spring spotted a number of bamboo trees tumbling over. Anyone would think it was a raging gorilla tearing them out of the ground. Those glowing purple eyes soon lunged out, revealing it to be Takumi himself.


    Takumi let out a low growl, snapping out of the vision. He felt his left sandals slip off as his foot plunged into the see-through water that streamed in front of the bath house. He briefly stared at his rippling reflection. The water only went up to his ankle. Taking a look ahead, he didn¡¯t bother going for them since he already felt mucky underwater grass brushing against his feet, only upsetting him more as he silently stepped toward.


    ¡°Th-The pay is good¡­¡± the maid said, nervously maintaining a curved smile as her knees trembled. The small maid stood near a small bridge that led to the grassy flat ground. Trees rose up high and curled, closing visibility of the sky around the bath house, and surrounded the front of the place like blankets. If it weren¡¯t for the orbs carved into the trees, the whole space would be pitch black.


    ¡°Hello sir, welcome b--ba-back,¡± she stuttered, feeling a lump form in her small throat. Takumi stepped onto the gravel that was under the water. Some swept aside as he kicked rocks around, stomping his way through. ¡°LALI, HE¡¯S UPSET!¡± She internally squealed, unsure of what to do. ¡°Out of everyone they posted me here¡­ the smallest one,¡± Lali whined. ¡°Here he comes¡­ act normal, ACT NORMAL! GAHHHH!! HE CUT A PATH RIGHT THROUGH THE WATER!¡±


    Takumi didn¡¯t bother taking the small wooden bridge that led to the area. The water splashed about with each step, brushing along his ankles and wetting the lower portion of his robe. The little maid quivered and brought the bucket of soap up. She held it out in front of herself to the best of her ability. The look in his eyes terrified her to the point that she turned her head away in fear. That is, until she felt the weight of the heavy bucket disappear after ten seconds. Takumi snatched it from her, going straight in. She turned around and only saw the red curtains flapping about.


    ¡°I¡­ I survived.¡± She dropped to her knees, clenching the grass that brushed between her fingers. ¡°It¡¯s a miracle!¡± She celebrated happily, smiling in delight. Her moment of ease was short-lived though, as her ears picked up the sound of moving curtains. Takumi stepped back outside. Right as she looked over, she was hit with a fish shaped soap right against her forehead. She dropped back, as her hands twitched. Takumi walked straight to her, lifted her up by her collar. ¡°You had one job.¡±


    ¡°S-Sorry!¡± She flinched, placing her hand on his wrist, but found he shoved another soap bar in her mouth to stop her from speaking. She spit it out at a moment¡¯s notice, only for Takumi to wrap his fingers around her small neck, lifting her up higher.


    ¡°OH, MASTER TAKUMI! Please, be gentle¡­ my eyes might pop out.¡± Lali slightly salivated, feeling Takumi¡¯s grip on her neck strengthen, but then¡­ her expression became one of sheer pleasure.


    ¡°What the hell? F*cking slut.¡± Takumi freaked out and flung her into the flowing water that passed around the grassy mush they were on. The disruption of the water flow caused golden orbs of light to float out under the waves until they were caught by the dense trees that blocked visibility of the night sky over them. Being small, she flopped around in the water, screaming. She felt like she was drowning until she realized the water wasn¡¯t too high. She stood up, drenched.


    ¡°Where are the towels?¡± she heard Takumi growl, as she saw a menacing vibe rising around him.


    ¡°You¡¯re asking me?¡± she said, dumbfounded, in shivers.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s posted here!¡± Takumi¡¯s patience decreased drastically.


    ¡°Ah! T-They¡¯re inside! I FORGOT TO BRING THEM!¡± Lali clawed her hands into her hair, remembering that she had folded towels into a bin, but left the bin inside.


    ¡°Okay¡­ you¡¯re fired. I better not see you again,¡± she heard Takumi say, causing her to break into uncontrollable sobs almost right away. He heard crying, but continued into the hot spring. ¡°The more I fire, the more trash they bring in.¡± Stepping in, Takumi brushed aside the curtain that had the kanji for ¡°life¡± on it. Outside, Miranda swooped down beside Lali, having followed Takumi under Alto¡¯s orders. She rubbed Lali¡¯s back. ¡°Mira! I got fired! I¡¯m done for!¡± Lali buried her face into Miranda¡¯s breasts, unsure of what she¡¯d do since she had nowhere else to go. She couldn¡¯t return home to her clan with such disgraceful news.


    ¡°No, you aren''t. As usual, he won¡¯t even recognize you the next time he sees you. Go to the maid¡¯s quarters. Maira is switching out with you for now, let her know,¡± Miranda assured the young Setsu, rubbing the back of her head.


    Inside, the fog spread past Takumi¡¯s knees, exiting briefly until the curtains pulled themselves back into place thanks to the magnetic hooks at the top, and a magnet with the opposite force at the end of the hidden pole. Takumi walked through the hall, making sure not to go too fast to avoid slipping on the moist wooden floorboards. He made it halfway down the hall and stopped, taking a look at the sign with an arrow that indicated it was the men¡¯s hot spring area. He slid the curtain aside and entered, passing over the bedrock. Just as he had entered, a robotic cleaner slid a cart in front of the ¡°men¡¯s¡± sign outside and wandered off.


    Takumi stopped in front of the green water that had a school of koi fish near the area he was just about to enter through. When he stepped in, the fish spread away, avoiding him. Takumi untied the robe and slid it off, setting it on top of a stool that was nearby. The foggy mist cleared as June opened his eyes and Takumi turned to face him. June¡¯s eyes narrowed down and his pale cheeks shifted to a bright pink.


    An awkward five seconds passed without a single word between the two. June didn¡¯t avert his eyes, as he was frozen in shock. A nearby log tilted over, slapping against a boulder. The sound echoed through. Without saying anything, Takumi turned away and made his way into the hot spring with the basket. He passed by June and went over to an area beside a boulder and slid down, sinking into the water as mist swayed along the surface.


    He closed his eyes in meditation, and listened to the water brushing up along his jaw when he lowered down until the water went over his upper lip. He was submerged in his thoughts¡­ at least for a few seconds. At the other end, June grabbed an empty bucket and plunged it into the water, creating a sound that Takumi could clearly hear. Takumi heard June mumble while shaking until he got it together.


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    Takumi didn¡¯t open his eyes, as he tried getting into a zen state, focusing more on the warm water which was relaxing the muscles along his lower back and shoulder. His ears plunged into the water a number of times when he drew closer to losing focus.


    ¡°Tachi¡­¡± June began.


    ¡°Psst- Tachi.¡±


    ¡°Tachi¡­ um¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that, mustard face,¡± Takumi responded back. June briefly coughed and thought of his head being a yellow mustard bottle, but brushed it off.


    ¡°Sorry about earlier. I got caught in my feelings, since she¡¯s my cousin. I didn¡¯t mean to almost fight you.¡± June observed the water swaying on his palm, the reflection of his eye visible. ¡°Had to follow Miyumi¡¯s orders after all¡­ and the orders were to bring you back.¡± Takumi remained in place. ¡°You understand, right? Upholding one¡¯s duties¡­¡± June ran his wet hand back through his soft blonde hair, causing it to spike upwards as he waited for Takumi to say something.


    With no indication that Takumi was going to answer back, June went on with his ranting, further destroying the tranquility Takumi expected to have that night. ¡°Then, the stuff at the offi-¡± Just before June could go any further, Takumi opened his eyes and lifted his head out of the water. He looked over to June, causing him to become silent, as he watched Takumi lean back.


    ¡°Shut up already,¡± Takumi growled, fed up with the yapping. ¡°Prick¡¯s acting like we¡¯re friends or somethin¡¯. Apologizing for what?¡±


    June sank into the water, blowing bubbles out of his mouth and then rose back up. He stood above the water, explaining, ¡°I was just trying to apologize!¡± Takumi didn¡¯t reply, and instead turned his back to June, sliding back against the boulder. June scoffed, ¡°This guy¡­¡±


    Takumi formed a smirk. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± June inquired.


    Takumi replied, ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t blame you.¡±


    June scratched the ridge of his ear. ¡°Huh?¡±


    Takumi shrugged and explained, ¡°Seeing someone like me hold the girl you like in my arms¡­ of course you¡¯d be upset.¡±


    ¡°M-Me¡­ like her?!¡±


    ¡°As a cousin, I mean¡­ right?¡± Takumi smirked again. ¡°Too bad for you¡­ I own her. She¡¯s my property.¡± Takumi looked over his shoulder with his signature glare.


    ¡°You took it there again¡­ she doesn¡¯t belong to you!¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t? Maybe I¡¯ll see if that¡¯s true later tonight. At¡­ her chamber,¡± Takumi sent a smirk his way.


    ¡°Tachi!¡±


    June stood up and raised his fist, upset by the way Takumi spoke of Hanami. He was going to jump over and punch him. ¡°As if I¡¯ll allow that! If you so much a-¡± Before he could finish, they heard a familiar voice.


    ¡°Ooo, it¡¯s warm and cozy in here! My shoulders are so tense! Am I the only one here? It¡¯s so huge! I¡¯m in a fluffy cloud!¡±


    Takumi and June both looked at each other with widened eyes.


    ¡°Bath time, bath time, I worked up a sweat, so I have to bathe and get splashidy wet! I¡¯ma find a rubber ducky, to pet, pet, pet.¡±


    ¡°Aw, f*ck me¡­¡± Takumi internally told himself, squinting his eyes. He knew all too well who that was. Curtains could be heard being moved aside as a feminine silhouette became clearer through the fog. June turned around completely¡­ without a towel.


    ¡°Great! There are other girls here to keep me company.¡± Hanami had heard water swaying when she had entered the hot spring. She held her towel tightly wrapped around herself and opened her eyes, only to freeze up completely. At the sight of a naked Takumi and June. Without a single word, she turned away as June tried to reach out and say something.


    ¡°HHhaba-Hkkah!¡±


    Strands of her hair popped up. ¡°He¡¯s not the same boy from years back,¡± she internally told herself, processing what she had seen. ¡°A-And¡­ T-Ta-¡± Tilting her head slightly, her pale face shifted to a bright pink.


    Takumi noted how June was looking at Hanami: he was frozen with his jaw dropped, as if he¡¯d died. Takumi grabbed a nearby empty wooden bucket that floated around and chucked it at the back of June¡¯s head. With a ¡°CLACK!¡±, June dropped face first into the water, knocked out by the sudden strike. Hanami took in a long breath as Takumi slid his fingers to his ears.


    ¡°EEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKK!!!¡± The girl screamed at the top of her lungs, as Takumi sighed.


    She lifted the bucket that she had grabbed before entering the spring, and with all her strength, she pelted it at Takumi, who slapped it aside. Hanami stormed out, entering the women¡¯s bathhouse and made her way over to the hot spring, looking up to the rock formation that kept both sides apart.


    A nerve sprouted across the side of Takumi¡¯s head. ¡°Tch, just my luck. She just had to come in here¡­¡± Takumi looked around and spotted his bucket. Grabbing it, he carried the bucket of green soaps out of the hot spring and made his way towards the rocky wall. ¡°Wait¡­ if I do this, it¡¯ll just spark a bigger issue,¡± he told himself, dropping the bucket down. With this in mind, Takumi turned away and waddled like a penguin, making sure not to slip. He sat down on the stool and planned to just scrub his back. Suddenly, he heard Hanami screaming.


    ¡°PERVERTS, PERVERTS, PERVERTS!!!¡± She screamed much louder each time, repeating it out and over. Each scream brought him closer to his breaking point. ¡°YOU¡¯RE GONNA PAY FOR WHAT YOU MADE ME SEE!¡± She chucked a second bucket over the wall. The bucket hit June in the face just as he had come out of the water, and he fell right back into the water, as Takumi called out in response, ¡°If anyone¡¯s the pervert, it¡¯s you¡­ walking into the men¡¯s side!¡±


    ¡°WHAT?!¡± Hanami shouted back.


    Takumi called out, ¡°I said, you¡¯re the pervert for walking into the men¡¯s side, stupid b*tch!¡±


    She responded, ¡°THERE WAS NO SIGN! CALL ME THAT AGAIN AND I¡¯LL GO BACK IN THERE!¡± She paused. ¡°EVEN THOUGH I DON¡¯T WANNA! D-Don¡¯t force me to!¡± She blurted out, flustered.


    Takumi stood up and walked back towards the bucket. As he did, he saw a bar of soap soar overhead. It came down towards him, but he tilted his upper body, successfully avoiding it as it slid around. Takumi then swung loads of soap over the rocky formation. The soap bars plunged into the hot spring Hanami was in, splashing the water against her as she tried to defend herself by flailing her arms around. In the process, her towel nearly came off, as five of the soaps struck the top of her head repeatedly. ¡°OWWWW!!!¡± she yelped, slipping into the water. Bubbles blew out all around her as she dove down, moving some of the flowing grass under the water before coming back up.


    ¡°Takumi!¡± she yelled out as she heard him laugh. Another bar of soap splashed right in front of her, forcing her to rub her eyes. Some of the soap had gotten in, causing her to move down and try to wash the soap from her eye with the water. ¡°I¡¯ve been hit!¡± she yelled. After three splashes, she clenched her eyes and reached around until she felt the handle of her bucket. ¡°I¡¯VE GOT ONE FOR YOU!¡± She adjusted her eyesight and shot out of the water, latching onto the rock formation.


    ¡°You ruined my relaxation time!¡± she cried across the wall. Takumi on the other end yelled back, ¡°You messed mine up first, and paid for it! Stand down, squirt!¡±


    ¡°Like hell I will, TAKUMI!!!!!¡± Hanami squeaked in return. She looked back down to another bucket of soaps on her side. She dove back into the hot spring and swam over to retrieve them. Takumi heard the splash and figured she had slipped. He laughed under his breath a bit with a smirk and asked, ¡°Did you just slip on your incompetence!?¡± She didn¡¯t respond, wearing a devious grin while swimming over to the edge of the hot spring. She picked up her bucket full of soap and returned to the rock wall.


    The girl got onto it and climbed to the top with the bucket in hand. Not hearing anything, but noticing that her cherry scent was growing stronger, Takumi looked up to the top of the rock wall where she poked her head out, and he met the devious look she had on her face.


    ¡°Hanami ¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me by my real name!¡± she hissed, setting the bucket, and started to chuck soaps towards him, adjusting her knees on the solid bedding. Takumi stepped over and was forced to press himself against the rock wall in order to avoid the soaps. He knelt down to reach one, but pressed himself harder against the rock when he saw that she wasn¡¯t only throwing soaps anymore. She had thrown a large rock that struck June on the head just when he got back up¡­  causing him to fall back yet again into the mist that made the floor borderline invisible. Takumi managed to grab two soaps and decided to take the risk. He counted, ¡°1... 2!¡±, and slid over and looked up to the top. He aimed and chucked the two soaps.


    ¡°HA! Not hitting me with those!¡± Hanami dodged both of the soaps, but lost her footing when the unexpected third soap rushed up, nearly hitting her nose. The girl had leaned back and almost fell, but as she forced herself forward, she lost her foot and slipped down, letting out an alarming scream that forced Takumi to quickly slide over and catch her in time. Upon catching her though, Takumi slipped over one of the soaps that she had tossed earlier.


    ¡°WWWAAHHH!¡± she squealed as they tumbled over. Hanami felt him press up against her, his cheek was pressed against hers. Groaning, she reached up, feeling his chest as his hands were gripping her thighs.


    ¡°Ge-Get off,¡± she told him, moving around, as her breasts smothered him until he pulled back. Squinting his eyes, he pushed her off as she grasped his shoulder so she wouldn¡¯t slip when she tried getting up, too. This action wound up making Takumi slip forward, so he landed on top of her once again. When they opened their eyes, they were face-to-face.


    She glanced at his upper lip. ¡°T-Ta¡­¡± Her heartbeat accelerated, as she was taking in the structure of his upper body. Takumi maintained his palm over her head and pulled up a bit. His manhood was pressed up against her inner thigh, as her towel was up slightly.


    ¡°I never noticed¡­¡± She took in his well-built body and couldn¡¯t help but stare at his shoulder blades. His positioning cast a shadow over her as their eyes met once more upon glancing at each other. ¡°His eyes¡­ they aren¡¯t like his typical expressionless eyes,¡± her lips parted briefly. ¡°They actually¡­ have life in them.¡± A gleaming light twinkled past his left side.


    Takumi was studying her as well, glancing at her lip and back to her eyes. Hanami did the same and fumes spread out of her ears. ¡°Hasegawa,¡± her name rolled out of his mouth, echoing smoothly in her head. ¡°She actually seems cute¡­ when she¡¯s actually quiet,¡± he thought to himself.


    ¡°Y-Yeah?¡± she responded back, unable to move under his hypnotizing gaze. His hands smoothly moved across her thighs, making her tense up at first, but she soon relaxed when he set his hand over her head once more and his other hand beside her hand, making her blush further when she felt his hand tap hers. All was quiet in the hot spring, aside from the sound of the steaming water that was simmering as it was coming down from a log.


    Takumi glanced at the side of her neck, and without saying another word, he went down¡­ his instinct overriding his logic. All he wanted was to take a nibble at her neck. Seeing the water glide across her pale skin only made it harder to resist, as the throbbing became stronger.

 Chapter 21

    Droplets of water dripped from Takumi¡¯s bang, landing on Hanami¡¯s pink cheeks. The droplets rolled off of her skin, exploring her jawline, her tilted neck, and exposed shoulders.


    ¡°Wh-what is this? He¡¯s standing right over me¡­ how¡­ how did we end up like this?!¡±


    His presence was the only thing registering for her at that moment. The towel pressed against her, the rocky ground under her elbow¡­ none of those sensations registered to her as they locked eye contact. Takumi¡¯s knee pressing up against her inner thigh only made her press one of her knees back against the wet hard rocky ground she laid against.


    ¡°H-He¡¯s staring at me weirdly¡­¡± she tried remembering, almost blacking out due to the shocking situation she found herself in. His body heat, his arms over her, made her feel secure enough to not want to move. She just wanted to lay there a bit longer, but she knew it wasn¡¯t right. Something would happen¡­ he was so close, right on top of her.


    Takumi remained silent observing her. Hanami¡¯s knee brushed across his inner thigh, as if a gravitational force was pulling them in. Takumi moved in closer, as Hanami¡¯s sight automatically set to his lips. Each second felt longer and her heart throbbed faster. Jumbled thoughts ran through her mind until she realized what was happening.


    ¡°With Takumi? Not in a million years!¡± In a panic, Hanami forcefully shoved her small foot against Takumi¡¯s chest, wanting nothing more than to get out of the tempting yet confusing situation. ¡°Get off of me, you perv!¡± The force of her kick caused him to tumble backwards until he rolled and splashed right into the hot spring, sinking down to the bottom. Takumi had barely managed to catch her foot as he found bubbles in his sights. He rubbed his abs where she¡¯d kicked.


    ¡°That squirt¡­¡± Takumi frowned, watching some fish pass by him.


    Hanami staggered up to her feet and tightly pulled her towel over herself and grabbed the nearest object: a wooden bucket with a golden panda designed handle. She aimed it over at the hot spring and yelled out. ¡°NO NO NO NO NO!!!¡±


    Bubbles escaped Takumi¡¯s mouth, fizzing up to the water¡¯s surface. He knew that Hanami would probably throw something at him the moment he rose up to the surface, so he turned his head in search of something to throw back at her. From floating grass to rocks, he searched around. Three koi fish swam around him as if mocking his dilemma. One brushed across his hip, a second swam down to his ankle and disappeared into underwater grass while the third bumped up against Takumi¡¯s chest.


    Then, a wicked idea formed in his mind. The young Setsu reached down before the third could escape and grabbed it firmly so that the fish wouldn¡¯t slip away. It squirmed, flipping its tail against Takumi¡¯s wrist in an attempt to free itself. Takumi squeezed harder, to the point that the thick koi¡¯s googly eyes nearly popped out of its head. This further served to infuriate the fish as its once white belly, started to change to a pinkish shade and soon after, a red shade from the pressure. Takumi kicked his feet around, and swam up towards the surface as Hanami crept slowly to the ridge, then started to run back to her previous position after seeing bubbles fizzle up.


    An eruption sent thick droplets of water raining down all around, forcing Hanami to look away briefly. Takumi flew out of the water, aiming the fish as he rose several feet into the air, disappearing into the dense mist from above.


    ¡°STOP IT, TAKUMI!¡± Hanami frantically looked over the hot spring with one eye open, in search of him coming back down, bucket in hand. The surface of the water stirred up, brushing against the rocky formation that surrounded the hot spring. Drizzles rained down against her when he splashed back down, creating a larger wave. It came back down, washing over Hanami, making her gasp due to the force of the water. In return, she randomly tossed the bucket, hoping that it¡¯d hit Takumi. Her eyesight was far too watery to see that the bucket only ended up hitting June on the head after he finally regained consciousness again¡­ causing him to get knocked out once more as Takumi pointed Hanami¡¯s way.


    ¡°I could have drowned thanks to you! Cut it out!¡±


    ¡°Takumi! You should drown, get back in there and don¡¯t come out! You need those lecherous thoughts washed outta you!¡± She looked down to her chest, gripping her towel tighter. ¡°Y-You won¡¯t remember anything! None of what you saw!¡±


    ¡°What I saw? Hmph, chicken legs with no stew,¡± Takumi struck back.


    The snide comment made Hanami quickly look around for something to use against him, but before she could turn, she saw something fly at her from the corner of her eye. ¡°That sneaky Takumi isn¡¯t gonna get one over me, not if I could help it!¡± she told herself. Acting naturally, Hanami swiped up her arms and caught the object. ¡°You throw like a toddl-¡± she was about to shout, but stopped.


    It felt slimy, yet it also had scales along its side. The fog had cleared enough for Hanami to see what she had between her small hands. What it was completely froze her up, turning her cheeks a light blue. Her heartbeat spiked up rapidly, almost making her forget to breathe.


    ¡°W-WHAT THE?!?!¡± she reacted when she saw the fish making a kissy face. Each time it stretched its lips, it let out bubbles that popped against her nose. Its big eyes and the sensation of the scales against her fingers sent shivers through her body. ¡°EKKKKK!!!¡± On impulse, Hanami screamed and flung the blubbering fish back up into the air without giving it a second thought. Takumi raised his hand up to his forehead and squinted, looking at how high she had shot it. He whistled, surprised.


    ¡°Can¡¯t lie. That¡¯s an impressive throw,¡± he muttered. When he looked back down, he almost burst out in laughter when he saw Hanami turn over and bolt out like a deranged ape with her hands flinging around over her head. He slid the back of his palm to his mouth and adjusted to his serious appearance. She shook her hands back and forth as if she was trying to fly and kicked the sliding door down.


    ¡°Wow¡­ over a¡­¡± he ridiculed. From the way her fingers twitched, it became clear that Hanami felt extreme discomfort from what she had grabbed. ¡°Slimy fish, eh? Now I¡¯ve got one up on her,¡± Takumi made a mental note of what freaked her out.


    Gaining consciousness again, June groggily opened his eyes. The bright mist forced him to close his eyes once more as he felt something pressed up against his lips. It had very soft lips, and was sucking on his upper lip. He opened his eyes a smidge. From what he could see, the silhouette of what was over him, seemed to have crimson hair.


    ¡°H-Han¡­¡± he thought to himself. Thinking it was her, he closed his eyes and reached up to seemingly feel her curves, but all he felt was his stomach. This prompted June to feel around. He tapped the rocky ground, the puddles around him splat with each pat. The realization slowly came in that it wasn¡¯t Hanami¡­ but whatever it was, was getting into it.


    June slapped his palms when he felt the slippery scales. ¡°A mermaid?¡± He leaned up and opened his eyes and completely freaked out. The koi was latched onto his upper lip as if its life depended on it. It took him three tugs to yank it off. Takumi said no words as June realized he had seen everything. He facepalmed himself as the fish flopped on June¡¯s abs.


    ¡°Hasegawas¡­¡± Takumi muttered, repulsed. He removed his towel and tossed it over June¡¯s face, stepping out of the hot spring. Takumi grabbed a new black robe in the hallway and put it on. He could still hear Hanami screaming further down the hallway, which made him smirk. He reached in and took a purple dry towel from the rack and set it on his head. Ruffling his hair around, he turned and walked the opposite way.


    ¡°Master, the dining room has been set,¡± one of the maids bowed as Takumi tapped his index finger against the elevator pad. The elevator came down with a ¡°ding¡± and opened up. ¡°Like I told Mira, I¡¯ll have dinner in my room. I have research to do. Don¡¯t want any distractions. Any disturbance from the staff will result in their execution.¡±


    The elevator closed and the maid reached up, tapping her earpiece as Alto¡¯s voice came through. She brought up a napkin, wiping it across her forehead and cheeks. The butler questioned, ¡°What¡¯s all the commotion about? Some of the staff reported they heard fighting coming from the hot spring. Is this true?¡±


    The maid answered, ¡°I¡¯m not too sure of it myself. The young master said that he¡¯s going to do some research, and that anyone who bothers him will get executed,¡± as she heard Hanami screaming nearby.


    ¡°Very well, go check on Lady Hanami. I¡¯ll handle Master Takumi myself.¡± Alto hung up and exited the dining room, and headed to Takumi¡¯s room. He hoped the boy was docile after his time at the hot spring, as it should¡¯ve relaxed him for the news Alto considered presenting him. Upon arriving, he knocked twice, when he heard Takumi at the end of the hall.


    ¡°Alto¡­ what is it?¡± Takumi sounded annoyed.


    ¡°Young Master¡­ had a pleasant bath?¡± Alto tried to appear nonchalant in asking.


    ¡°Not really,¡± Takumi answered upon arriving at his door. He pressed his palm against the door and entered. The curtain within his room was wide open, allowing the blue moon to shine in and brighten the space. Alto stepped in after him and questioned ¡°Why?¡±, but Takumi rubbed his temples, signaling Alto to forget about it. Plus, the whole thing had deviated into an embarrassing situation he was trying hard to forget.


    ¡°Do you need something, pops?¡± Takumi asked, tapping the holo-pad at his desk. Alto took that as a sign that he¡¯d begin the research he had mentioned earlier in the night.


    ¡°Yes, I do in fact have a request.¡± Alto got a call from one of the maids to go down, so he exited the room and called Takumi on the phone as he went down the elevator. Takumi sighed, but didn¡¯t argue. He slid the floating seat back, turned on his phone and waited for Alto to continue while briefly surfing the web on his phone.


    ¡°You see, it¡¯s Miss Hanami¡¯s birthday. I want you to briefly attend within the dining room. We have to make her feel at home. This is the first time she¡¯s away from her grandmother and that isn¡¯t easy,¡± Alto hoped he could get Takumi to understand.


    Takumi immediately took back every positive thought he had about Alto. Of all the things the butler could have asked, this was high on the list of worst. ¡°No, absolutely not, Alto.¡± Hanami would probably give him a black eye instantly the moment she saw him again, something he¡¯d rather not risk.


    ¡°Just for a short time. I¡¯m sure doing so will show a gesture of goodwill,¡± Alto tried pushing.


    ¡°Birthdays are meaningless. For humans, it¡¯s simply them inching closer to their demise. For me, it¡¯s a constant reminder of what I have to do. Plus, I do solar return. Not birthdays because that only relates to the human misconception of life.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going. Don¡¯t make this an issue,¡± Takumi answered and hung up, tossing the phone over his head. It landed on the bed, as he leaned back to resume his research. ¡°Anything is better than dealing with that crazy chick.¡±


    Alto glanced at the phone, very disappointed. He chose not to call a second time, instead turning around to make final preparations. The butler dashed across the lit hallway once the elevator door opened and took a light orb that looked like a see-through ball within a basket. He bounced the ball in front of himself causing it to flicker on and hover up behind him, following him to the chamber he descended into.


    Elsewhere, Hanami slumped against the doorframe after finally getting herself together. A faint breeze blew in through a window within the steam room she had entered. ¡°That pig threw a fish at me! Who does that!? Doesn¡¯t he know they can bite?¡± she thought out loud.


    ¡°How am I going to survive with him around, Nana?!¡± The girl dropped her head, but the vibration of gentle knuckles tapping against the wooden door caught her attention. She turned her head sideways, whipping her wet crimson hair in the process.


    ¡°GO AWAY!¡± she growled, thinking it was Takumi outside the door, but a different voice answered.


    ¡°Why?¡± Miranda asked. Hanami¡¯s guard quickly dropped and her shoulders eased up, happy to know that it was the kind maid who had helped her set up her stuff earlier in the morning. ¡°Anyone¡¯s better than that nasty Takumi,¡± she thought while walking to the door.


    ¡°MIRA!!!¡± Hanami tapped the door¡¯s pad and jumped onto Miranda when the door opened.


    ¡°Hello¡­¡± Miranda wiped a tear from the corner of Hanami¡¯s eye and held out a basket that had her clothes. ¡°I thought you would be needing these.¡± Hanami glanced down and took it gratefully.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± the maid questioned Hanami as she turned around and entered the steam room once more to change.


    ¡°I am now¡­ don¡¯t want to go over it though,¡± Hanami spoke from behind the door. Miranda knew something had upset the young lady, but she knew better than to press too hard, especially since she figured it probably had to do with Takumi. The girl slid her towel off, as the steaming smoke within the room kept her from being exposed. She set the basket down and bent over, taking the bras first. Relaxing in the steam room was nice, but she was ready to move onto something else. ¡°The first official day of school is the next day, so I have to get ready!¡± Hanami clasped her hands together, excitement taking over.


    ¡°Okay¡­ ready now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah I am, thanks Mira! You¡¯ve been a really big help today, unlike that weirdo!¡± Hanami yelled out, hoping Takumi would hear her and hopefully come over so she could pummel him. In his room, Takumi sniffled, nearly sneezing. Hanami shook her fist, trying her best to control her temper and then opened the door, sliding out to greet Miranda properly. She happily hugged Mira, cuddling her cheek to the maid¡¯s chin.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go down and have dinner then,¡± Miranda responded, with the same blank expression. She pat Hanami¡¯s head, arranging her hair around as Hanami suddenly remembered, ¡°Oh! That¡¯s right, here Mira. Can you fix this side of my hair into a pigtail?¡±


    Within the dining room, the maids had set up the room to be quite relaxing. The lighting of the room was dimmed and replaced by flickering candles to give the ambiance a natural feel. Over by the center, June was seated and a spread of delicacies were arranged on the hovering table. As Hanami entered, everything looked and smelled absolutely delicious and she wanted a sample of it all. She¡¯d forgotten that she hadn¡¯t eaten since the morning¡¯s entrance ceremony.


    ¡°Hana!¡± June set his fork down and waved her way. She briefly wore an upset look, but sighed, approaching the table. June thought back to what had happened, and after Hanami sat down on the seat across from his, he apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for turning around when I did. I should have been more cautious.¡±


    Hanami blinked and shook her head. ¡°No! It¡¯s my fault for walking in without confirming, June-pyo. Besides, we used to bathe all the time together when we were younger, I just hadn¡¯t¡­ um,¡± Hanami laughed lightly to lift the mood as she thought of their younger days. She recalled the days that he¡¯d scrub her hair and she¡¯d scrub his back and they¡¯d play games together. A faint blush of embarrassment spread through her cheeks. ¡°You¡¯ve grown,¡± she mumbled, realizing that those memories might not be appropriate for light conversation.


    June listened attentively and at the same time took a mouthful of curry. Just when she made the comment about having grown, the spoon lodged inward, forcing him to cough the food onto the plate. Two of the maids pat his back as he reached for a glass of pink water. ¡°First the fish and now spoons? What else could go wrong?¡±, he thought to himself. He gulped down the water and punched his chest. June set the glass back down and as he whipped the water from his upper lip with his forearm, he looked Hanami¡¯s way.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°Anyways! Thank you for the food, grandpa!¡± Hanami¡¯s expression shifted into a wide cheerful smile, as Alto nodded and returned the same look.


    ¡°I cooked it, you know¡­¡± Gustov squeezed in, with no one responding.


    Hanami turned back and started to fill her first plate with porridge and other delicacies. Her purposely chowing down the food was too loud for June to say anything, so he let the comment escape his mind and started to eat quietly again. Since he hadn¡¯t responded, Hanami deemed it safe for her to quietly eat now, too. While eating, she shot glances towards June¡¯s way and wondered why she felt different around him now. Without thinking further, she started to eat faster again, causing the staff that stood by to feel very awkward. One whispered to another ¡°Look at her go¡­¡±


    ¡°I hear she has an even bigger mouth when she¡¯s not eating,¡± the other responded.


    ¡°Is that how the Rikutos of the Hasegawa eat? Animals.¡±


    Hanami heard these comments and slowed down, squinting. She hoped they didn¡¯t assume that was the way she normally ate her meals. Finishing, she set the bowl down and listened to the casual music that played. It wasn¡¯t what she normally liked listening to, but it reminded her of her father. It was the kind of music he¡¯d play back at home. She tried to put a face on that figure whom she called her father, but it became really difficult. She continued on, trying to focus and suddenly blinked, realizing June¡¯s eyes were on her. She quickly avoided the golden eyes, but could feel June¡¯s eyes on her, which unnerved her. Instead of calling him out on it, she took a napkin and tapped it between her lips. She had no interest in striking up another conversation at this moment.


    June, who was at the other end of the table, looked over to Alto when he realized he was staring at her for too long. Alto was positioned behind Hanami and signaled for June to begin what they had talked about earlier. June got the signal and saw two butlers enter the dining area with an ice cream cake that had a series of red rose designs on it. From the alluring scent, he determined it had a cherry flavor. Hanami sniffed, picking up on the scent too. The cake made her mouth water. June set his fork and knife down and smiled over to her, showing off his dimples. He called out, ¡°Hana,¡± and Hanami looked up at him. He hoped this surprise could go without a hitch.


    ¡°Yes, June-pyo?¡± She raised a brow, an uneasy feeling spreading in her stomach because of the wild day.


    ¡°Today¡¯s your birthday,¡± he began. The two butlers slid the massive cake onto the edge of the table and slid it over to the center, catching Hanami off guard. Nothing had given her the slightest hint of a celebration of this magnitude in her honor. All of the maids and butlers present huddled around the table and said in unison, as they wore their best smiles and gestured dramatically for effect, ¡°Happy birthday! And welcome to your new home!¡± The table in front of her let out a golden shine.


    Instead of the reaction they had hoped for, Hanami just looked around the room bewildered. ¡°Birth¡­ day?¡± She raised a brow.


    June laughed with a weary smile as the realization dawned in him. ¡°You don¡¯t remember¡­¡± June stopped abruptly, then switched up what he was going to say. ¡°Can¡¯t really have such a special day without cake. This looks really yummy! Alto, do you have something to say? Let me grab a slice!¡± June pinned it on the butler, as he couldn¡¯t do it himself. He ruffled his curly blonde hair and reached out for a knife and stood up from his seat. One of the maids beside June kept the cake in place as he awkwardly asked her, ¡°You want a slice?¡±


    ¡°Dirty move, young sir,¡± Alto telepathically responded, as June ignored his glare. Hanami looked over her seat to Alto. The maids and butlers stepped aside, allowing Alto through.


    ¡°Yes, today is the day you were born, the day that your soul found its way into your respective vessel. Your grandmother informed us in time! So we had to make you feel at home, since you¡¯re a part of us now,¡± the tips of Alto¡¯s mustache wiggled along as he spoke uncomfortably. Once he finished speaking, he waited for a response from the girl, but she was silent.


    Hanami started to space out until Miranda swiped her finger across the cake and smudged the icing along the tip of Hanami¡¯s nose. Its cool sensation snapped Hanami back into her surroundings with everyone laughing. June breathed a sigh of relief, freed from the awkwardness hanging over everything moments ago.


    Hanami wasn¡¯t sure why she felt sad on what was supposed to be an exciting day, but she knew she couldn¡¯t ruin it for them. Not after all the effort they had put in. These were all the people who she¡¯d be living with for the time being. The least she could do was show appreciation for the birthday cake. Hanami stood up and reached out to a knife. ¡°A birthday is a special occasion?¡± she asked herself.


    Everyone froze and June slumped down below the table. If anything went wrong, he thought that was the safest place to hide. He didn¡¯t care if anyone called him a coward. He wanted to move on from all the madness clouding this one day.


    Hanami giggled, sliding the knife down the cake. She felt pleased doing something as simple as slicing up a birthday cake. The party was a nice way to take some of the edge off of the entire day. ¡°Thank you! You can have a slice first then, teheh.¡± A maid on standby handed the girl a plate, which Hanami used to give June cake first, as he stood back up pretending as though he had picked something up from the floor.


    Back in Takumi¡¯s room, the young Setsu tried searching through the web. He typed up the name of the factory and dug through some files when he suddenly heard the cheering that came from below his room, disrupting his concentration. His fingers slid off of the holographic keyboard.


    ¡°I told Alto to¡­ damn that Hasegawa. Are all the incoming days going to be like this?¡± Takumi recalled when he¡¯d first met her and even the hot spring, as a slight blush crept across his face.


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for her impudence¡­ in another world, perhaps we could have gotten along,¡± he thought to himself. A smile spread across his face until he almost slipped off the chair. Takumi spun his seat over and facepalmed himself. ¡°Somehow her presence still manages to bother me¡­ I can¡¯t get peace and quiet with her here. And I told Alto I was busy.¡± He sighed.


    Takumi leaned over and tapped the glowing orb on his desk. It hovered up and a feminine robotic voice asked who Takumi would like to call. ¡°Call Alto,¡± he responded. A series of beeps followed and particles from the orb spread out. The robotic voice flashed, shifting into a holographic dancing worm that wiggled up and down, waiting for Alto to pick up. ¡°Ahhhh, sumbawaaaaa, aaahhhhhh sumbawwaaaa,¡± the worm continued to sing, wiggling its face to the ceiling. Takumi said ¡°Mute¡± to end the singing. While he waited, Takumi continued to do his research on the factory, but didn¡¯t sit down in his seat yet. He waited for the private server to upload and read the information he found after searching ¡°Fillies Factory information of ownership¡±:


    Factory name: Fillies


    Date Formed: 2077


    Date shut down: 2093


    Reason for shutdown: Owner committed suicide. Factory repossessed. Due to a mass recall of tainted products, a legal shutdown was enforced.


    Previous owner: Phil Cornel Dredger


    Current owner: Sango Ginko


    Status: Recently has been repurchased. Undergoing renovation.


    Information: Food shortages arose in many places around the world throughout the 2070s. A simpler way of feeding the hungry had to be devised. In the year 2077, Phil Cornel Dredger created a candy named ¡°Fillies¡±, which was named after its intended goal to fill people up. These nutrition bars were compact with protein and energy and offered the consumer hours of mobility with no fatigue. Consumers often reported feeling as if they¡¯ve eaten a whole plate of food from a single bar. It was perfect for workers with little time to cook meals. The low cost and accessibility skyrocketed its success in a way never before seen in the food industry, which made many smaller companies that partnered with Fillies help spread the product worldwide. As for the production, originally a closed unit of private corporations collaborated to create research until the Tensei Order along with other governments stepped in.


    Awards¡­ Click to read more


    Dredger¡¯s marital status¡­ Click to read more


    Skimming through the rest of the page, Takumi couldn¡¯t find anything else significant, but he planned to print it out anyway. ¡°Miyumi ought to know more, I¡¯ll check in with her tomorrow morning. That guy¡¯s spirit is definitely around, which has to be creating the increased activity of Shikis. But there¡¯s probably more to this¡­¡± Takumi contemplated as he deeply sighed. ¡°And if there is, the b*tch will force me into doing more work than necessary¡­¡±


    ¡°No¡­ this is a personal request from a friend, not Setsu duties,¡± Takumi told himself in an attempt to make his reason for following through with this sensible. Takumi started printing out the information when the dancing holographic worm¡¯s form shifted into Alto in a shining flash that forced Takumi to turn away temporarily.


    ¡°You need me, young master? Is there something I must do for you?¡± Alto asked, curious as to why Takumi called.


    ¡°There is something you can do: tell that squirt to go to bed! I can¡¯t focus with all that noise and I need to recharge this body. Stop celebrating her stupid birthday or at least turn down the noise,¡± Takumi¡¯s voice came through loud and clear, prompting Alto to quickly set the phone from loudspeaker to private so that the others present in the room wouldn¡¯t hear. He looked over his shoulder to Hanami and June who were conversing amongst themselves whilst enjoying the cake. Alto recalled how the girl had expressed herself after cutting the cake. When she stared at the cake, there were hints of sadness, but her smile was sincere.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not used to this sort of thing. Being pampered and all¡­ it¡¯s new to me,¡± Hanami softly spoke. ¡°This cake, for you to put in the effort¡­  even the thought, just to welcome me¡­ thank you guys! I should be happy right now¡­ but¡­¡± Her eyes started to tear as she found it hard to breath. ¡°I don¡¯t know why-¡±


    She had been sincere, but there was a lingering sadness within her. The harder she tried at understanding, the more her head hurt, but she¡¯d put that aside in order to have a good time with them. She wouldn¡¯t let it mess up what Alto and the staff had done for her. The negative Retsu she had been giving off decreased significantly. ¡°The first phase was a success,¡± Alto thought to himself.


    ¡°Young master, I will settle things, so please refrain from fighting with her. Your mother will hang me by my trousers if she catches wind of a rift between you two. She¡¯s a nice young lady and doesn¡¯t deserve to be mistreated. Do it for me, my boy. You know how important this is. Even if you won¡¯t marry her, for the time being, put up with it.¡±


    Takumi squinted before responding. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault she¡¯s annoying. But whatever, just keep her away from me for the night.¡±


    ¡°Very well, young master. I¡¯ll do my best,¡± Alto replied, noting that Takumi was doing work. Before he could completely leave, Takumi called out to him again.


    ¡°Uh¡­ what are you having exactly? What sort of cake?¡± His stomach grumbled loud enough for Alto to hear. Not hearing a fast response, Takumi asked again, ¡°Alto¡­ what¡¯s that cake made out of?¡±


    Alto paused and chuckled knowing why Takumi was really asking. ¡°It¡¯s a natural strawberry ice cream cake, but it has sweet bread mixed in the base with cherry. I know how you love pastries.¡± Alto shook his head, tapping the table near him.


    Hearing that the cake had sweet bread, Takumi¡¯s fangs slid down his lips and his mouth watered. He was almost willing to go downstairs to get it, but restrained himself. ¡°Can¡¯t afford to run into that squirt again,¡± he thought to himself. He kept his composure and closed his eyes, then opened one. ¡°Have some of that cake¡­ brought up to me then. Thank you.¡±


    Alto clapped his hands together. ¡°Consider it done, M¡¯lord.¡± Alto smiled, before hanging up. The link disconnected, releasing a small flash in front of Alto and Takumi, forcing Takumi to once again turn away. It was too bright for him, especially since his eyes were adjusted to the darkness in the room. ¡°Annoying light,¡± he growled.


    Down in the dining room, Alto made his way to the dining table and instructed one of the maids to cut a ¡°nice portion¡± of the cake for Takumi. He was relieved that all Takumi wanted was for it to be taken upstairs. ¡°Who knew what might have happened if the young master came downstairs¡­ though it would¡¯ve been nice if they made up,¡± he thought.


    The maid questioned what a ¡°nice portion¡± meant, to which Alto bluntly said, ¡°Half the cake.¡±


    The maid nearly fell over upon hearing this. She looked down to her small and stringy arms. ¡°How am I supposed to carry that?¡± she thought to herself, rubbing the side of her giant messy bun.


    ¡°If you want to keep the job, you¡¯ve gotta do it,¡± Alto responded back.


    Miranda reached over and cut the rest of the cake in half. ¡°I¡¯ll take it, okay?¡± She glanced at Alto blankly and lifted the giant chunk, holding it over her head, as Alto nodded. Hanami listened to everything that went on as she nibbled on her cake. ¡°You¡¯re taking it up to that¡­ thing?¡±


    Miranda nodded, before pausing. ¡°Would you like to take it up to him?¡± Miranda asked.


    Hanami stopped nibbling on her cake piece and said ¡°W-Wha?!¡± Miranda looked on blankly. Alto quickly pulled Miranda away and lowered her down so they could whisper without Hanami hearing.


    ¡°What are you thinking!? If those two get together, it¡¯ll create another fight!¡± Alto warned.


    ¡°It could, but don¡¯t you remember what Madam Kiyoko told us to do?¡± Miranda replied.


    The two recalled what Takumi¡¯s mother had told them¡­ her threats still resonating in their memories. Shivers spread through their spines upon thinking of her. ¡°You two must ensure that they fall in love!!! OR I¡¯LL HAVE YOU BURIED SIX FEET UNDER IN LESS THAN SIX SECONDS!¡± Put simply, they were stuck between a rock and a hard place.


    ¡°U-Um¡­¡± Hanami fought her internal doubts. There had to be a way to get Takumi to be more accepting of her. Alto and Miranda snapped out of it and looked back to Hanami who stood up from her seat.


    ¡°The young master told me to keep her away from him, but¡­¡± Alto whispered to Miranda.


    ¡°Who do you not want to piss off?¡± Miranda whispered back.


    Alto slid his napkin from his pocket and dabbed it across his cheek and up to his forehead, getting rid of the sweat. ¡°You¡¯ve got a point.¡±


    Hanami had been thinking of her grandmother and the responsibility. ¡°S-Since I¡¯m going to bed anyway and his room is across mine¡­ I can drop it off!¡± Hanami blurted with a visible blush. For the time being, she¡¯d have to do her best to get along with her fiance. She couldn¡¯t make her grandmother look back. ¡°I¡¯ll put up with it!¡± she told herself aloud and turned to face the two. ¡°How unappreciative could he be if I brought him cake instead of a knuckle sandwich?!¡± Hanami faked a giggle, pretending that she was enthusiastic about it.


    June set his fork down and stood up. He didn¡¯t want her to have another bad confrontation with Takumi, but before he could make his suggestion, Alto signaled for the maids behind him to silence him. Two maids pounced on June, bringing him down. One grabbed his arm, tugging him aside while the other covered his mouth with her hands and pulled him back further in a leg lock. June struggled, but was no match for the determined maids.


    When Hanami looked back after seeing Alto¡¯s signal, June wasn¡¯t anywhere to be seen. Alto pat Miranda¡¯s shoulder and nodded. Miranda walked over to cut the cake properly while Alto stepped outside to speak to June. He did so and closed the door shut behind himself.


    ¡°Lad, don¡¯t interfere.¡± He set both hands on June¡¯s shoulders. ¡°This is important to both families. Trust me, I¡¯ll manage this. Go rest up.¡±


    June responded, ¡°I¡¯m fine with you, but if you haven¡¯t noticed, that guy¡¯s a jerk to many. Hanami doesn¡¯t need that kind of stress right now. Tomorrow¡¯s her first day of school. Maybe I can take her back to Miyumi¡¯s.¡±


    Alto ignored the comment June made and brought his face close to June¡¯s, pressing his chubby nose against June¡¯s nose. June sighed, knowing his duties. It wasn¡¯t to break the two apart. His thoughts went over to Miyumi. He knew what her response to him would be at this moment: a speech of him taking up his responsibilities, regardless of his feelings. So, with a long sigh, he relaxed himself, prompting Alto to move back. Just as he had, Miranda opened the door for Hanami to go through.


    Hanami had the dish in hand and passed by June and Alto, heading to the elevator with Miranda following behind her. The maid pressed the elevator button and Hanami was on her way to Takumi¡¯s room. All of the courage and empowerment she had felt simmered down upon reaching his door, which now seemed gigantic and terrifying. There were ¡°Do not touch unless you¡¯ve been authorized¡± signs all over it.


    It was like someone pinched a balloon and all of the air bursted out in a single pop. She couldn¡¯t help but remember what had happened earlier in the hot spring. ¡°It wasn¡¯t as if it really was my fault,¡± she mumbled to herself and kicked the door twice to let him know someone was at the door. She could hear the dramatic Orchestral music that had been playing inside lower down. She continued to kick the door until the door slid open and she accidentally kicked Takumi¡¯s shin. In doing so, she had also lost her balance and tipped over causing her face to land against his chest. When Hanami pulled her head up, she met Takumi¡¯s glare.


    ¡°Son of a¡­ I told pops¡­¡± Takumi thought to himself and responded, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Hanami stepped back, averting his gaze. ¡°I¡­ I¡­ Miranda asked me for a favor¡­ to bring this slice of my cake up to you, so here.¡± Hanami built up the courage and lifted the cake up towards Takumi, whose nose twitched at the pleasant aroma. Before anything else, Takumi brought out his phone and turned over, angling the position so that only the upper portion of his face showed while Hanami appeared clearly behind him. He squinted as she tilted her head confused, before smiling softly. He took the picture, slipping the phone back into his pocket. ¡°You took a picture of us¡­¡± she said softly without Takumi responding back.


    ¡°You have no idea, b*tch,¡± Takumi thought to himself. His collar shook around with the chain glimmering. He wanted the cake, badly¡­ but not from her. His thoughts returned to his parents¡¯ intentions. ¡°As if I¡¯m accepting anything from your little grubby hands¡­ beat it, before I bite the veins outcha neck,¡± he muttered blankly and stepped back so the door would shut in Hanami¡¯s face.


    ¡°Wha-?! You can¡¯t take a picture of us and then say that!¡± she shouted. Before the door could close, Hanami slid her small foot into the framing, forcing the door to halt and moved back. ¡°Can¡¯t you go a few minutes without being a jerk? Your big talk doesn¡¯t scare me. The cake is delicious, and I came all the way here to give you some! Don''t let it go to waste!¡± Hanami puffed up one of her cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s not like I poisoned it¡­ though I probably should have. Maybe then, this nightmare would end,¡± she added.


    Takumi squinted. ¡°Pfft, please.¡± He reached down to grab her hair. ¡°It¡¯s pointless for me to eat that cake, it might upset my stomach. Now leave,¡± Takumi insisted.


    ¡°No, it won¡¯t. It¡¯s not the same for everyone,¡± Hanami responded back.


    ¡°Exactly¡­ that¡¯s why I can¡¯t have a birthday cake.¡± Takumi smirked faintly.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± She brought her finger up to poke his eye, leading him to slap her hand again and bring his hand back down onto her.


    ¡°Give it a rest. I told you, I don¡¯t want any of that from you, squirt!¡±


    ¡°Hey! I carried this cake all the way up here for you! It weighs a ton! Whether you want it or not, you¡¯re gonna eat it!¡± She swirled her shoulders, freeing the collar of her blouse from his grasp and slapped his hand out of her hair.


    Takumi lightly pushed her back and kept her back from the door, waiting for the door to reach his arm so he could pull it and allow the door to completely close. They tussled as Hanami couldn¡¯t place the cake on the floor in time to fight him. When she did set the cake down, Takumi pulled his arm back and the door closed. Unless he opened it from the inside, she wouldn¡¯t be able to get through because she didn¡¯t have the code of his palm.


    ¡°UGH!!!¡± she grunted, nearly ripping the lid off the cake. She kicked at the door a few times, only to stop and clench her fist. Hanami knew she had to control herself, but ended up walking over to one of the see-through windows in the hallway. She banged on the glass window until the anger subsided and then returned to the door. ¡°I¡¯m leaving the cake in front of the door! I¡¯m not dealing with this! I need my sleep for tomorrow!¡±


    With that, Takumi, who had his back against the door, heard the door to her room slide open and close. He waited two minutes to make sure she wasn¡¯t there and then slid the door open. When he did, he saw Hanami had her door slightly open, scowling at him. They both stared at each other. She had waited the whole time to see if he¡¯d take it. This prompted him to close the door again as he returned to his desk to check on the highlights of the college basketball games he had missed.


    ¡°You know you want it!¡± Hanami screamed aloud. She shut her door and flopped onto her pink fluffy bed, kicking her feet around as plush toys and action figures slipped off. She screamed incoherently into her pillow, before remembering she had to call Minami and that school would begin the next morning. ¡°Ah, I also have to visit Miyumi for the kendo club papers,¡± she further recalled.


    Slipping off of the bed, she went off to retrieve her sleeping dress. Her morning clothes laid on a chair neat and ready for the morning. Hanami literally dove onto the bean bag inside of her closet and went to work, unboxing what was inside.


    ¡°Screw him!¡± she yelled as she slid across the carpet and started to unpack one of her suitcases in search of her red sleeping dress. Hanami made it back into bed and shoved her pillow into her face. ¡°One moment he seems like a great guy, the next he¡¯s the complete opposite! He¡¯s worse than my baby brother, so complicated,¡± she rambled on until she grew too tired to try and figure out why he was like that. Soon enough, Hanami dozed off only to hear a beep.


    She stood up, glancing around the dimply lit room, the beep continued. She stepped off of the bed, glancing down under the bed where she saw a small yellow light coming from a white device.


    Minutes later Alto was called to her room.


    "What is this thing exactly?"


    "It is a generator that create a field of Retsu around you, Retsu... life energy. I''ll be explaining that as I told you earlier, once I begin your training. All homes have those throughout our civilization. That small generator creates Retsu that allows you to rest and heal your body."


    "Ah! Like... that room me and Minami were in" Hanami thought back, sitting back as she observed the soft glowing yellow part of the white device. "In my Setsu form, I can see the circular biofield it''s created in the room, it''ll help you rest and regulate your planetary body."


    "You can rest well now."


    "Pure life force..."


    "Life force energy and Retsu, is the same thing, oxygen is the same thing, the Retsu humans give off, are captured in devices that power their location, the Retsu also spreads through the pipes connected from home to home and release into the atmosphere, to be pulled towards the poles set up around the Atmosphere and in the ocean, if you do not know of that, you don''t have to learn right now as you aren''t to be an engineer or anything-"


    Hanami smiled, feeling better she got into bed. "Thanks for the info Alto! Rest well!"


    "You too-" Alto left. Hanami closed her eyes with a smile, snuggling into the sheets.


    Later that night, Hanami rubbed her eyes and opened them. A silhouette stood over her, its purple eyes tracing her body from knee to shoulder, masked by the darkness of her room. She felt something grip her thighs as she squirmed over, half asleep.

 Chapter 22

    The city streets were lively, flourishing with tourists and concession stands at every corner. Flocks of families and couples roamed left and right, indulging in a night full of loud fun. Street shows ranged from wrestling robots to betting on aero-dancers outdancing one another. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary in the popular tourist districts of Osaka. All night, the stores were filled with all sorts of vibrant personalities, foreign and native. The bright lights of hover-cars stopping to pick up passengers matched the many phones that illuminated the crosswalks.


    Thousands, all blissfully unaware of the sinister happenings occurring around them. Those activities usually occurred in dark neighboring areas, where victims unsuspectingly roamed right into traps, after a long night of drinking and other shenanigans. For some, there are protectors assigned to every district and neighborhood. It¡¯s up to neighboring Ikigai Setsu to safeguard all humans from becoming food for the monstrosities that roam the night, seeking easy meals.


    On this particular night, Ikigai Pack Four was tasked with patrolling the Ibaraki area, which was much less busier than Dotonbori or Minami. A perfect place for a Shiki to hunt without disturbance. All throughout this specific night, Shikis were picked off silently. Everything went well, until Ikigai Packs Six and Nine received a call from Pack Four over the appearance of something terrifying. They needed assistance with one that was different than the majority they had slain that night.


    ¡°Zayasu, do you read me? Pick up, you lazy prick.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Potato breath? I¡¯m sorta in the middle of patrolin¡¯ here.¡± Zayasu yawned, rubbing his eyes slowly as he laid back against a lamp post, overseeing the city skyline. The central curly strand of his hair flicked around lazily, keeping track of the vibrations that pulsed through the pole he was on. The rest of his purple hair waved with the calm breeze that swept the night sky. He could see an irregular cloudy storm in the distance.


    ¡°As if you¡¯ve been patrolling at all¡­ and it¡¯s Aiko! You and the good for nothings from your clan are all the same! Wake up! The rest of Pack Six picked up on the Hercules Shiki, is it nearby? HURRY UP AND CHECK!¡±


    ¡°What? Don¡¯t group me up with that bunch. And you¡¯re giving me a migraine with all that yelling of yours, mind speaking lower?¡± Zayasu rubbed his eyes, stretching his back, each twist created a popping sound until he finished loosening up.


    ¡°The Shiki that¡¯s been causing trouble! The one that¡¯s responsible for all the disappearances over the last week¡­¡± Aiko waved her wrist around, trying to speak louder.


    ¡°Quiet down, you¡¯ll give up our position,¡± Shosa Vasco warned her, with an irritated look that shifted to him tearfully glancing away. ¡°Had to put those two in my pack¡­ Mara, what were you thinking?¡±


    Aiko nodded at Shosa Vasco¡¯s request, feeling his killing intent fizzle out of him, knowing full well what¡¯d follow. She looked back down to her watch, only to see that Zayasu was sleeping again. Completely forgetting she was supposed to keep quiet, Aiko yelled out, ¡°Zayasu!!! YOU SLEAZY SLOTH!¡± That scream woke Zayasu up, causing him to fall over as he said ¡°I¡¯m trying to pick up on its location, I can¡¯t do that with all your yelling!¡±


    Shosa Vasco facepalmed himself.


    ¡°Oopsies!¡± Aiko¡¯s braids swayed over and she laughed, pressing her small hands to her mouth. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s how you track¡­ sorry!¡±


    Shosa Vasco paid no mind to Aiko, glancing down to his reports instead. ¡°Targets are primarily female, though footage at different points has revealed it¡¯s gone for males on two consecutive nights. It seems smarter than regular Shikis, especially in the way it evades capture. It¡¯s speculated that this Shiki is taking the victims to a territory it¡¯s set for itself, though there hasn¡¯t been any confirmation due to how fast it disappears.¡±


    ¡°Today¡¯s mission is to follow it to the rendezvous point,¡± Vasco telepathically told the pack. Another Setsu swooped down, joining the two.


    ¡°That¡¯s why they¡¯re having three packs hunt it tonight, huh?¡± Gale added, glancing down at the report. ¡°It¡¯s because there are Strays making it harder to capture that Shiki. Their numbers are really growing here¡­¡±


    Shosa Vasco double tapped his watch. A hologram of a worm sprouted out and he instructed it to ¡°give them the lowdown on the target again.¡± The worm swirled over and opened its mouth, as a robotic voice started speaking.


    ¡°This Shiki is classified as a dangerous Rank B that requires a cautious capture protocol. Note, the surveillance cameras that have captured this being have malfunctioned shortly after it passed by. This is likely due to the irregular vibes it exerts. This Shiki has been nicknamed Hercules for its muscular physique and messy locks of hair. Height, 6¡¯11. Its face is constructed like a bear¡¯s, and its powerful jaws are to be avoided due to its preferred tactic of stretching its neck out at long distances.¡±


    Elsewhere, Pack Four finished listening to the worm relaying the same information. ¡°That¡¯s all for the report, are you all ready?¡± Naomi turned around to see members of her pack. She lowered the report she had been reading and swatted the holographic worm away from her watch.


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am, all prepared here,¡± Halse replied, having finished preparations for the night¡¯s hunt. The Setsus saluted their Shosa in response and hopped onto the ledge of the building they were on.


    ¡°Scatter,¡± Naomi ordered, swiping her hand up. All five dropped from the ledge, while one remained. ¡°Sho? What¡¯s the matter?¡± she questioned him, then felt her phone buzz. Naomi stuffed her hand into her coat and dug around, then pulled her phone out to check who was messaging her. The light of the phone made her pale cheeks visible when they grew pink. ¡°Ah, I just wanna get this over with¡­¡± When she opened her messages she glanced at the profile. Seeing the scruffy orange hair and wide smile instantly made her smile and her heart leap.


    Sho recognized the glint in her eyes. He let out a low chuckle. ¡°I was about to ask if you¡¯re going on a date with the Lord himself. I have a favor to ask of you, hehe.¡±


    ¡°Favor?¡± She looked at him.


    ¡°For keeping your secret! Seems it¡¯s true, but you ought to focus on your duties first! We can talk later!¡±


    ¡°Sho!¡± Naomi called out, but the boy stepped off of the ledge too quickly, taking off onto a nearby tree. Her phone continued to buzz, prompting her to glimpse at the messages sent.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re still out kicking ass but gotta ask,¡± the first message read. ¡°Date tomorrow afternoon? Or later tonight? I have great news babe! Shoot me back or call when you get home and stay safe.¡±


    She instantly remembered when she had been over at his place weeks prior, they hadn¡¯t gotten time to meet due to having so many watchful eyes on them. He was sleeping on her lap, as she had her face snuggled into his orange ruffled hair, but she had to leave when she got the call. She quickly began typing, planning to ask if he heated up the dish she had made him, but then erased her message.


    ¡°Wait¡­ should I? I¡¯ll respond after the hunt.¡± She giggled thinking of his goofy laugh. Speaking of a date reminded her of the first one she had went on with Yoshigawa.


    ¡°A Setsu of a lower clan mingling with a lord is forbidden and punishable by death if it gets discovered¡­¡± she recalled telling him. The sun shined into the shade she found herself under in that memory. She could picture his chiseled chin vividly and could feel her back against the bark of a tree. The pressure of the entire situation. ¡°Will he get upset if I stop seeing him? I just can¡¯t risk my family¡¯s safety,¡± she thought as Yoshigawa stared at her. She held her breath as a siren of an ice cream truck masked the seriousness of the moment. Then, she caught the scent of oranges flowing into her nose when he moved down to get a taste of her ice cream, ignoring what she said. His curly orange hair brushed across her nose, causing her to giggle.


    ¡°What are you laughin¡¯ at?¡± Yoshigawa leaned back, revealing that he had vanilla ice cream along the tip of his nose. A refreshing breeze passed them. ¡°Your hair, it tickled me¡­¡± She set her hand to her chest and tippy toed up, licking the ice cream from his nose. Yoshigawa snickered and out of nowhere brought up a topic they had discussed before. A topic that he hadn¡¯t replied to, until that moment. ¡°You really are the silliest girl to ever exist. I didn¡¯t answer you before, so I will now.¡± Yoshigawa swiftly scooped her hand up.


    ¡°If I¡¯m the lord, you¡¯ll be my queen and if that¡¯s not possible, I¡¯ll write the rules myself. I¡¯ll be the first to change the Tensei with my charming charisma and you as the motivation!¡± Yoshigawa put on a huge smile to cheer her up. ¡°No one should have a say in what happens between us, so I¡¯ll kill anyone who gets in our way if necessary.¡± The confidence in his eyes weakened her knees. She wasn¡¯t used to feeling that way. ¡°Yoshigawa¡­ don¡¯t say that.¡± Just as Yoshigawa was moving down, she found herself staring at his lips. The sun momentarily reflected past his shoulders leading her to shut her eyes.


    ¡°We went on one before!  Is he trying to get us in trouble?!¡± Her thoughts went to when both of them had to hide from his watch dogs. The two hid behind a pair of clowns, then slid into a passing crowd. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he asked me right before a-¡± She paused, as her small pigtails swung around while wiggled in place. ¡°I wonder where it¡¯ll be.¡±


    The Hachi emblem on her forearm started to blink, signaling that her unit was in place. She slapped her cheeks together and slid her phone into her jacket. ¡°Now¡¯s not the time to think about any of that! Please don¡¯t be mad at me for answering late, you know I¡¯m working now.¡± Naomi pouted internally, before switching to a more serious demeanor. She whipped her link phone from her belt and as it came down, she flicked it on and spoke through.


    ¡°Unit Four in position. Unit Three, are you active? We¡¯re moving in,¡± she relayed the message, as the intercom sparked and she stepped off of the ledge. Her cape whipped back and she glided down. Naomi landed on top of a lamp post and hunched over, scoping the area. She turned the link phone on again as the others reported their positions. A brown cat scurried across the street suddenly, and her sights quickly went to it. The vibrations in the air were high, emanating from the long stretch of road.


    A rank B Shiki was something she had never taken on before, but as a new Shosa, she couldn¡¯t show nerves. The others of her pack were counting on her. She had to be strong and keep her cool for the others who relied on her to lead and assist the other units in this hunt. Moving stealthily across rooftops, the small unit of Setsu dashed along, running adjacent to the Neyagawa Highway when Naomi signaled to advance.


    The highway was relatively empty at this time with only the highway light beams providing a view of the highway for hover cars. It was here that Naomi and other Ikigai packmates spotted their quarry jogging loudly. A massive beast with disheveled hair running over its massive shoulders lumbered around the central barrier of the highway. The creature was humanoid, almost eight feet tall, but its nose frame was similar to that of a grizzly bear¡¯s. It was exactly like the previous reports stated. Its messy hair seemed to thicken when it was under the streetlights, and its grey skin darkened when the moonlight stopped shining onto its seemingly luminescent body.


    One of the Setsu inched through the bushes he was positioned in and caught sight of the yellow eyes. They glowed, piercing through the darkness that the buildings provided. The Shiki halted and sniffed the air, then hunched over and sniffed the ground, considering the paths it could take to avoid any Setsu.


    ¡°Shosa, the target has stopped. Shall we proceed?¡±


    ¡°Keep track of it and approach cautiously,¡± Naomi replied, checking on the location of the second pack unit. The group nodded, as all but one of them jumped down to a closer ledge from the building that was right behind the Hercules Shiki.


    One Setsu remained in place. While the rest of her group were wearing white owl masks with blonde feathers across the cheekbones, this Setsu wore a black owl mask with two purple slashes across its right cheek. The hair flowing around her mask barely reached her shoulders. A faint violet glow emanated from the mask¡¯s small eye slits as she stared down toward their prey. Besides her mask, she wore a skintight black tactical mock shirt, revealing her petite stature. She also wore a Yori belt harness, gloves, and black cargo pants tucked into tactical boots, just like the other packmates. She was in charge of this second unit.


    ¡°Tell me, did the brats fall asleep?¡± Chinatsu questioned about the young Setsus near the Hachi Estate.


    Kitan landed beside her and responded, ¡°Yeah. All covered at home.¡± She recalled that before the pack had left, Keichi was trying to get them into bed.


    ¡°Great, then let¡¯s get this done.¡± Chinatsu reached down into the harness, her gloved hand pulling out a cellphone which she tapped and held up to her ear.


    ¡°Naomi, you prepared?¡± Chinatsu tapped the ridge of her earpiece. There was no response, prompting Chinatsu to speak up. ¡°Little sis?¡± She was met with silence again. ¡°What¡¯s up with her? I get that it¡¯s your first time as a Shosa, but come on.¡± Chinatsu sighed.


    ¡°Well, it isn¡¯t easy. Imagine having to take on a Rank B in your first hunt. Anyway, they¡¯ve sort of brought it to us, so let¡¯s continue, Shosa.¡± Kitan glanced up, then adjusted his mask. His purple eyes glimmered in the shade. He looked down to the Shiki and lifted his blade up, signaling the Setsus to prepare to come down.


    Chinatsu got a call from Shiro and gave him the lowdown. ¡°We have our sights on the target, and it doesn¡¯t seem to have noticed us yet. Everyone is moving into position accordingly.¡±


    ¡°Good job, Chinatsu. Drive the Shiki to Kiku and they¡¯ll secure the two humans. It¡¯ll be driven towards Mt. Ikomura, so intercept it on time and bring in the catch safely.¡± Shiro adjusted himself up on the bed with Miyumi delightfully snuggled on his lap as he fiddled with her hair. ¡°That Shiki, it¡¯s not like any other. Maintain order, do not show fear. It may lead you all to its territory where there may be other Shikis.¡± Shiro slumped over, fixing his composure on the bed. He lifted up a holo-pad and turned it on to check on a file he had received. ¡°Be on the lookout, but most importantly, do not fail.¡±


    ¡°Yes, moving in to engage,¡± she responded with a low growl. She detested the fact that Shiro was supposed to be with them after his long absence, yet didn¡¯t show up. ¡°Bastard is comfortable while the rest of us have to come out and risk our lives for mere humans,¡± Chinatsu thought as she ended the call, looking ahead to the skyline.


    With the target moving once more, she dropped from her perch, landing on a lower wall. Chinatsu front-flipped down onto the empty street lane and took off, while the other Setsus continued to dash from rooftop to rooftop, maintaining the coordinates of the Shiki that still hadn¡¯t noticed their presence. However, the lights of a car moving into the park startled it.


    It weaved, and crashed through a tree and leaned down to smell a random trash bin after going down the incline, then snarled at the scent one of the Setsus gave off when a turbulent breeze passed them. The Setsus landed and ran over to the building that was just behind the Shiki. They hid behind the corner as the Shiki took in the empty road behind it. When it saw Retsu circulating into five humanoid forms near the building, it instinctively turned over, smashing its feet into the pavement below and used the power stored in its chunky calves to explosively sprint off.


    ¡°It spotted us!¡±


    ¡°And the other targets?¡± Chinatsu questioned. Senri, who was one of the three behind the corner, peeked through and confirmed their other two targets. ¡°Secondary target is an unconscious woman. The database is saying she¡¯s¡­¡± Senri gave his mask a moment to pull up the information. In a blue flash, it appeared on the screen within his mask. ¡°Ms. Hoshigaki, a teacher at Hotaka Elementary. There¡¯s a male, too.¡± He answered as the other two Setsu that were beside him left their position and ran ahead to keep in pursuit.


    ¡°Konno, Niikura¡­ you¡¯re tasked with starting the retrieval process!¡± Chinatsu ordered from her aerial position, as Senri observed the two tailing the Shiki, when it suddenly vanished.


    ¡°Turn your visuals on,¡± Chinatsu told the two Setsus, well aware of what the Shiki had done as she watched from a holo-pad. They flicked on their vibe vision goggles that assisted in seeing the hidden Retsu trails that Shikis leave behind, even when they attempt to go invisible and mask themselves in the night. The Shikis imprints were all over the ground. It left behind a sloppy trail of its sweat and Retsu. The two released a series of bats into the sky to keep eyes on the Shiki from above.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°What a filthy smell,¡± Niikura commented, turning the corner onto the next road, as a massive hand reached out, grabbing his head. The beefy fingers constricted Niikura¡¯s head with bone-shattering pressure that only allowed Niikura to let out a single scream as the Shiki slammed him into the pavement and flung him aside.


    ¡°Niikura!!!¡± Konno screamed in shock after seeing the Shiki rip into Niikura¡¯s shoulder. It took a few bites before heading towards him. Konno stumbled backwards on his own feet, as the Shiki locked eyes with him. Blood dripped from its mane as it took a step forward. Konno couldn¡¯t help but shake and close his eyes. The sound of the Shiki taking steps towards him abruptly stopped, followed by the sound of something exploding. When he opened his eyes and looked ahead, he saw a rod had been shot at the Shiki.


    Senri doubled over and arched his back, throwing a third miniature rod from the dozen he had in his bag. The weapon slashed across the Shiki¡¯s forearm. A chilly vibe was cast on the ground when he shot a fourth, which tore into the ground and released a vibe that forced the Shiki to take off once more.


    ¡°THAT THING TOOK A CHUNK OUT OF NIIKURA¡¯S SHOULDER!!!¡± Konno slid over and tried to suppress the blood by taking out a black Woshu cloth and setting it over the open gap along Niikura¡¯s shoulder. The blood splurged on the concrete ground, spreading all over Konno¡¯s gloves.


    ¡°Calm down, Konno! Which way did it go?!¡± Chinatsu urged him to speak quickly, linking the channel over to Kiku.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s headed towards the Ishikiri Station!¡± Konno relayed while Senri leaned down beside the pale Niikura. He urged Niikura to relax, as he was twisting from the pain.


    ¡°Onishi, Kudo, you know what to do. It¡¯s headed your way!¡± Senri addressed the Setsus who were positioned between the road and the station. The two Setsus gripped the metallic fence and prepared to jump over. The Shiki rampaged through, causing the ground to quake, setting fear in Kudo and Onishi, who hesitated after hearing its unnatural hair-raising roar echo through the entire area.


    Kudo and Onishi turned to each other and waited for the Shiki to pass. After the shaking of the fence stopped, the pair jumped over the fence they had been hiding behind. ¡°You¡¯ll cover me, I¡¯ll cover you got it? No running in alone or we won¡¯t stand a chance.¡± Onishi turned away and landed at the center of the road, as the Hercules Shiki increased its distance from them quickly.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve got you covered. Let¡¯s go!¡± The two reached down and tapped their thighs twice, activating their accelerators. This caused purple mist to form and spread down their thighs to a lower compartment that sucked up the mist like a vacuum. The mist swirled within the bottom of the boots and suddenly rose up as a dark purple substance formed into wheels that made the boots resemble skates. Kudo picked his leg up and kicked it down causing the wheels to flicker on and activate. The two leaned down, getting into position.


    ¡°Not gonna say ¡®go¡¯?¡± Onishi joked, as Kudo rolled her eyes at the sheer corniness. She sighed and said ¡°Go,¡± triggering the system. A series of particles accumulated behind their boots and propelled them down the empty street. They whipped their arms to the side and twirled in one full rotation as they linked arms briefly and slid along a curve, now on route.


    ¡°Pack Five, already in motion,¡± Kiku relayed. Three other Setsus observed the Hercules Shiki run along the wiring above the empty highway. They got into position and when it ran past them, they moved in. The Shiki hadn¡¯t noticed them, only realizing their presence after they were right behind it.


    Onishi nearly managed to grab the hand of one of the passed out captives, but wasn¡¯t fast enough. He was losing speed while Kudo passed him. She twirled her saber up and in a clean slash, tore the saber up across the Shiki¡¯s back. Being struck from behind, the creature nearly dropped the two humans it held captive, but balanced itself and continued straight towards the young bloods that nervously remained frozen in place.


    ¡°It¡¯s coming straight for us! SHISU, DO SOMETHING!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t move!¡±


    ¡°I KNEW I SHOULD HAVE KILLED MYSELF INSTEAD OF COMING HERE!¡±


    All three of the newbies screamed at once, as the one at the center and the female to his left soiled themselves. They felt a strong gust rush over them like a flying jet, tipping them off balance. ¡°Dougo, Shisu!¡± One of the three, reached out to the other two as his knees gave out while his hands uncontrollably shook. The Shiki had flown right over them and disappeared into the mountain side that was below the highway.


    ¡°Ryce, report!¡± Naomi called over the earpieces. All three remained frozen before Ryce stood up and ran over to the railing to see if he could spot where it had gone, but he couldn¡¯t see it.


    ¡°Useless, stand aside!¡± Kiku dashed past them, leapt onto the ledge, and front-flipped off in pursuit. Four others jumped after her as one stayed back, covering his nose in disgust. ¡°Ryce, go take your teammates back to headquarters, they both need a change of clothes.¡±


    ¡°Ye-Yes Kitan, sir,¡± Ryce saluted, watching Kitan disappear into the trees below the bridge. Onishi and Kudo both sighed, going over to the three. ¡°Shosa Naomi¡¯s not going to be pleased.¡±


    ¡°That thing¡­ I can¡¯t do this. It¡¯s not for me, I want to go back to Kobe.¡± Shisu slumped to her knees, pressing her gloves onto her pelvic region. ¡°I wanna go home, too.¡± Dougo moved over, feeling uncomfortable as Ryce took a hold of his shoulder.


    Having swooped down, Kiku landed on a tree branch with a soft thud. A slumbering cuddly creature became startled and nearly fell over, but was caught by another Setsu who stepped onto a lower branch. She spun over and hopped off, landing on another branch with her sights dead ahead. Her light violet eyes grew brighter through her mask, as the creature¡¯s negative Retsu poured out of it. Flocks of birds soared into the skies up ahead, indicating that the barbaric creature wasn¡¯t too far. It tore through all of the trees in its path and crashed down, creating a cloud of debris that blew back towards the Setsus. Like a wild beast, it frantically did anything it could to escape.


    ¡°Kitan, Juro, you take the right flank! Mao, Osamu, you come with me while Sho and Chinatsu go through the left and force it to head to the right! Go!¡± Kiku spoke into the earpieces, and the Setsus got down to it.


    Sho and Chinatsu went ahead faster whilst Kiku fired a sonar wave that sent terrifying ear-raping vibrations toward the Shiki. The ripples forced it to turn away and take off towards the right when suddenly, out of a tree line from above, Kitan came down slashing towards it. He had cut into the creature¡¯s left thigh, but the shock did not slow it down in the slightest, as the Shiki returned a blow. The attack embedded Kitan into the side of a tree, while the other Setsu continued on in pursuit. As Kiku helped pry him out of the tree, Kitan smirked as the upper portion of his mask cracked.


    ¡°Knocked out from that little hit? Aw, poor little baby needs some milk,¡± Kiku mocked, glancing down at him and then in the direction the other Setsus went.


    ¡°Real funny, Shosa,¡± Kitan said as he spit out some blood, setting his hand back against the tree¡¯s surface for support. He caught his breath and wiped the blood from his lips. Kiku lifted her long lance-like blade and hopped up onto a thicker tree branch and took off. In front of her, the beast turned its head back and forth in a craze. Its sight darkened and it grew disoriented. Jumping out of some leaves, it crashed down in an open field with an unconscious girl tumbling down with it. Like a gorilla, it defensively dragged both of the humans by their feet on its back, and looked ahead as grass fluttered in front of it. Juro, Osamu, Chinatsu and Mao flew out of the same treeline looking ahead at the Shiki, quickly catching up with the beast.


    The Shiki snarled, as saliva flew out of its mouth and landed a few feet away from Mao. They were headed towards a small open space known as the Enzuigiri Shrine, a rocky clearing that once held a Shinto temple. Now, only half of a torii gate remained due to erosion, as a single pillar was left standing. The rest of the pack leapt out of the other side of the clearing, weapons drawn, as the Shiki roared and slowly spun around. The pack surrounded it, and as they slowly inched forward, the Shiki pressed back against the broken gate.


    The creature grinned at its pursuers, holding out the girl as if silently taunting them with her safety, causing them to stop their advance. Suddenly, a flash of orange blotted out its vision, causing it to blink and wipe away liquid, only to see that the girl was no longer in its grasp. Peering down at its arm, it saw a gash from its upper shoulder all the way down to just below its elbow. The creature¡¯s arm hung limp, as Kiku stood, saber-lance in one hand, and the girl in the other.


    ¡°Now!¡± Kiku spoke as the rest of the Setsus moved in, lifting their gauntlets and aiming it at the Shiki. Harpoon tipped hooks attached to cables shot out of their mechanisms, one of them striking the creature in the chest, another on its back, and the back of the knee. The Shiki tried to pull away from their grasp, but as more and more hooks fired at it while the setsus pulled it in different directions, it found itself unable to move. The Setsus dug their booted heels into the earth and pulled back, keeping it from moving in any one direction.


    Handing off the unconscious girl to Sho, Kiku quickly landed in front of the Shiki, with a four feet long curved blade in hand. Being sure to avoid its saliva, she placed the cold blade against its throat, digging in as a small trail of the Shiki¡¯s bright orange blood began dripping out of the nick. A small growl came out of the monster, which buffed up, hardening its skin in an attempt to keep the blade from slashing further.


    Kiku smiled, leaning down and whispered in its ear, ¡°Uncomfortable? Don¡¯t you worry your pretty little head. When we¡¯re done with you, you¡¯re going to have a whole new understanding of that word.¡± The monster snarled again, struggling to unbind itself. ¡°Not feeling very talkative tonight, are we? That¡¯s fine. We have ways of getting it out of you.¡± The Shiki swung its head to the side, snapping its teeth at Kiku¡¯s face, just barely missing her nose underneath her mask. Kiku chuckled and dug the blade a bit deeper when suddenly, an ear piercing scream echoed through the area.


    Kiku turned around just in time to witness a Stray, its features disguised by a hood. ¡°Crap! He must have concealed his Retsu and followed us from the highway. We were careless!¡± Mao announced.


    The being already had its arms wrapped around Naomi. With a maniacal look glinting in its eyes under the hood, the Stray¡¯s mouth opened inhumanly wide, before snapping down on the side of Naomi¡¯s neck, tearing half of her head off in the process. Her brief scream was silenced as soon as it jerked its head back, as blood sprayed across the grass, gushing down her uniform. Her arms contorted before falling limp, dropping the gauntlet. The other Setsus of her pack yelled out in terror.


    ¡°SHOOOSAAA!¡±


    ¡°YOUUU BEASSST!¡±


    Two Setsus rushed in, forcing the Stray to step away and jump over them. With quick twists and turns, it maneuvered past the Setsus attempting to strike it and advanced straight towards Kiku, before stopping to lower its hood and reveal itself.


    ¡°Jeel the Sitter! HERE TO EAT YA!¡± Jeel reached out to take Kiku¡¯s ankle, but she dodged his grab, jumping away as Jeel hopped onto the Hercules Shiki¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯d love to devour each and everyone one of you, but whatever. In time, I¡¯ll taste you all one by one. I can only hope that you¡¯re as delicious as the one I just had, hahahaha kekekeke¡­ woahohoho, I can already feel her heart gem!¡± Jeel proclaimed with a grizzly laugh, infuriating the Setsus that surrounded him and the Hercules Shiki.


    The two white rows of teeth on Jeel¡¯s visible chest opened wide, letting out clumpy long tubes that shot out to grab the Setsus. They all avoided as dozens swirled around him, forcing them to move away. Two Setsus got caught and were immediately brought right into Jeel¡¯s chest. The teeth clamped down, shredding them as their screams were killed off instantly, leaving nothing but a bloody mess on his torso and an arm sticking out.


    That distraction gave the Hercules Shiki time to regain strength in its arm and upper shoulder. With its left arm no longer being held in place, the Shiki swung it backwards across its body. The knuckles of its massive fist struck Kiku directly in the face, turning her mask into powder, and sent her flying across the clearing until she collided with Osamu, sending them both rolling across the grass. With two of the harpoons no longer securing it, the Shiki began yanking at the remaining pack members who were trying to restrain it. Using its herculean strength, it heaved the ones who held on high into the misty sky.


    Slowly, Kiku rose to her feet, as blood streamed from her forehead and obscured her vision. She tried to wipe it away, barely making out the scene in front of her, as the Hercules Shiki grabbed Kitan by his leg and repeatedly smashed him against a black pine tree as if it were beating the dust out of a rug, before slinging his limp body into the far woods. Turning around, the Shiki grabbed the fleeing Juro, before breaking his back with its knee.


    Clenching her fist around her saber, Kiku charged toward the Shiki, but Jeel intercepted her and struck her aside with a single flick of his tail. He then used this chance to run to the Hercule Shiki¡¯s side again. The remaining Setsus regained their bearings and surrounded the two. The Sitter reached into its coat, pulling out a pair of red gem-like objects, dropping the one in his right hand. As it fell to the dirt, Chinatsu instantly recognized it, and turned around, warning the Setsus, ¡°Flashbang! Cover your eyes!¡±


    However, it was too late, as Kiku¡¯s eyes were enveloped in white. A loud bang made her ears ring with excruciating pain, as the entire pack dropped to the ground in fetal positions, screeching in pain. Their heightened hearing and sight had now turned against them.


    After what seemed like hours to Kiku, her vision finally began to return; Chinatsu knelt beside her, shaking Kiku¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Chi¡­ ugh, our target.¡±


    ¡°We still have the girl. That Shiki got away with the Stray. For some reason, they didn¡¯t grab her while we were down.¡± Kiku rubbed her eyes, not wanting to lift herself from the cool earth beneath her as the massive cut on her forehead had begun to heal. ¡°Where¡¯s the rest of the team?¡±


    Chinatsu frowned, looking down at the grass. Her voice cracked as she was hesitant of what she¡¯d say next. She forced herself to gulp in order to get her voice back, then answered. ¡°Osamu and Sho are over by the Torii.¡± Chinatsu pointed off to their right, with Kiku¡¯s head following as she spotted the two of them standing over the others, her vision still somewhat blurry. As she looked back up to Chinatsu, she noticed tears beginning to well up in her eyes.


    ¡°Kiku, they¡­ they¡¯re hurt bad. Kitan hasn¡¯t regained consciousness yet, Juro had 12 vertebrae shattered, and Nao¡­¡± Chinatsu looked away, powering off her Setsu sight. At this point, the tears were streaming down her face. ¡°That bastard took half of my sister¡¯s head!¡± Chinatsu struggled to contain every bit of anger that filled her emotions. ¡°No amount of Setsu blood transfusions can save her if we don¡¯t get the other half of her heart gem back in time.¡± Chinatsu clenched her fist.


    Kiku gave her a somber look as she tilted her head back up, eyes facing the night sky as Chinatsu sat on her knees next to her, sobbing loudly. As she silently sat there staring up at the stars, Kiku eventually brought her hand up to her earpiece. Chinatsu angrily punched the ground. ¡°What¡¯s the point of saving a few humans if we lose our own in the process?! I¡¯m tired of this!¡±


    Kiku didn¡¯t respond. Instead, she turned away and spoke into her earpiece, ¡°Kiku reporting¡­ the target has been rescued, but the Shiki has escaped. We have heavy casualties, sir.¡±


    ¡°This is Alto reading you clearly. That is¡­ very unfortunate, young miss. How did it escape? Who did we lose?¡± Alto¡¯s bushy mustache furrowed.


    ¡°A Stray rescued it. The Stray wasn¡¯t like an ordinary one. I¡¯ll fill you in later. As for the casualties¡­¡±


    ¡°Naomi¡­¡± Kiku rubbed the center of her nose to keep herself from crying. Behind her, Chinatsu continued to repeat, ¡°Why?!¡± louder and louder until Kiku yelled, ¡°Chinatsu!!! Get it together! This is no time for negativity!¡± Kiku kicked a rock next to her as she laid there.


    Alto sighed deeply in response. ¡°Unfortunately, we still have a mission to complete. Bring those school teachers back to us, and see that your fellow packmates return home safely.¡±


    Looking up at the dark rainy sky, Kiku momentarily recalled having yogurt with someone she cared deeply for. They walked out, hopping on his ride and went out to the outskirts of Osaka. That sunny day was the last day she had seen her beloved Hiiro.


    She recollected his voice, as he sat by her side. After assisting a lost tourist and resolving an odd report of a fisherman going deranged, the pair bought a bag full of yogurt from a nearby store and decided to enjoy some time together before heading back to the Ikigai¡¯s headquarters. Kiku delightfully ate up two cups of yogurt as they were sitting. She watched Hiiro fiddle around with the contents of the cup, finding it cute the way he tilted his head over.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the yogurt?¡± she asked Hiiro, after seeing him try to taste the yogurt. Instead, he slid the spoon back into the cup.


    ¡°Yogurt¡¯s too cold for my fangs. I should have asked the clerk to microwave it,¡± Hiiro murmured.


    ¡°Microwave yogurt? Never heard of that. Uh¡­ let it settle in the sun then,¡± Kiku suggested, raising her sights to the bright sky. She raised her hand over her eyebrows. At her suggestion, Hiiro nodded. He placed the cup down, where the sun would shine on it and then looked over to the horizon. Off in the distance, tints of black were mixed in with the oceanic view. A variation of different hoverboats scoured the seas, headed to the different docks littered along the coast.


    ¡°Thanks for the idea. It¡¯s really hot out today¡­ wish I could remove the jacket, but we¡¯re still on duty.¡± Hiiro glanced down to the shining Hachi emblem on the forearm of his jacket. He then gave her a nod and turned his attention up to the sky. The sunlight shined down, warming up his pale cheeks. ¡°On second thought, this weather is perfect.¡± Such admiration brought with it the realizations he too often lost himself in. ¡°Sucks to think it may not be around one day, if nothing is done overseas. Osaka and Japan will be next. You¡¯d be next.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve gotta look after everyone, but that¡¯s impossible. I have a bad feeling about the lord¡¯s leaving, and Fushigi Yugi of Kyoto could be waiting to try and invade Osaka,¡± Hiiro spoke, concerned for those the two knew. He stared at the grass between his lap, noticing a small snake slithering in a circle.


    Kiku shook her head. ¡°There you go again. We¡¯ll be perfectly fine. You¡¯re overthinking it, Hiiro. Caring too much can be destructive, you know?¡± Kiku fiddled with the grass at her side. ¡°And it¡¯s my job to remind you when you hug too tightly, so you can balance it. It¡¯s like that in a sense with your desires. You can¡¯t worry about every little thing, Hiiro. Worry about yourself for a change. Enjoy this moment here, with me.¡± She faintly gave him a smile, as she slid her hand to his, while he observed her soft smile. The glimmer in her eyes made Hiiro blush. Kiku set one of her legs over the other, snuggling into the grass.


    ¡°If it¡¯ll make you worry less, I¡¯m going to play my role a thousand times better, so that we can all have more days like these,¡± Kiku declared.


    ¡°Never thought I¡¯d hear that from you,¡± Hiiro said, laughing faintly. ¡°But you¡¯re right. Realistically, we can¡¯t protect Japan alone. Not with all the division. Me worrying about the current affairs between the families won¡¯t solve anything. I can only hope that the families all come together one day.¡±


    ¡°That seems unlikely.¡±


    ¡°It does¡­¡± Hiiro dropped his head down in disappointment. ¡°Seems the other regions are still being hit hard by Shiki swarms. With the absence of the lords, it¡¯ll be harder looking after Osaka. We can¡¯t keep everything in line without Alessandro.¡± He sighed, as Kiku observed him quietly. Hiiro folded his hands, setting his elbows on his knees and watched the snake wiggle its tail in the air.


    ¡°I agree that we need Alessandro, but like I said, you can¡¯t worry too much. We¡¯re supposed to be unwinding yet we¡¯re still talking about work.¡± She gave him a frown. ¡°The Order will handle everything else. We¡¯ll focus on our tasks when that time comes.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡± Hiiro interjected, but Kiku patted his shoulder, continuing what she was saying.


    ¡°You¡¯re no help if your mind¡¯s everywhere at once; we¡¯ve gotta do our job here first. Otherwise, we won¡¯t be able to defend ourselves if Shiki swarms make their way to this region.¡± Hiiro became visibly uncomfortable at what Kiku said.


    ¡°Not if¡­ it¡¯s a matter of when. I know some Strays have already infiltrated the borders. I thought it¡¯d be a good idea to take a break today, talk about it with you, but now I feel worse. I just want to keep searching. I can¡¯t let another human down.¡± Hiiro looked out to the different children playing along the rocky formations that lead towards the sea, then faced Kiku.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like having yogurt anymore. Here.¡± Hiiro took the yogurt cup he had placed at his side and handed it to Kiku. ¡°It already melted that fast?¡± he thought to himself as droplets from the cup¡¯s surface wet his hand. A low grumble came from Hiiro¡¯s stomach, embarrassing him.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like your stomach agrees. I¡¯ll tell you now, you¡¯re missing out! It tastes really good, try it.¡± Kiku scooped a spoonful and tried to feed him, but he avoided the spoon each time, turning his face away from her. Kiku got on her knees and tugged at the top of his hair to keep him from moving his face.


    ¡°H-Hey, I said I don¡¯t want an-¡± Hiiro protested, as a shadow drew over the pair.


    Kiku swirled the melted yogurt in the cup before jumping at the sight of a seagull flying onto Hiiro¡¯s lap. It had suddenly swooped down near Hiiro¡¯s crotch and pecked at the snake that had been wiggling around. The surprise made Kiku spill some of the yogurt on him as he quickly staggered to his feet.


    Hiiro tried to swat the seagull away, but the single slap he gave across it¡¯s noggin only infuriated it. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?!¡± Hiiro shouted at the seagull. The seagull turned its head over and glared at Hiiro while maintaining the wiggling snake between its beak. He reached down to grab it by the neck, but it quickly took off through the grassy ocean plain. ¡°Great, now the yogurt spilled. Next time we come here, I¡¯m bringing an umbrella.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget repellent, those seagulls are really getting out of hand around here.¡± Kiku glanced over to some of the children near the rocky shores feeding seagulls. For a moment, Hiiro stared off at the seagull that had taken the snake away into the distance. ¡°Shawn¡­ I know you¡¯re somewhere.¡± His attention soon returned to Kiku when he heard her speak up in surprise.


    ¡°Ah, I didn¡¯t see! That seagull freaked me out when it flew in. Sorry Hiiro, I got some on you.¡± Kiku pulled a cloth from her pocket to wipe off some of the yogurt that spilled along his pants, but then, a smirk crept across her face. ¡°Maybe if you ate the yogurt earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have to-¡±


    ¡°It''s fine, we''ll do laundry when we get back to the esta-¡± Hiiro froze, as she licked a bit of the yogurt off of him with the tip of her tongue. ¡°Quit it! We¡¯re in public!¡± Hiiro avoided the seductive look she gave him. He quickly yanked away from the hold she had on his leg and took off towards the commercial path that¡¯d lead to his ride. Two old drunk men sitting on reclining seats laughed, taking swigs; suddenly, Hiiro front-flipped over them, surprising the pair.


    ¡°Hiiro! Wait up!¡± Kiku shouted, following after him as the two laughed.


    ¡°Shosa Kaiser, are you there?¡± Alto¡¯s voice over the earpiece snapped Kiku¡¯s attention back to the current reality. Thunder erupted for a second, making the destruction of the abandoned temple visible.


    ¡°Ye-Yes, I am. Sorry about that.¡± Kiku glanced back to Chinatsu, who became completely silent ever since Kiku raised her voice at her while tears continued streaming down her face. In the time Kiku zoned out, the other Setsus gathered the injured. ¡°I¡¯ll have the report ready by the time we arrive.¡±


    Kiku turned away and watched the other Setsus stand around Naomi¡¯s maimed body. Each Setsu helped out in lifting her cautiously onto a flat board. Kiku observed Naomi¡¯s pocket buzzing, seeing the light from her phone as the phone slipped out and hit the hard bedrock. The call had the image of an orange-haired male smiling cheekily.


    Kiku went over to pick up the phone and after doing so, looked around the landscape. The last she saw of Naomi was the scaly flat board wrapping itself around her, closing at the top. A simmering orange glowed along the exterior of the flat board, releasing steam. She tightened her fist as the swampy area around them continued to steadily fill with more water from the downpour.


    ¡°Again, someone precious¡­¡±

 Chapter 23

    Takumi groaned, snuggling his face into his purple puffy bat-shaped pillow. If only he could have a few more minutes, he would have knocked down a buzzer beater within his dream. It was the ultimate scenario all ballers dreamed of. Sadly for him, the alarm clock beside his bed continued to blare louder with each passing minute until Takumi couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. With a violent swipe of his forearm, the clock flew off of the bed stand, destroying the holographic letters as they flew up to the ceiling and broke apart into tiny particles after bouncing around the darkened room. The clock rolled below the bed, heading towards the door.


    ¡°I hate dreaming¡­ pure torture. I want to be there already,¡± Takumi told himself, tugging the sheets over his head. ¡°Maybe I can get back in there and finish the job.¡± He snuggled into the sheets in an effort to go back to sleep.


    ¡°If you want to be there, you¡¯ll need to get up extra early and continue putting in the work,¡± Takumi heard Alto say, causing him to shoot his eyes wide open under the sheets. ¡°Young master, it¡¯s time to get up. It¡¯s your first day of school, you mustn¡¯t be late now.¡± Alto stood outside the door and banged his right fist against the white door with an exasperated look on his face.


    Takumi slid his face off of the pillow and squinted his eyes. ¡°Easy for you to say. I stayed up late last night doing research that I didn¡¯t want to do.¡±


    ¡°Your breakfast has been prepared. I¡¯ll be at the Ikigai¡¯s central base. If you desire anything, ring Miranda in.¡±


    ¡°Somethin¡¯ serious?¡± Takumi asked.


    ¡°As you already know, I¡¯m having a meeting with eight of the Shosas regarding their Packs and the recent Shiki activities that have been spiking up. You wouldn¡¯t want to know this, but I must inform you that there were some casualties during one of last night¡¯s hunt-and-rescue missions.¡±


    ¡°Casualties?¡± Takumi flapped the puffy sheets off of himself, with a sense of worry hidden behind his calm expression.


    ¡°Yes. Pack Four arrived defeated, many in terrible shape. Some physically wounded in Pack Six and others in Pack Three mentally troubled.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound like anythin¡¯ new.¡± Wiggling himself out of bed, Takumi stretched, after which he walked over to the door. ¡°Barely woke up and already it¡¯s another ordinary day.¡± He opened it, only to see Alto was already gone.


    ¡°Pack Four¡­ wasn¡¯t Naomi recently appointed as the Shosa for that pack?¡± Takumi grumbled under his breath, only for agitating visions of the previous night to flood his mind out of nowhere. From the Stray, to the human that troubled him.


    ¡°Hasegawa?¡± He clenched his eyes shut and gripped one of his bangs until the headache subsided. ¡°No, don¡¯t tell me I really¡­¡± In his head, he thought of when he pushed Hanami out of his room the previous night. He hadn¡¯t eaten what she brought him, since she had pestered him to the point that his appetite disappeared. He recalled sliding into bed to sleep on an empty stomach, staring at the ceiling until he dozed off. The last thing he remembered was a delicious scent that his nose really focused on.


    He found himself hit with memories of the previous night¡­ memories he wasn¡¯t aware he had. In those memories, he saw himself walking slowly towards Hanami¡¯s room in a zombie-like trance. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have¡­¡± he questioned himself.


    Within her room, the girl laid completely flat on her fluffy bed. Her entire body sprawled across the bed, taking up all the space as she switched positions numerous times throughout the span of an hour. She slept blissfully unaware that Takumi was standing right outside her door, as the drool coming out of the ridge of her mouth released an alluring cherry scent that attracted the hungry Setsu¡¯s primal side.


    Snapping himself out of the memories again, Takumi couldn¡¯t believe his primal side actually took over him as he slept. It never happened before. ¡°Did I break in? Does she know? Crap¡­ not good. Curse them for setting this up.¡± Takumi tightened his fists, envisioning his parents, namely his mother smirking sinisterly.


    ¡°If they think they¡¯ve got this all figured out, they have something else coming. Note to self: chain my room the next time I go for a nap.¡± Takumi made a mental note, drawing out a deep sigh. ¡°Tch, I have no choice but to find out before leaving,¡± he decided, glancing around the vacant hallway. His sights went up to a camera positioned at the end of the hall, then over to a camera positioned on a tree that stood outside of the third floor window.


    ¡°One of those two must have captured what happened, I¡¯ll check those first,¡± he mouthed, gritting his teeth. Takumi walked off hastily in search of the security room. ¡°Damn it all. The heck am I supposed to say if I run into her? I know she¡¯ll try to provoke me. My rotten luck.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°Relax, find the room first. You probably didn¡¯t do anything. Overthinking won¡¯t help,¡± Takumi spoke to himself in his head, maintaining the blank expression he typically kept on.


    It took him less than three minutes to make it to the security room, which was hidden by a giant silver vault door. Takumi glanced down to his knuckles and then knocked four times, loudly, until the metallic door slid just a tiny bit enough to peek in. He saw one golden eye, glancing up at him, along with a small entity.


    ¡°Beniko, open the fucking door right now!¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ am I in trouble?¡± She asked shyly, kicking one of her small shoes against her other shoe.


    ¡°Why would you be in trouble? Hurry up and open the door or I¡¯ll break it down myself,¡± Takumi growled. His fangs poked out below his upper lip, as his patience wore thin. His collar constricted, causing him to flinch slightly.


    ¡°OKAY! SOWEE! DON¡¯T HURT ME!¡± Beniko dove behind the door, pulling it back as fast as her weak arms allowed. Her floppy bunny ears grew under the stress, slumping down on the maroon carpet floor. They spread behind her, forming into what resembled furry hands that fiddled together in a nervous manner.


    As soon as he got through the door, Takumi aggressively reached over and yanked Beniko up into the air by the base of her floppy ears. She flinched, kicking her small feet around until Takumi shouted ¡°Stop kicking around! You were awake last night, weren¡¯t you? YOU SAW SOMETHING!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was! I totally didn¡¯t see you go into that new girl¡¯s room or anything! You aren¡¯t a weirdo at all, I¡¯m not saying that o-¡± Beniko blurted out, raising her small arms to her face, in fear that he¡¯d strike her. Hearing what she said made his heart gem spike up. He threw her aside and hurried off inside, diving over the railing within the darkened lab.


    Landing down, he rushed over to the control area and feverishly typed through to search for the previous night¡¯s footage. He did so until several password keys sprung on the screen. ¡°Come over here and put these passwords!¡± Darting a glare over to Beniko, who barely managed to stand up, Takumi shouted, ¡°Why are you just standing there?! What are the passwords?! Out with it!¡±


    She sniffled, frowning. Tears swelled in her eyes. She avoided his eye contact, completely embarrassed. She rubbed her elbow, unsure of what to do. ¡°But I can¡¯t tell you that, Master Takumi!¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t tell me?!?!¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t tell you that!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?! You tell me, right now!¡±


    ¡°The password is¡­ but I can¡¯t tell you that!¡±


    ¡°Tell me that cursed password before I shove those ears so far down your throat, you¡¯ll-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you that the password is¡­¡± Beniko flailed her hands around, attempting to explain, ¡°But I can¡¯t tell you that! Literally¡­ ¡®but I can¡¯t tell you that¡¯!!!¡± She cried out in frustration, as her ears flopped around creating a gust that blew nearby piles of paper off of the tables.


    Takumi ran back up the steps and yanked the girl up by her ears and dragged her over. At the control area, he tossed her onto her custom made hamster hover seat. It spun around several times, making her dizzy as she felt attacked from all angles. ¡°Okay, okay!¡± Beniko tried her best to get a hold of the control keys. Takumi stopped her hover seat from spinning and pointed to the large screen as it powered on. She reached around while her head swirled around until the dizziness subsided.


    ¡°Go back to last night when I was seen exiting my room.¡± His eyes were transfixed by the footage that she reversed after putting her eleven letter password, which was her second password. Takumi glanced down when she was typing her password out of curiosity.


    Beniko looked up and screamed ¡°Hey, don¡¯t look at the keyboard!¡± He managed to see her press down on ¡°H, E, T, A, U, N, Y.¡± He briefly attempted to come up with a possible password, but soon gave up and watched her skim through to the hour she recalled first seeing the odd occurrence. Worried for her safety, she warned in advance, ¡°Master Takumi! Please don¡¯t take out your anger on me if you see something you don¡¯t like!¡±


    ¡°Shut up! I¡¯ll do as I please,¡± Takumi responded as the chain of his collar swayed over. He thumped the side of her head then observed the footage. In the footage, he saw himself quietly napping as he stood in front of his fiancee¡¯s room.


    Beniko blushed intensely, as her floppy ears shifted to a bright pink and wrapped around her head. She tilted her head up a bit to see Takumi¡¯s chin and felt Takumi slam his palm on her head. He twisted her head over so she¡¯d be facing the screen. ¡°Focus on the screen, not me. Keep going through,¡± Takumi ordered her. She felt his glare pierce through the back of her head and worked as fast as she could. Within the video, Takumi stood in front of the door for over twenty minutes, then turned around and walked down the hall, out of the camera¡¯s view.


    Changing through the camera perspectives, Beniko found the second piece of footage that showed Takumi outside, passing through the verbena garden. That camera was in a tree near Hanami¡¯s balcony, pointed down to show the pond and several boulders. He stepped onto each one, until he grabbed a hold of a branch. He spun once, landing onto it and hopped off. Takumi came into full view, passing the ledge, as he graciously floated over. Once he landed, he opened the glass door and smoothly entered, leaving the door open. After that, nothing else was visible.


    ¡°That¡¯s one smooth criminal¡­¡± Beniko mumbled, earning herself a whack on the head from Takumi.


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±


    ¡°There aren¡¯t any cameras inside of her room, as that would be a breach of privacy, sir; we¡¯re not perverts.¡± Beniko fiddled with her fingers and glanced up to Takumi, who spaced out, having regained his memories of what happened afterwards.


    Inside, Takumi stood at the end of her bed, watching her for eight minutes straight until she started drooling some more. The scent of her mouth made him get on the bed. He laid down beside her and poofed into a bat version of himself, with the only thing not changing being his hair.


    Slivers of moonlight shined in and out of the room, like waves washing up on a beach. Feeling around, Hanami reached over in her sleep and grabbed onto Takumi in his bat form, bringing him close, smudging him up against her chest to bat Takumi¡¯s displeasure. She suffocated him to the point that he poofed back into his normal state and after some squirming, slid out of her strong hold as she continued to snore. A faint breeze blew into the room causing Takumi¡¯s bangs to sway from side to side as he moved himself on top of her and studied her lips. His attention then shifted over to her neck, defenseless and completely at his mercy. He maintained his sleepy, emotionless gaze on what he could have. A midnight snack. Nothing holding him back.


    Her heartbeats resonated in his head like a lovely lullaby that kept him seated on top of her. In his trance, he brought his ear down to her chest and listened for what felt like hours, but was really a bit over thirty seconds. It wasn¡¯t until she tried reaching out to pinch his cheek that he moved towards her face and pressed his nose up against her cheek. Her arm curled around his head as she huffed in her sleep, feeling the weight pressing down on her small frame.


    His nose trailed along where her saliva was and rubbed against the drool that had been running down the side of her mouth. Still in his slumbering state, his Setsu side determined that the drool was the source of the attractive scent. The tap of his nose wasn¡¯t enough to wake her just yet. It scoped her cheek, then pressed up against her nose before trailing back down. Though she wrapped her arms around the little bat. The restricting squeeze rendered him immobile. Each squeeze brought with it a squeak. She held him close, pressing his cheek up against her own.


    His Setsu side shifted back to his regular form and he went on to nibble on the ridge of Hanami¡¯s jawline. His soft lips grazed her sensitive neck. The light breaths that he took slowly awakened her. Her eyes opened at the sight of who she believed to be the infamous batboy, a character within a novel series she adored. The two awkwardly stared at each other. His hands gripped her thighs. Supple to the touch, his thumbs pressed down. She slowly closed her eyes for ten seconds believing it all to be a dream and made a kissing face, uttering ¡°Batboy.¡±


    Takumi instantly cringed and snapped out of the memories, punching the giant lab TV. ¡°So, the cameras only caught me up until I entered her room? Good. Now, erase the footage or I¡¯ll erase your life,¡± he warned Beniko.


    With a sharp ¡°YES, MASTER TAKUMI!¡±, Beniko slumped into her seat and dove onto the controls. Takumi escorted himself out, hearing fast typing coming from the control area. He shut the vault door behind himself as Beniko sighed in relief at the sound of the door slamming.


    ¡°Having her around is turning into a serious pain. How am I going to get rid of her? I don¡¯t want to chain my door because of that damn girl.¡± He was flustered at the thought of him having been on Hanami¡¯s bed, right beside her, but was relieved that she had slipped back to sleep and his slumbering self managed to exit her room. Shaking his head, Takumi went off to prepare.


    It didn¡¯t take him long and soon he found himself arriving at the long stairs that led to the lobby. Right as he was about to enter, he saw June coming his way from the other end of the hall. June didn¡¯t notice him yet, as he seemed to be in thought. He zoned back in and frowned when he locked eyes with Takumi. ¡°What¡¯s he angry about? Wait¡­¡± Takumi grumbled.


    June walked up to him and demanded, ¡°What the hell were you doing in Hanami¡¯s room last night!?¡±


    Takumi sighed. ¡°Shut up.¡± He looked around to make sure no maids were present as they¡¯d be able to report to Miranda.


    ¡°Tell me!¡±


    ¡°What any couple does.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    ¡°It is my business!¡±


    ¡°Remember, she¡¯s my property,¡± Takumi told him, smirking as he made his way to the stairs.


    ¡°We went over this, don¡¯t go saying that¡­¡±


    ¡°What? Because you love her? You can¡¯t handle the fact that she¡¯s to be married to me? Hmph.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it, you just watch yourself. If you make her cry, I¡¯ll hang you myself.¡± June reached for Takumi¡¯s shoulder and lightly pushed him back towards the railing. Takumi simply slid back, resting his elbows on the railing and said, ¡°Hang? Like that mother of yours?¡±


    June¡¯s eyes widened, as he thought to himself, ¡°How does he know?¡± He whipped around, grabbing Takumi by his collar as he grit his teeth. June clenched his hand into a fist and lifted it over himself.


    Takumi turned his cheek, welcoming him to swing while studying June¡¯s expression. ¡°Go ahead, do it if you can.¡±


    ¡°Believe me, I would¡­ but this isn¡¯t the place.¡± June wanted to strike him, but reminded himself he¡¯d be stepping out of line. Instead of getting into an altercation, he let go of Takumi and hurried down the stairs, only to stop half way for a moment. His voice travelled to the top step. ¡°My duty is to take care of your sister, but you¡¯re different. I¡¯m going to make you regret being such an asshole, when you least expect it. Just wait.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Takumi muttered as June continued down and out through the entrance door.


    ¡°How unlike him,¡± a passing maid that saw when June had gripped Takumi¡¯s collar said.


    Outside of the mansion¡¯s front, June passed by Yoshigawa, who was headed inside, as the latter bumped into Chinatsu by accident. As he arrived at the bottom, Takumi watched Chinatsu try to walk by Yoshigawa without saying anything at all.


    ¡°Chichi, morning! You know where I can find Naomi? She never called last night, so I came over to find out from Tak.¡± Chinatsu saw Yoshigawa¡¯s worried expression, as he tilted his head away from her, searching around the room for nothing in particular. She opened her mouth, but it was dry. Try as she may, words weren¡¯t coming out. ¡°Chichi?¡± Yoshigawa brought his sights back to Chinatsu, as Takumi walked up to him.


    ¡°Yo Tai,¡± Yoshigawa gave him a faint heads up, without his usual smile. ¡°Naomi didn¡¯t make it back?¡± he asked Takumi, who stared at him, concerned. Takumi wasn¡¯t sure how he should put it. All the while, Chinatsu spaced out, unable to get the image of her sister¡¯s half-eaten head out of her mind.


    ¡°Both of you guys are acting awfully weird today¡­¡± Yoshigawa awkwardly laughed, reaching out to Chinatsu¡¯s shoulder. His hand trembled, before he gripped her shoulder, applying force that made Chinatsu flinch. ¡°TALK TO ME! WHERE¡¯S NAOMI?!¡± he shouted, snapping Chinatsu back into place. His voice shook her, as it echoed through the silent lobby.


    ¡°NAOMI¡¯S DYING!!!!!¡± she finally cried out, slapping his arm off of her shoulder. Chinatsu shoved him aside and ran out without looking back. Yoshigawa immediately staggered back, his shocked expression going to Takumi, who turned away, unable to look his friend in the eyes.


    His hands reached for his hair, grasping it to assure he wasn¡¯t dreaming. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± An array of emotions hit him all at once as flashes of memories flooded his brain.


    ¡°Shima, uh¡­ we have school,¡± Takumi blurted out. Yoshigawa heard Takumi¡¯s voice ringing in the background, but spaced out.


    ¡°Shima,¡± Takumi repeated, going over to Yoshigawa. He shook his shoulder.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way¡­¡±


    ¡°Dude, we have school¡­¡±


    Yoshigawa only gave Takumi a smile, shaking his head. ¡°You¡¯ve never given a crap about school, now you do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only going to find the captain, but¡­¡±


    ¡°You have school, I don¡¯t¡­¡± Yoshigawa told Takumi, taking slow steps back as Takumi dropped his hand to his side. Yoshigawa continued shaking his head and then turned away, running out as fast as he could.


    Letting out a low sigh, Takumi checked his watch. ¡°I can¡¯t be late, I¡¯ll talk to him later.¡±


    Over in Hanami¡¯s room, the girl wiggled around in her comfy sweatpants, finally waking up. She clenched her eyes shut again, thinking of the odd dream she had. The only thing of that dream that came to her right away being when she puckered her lips lightly expecting to be kissed. Five seconds went by, then ten, fifteen, and after a whole thirty seconds, she peeked. There was no one there, completely leaving her confused. Soon enough, her eyelids became heavy enough that she drifted to sleep again, as her mind subconsciously added unrealistic parts to the experience.


    ¡°THAT¡¯S ALL A DREAM!!! WHY AM I THINKING OF THAT?!?! GET IT OUT OF YOUR MIND!¡± Her inner voice spoke as she shook her head violently, kicking her feet around, before leaning back up.


    Down below in the lobby, ¡°Alto is outside feeding the stallions. He finished gathering reports and will be heading to the Ikigai meeting soon after,¡± Miranda informed Sayuri.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll head over to the meeting then, thanks,¡± Sayuri responded, and turned around to grab the little one¡¯s hand, only to realize he was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Kotaro, where are you?!¡± Sayuri paced back and forth in search of one of the younglings that had wandered off within the mansion while she had been busy speaking to Miranda. Her violet eyes brightened, as she focused on her Setsu side, allowing her to pick up on the trail of Retsu that the infant left behind.


    Falling forward, the little one crawled across the carpet and lifted himself up when he reached the side of Hanami¡¯s bed. His shoes slipped off and his small fangs elongated with a devious little grin. His lime-blue eyes focused on what was behind the pink sheets. Whatever it was, smelled yummy.


    ¡°Nummy!¡± The small one giggled, furrowing himself into the sheets. He tried to get through, but the sheets were pressed tightly underneath the girl, keeping him from getting inside the warm space she found herself in. This prompted the child to seek another entry. Climbing up onto her, Kotaro made his way over to Hanami¡¯s pillow, kneeing her on the cheek along the way.


    He patted her head, moving the girls messy hair around and laid over her. He opened his mouth, flipping his body over. On her, he gawked at her cheek, before setting his mouth on it and swirling his small tongue along her cheek, draining her Retsu. His tush wiggled in pleasure, elevating up due to his little control over his Setsu abilities.


    The warm sensation of something moist swirling along her skin gradually woke Hanami back up. She moved over in her sleep, causing the child to lose his position. He nearly rolled off of the bed, but she had caught him in her sleep and pulled him over the covers, where she pressed his chubby cheek against her cheek as the infant tried reaching for her nose. She shook her head around, preventing him from latching on and grumbled. ¡°Mmmmnnnghh, nooo¡­ I like my nose, staaaphh.¡± She slowly opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling. She felt slobber roll down her cheek, to the side of her neck, spreading over towards her ear. Right after, she felt a patch of soft hair nuzzle below her chin.


    ¡°What the¡­¡± She slouched forward on the bed and composed herself. When she glanced down to her lap, she found that a small child was staring up at her with a smile and one small fang spread past his lips, curving outward. She blinked twice trying to wrap her head around who the little one was. ¡°How¡¯d you get in here?¡± She lifted the baby and then set him on her lap. His large emerald eyes shined when the sunlight spread out further onto the bed.


    ¡°Better yet- wait, you can¡¯t talk, can you?¡± Hanami lifted the small one up over her head, then set him on her lap again. The child stared into her pink eyes. Seeing his reflection in them, he looked astonished. Kotaro tilted his head aside in response to her question. A giggle followed right after and he moved his hands up to try and touch her face, but his small arms couldn¡¯t reach.


    ¡°Awww, does the cutie have a name?¡± she asked, not really expecting an answer. To her surprise she heard an elderly man¡¯s voice yell, ¡°YOUUURRRR DADDDDYYYYYY HOBBBAHOBBBB, GIVE IT TO MEEE!!!¡±, causing her to stand up and coddle Kotaro.


    ¡°The heck was that?!¡± Hanami slid the sheets aside. Kotaro kicked around and she adjusted him to the hip, carrying him off of the bed and walked over to the dresser. When she did, she noticed that the child was invisible in the mirror. Upon further inspection, she stared at her own reflection and realized¡­ ¡°EHHHHHHKKKK!!!¡±


    Sayuri continued to look around for Kotaro when she heard the loud shriek, triggering her to run over to the room. When she stepped in, she saw Kotaro on top of Hanami¡¯s shoulder, sucking on her cheek delightfully while Haruna was on her knees clenching her eyes.


    ¡°KOTARO!!!¡± Sayuri yelled, startling the little one as he tumbled off of Hanami. She walked straight to him and yanked him up as Hanami stood back up and ran towards the mirror.


    ¡°M-MY EYES!!!¡± She blinked and couldn¡¯t believe they were pink. ¡°WHY NOW OUT OF ALL TIMES!?¡± she thought, remembering a distinct morning months prior, when she woke up with the crimson hair and oak eyes. Moments later, her eyes were back to oak and her once crimson hair was now brown.


    ¡°As you mature, you¡¯ll be going through phases. You¡¯re not fully Setsu, so you¡¯re going to have ¡®swings¡¯ throughout the next four years,¡± she recalled her grandmother informing her months ago.


    Hanami spun over, ruffling her hair and pressing it to her cheeks. Sayuri and Kotaro awkwardly looked on as she dove into her closet to get her uniform ready. ¡°What would my classmates say if I go to school with my brown hair and then later it turns back?! If they¡¯re as rude as Takumi, my highschool life is over! I can¡¯t let anyone find out¡­ no calm down, no one¡¯s going to find out! Wait¡­ since when do I care about negative opinions? If anyone wants problems, they can bring it on! Plus, they¡¯re the Setsus¡­¡± she encouraged herself, only to remember that she had to control her temper.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Eh, you must be Master Takumi¡¯s fiancee? I apologize for the intrusion,¡± Sayuri¡¯s voice got Hanami¡¯s attention, as she bowed with an uneasy smile and leaned back up, recalling the news that circulated the estate.


    ¡°Oh, hey! Sadly, teheh¡­ I¡¯m Hanami.¡± Sayuri walked over and took in her features.


    ¡°Soft, beautiful skin¡­¡± Sayuri reached down and pinched Hanami¡¯s cheek. ¡°Alluring, sweet smell¡­ I know that scent from somewhere,¡± Sayuri mouthed with Hanami wincing at the pinch. Sayuri quickly let go. ¡°Ah, sorry again! I¡¯m Sayuri, a Setsu from the Kino clan that serves the Hachi as a member of the Karoshi Pack. I¡¯ve heard so much about you, the Hasegawa¡¯s beautiful Gem.¡± Sayuri gently tugged Kotaro¡¯s hand from her hair.


    ¡°Aw, thank you, teheh. What have you heard about me specifically?¡± Hanami asked out of curiosity. Sayuri recalled what the maids bickered about earlier in the morning¡­ about hearing a roar coming from the second floor.


    ¡°Complete honesty?¡± A sweat drop rolled down the back of Sayuri¡¯s head.


    ¡°Yeah, totally!¡± Hanami blinked, waiting.


    ¡°Some of the maids have told me that you¡¯re loud and obnoxious,¡± Sayuri responded, laughing uneasily. ¡°Above all else, you trigger their master.¡±


    ¡°HUH?! WHO SAID THAT?!¡± She raised her fist up, with an angry face.


    ¡°Umm, some maids that I probably shouldn¡¯t name.¡±


    ¡°THE MAIDS?!¡± The first ones Hanami thought of were the ninja maids. ¡°I thought we were friends!¡± Completely crushed, she dropped her head in disappointment.


    ¡°Anyway, you resemble someone I know from the Hasegawa.¡±


    Hearing that, Hanami quickly jumped in front of Sayuri and asked, ¡°Really?! Who?¡±


    ¡°Angie Hasegawa.¡±


    ¡°ANGIE?! You know my sister?!¡± Her jaw dropped. ¡°What resemblance could that be?!¡± Hanami cried.


    Thinking back to years ago, Sayuri recollected having faced Hanami¡¯s sister in high school. The two were in separate Setsu schools, battling to prove which was worthy of the graduating promotion in a kendo bout to determine the top prestige. ¡°Sorta. I had the pleasure of combating with her one time,¡± Sayuri laughed, blocking out the rest of the memory of that single occasion.


    ¡°She trash talked you, right?¡± Hanami guessed.


    ¡°Haha, yup.¡±


    ¡°Figured. She¡¯s the worst,¡± Hanami giggled uneasily.


    ¡°You¡¯ll never amount to anything, don¡¯t ever talk that way around me you lowbirthed disgrace!¡± ¡°It¡¯s your fault! ALL YOUR FAULT!¡± Hanami recalled her sister¡¯s stinging words and resentful glare, before pushing it to the back of her mind and smiling as she folded her hands.


    ¡°Bad! You¡¯re so grabby!¡± Sayuri pouted, evading Kotaro¡¯s attempts at scratching her. Kotaro got a hold of Sayuri¡¯s ear, forcing her to pry him off, as Hanami brought her finger up and pushed it against Kotaro¡¯s mushy cheek.


    ¡°And who¡¯s this cutie?!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s one of the younglings, like four years old. Kotaro, the youngest member of the  Karoshi Pack. He slipped away from me earlier while I searched for Sir Alto. Again, sorry if he disturbed your sleep.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s no big deal at all!¡± Hanami responded earnestly. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for him I would have slept in, so thank you!¡± She rubbed Kotaro¡¯s cheeks playfully as he attempted to bite her fingers every time she brought them close to his face. The two giggled as they both heard a vacuum approaching the door, being used by a green-haired maid. She stood at the door with her typical blank expression.


    ¡°Morning,¡± she said softly and went on to politely ask. ¡°May I enter?¡±


    ¡°Morning.¡± Hanami nodded with a squint, knowing her reputation with the maids wasn¡¯t too good. The maid placed down a suction tube she had in hand. From it, a pink sponge that resembled a tongue came out and flicked side to side, scooping in the particles of dust. The maid passed by them as Kotaro started to uncomfortably wiggle around in Sayuri¡¯s arms. He tried making grabby hands at Hanami, only for Sayuri to move him over, gently swatting his hand aside.


    ¡°Well, it was a pleasure briefly speaking to you, but I must find Sir Alto, as we have a meeting today.¡± Sayuri bowed and stepped away.


    ¡°Yeah, see ya around, Ms. Sayuri.¡± Hanami waved to her.


    ¡°Pink eyes¡­ a Hasegawa, huh?¡± Sayuri scoffed and flinched when Kotaro sunk his fangs into her shoulder. ¡°Ow! Kotaro!¡±


    Inside the room, Hanami finished picking out her clothes. The maid fixed her bed, when she recalled a message Miranda had told her to pass on. ¡°Oh yes, Miranda is waiting downstairs with your breakfast. She told me to tell you that she¡¯ll be driving you to school today.¡±


    ¡°Really? Great, I won¡¯t have to be with that guy! I¡¯ll be right over!¡± Hanami stepped into her bathroom quickly. Her class began at 8:30 a.m. and it was about to be 7:00. It took her twenty minutes to shower, three minutes to brush her teeth, and five minutes to fix her hair. She didn¡¯t have time for her early morning kendo practice since it was so late already. ¡°I have to adjust to this new schedule,¡± she made a mental note.


    Down in the kitchen, Miranda placed Hanami¡¯s breakfast down, arranging them with the other maids. Sliding into her seat, she dove right in and scarfed the delicious delicacies that the maids had prepared for her. In delight, she made audible sounds of enjoyment, giggling here and there. She finished with British tea Yoshigawa had sent over the previous day and thanked the maids, who stood around and waited for her to give them a rating. She was in a rush, but couldn¡¯t contain how giddy she felt and wiggled in place for a moment until she flung her arms up. ¡°Thank you so much!¡±


    ¡°You have to give them a rating.¡± Chef Gustov opened a cabinet and rolled out onto the floor. He stood up and pat himself down, completely startling Hanami, who was surprised someone could fit in such a tiny cabinet. ¡°Ah sorry, I was retrieving some spices in the cellar,¡± the chef explained, hopping onto a stool. He dipped his finger into a pot and tasted the sauce. ¡°Give them a rating.¡±


    ¡°Rating? Oh! Um, ten out of ten! The shokupan especially!¡± At her words, the maids that silently stood around bowed and Hanami excused herself when the hovering clock came into view. She ran back upstairs to brush her teeth again. Miranda watched as Minaka silently finished washing the car herself, while Miranda dried the hover-car and slid in to start it up.


    Another ten minutes passed. Miranda had the car ready, inputting the route they¡¯d take with the reminder Alto had given her before she had gotten into the car. Looking at the rear-view mirror, Miranda carefully backed up and then drove onto the driveway. She glanced at the center mirror where she saw that Hanami finally stepped out onto the mansion¡¯s porch in her daytime school uniform, all ready to go.


    ¡°Ahhhhhh,¡± Hanami sighed in relief, enjoying the warmth that the morning sun provided. All other thoughts that seemed grim in the morning were no longer present, and she looked forward to seeing Minami at school again and figuring out how to make her kendo club. Above all else, she¡¯d now be in a fresh new environment. She didn¡¯t know what to really expect, but knew that she had to do her best to uphold the Hasegawa¡¯s reputation and enjoy the new experiences she¡¯d soon make.


    ¡°I forgot to call nana, but I¡¯ll do it later. I can¡¯t wait to tell her about my day!¡± With that motivation, Hanami swooped down the steps, scaring off some purple white-bellied birds that had been chirping. The sound of two honks directed her sights to Miranda¡¯s hover-car.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± Hanami snatched her school bag and ran over to the passenger seat at the front.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Miranda asked softly.


    ¡°Yeah! I have everything I need, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m forgetting anything.¡±


    ¡°Umm, your kend-¡±


    ¡°Oh no! I won¡¯t need it today. I¡¯m leaving my kendo bag behind. I¡¯ll do my Kendo practice later when I get back, teheh.¡±


    Miranda silently nodded and started driving down the road, giving Hanami barely any time to clip on her seatbelt. The girl caught herself, pressing her elbow against the window beside her and then plugged her phone into the stereo of the car and set a song to listen to on the road.


    ¡°K-Pop?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really good, do you like it? Salu is so talented and handsome too!¡±


    ¡°I only listen to rock and metal,¡± Miranda replied.


    ¡°Wow¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have ever guessed.¡± Hanami blinked in surprise. ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem like the type to enjoy any music, but I guess everyone has their own preferences,¡± she thought to herself.


    ¡°That¡¯s really cool though! Show me one of those songs, I¡¯ve never listened to any of that before.¡± Hanami paused her song, handing Miranda her phone. The maid typed in a song without averting her eyes from the road. The exhilarating metal song blasted, nearly blowing Hanami over as it filled the entire car.


    Miranda blankly nodded her head to the song and Hanami soon joined in, finding that the song pumped her up. Unlike Miranda who only bopped her head slightly, Hanami let loose. Miranda smiled faintly, seeing the girl enjoy it. The song played for five minutes until it ended and Hanami found herself spaced out. ¡°That thing got me thinking of writing a manga¡­ but I forgot some of my ideas,¡± Hanami muttered. Miranda didn¡¯t want to break the girl from her thoughtful state, so she didn¡¯t play another one. The girl watched the many fields they passed. Tilting her gaze to the blue sky, she closed her eyes. ¡°Though this wasn¡¯t exactly what I had in mind and it¡¯s slightly different than competing back at home, I¡¯m going to make it work!¡±


    ¡°Satomi, Erika¡­ I wish I could have competed with you. They weren¡¯t even told when I got locked up¡­ I wonder if they even know where I am or if they¡¯ll be shocked if we run into each other? Since I won¡¯t be with them, that means I¡¯ll have to face them eventually!¡± Hanami folded her arms, a smirk spreading across her face at the thought. ¡°I have to make the best of my time here if I¡¯m going to take those two down! First things first, talk to Miyumi to get those club papers. After that, I¡¯ll recruit. Even if they¡¯re total newbies, at least one of them has to be a decent kendoka.¡±


    ¡°YEAHHHH!!!¡± She got completely psyched, raising her fist up in the car, hitting the roof and quickly apologized as Miranda smiled.


    ¡°We have to be careful around that new girl, she¡¯s as dangerous as the master,¡± Miranda recollected maids whispering about Hanami.


    ¡°Excited about school?¡±


    ¡°You bet I am!¡± Hanami looked at her reflection in the rear-view mirror. ¡°Even if the members suck, I¡¯ll get us all the way to nationals by myself if I have to and take the front stage! That¡¯ll prove to Angie and Nami that I can be an even greater kendoka than mother!¡± She giggled mischievously and then turned to Miranda, having thought about something else entirely.


    ¡°Wait, Mira¡­ how old are you again?¡±


    ¡°Eighteen,¡± Miranda said softly.


    ¡°Eighteen?! Wow! What¡¯s your sign? I¡¯m an Aries.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. My birthday month¡­ I don¡¯t know my exact one, but Master Takumi gave me a birthday on his birthday. It¡¯s in May¡­¡±


    Hanami blinked, registering what Miranda said. ¡°He gave you a birthday¡­ on his birthday? That can¡¯t be right at all, that conceited egomaniac!¡±


    ¡°Mhm, long ago. The master was often alone. On his birthdays, he spent them locked away in his room. I was told to take his cake to him by his mother¡­ after I was told that those who approached him on his birthday were always fired. It didn¡¯t faze me though. When I went in, he was staring out at the moon. I went to him and set my hand on his shoulder, he was really cold. Partly due to leaving the window open and sitting on the cold floor with nothing more than a tank top. Of course, I closed it. It didn¡¯t seem like he acknowledged my presence until I placed the cake on his lap. He was crying¡­ it was strange to see tears in his eyes. It wasn¡¯t my place to ask why, but I took a seat beside him. We sat there for sometime in silence until I told him to try the cake, since I did put a lot into making it. The master did so¡­ only after I tried some first.¡± Hanami saw a smile form on Miranda¡¯s face. ¡°He wanted to make sure it wasn¡¯t poisoned.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t trust you?! What a-¡±


    ¡°During those times, there were many assassination attempts on Lord Takumi.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°Nonetheless, I did as he wanted. After I had a taste, he took a bite, then finished the rest off. One thing led to another and he asked me about my birthday. Since I didn¡¯t know mine, he assigned my birthday to be on his birthday. Ever since, we celebrate them together.¡±


    ¡°Do you visit your family often for birthdays?¡± Haruna shyly asked, tilting her head. ¡°Silly me, you just said¡­ your birthday is on his. So¡­ that means you don¡¯t have a family?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all dead,¡± Miranda answered. She saw a herd of sheep blocking the road up ahead, prompting her to slow the car down cautiously.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that.¡± Hanami felt bad about asking her such a question, rather the whole topic felt sour. ¡°There¡¯s a lot I don¡¯t know about them yet¡­¡± she thought in her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Miranda pulled over to the side of the road, sliding out of her car seat after unclipping her seat belt.


    Hanami soon joined Miranda outside and the two went over to the sheeps. She knelt down in front of one that felt her presence and looked up at her, with it¡¯s big round eyes. ¡°Baaaah!¡± It shook its head around for five seconds, then continued munching on the grass it yanked from the side of the road. Hanami raised her hands and said, ¡°Boo!¡± in return, unsuccessful in her attempt to scare the sheep off of the road.


    ¡°You can¡¯t follow the other sheeps, little one. Go down there!¡± Hanami resorted to leading the sheep down the hill, but when she lightly tapped it to urge it to go downhill, the sheep dramatically flopped over and tumbled several times down the grassy hilly right as she turned away, not noticing what happened. Moving to the next one, she rolled up her sleeve and proceeded to pick up the sheep and moved it over to the grassy hill. ¡°Jeez! It¡¯s heavy! All of that from just grass?! WOW!¡± Two other sheeps said ¡°Baaaaah!¡± in an attempt to stop Hanami from touching them. The sudden sounds almost made her trip over, as she lost her grip on the sheep and it ended up rolling down the hill as she freaked out and thought it got hurt. ¡°AHHH, I KILLED IT!!!¡± She slid half way down the hill and stopped when she saw the sheep roll back up onto it¡¯s four fluffy legs. It continued munching on the grass, to her shock.


    Up at the top, Miranda watched the whole thing and found herself laughing ever so slightly. She soon felt something wet rub along her calf. She glanced down to see that it was another sheep, rubbing its nose against her. It¡¯s googly eyes returned to looking at the black pavement as the sheep pressed its nose against the ground and continued searching for grass. Before it passed her, Miranda lightly kicked the sheeps side, resulting in the sheep stumbling down the hill like a fluffy bowling ball that bumped into the other two dozen sheep that were already on the hill.


    Feeling the vibrations in the ground, Hanami stopped tending to the sheep she had accidentally pushed down the hill and looked up to the two dozen white fluffy balls coming straight down for her. At the very top, Hanami saw Miranda chucking more sheeps down the hill. ¡°GAHHH!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! THAT¡¯S ANIMAL CRUELTY!¡± She freaked out with little time to say much else. She dove side to side, dodging as she scrambled up the hill to stop Miranda from chucking anymore to their ¡°deaths.¡±


    She barely got to the top, collapsing at Miranda¡¯s feet as she caught her breath. She grabbed onto Miranda¡¯s sleeve and dramatically shouted, ¡°You killed them!¡±


    Miranda blinked, rather lost as to why the girl was so stressed. ¡°Huh? Look down there, they¡¯re fine.¡± Miranda pointed, kicking another sheep that passed in front of them. Hanami followed the direction Miranda¡¯s finger pointed to. To her surprise, the fluffy white balls poofed back into sheeps, while others that were on their backs simply rolled back onto their feet and continued munching on the grass as if nothing happened.


    ¡°Those sheep aren¡¯t harmed easily. They¡¯re pretty dense to their surroundings and their wool keeps them safe. It possesses Retsu.¡± Miranda gave Hanami a thumbs up as the girl found it completely weird, but went on to help the maid toss the three remaining sheeps downhill.


    After they were done, the pair returned to the hover-car and continued en route, passing the outer bridge that led into the ground level of Osaka¡¯s first city. Hanami stared into the rear-view mirror and noticed her wavy hair needed to be fixed up; she reached into her bag, in search of her hairbrush. Miranda kept her eyes on the empty road briefly as they approached a Taco Shell restaurant.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you there for taco next time,¡± Miranda said a tad higher so Hanami could hear her.


    She looked up and turned her head, seeing a giant dancing hologram of a taco with a mustache. ¡°Taco? What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s rough on the outside and spicy on the inside, depending what you put in.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so an edible Takumi? Gross.¡± Hanami puffed up her cheek.


    Miranda really thought about that. Both of them did. Takumi in a taco suit, frowning at them. Miranda smiled while Hanami burst out in laughter at the thought of how hilarious that¡¯d be. Miranda rubbed her eyes, focusing back on the road again when something crossed Hanami¡¯s mind.


    ¡°So, you¡¯ve worked for the Hachis for a long time?¡±


    ¡°Long time?¡± Miranda spun the wheel over and maintained it as they drifted down the spiraling road, to the bottom. ¡°Many years,¡± she replied, entering a mountain tunnel.


    ¡°How many years?¡± Hanami pressed on.


    A sweat drop rolled down Miranda¡¯s forehead. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ I¡¯m eighteen right now, so nine years.¡±


    ¡°Nine years?!¡± Hanami shifted over on the leather seat. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of time, so you go way back with them all. I can¡¯t begin to imagine what that was like.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re my family.¡± Miranda faintly smiled, making Hanami smile again. ¡°All of them. A lot of them are away right now, but they pop in from time to time.¡±


    ¡°Even Takumi, huh? I guess there really is a lot I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Mhm. I especially owe him my life. He¡¯s my only master.¡± Hearing those words from Miranda made Hanami feel slightly awkward, as she turned away and remained quiet.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Miranda spoke softly, driving through the golden gates of the private high school. She parked beside the sidewalk so Hanami could step out and walk the rest of the way there, while other students shot glances over to the car because of the golden Hachi emblem on its hood. A few stopped to whisper and then quickly turned away when Hanami slid out of her side and looked over in their direction.


    ¡°It¡¯s officially the first day of school¡­ my first taste of freedom. I¡¯ll do my best!¡± Hanami encouraged herself, watching the passing clouds with a wide smile. She took out a pamphlet and zipped her bag shut, swinging it comfortably over her shoulder. Miranda waved her goodbye and backed up briefly, then set the car on park again so she could call Alto and let him know Hanami arrived safely.


    The girl disappeared into the distance from Miranda¡¯s view, running past a guy that was chaining his bike. As she looked up to the number of the building and back down to her pamphlet, she confirmed it was the right building, so she stepped into building 20. The 9th graders¡¯ building. She passed people with her bag slugging around just as a few exited. When she turned the corner she was met with a mob. Robots with weird smiles stormed through all around, making hordes that created total chaos in the halls. Hanami tippy toed, seeking a way through.


    ¡°T-There¡¯s no way! Hmmghh, I¡¯ll have to get through by force!¡± She just decided to charge right into the mob of robots that were exiting and entering to get to their designated departments in preparation for their many tasks. ¡°How are there even this many?! WHERE ARE THE STUDENTS?!¡± she questioned, but shook it out of her head a second later. ¡°Focus Hana, focus!¡± She rolled the sleeve of her school uniform and slid her right foot over, preparing to run in.


    ¡°One¡­ one,¡± she repeated nervously, sizing them up, only to feel like a complete shrimp compared to the hovering robots bumping into each other. ¡°Two¡­ NOW!¡± Hanami took quick steps and then tried to jump over the crowd, but ended up getting caught as she moved her right hand in the air frantically seeking to grab onto something for dear life. ¡°I¡¯M SINKING! I¡¯M SINKING!!!¡± she cried out, but her voice was drowned out by the loud chatter of all the robotic smiling cats buzzing around.


    After struggling for a moment, she wound up allowing the crowd of robots to carry her around like a wave until she reached the stairwell, where she gripped the pole and yanked herself out of the crowd, gasping for air. She took a second to catch her breath and then walked up the steps to the third floor, exhausted. ¡°Ahhh¡­ finally, I can breathe.¡±


    Behind her, she heard rumbling; this time, it sounded like other students. She wasn¡¯t going to wait around to find out what was coming. She leapt up the steps, quickly diving into the hallway face-first and shut the door behind her. ¡°Are the first days this crazy?!¡± She internally screamed as she patted her skirt down, then walked through the hallway quickly in search of her classroom.


    She checked all of the doors and their tags until she found her room. ¡°D-4¡­ D-3¡­ D-2¡­ here it is!¡± She stopped in front of a door with the correct hovering label beside the sliding door. This label had a holographic ¡°D-2¡± that briefly shifted into a dancing worm. It greeted her, flinging itself side to side and recited. ¡°IT¡¯S CLASS TIME! IT¡¯S CLASS TIME!!! CLASS TIME!¡±


    Hanami found it weird and didn¡¯t respond to the worm. Instead, she stepped into the room and the door slid by itself and closed behind her smoothly. A few students were in their seats already and just behind Hanami, the door opened once more as someone jumped onto her. To her surprise, when she turned around, it was none other than Minami. She patted Hanami¡¯s shoulders, after surprising her with the sudden pounce and said, ¡°You beat me here! Morning!¡±


    Hanami set her hand on her chest in relief that it wasn¡¯t the worm. She felt her heart pounding. ¡°And you scared me! Gosh Minami, don¡¯t sneak up on me!¡±


    ¡°Sorry! Didn¡¯t mean to!¡± Minami slapped her palms together and the two giggled, turning over. Minami picked two seats out for them at the middle of the center row. Hanami slid her bag on the table and sat down after a quick stretch.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how I got here before you though, I almost overslept¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh really? I woke up pretty early, but had to get orders ready for when I get back this evening,¡± Minami responded as she brought out a cookbook. ¡°I had to make some early deliveries, too. You won¡¯t believe what happened.¡± Minami stuck her tongue out, thinking back to earlier in the morning when she had to go out on her bike around the neighborhood near her family¡¯s restaurant.


    ¡°When I went to make my last delivery, I took this back alley and ran into a mob of cats just grouped together in the middle for no reason! There were so many, that I had to take a detour a different way. Alleys are always a problem,¡± Minami sighed as Hanami excitedly jumped from her seat.


    ¡°That made me remember when I found a ¡®Daisuki¡¯ manga! Boy was I lucky, teheh. That one was volume 5.¡± Hanami envisioned where she could have left it in her room back at the Hasegawa Estate.


    ¡°A manga?¡± Minami asked. ¡°They still make those? I thought webtoons and light novels took over.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a classic. And it wasn¡¯t just any manga! It¡¯s one of the last seven volumes still in existence¡­ I think I left it at home.¡±


    ¡°Really? Well, if you find it, show me!¡± Minami responded excitedly.


    Hanami¡¯s eyes flew open, as she slapped her hands against her cheeks in a panic. ¡° OH NO, SHE¡¯LL TAKE IT!¡± A slew of worrying thoughts crossed her mind, regarding a particular female. ¡°She has a habit of taking other people¡¯s things and selling them online without them knowing. Ahhh, if she did that to me¡­¡± Hanami dropped onto her seat, tightening her fists.


    Minami giggled, patting her back. ¡°Who is she? She sounds like a character straight out of Starlings Meow Meow,¡± Minami said, remembering an anime about a cat girl who¡¯d sneak into houses to steal rare manga from people so she could resell them at her shop.


    ¡°What¡¯s funny is that you got it exactly right! She has a habit of taking stuff that¡¯s not hers,¡± Hanami groaned. ¡°If you accuse her of taking something, she¡¯ll deny it and claim that she ¡®relocated it¡¯ onto a website and will guilt trip you into letting it slide.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s sneaky alright.¡±


    ¡°I wish she were a character in one of my fictional worlds, I¡¯d get her back sooo bad,¡± Hanami puffed up one of her cheeks.


    ¡°You write? Oh my! Same here, but I don¡¯t all the time, only when I have something in mind.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of Starlings, the latest episode is streaming this Sunday, we should watch it together!¡± Minami got the idea, nearly jumping out of her seat.


    ¡°Mmmmm, and hopefully our teacher isn¡¯t as crazy as the one in that anime.¡± Hanami twisted her head over, looking around for any signs of the teacher and sighed in relief; it didn¡¯t seem like they¡¯d arrived yet.


    ¡°Hi there!¡± Four other girls arrived, introducing themselves. ¡°I¡¯m Hatsue Goto, from Ketsua middle school. These are Toshi, Esi and Kimie. I just met them too, and it looks like we¡¯re the only girls in this class to get here so far.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    ¡°Sounds cooliostic and slightly terrifying,¡± Toshi tweaked, twitching her left eye. ¡°H-Hey I smell coco from you, can you spare some?¡± Toshi asked Minami as she rubbed the side of her neck nervously.


    Minami raised a brow and said, ¡°No, I don¡¯t have anymore.¡± Toshi sighed in disappointment that there wasn¡¯t any left as Minami reached out for her hand.


    ¡°But I can bring you some tomorrow!¡± Minami told Toshi and watched Toshi¡¯s expression light up, albeit the twitching of her left eye continued, as her right shoulder twitched next. She took Minami¡¯s hand in her own and pressed her cheek to the back of Minami¡¯s hand, thanking her repeatedly.


    ¡°Wow! Is that a Gummy bracelet? You¡¯ve gotta trade with me! That has to be one of the limited collectables!¡± Kimie pressed her cheek against Hanami¡¯s desk and gawked at her red bracelet.


    Hanami was taken aback by all the sudden girls who showed up to their desks, but politely introduced herself. ¡°Hi! I¡¯m Haruna Hasegawa here- ah, this bracelet isn¡¯t something I can part with.¡± Kimie pouted, but soon stood back up and held her hand out to shake Hanami¡¯s. The two did so, leading to interactions between the six.


    Everything seemed lively within the classroom, until Hanami got a vibe behind her. A sensation along her neck led her to turn her seat around and spot someone she hadn¡¯t expected. She saw the same girl that had treated her hunger the previous day at the entrance ceremony.


    ¡°Veil! It¡¯s you!¡± Hanami couldn¡¯t forget the girl¡¯s name nor her cute face. Veil had been reading a cookbook quietly and when she heard her name, she averted her eyes off of the page.


    ¡°You remember my name,¡± Veil said softly, surprised.


    ¡°Of course I would! I owe you big for yesterday! Let me treat you to something for lunch!¡± Hanami stood up, glancing to the empty seat beside Veil, who silently sat at the table behind Hanami.


    It didn¡¯t seem like many people noticed her. Though it was understandable, due to Veil¡¯s small size and her long white hair that practically blended in; it meshed perfectly with her seemingly gentle nature and ghost-like appearance. Hanami passed by the girls who were crowding her and Minami, politely excusing herself.


    ¡°Oh, um¡­ you don¡¯t have to.¡± Veil set her book down, giving Hanami her attention. ¡°Nah! I totally have to! I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re in the same class! This is great, tehehe. I¡¯m surprised though because I thought you were in an upper class. You were helping recruit people into the cooking club yesterday, right?¡± Hanami raised a brow.


    ¡°No. I was passing by and an upperclassman asked for my help, so¡­¡± Veil thought back to when she had approached the cooking stand out of curiosity. The three sophomores that looked after the table took advantage of the small girl. The one in the center set the chef¡¯s hat on her, while the other two handed her the spatula and the apron. The guy in the center walked around the table and pushed her along to the middle, then thanked her and stormed off. ¡°I helped. I really love cooking,¡± Veil responded with a single nod.


    ¡°Help? Sounds like they forced their duties onto you. Despicable¡­¡± Hanami frowned. ¡°You said they¡¯re upperclassmen?¡± She raised her fist.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Veil responded awkwardly, watching Hanami¡¯s hair rise up in anger.


    ¡°Great. Show me who they are sometime, they¡¯ll regret taking advantage of freshmen! It¡¯s only proper that we enforce the right etiquettes if they won¡¯t or else we¡¯ll be taken advantage of.¡± Her eyebrow fidgeted, with fumes blowing out of her nose. Veil felt a scary vibe wash over her, as Hanami quickly waved it off.


    ¡°Anyway, your cooking is top notch! I still remember the yummy taste! You must come from a family of cooks to have that sort of skill.¡±


    ¡°No, I do it as a hobby.  I help my grandmother out at the family shrine¡­¡± Veil responded.


    ¡°You¡¯re really nice! I help my nana, too. Though she¡¯s all the way in Hokkaido now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing really. I cook for the visitors and travellers who stop by.¡± Veil eyed the book she had been reading again, indicating to Hanami that she didn¡¯t want to continue the conversation.


    ¡°I just remembered!¡± Hanami moved her hand from behind her back and patted Minami¡¯s shoulder. Minami had been listening to the conversation between the other girls before turning around. ¡°I think I found someone who can help you until you find more workers for your restaurant.¡±


    ¡°Really? Who?¡± Minami curiously asked.


    ¡°Meet Veil!¡± Hanami slid over and wrapped her arm around Veil, pressing Veil¡¯s cheek up against hers.


    ¡°Um¡­ hi.¡± Veil placed her book down, as she noticed Minami picked it up right away.


    ¡°I met her yesterday and she¡¯s in our class, how crazy is that?! She¡¯s the best at making dumplings, she can totally help out at your restaurant and show me how to make some! You have to make those again!¡± She scooped Veil¡¯s hands into her own. A faint blush spread across Veil¡¯s cheeks as she watched Minami skim through the book she had been reading.


    ¡°She has good taste, reading work from Tanikawa Hanzo. He¡¯s in charge of the top cooking industry currently, a really tough culinary entrepreneur. Someone I want to beat one day.¡± Minami placed Veil¡¯s book back on the desk. ¡°So, Haru here is really praising your cooking. Wanna let us know what got you into it?¡±


    ¡°When I was a small girl, I made a promise to a kind sir¡­ that¡¯s all.¡± Veil looked down to her lap.


    Minami noticed that Veil seemed visibly uncomfortable, so she didn¡¯t dig any further. ¡°Well¡­ okay then. How about you hang out with me and Haruna this Sunday if nothing else comes up? I won¡¯t have too many clients since we¡¯ve just opened the place and it being the weekend¡­ maybe we can even arrange for you to work at my restaurant if you want, since you¡¯re so good!¡± Minami enthusiastically proclaimed.


    ¡°Umm, maybe¡­ I¡¯ve never really done that before.¡± Just as she said that, a beeping sound rang out through the classroom, followed by a robotic voice stating that class would be starting soon and for all students to take their seats. All of the students ran around, practically diving into their seats.


    Outside of class D-2, freshman girls of D-3 squealed at the sight of Takumi passing through, accompanied by the other students of D-1. All of the students of D-1 gathered in the lobby earlier, where their teacher had notified them to meet and then head upstairs to their designated classroom. Their squeals echoed into the room in a high pitch that annoyed some of the guys in Hanami¡¯s class.


    ¡°Barely been a day and those other guys are already drowning in p*ssy? What makes those Setsus better?¡± One questioned, leaning back, making the chair stand on its back legs. The others looked over to the door and saw the guys passing. ¡°They didn¡¯t make a big deal over us. Are those the guys from D-1!?¡± Another slammed his palms against his desk, rising from his seat with a progressively louder voice to match.


    Takumi, nor the others paid mind to the females. They were focused solely on getting to class. ¡°It¡¯s the heir of the Hachi!!!¡±


    ¡°YOOOHOO, over here!!!¡± The girls chittered amongst themselves while inside, as the two jealous boys from Hanami¡¯s class continued to look on.


    One of the guys who stood at the door looked over to Hanami and nudged another guy to check her out. She instantly sensed their gaze and was almost ready to teach them a lesson, as the pair started drooling. The two started from her ankles, which were visible beneath the desk. She pressed her knees together, prompting the guy to look over to the other girls. Their chins became slippery, but they quickly wiped their sleeves across their mouths and looked away when they caught sight of a very tall woman staring down at them with a curved smile. Her bright lipstick shined thanks to the lighting that came from above.


    She knelt down next to the boys, giving them a nasty glare. The boys felt uncomfortable and she asked them, ¡°Tell me boys, do you like being stared at this way?¡± The two boys¡¯ eyes naturally gravitated to her cleavage and then her lips.


    ¡°Yhhabazhha-¡± Both could only mutter gibberish.


    ¡°If you feel uneasy, imagine how your classmates feel when you do that. I don¡¯t want any of that in my class. The next time I see you two gawking, you¡¯re leaving my class blind.¡± She stood up, revealing she was about a foot taller than them.


    This female was the teacher of class D-2. Her lengthy arms swatted playfully at the two boys to get into the class. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, you maggots; get to your seats!¡± The two hurried off to two empty seats and remained standing as the other kids rose and set their right hands to their hearts. Minami stood up setting her hand where a human heart would be and set her hand behind her back, too.


    Confused, Hanami quickly rose up from her seat and did the same, looking over to the entrance where the teacher checked the class out. The teacher¡¯s actual height set in, terrifying all of them. ¡°Easily 7 feet! She¡¯s an albino giraffe!!!¡± one of the kids thought aloud.


    ¡°A GIRAFFE?!?¡± several students exclaimed. The teacher ignored the comment along with the chattering. She walked straight over to her desk. Meaning straight business, she slammed her fists down, causing her table to wobble along as an aftershock of wind spread all throughout the room. The kids all quickly shut up, stiffening with fear seeing who they¡¯d have as a teacher.


    The woman flicked her orange hair behind her shoulder, causing it to shift to purple and set her bag down. The bag was shaped in the form of a robin, much like the hat the woman had on. She turned over to the holo-board and tapped it with her dainty index finger.


    ¡°Her hair changed color?¡± Hanami muttered, even more confused than before.


    ¡°That¡¯s because all staff are required to have purple hair when they work here in Osaka. It¡¯s a wig,¡± Veil replied to Hanami¡¯s question and kept her book in front of her face so the girl couldn¡¯t see her.


    ¡°Oh wow¡­ is it permanent?¡± She mumbled curiously and turned around to see that the board had flashed a blue light and activated. The teacher swiped her finger around, writing up her name for all to see.


    ¡°Ms. Tsuzuri Soh. I will be your homeroom teacher for approximately four months. Then, another teacher may take my place if I decide I don¡¯t like you guys.¡±


    A huge sigh of relief broke out around the room. ¡°Great, but how will I survive four months with that giraffe. I¡¯m as good as dead!¡± a student whispered, cowering under his desk. Ms. Tsuzuri tapped her lower lip, gazing at all of the students who averted her gaze. That was one trend she noticed each year. Every student she looked at looked away, except for one. A pair of pink eyes were locked on her.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ this one¡¯s different,¡± the teacher uttered, noticing that beside this girl, a second one was staring at her. ¡°We have something-¡± the teacher laughed under her breath, before bringing her attention to the rest of the class again. ¡°This is a bad start. Let¡¯s see.¡± She pushed the negative vibe aside and lowered her finger down onto a paper.


    ¡°I come in peace.¡± She attempted to wave her hand, but her hand accidentally shifted into what seemed to be a purple spiked scythe, which made the class scream internally in pure terror. Turning away a second later, she shifted her hand back to normal and swiped her finger across the board awkwardly. ¡°Okay, that didn¡¯t work¡­¡± Ms. Tsuzuri thought to herself.


    See-through letters fluttered up into the air, coming from the board and broke apart, traveling over to each student. It beamed a blue light at each of the students holo-pads, syncing and inputting important information into their holo-pads. It cleared each row in a single flash. Hanami looked over and saw it was getting to her row fast, so she flipped her bag open and took out her red holo-pad and set it on the edge of her desk. It reached her section and the light swung through, inputting all of the information into the barcode at the upper right corner of the device.


    After the lights passed through each line and all of the students had their holo-pads scanned, Ms. Tsuzuri continued. ¡°I¡¯ve inputted the important material of each subject, as well as important dates and trips we¡¯ll have at different points during these four months. We¡¯ll only cover the important information now, so the other information will have to be looked over when you arrive home, for those who don¡¯t live on campus.¡±


    ¡°Trips?! Sweet! I want to go to the hot springs in Nara!¡± Minami nearly jumped out of her seat after hearing there would be trips. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be fun?!¡±


    Hanami gave her a fond smile, agreeing. ¡°There are some great stages there for kendo practice, too!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s always kendo with you!¡± Minami giggled, lightly pushing her friend¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°What can I say? I have that marked in my diary as a top place to visit.¡±


    ¡°Ahem¡­¡± The teacher sternly looked at the two, before continuing. ¡°Turn on your holo-pads and insert your student code to log in.¡± The two girls, and the rest of the class, immediately tapped their index fingers against the hologram page to do so. ¡°Head over to the lesson log. When your name is called, you¡¯ll read a section.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be reading the first poem. This is related to the first historical lesson you¡¯ll be receiving. Based on the battle of 1831 at the Yotomori bridge between Osaka and Nara. Many battles were waged to keep merchants of Nara from entering Osaka¡¯s trading ports during the Seto periods.¡± Ms. Tsuzuri cleared her throat, after which she began.


    ¡°The sunset burned somber over the receding waterways,


    Allocating uncertainty amongst brazen seekers of the grain,


    A bountiful rues,


    Estranged of immaculate deceit,


    Red rum parliament,


    Ichiraku Maki,


    fickle.¡±


    Elsewhere, back at the Hachi estate, the Ikigai¡¯s Shosas were all on their way to the urgent gathering, as was Alto.

 Chapter 24

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m on my way now to discuss those matters, Miyumi.¡±


    ¡°We will get this matter sorted soon enough, eh-¡±


    ¡°The boys? June has gone to your penthouse as instructed. Takumi, I presume is going to school.¡±


    "If you''re asking of the other three, they''re to arrive in a few days."


    Taking the clear path headed up a hill, Alto crossed through a garden of cosmos flowers being watered by small floating sprinklers that went from row to row. Eloquent purple rose arches provided shade to the butler, who remained lost in his own world. ¡°Someway, somehow¡­ that boy has to reason.¡± That was what the current Sekiha had requested before his departure. He had to think of how to get Hanami and Takumi closer. ¡°Pressing matters¡­ and lady Kiyoko has already requested pictures of the two¡­¡± Alto dabbed a napkin over the top of his shiny head. ¡°A date¡­  mentioning such a thing to those two¡­ for now, I must tend to one matter at a time.¡±


    Before exiting the garden, Alto spotted the odd gardener, who was still in some kind of strange cat suit. The butler hadn¡¯t seen him the previous day. ¡°Why, hello there good sir¡­¡± Alto¡¯s greeting led to the gardener tilting his head. Despite Alto coughing twice to get his attention, the gardener remained on his knees, caressing one of the cosmos flowers aggressively. Such strange behavior prompted Alto to not interact any further.


    ¡°A very weird way to manage flowers. Weird gentleman. I see why rumors are going around.¡± Alto paused, having forgotten of the gardener. ¡°What was I just saying?¡±


    Alto sighed, turning the corner, as the gardener turned his head in the direction Alto took. He knelt down, aiming a single finger down at the flowers. ¡°Gegegegegegege.¡±


    The heat beared down on Alto until he reached a shaded overpass. A refreshing breeze cooled him down as he watched the same breeze shift into a gust that scaled the landscape, ruffling around the fur of the hundreds of sheeps grazing the distant plain.


    ¡°Such a blessing, another day of life.¡±


    A coffee scent stemming from the kitchen earlier in the morning accompanied Alto until he reached the top of a hill and took in the refreshing air. The butler chuckled, now resuming his walk. The small parts of life, one filled with memories of those who could have been enjoying the walk with him caused sadness to fill his heart, but then he laughed and reminded himself, there was much to look forward to. Alto stepped into the forest, humming to himself. ¡°Another walk alone, until the lord¡¯s on his throne.¡±


    A sign ahead that read ¡°Slumbering Forest¡± hovered over a tree stump. Alto passed this sign, going through the path he had taken hundreds of times to get to the Ikigai¡¯s hidden department. The morning sun shined into view, as leaves twirled between the sunlight and the trees, making it seem as if the leaves danced all the way onto the ground. Green light washed down on his shoulders as he passed through and admired the serene atmosphere.


    ¡°A jolly good day, jolly good day,¡± he hummed to himself, clearing a small path of patches of land that elevated slightly. He swooped down beside a set of stones that were shaped as cats. A leaf floated around the middle cat¡¯s head as it¡¯s head filled with water. Alto observed his reflection and pressed his hands together. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Alto tucked the leather case under his forearm and travelled through the woods until he stopped in front of a tall tree that stood alone, far separated from the other dozens of trees that surrounded it. Those other trees huddled together, twenty feet away from it. He glanced around and sighed as he tapped a golden bell. This golden bell rotated around the tree and moved back down in front of Alto. It registered who he was, scanning his white gloves when Alto tapped them against the bell.


    After doing so, Alto stepped away from where he had been standing. The pile of leaves that were around him fluttered aside upon the floor spreading apart, revealing stairs that spiraled down into darkness. The trees that had been twenty feet away shifted over and formed into a different formation that created a new path.


    From within the darkness, someone walked up, coming into view. Violet eyes reflected from inside. This was one of the Ikigai Setsus, Alto recognized. ¡°Price, good day.¡±


    ¡°Mornin¡¯ boss,¡± Price said after rubbing his eyes.


    ¡°I take it you didn¡¯t sleep much last night.¡±


    ¡°Nope, not with the stress, the bitching, everyone¡¯s so tense. And Shosa Kale¡¯s up my ass with orders. Do this, do that.¡± Price waved his hands around with an eye roll. ¡°Naomi and her pals must be sleeping well with no worries. I¡¯d trade places with any of them if it meant resting.¡±


    Alto ignored his ignorant comment.


    ¡°Wooooooo, I¡¯m starving. You¡¯re on your way to the meeting right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t take anymore of your time. If you see Shosa Kale, please don¡¯t tell him you saw me. I¡¯m supposed to get something to eat for the others back in the infirmary, but need some fresh air.¡± Price slapped his hands together, hoping that Alto would buy it.


    ¡°You know, Price¡­¡± Alto was going to scold him, but when he looked back, he saw Price had already ran off, disappearing into a nearby path. Alto sighed to himself, going down the stairs. The entrance behind him closed up, making his surroundings pitch black momentarily, until a series of purple flames ignited over torches that spiraled down the stairs. The long spiraling stairs eventually took Alto to a vast room made out of stone. Inside, there were several Hachi symbols inscribed along the walls along with the insignia representing the flower of life.


    His footsteps silently echoed through. Alto stopped at the center, glancing up to a series of purple flames coming together overhead. These flames all came from the silver torches that were hung on the walls, which each had the Hachi¡¯s emblem engraved on them. The flames swayed around, blazing wildly until they formed a figure that descended down twelve feet from Alto. This being bowed as the flames subsided.


    The entity wore a white cap with the purple Hachi emblem at the center. His cloak was white. Along the shoulders, there were purple gems that matched his purple eyes. Coupled with the matching colors, he had purple straps tightly wrapped around his shoulder sprawling along his upper arm, going over to connect his chains.


    ¡°Why, hello Mambo.¡±


    ¡°Sir Alto.¡± Mambo nibbled on his toothpick and scratched his goatee. His body slumped over, followed by an inaudible yawn. Alto¡¯s mustache twitched as he observed the fellow compose himself once more. ¡°Brought me anything this time around? Ya know, it¡¯s been days since I was last fed.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m in a bit of a hurry. I will keep in mind to send you a meal.¡±


    ¡°You sure? That¡¯s what you said the last time, man.¡± Mambo watched Alto walk past him. His sights went down to Alto¡¯s stubby legs and his round body. Instinctively, he imagined Alto as a hamburger, as the urge to pounce on him crossed Mambo¡¯s mind. He repressed his instincts to kill though, knowing all too well what¡¯d follow.


    ¡°If you do, have that cute little maid bring it for me. I enjoy our talks. What was her name again? Short purple hair, one bang covers her eye, seems chill¡­¡±


    ¡°Miranda?¡± Alto awkwardly stopped in place.


    Mambo sucked his teeth and increased his chewing. ¡°Yeah, I think that¡¯s the one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s out on an errand,¡± Alto informed him.


    ¡°Aw, then maybe I can visit her. Being cramped in here for years really gets boring. I sure could use some sunlight.¡±


    ¡°Nice try. We both know that isn¡¯t happening, for obvious reasons,¡± Alto responded, glancing over his shoulder as Bambo¡¯s pupils expanded unnaturally.


    ¡°Shucks, if it¡¯s about those few times I got out¡­ I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s hard controlling the urge to see blood you know.¡± A rumbling sound came from Mambo¡¯s belly. ¡°Clear thoughts, clear thoughts,¡± he told himself, then spoke with a smile. ¡°Right now, I only want a whiff of fresh air,  maybe take a stroll along the gardens, meet that tasty smelling new girl you have up there.¡± Mambo turned away, his eyes momentarily becoming bloodshot when he tilted his head away from Alto¡¯s view.


    ¡°No. Just keep doing your job,¡± Alto flat out said. The rock wall behind Alto broke into two, allowing Alto to walk through until he reached the end where a crystalized door stood tall. There were glowing cryptic patterns all along its frame. Alto set his hand at the center of the door. From the edges, glimmers spread down to the center of Alto¡¯s palm. The door started shifting into chilly mist that swirled past him.


    ¡°Is that really how you¡¯re going to treat me? I expect some charcoal at least¡­ I¡¯ll be watching  videos until then.¡± Seeing as there was nothing else to do, Mambo shrugged, as his form broke apart into purple flames that flew up against the ceiling and circled over to the purple gems that he had on his shoulders before. The gems hovered back into the metallic torches, fitting back in place nicely. Now hidden like before, their flames brewed, dancing over the torches once again.


    A bright shining light hit Alto, which was soon replaced with the view of the otherworldly facility that existed under the Hachi estate. Dozens of departments were in view, filled with Ikigai members going back and forth, handling their individual tasks. Alto made his way into an elevator that spun around, going through to pick up other Setsus. He gazed through the window, until he heard a robotic feminine voice say the floor he had to get off on. As soon as the doors opened, a flock of Setsu passed him on their way into the elevator. He waited for all of them to get by and then made his way to the cardinal room, where the meeting was being held.


    Upon arriving at the door, Alto took a deep breath, in preparation for the complaints he¡¯d have to hear. He held his breath, pressing his palm against the door pad. When he entered, Alto was surprised to see the place completely empty, aside from the robotic humanoids that worked on the front panels. He was the first one in. None of the Shosas were present. Walking in, he heard others getting closer to the room. ¡°Ah, there they are.¡± He turned around to see one of the very first Shosas enter.


    ¡°Ah, Sir Alto, you¡¯re late,¡± the first one to go through said.


    ¡°You literally just got here, too. Vasco, you dumbass.¡± Vasco was soon kicked by a female shorter than him.


    One by one, they entered as Alto found himself amused by the lively bunch. Three of the Shosas bowed upon spotting Alto and walked to their seats around the round table while the others were still entering.


    ¡°Mr. Alto! My beautiful bald buddy!¡± Keichi tipped his cup back, gulping down another full cup of tea.


    ¡°Hello, Mister Keichi¡­¡± Alto raised a brow, confused at Keichi¡¯s strange behavior. The lad¡¯s cheeks were a flustered pink and his balance seemed off. ¡°Drunk?¡± Alto thought to himself. Keichi stumbled forward, extending his hand out to Alto in the form of an attempted hug, which Alto dodged. ¡°NICE TO HAVE YOU HERE! YOU¡¯RE LOOKING BETTER AND BETTER EACH DAY!!!¡± Keichi followed up his slurred response with a hiccup.


    ¡°Keichi, that¡¯s enough out of you! Drinking your sorrows away won¡¯t solve anything! Especially at a critical time like this¡­ you know what tea does to Setsus! You¡¯re at work right now!¡± Sayuri snatched the cup from him in a full rage. She attempted to scold him, moving the cup along her back so Keichi wouldn¡¯t reach it, but Linolin swooped in, in a clumsy way and took the tea kettle from the table. He filled his cup up, spilling some on the floor in the process as Sayuri struggled with Keichi.


    ¡°LALALALALAAA, I¡¯M A FAIRY, LOOK AT ME!¡± He jumped onto the table, nearly tripping over. ¡°LINOLIN!!! NOT YOU TOO! GET OFF OF THERE!¡± She shouted, running over to the table. Keichi snatched his cup back right at the moment that she ran by him, forcing Sayuri to turn back around to get the cup from him.


    Keichi dashed over to the other end, forcing her to run after him. ¡°LINNY, GIVE ME BACK MY KETTLE!!! It was a-¡± He hiccuped, pausing as Sayuri tried grabbing the cup. ¡°From H-Hiiro,¡± Keichi tearfully said. Sayuri managed to take the cup from Keichi, but that wasn¡¯t what he was after. Keichi continued chasing after Linolin.


    Alto watched it all, laughing uneasily at the mayhem that didn¡¯t seem to end. ¡°Things sure are lively in here¡­ it¡¯s been so long since we were all in the same place, how exciting.¡± Natsu stopped beside Alto, taking her eyes off of the holo-pad she was reading in.


    ¡°Some things never change,¡± Natsu thought to herself.


    ¡°Okay, you two. Give it a rest,¡± Vasco called over to them in his snarky tone. None of them listened. The three continued to run around as the other Shosas processed what was going on.


    ¡°Aw, great, look at these two drunkards,¡± Kale grunted, snorting as he walked over and grabbed Keichi and Linolin, yanking them up. ¡°Do you two want to die?! GETTING DRUNK WITHOUT ME?! CALM YOURSELVES RIGHT NOW! I ALWAYS DRINK FIRST!!!¡± He screamed, briefly headlocking the two between his huge biceps and then kicked Linolin up against a wall, causing a shelf full of books to fall over along with Linolin¡¯s puffy hat.


    ¡°Can you all act civilized?! This is a mockery! To wear such ridiculous garments¡­ how many times must I-¡± Vasco flailed his arms around and then ran his hand through his silver hair, sending a wink over to the other three.


    ¡°Shut up, pencil neck, I¡¯m only breaking this up. Wink at me again and I¡¯ll break you, too,¡± Kale threatened, only to freeze up at the sound of a familiar whistle.


    ¡°It¡¯s always violence with you¡­¡± Vasco whispered, backing away to his corner.


    ¡°This is a meeting. I thought you¡¯d all grown up by now, but you¡¯re acting worse than when you were teenagers,¡± they all heard a voice say smoothly. It was Kamino, who seemed to be going over a holographic map at the desk. He powered it off and slowly whistled, closing his eyes.


    ¡°Finally, someone with reasoning.¡± Yayoi walked over to Kamino¡¯s side, placing her holo-pad down near his.


    ¡°Great, everyone is accounted for.¡± Fuchizaki checked off her list for all of the Shosas, eyeing the subordinates, then Alto, who made it to the round table once everyone was settled down.


    ¡°Keichi, Isuda, Kiku is not present, Naomi is not present, Kamino, Morgii Soh, Yayoi, Natsu, Vasco, and Kale.¡± When she called their names, they responded back with ¡°Present,¡±  aside from Kale, who burped and asked, ¡°Is there anymore tea? I''ve got a massive case of the munchies.¡± Everyone ignored him.


    Kamino swiped his finger across a black pad in front of himself. This triggered a holographic grid of Honshu¡¯s landscape to materialize from a pearl-like sphere that was lodged within the center of the marble table. The grid spread up, emitting a green ray that broke apart into different folder icons. ¡°This is the place,¡± Kamino said.


    ¡°Yes, here are the reports that¡¯ve been compiled.¡± Alto slid the folder across the table. It stopped at Kamino¡¯s hand. He lifted it up and looked through as Yayoi tapped the hovering folder related to the Chiza ward and the recent case where a Stray had been tracked down, only to blow up under peculiar circumstances.


    ¡°The strays name is Gumon. According to the report, he had disappeared from his region out of nowhere, only to resurface a month later. The Setsus of Orinyuu were looking for him after he disappeared but found no trace of him.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s really convenient that he turned up here as an unemployed drifter,¡± Keichi inserted, sobering up.


    ¡°Oh, so he appeared here?¡± Linolin asked, having gotten up from the floor.


    ¡°The allies of the Kumamoto region have been targeted recently as well, by the neighboring Setsus of Fuke, so there¡¯s that,¡± Isuda informed the others, crossing his arms.


    ¡°Orinyuu¡­ And Fuke.¡±


    ¡°Not good. Lady Miyumi has to bring this all up in the next meeting she has with the other Rikutos¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s scheduled for the end of this month. We¡¯ll see then.¡±


    ¡°I do find it strange, too. Strays don¡¯t kill humans at such a rapid pace, nor do they do it without cause¡­ so many Strays popping up is unprecedented.¡± Kamino continued in his head. ¡°I¡¯d be more worried about the traitors. The amount of humans turned into Setsu is another problem to worry about.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡±


    ¡°The Bakufu must be behind this¡±


    ¡°You think they heard of Sekiha Takeshi¡¯s absence?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s plausible¡±


    ¡°Those bastards¡­¡±


    ¡°Bakufu? You know damn well it can be those Setsus from Alkaid sending Strays this way. They¡¯re closer than the Orinyuu. They¡¯re out for our territories. My money is on them being behind this spike in activity.¡± Morgii pushed aside one of the hover chairs, making his way over to the control panels, where Kamino searched for the files regarding the Orinyuu family.


    ¡°I¡¯m astonished at how blind the Tensei can be.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not jump to conclusions here. There¡¯s someone else working from behind, I¡¯m sure,¡± Kale added.


    ¡°Funny you can say that when you aren¡¯t even originally from here. You know, that family of yours has a lot to say,¡± Morgii hissed at Kale.


    ¡°Still been here for decades, so get over your suspicions, pencil neck.¡± Kale brought out a blunt to smoke.


    ¡°One thing is certain. Their intentions aren¡¯t positive¡±


    ¡°Actually¡±


    ¡°Keichi, thinking back to that one chase where Hiiro disappeared¡­¡± Yayoi set her palms on the table. Keichi closed his eyes and listened silently, clearly upset of what she was about to bring up.


    ¡°Ruri! You better leave now or you¡¯ll be late for school!¡± a voice echoed throughout what a moment ago was a quiet morning in a residential area of a northern Osaka prefecture.


    ¡°I¡¯m off now, gramps!¡± Almost immediately a child of around twelve years exploded out of her front door with a disheveled bag in hand, spilling out pencils onto the sidewalk as she ran as fast as her little legs could take her. The child ran along the high-walled street, with cicadas wide awake and chirping as she made her way down the street where she briefly heard barking. She stopped at the crosswalk, inspecting both avenues. There wasn¡¯t a car in sight, so she continued on; the neighborhood¡¯s streets seemed completely empty.


    She could see her school in the distance at the bottom of a low sloping hill, a straight shot down the gridded roads of the suburbs. Rushing down, she suddenly stopped herself at a certain street and turned. A small grey tabby kitten sat in the shade of an empty fruit cart, grooming its paws.


    The girl beamed, pulling out food she had saved from breakfast. The cat sniffed, picking up on the few little pieces of salmon she had in a little ziplock bag. She held out the piece for the kitten and the small creature took it swiftly with a cute little meow that made the small child smile. She reached to pet the little creature only for it to pounce away. A small pout formed on the girl¡¯s face as she got up to follow it.


    ¡°Awww, please let me pet you, Mrs. Whiskwueekins. Pretty please?¡±


    She continued following the little creature past a house or two, as the kitten turned into an alley. The girl¡¯s eyes lit up at what she saw. There was a whole family of stray kittens surrounding a slim man. A mother and four kittens next to a pair of overturned trash cans. Ruri reached back for the bag again, emptying it out at her feet as the kittens and their mother came over. The kittens rubbed themselves against the girl, who finally noticed the silent man who was standing there.


    She looked up, bewildered by the strange man¡¯s gaze. His eyes were plain, but stared at her with an intensity that could only be described as that of an animal whose immense hunger had led it to an easy meal. He wore a mustard-colored jacket over a white shirt, a pair of old and faded jeans, an unkempt beard and a newsboy hat. His face was incredibly pale and contorted, and his eyes bloodshot to the point of almost looking purple. His tongue soon slipped out, lapping out like a thirsty dog as the drool ran down his beard.


    His incisor teeth became visible and clearly wasn¡¯t a normal size. He slowly walked toward the child, menacingly holding his arm outwards. The little girl took a step back, only to realize that she had her back against the alley wall, as the man crept closer. She took a few steps away from the wall and stumbled over as she took a hold of some of the kittens protectively. In fear, she clenched her eyes and let out a cry.


    ¡°You know¡­ there¡¯s a name for strange adults who prey on little kids,¡± a cocky voice spoke up from above the both of them to which they looked up. A pair of teenagers stood on the alcove roof of the building. Both had dark blue overcoats with matching jeans. A light reflected off of a metallic arm-plate on one of the teen¡¯s forearms, flashing into the eyes of the child for a second. The teen on the left had bright orange hair that was evenly cut just above his eyebrows. The one on the right ruffled his messy emerald hair around and lifted up his forearm with pride and a wide smirk.


    He slapped his fingers along the metal, announcing, ¡°Yo, pedophile.¡± The little girl took note of the metallic arm-plate the emerald-haired teen tapped at. Her eyes widened in shock. She recognized the emblem on the metallic plate as belonging to none other than the Hachi¡¯s Ikigai Task Force.


    ¡°Hello? This is Hiiro of the Karoshi pack. We¡¯ve found another stray,¡± Hiiro reported into his earpiece as Keichi waved around his emblem side to side, like a child showing off a toy.


    Hiiro¡¯s glare beared down on the odd fellow with disdain. ¡°Disgusting,¡± he thought to himself.


    At first, the man looked up at them with confusion and a bit of anger, but as he turned and looked into the eyes of one of the boys further, he flinched in fear; a look of absolute terror covered his face as he turned and bolted down the alley. With a smirk, the two boys glanced at each other and dropped from the roof, landing on their feet with a thud onto the concrete. They began chasing after the pale man, leaving the little girl standing there incredibly confused with a handful of kittens in her arms.


    ¡°Well, this sure is a spry one! Look at him go! I¡¯ve gotta ask him what kind of shoes those are!¡± The emerald-haired teen chuckled as the two of them watched the pale man scramble up the side of a nine foot fence and onto the next street.


    ¡°He¡¯s headed towards downtown,¡± Keichi took in the direction the man was headed.


    ¡°Yeah. Kei, watch my back.¡±


    ¡°Might wanna get some breakfast afterwards, I heard DripHop has a new egg mu-¡±


    ¡°Going on ahead,¡± Hiiro cut Keichi off.


    The two of them reached the gate and leapt over it in a single bounce with their sights directed on their prey. The pale man sprinted in the direction of downtown Osaka with the pair close behind. He knocked over trash cans, carts, and people in an attempt to impede his pursuers. The chase continued for well over fifteen minutes as both parties had managed to maintain a sprinting pace throughout, until the pair decided to amp up their speed.


    As they reached the bustling streets of the city, the two Setsus split up with Keichi dashing off down the block to try to cut the man off, managing to run him into the traffic. A blue hover-car tried to stop itself in time, only to smash into the pale man at 110 km/h. To the surprise of the dozens of onlookers, the man rose to his feet despite leaving a human sized dent in the front of the car. He cracked his neck to the left and popped it back into place, stepping off of the car and continuing his escape.


    ¡°Tch, almost,¡± the orange-haired teen thought to himself as he slid over the hood of a stationary car.


    The man was now about a block ahead of Hiiro, and at this pace he was bound to get caught. Suddenly, he sighted Keichi smashing through a second story window of the building they were running adjacent to, descending over the pale man like a hawk would to a squirrel. The pale man quickly grabbed an old man who was walking along with a newspaper in his hand, throwing him like a pitcher would throw a fastball.


    Keichi barely caught the old man as the two of them collapsed on the street. Hiiro ran up to them, grabbing his comrade by the collar and heaved him to his feet. The two continued after the pale man who had now gained a lead on them. They continued on until they had left Osaka and were now in the countryside just north of the city, running along a two-lane road on the side of a small mountain with a steep cliff.


    Out of nowhere, a car ahead of them suddenly came around the bend, with the driver seeing the three of them in the middle of the road, and swerving to the right to try and avoid hitting them. Four other cars in both lanes came in soon after, creating a massive pileup in the middle of the road. Keichi looked for a brief moment to see if everyone was okay behind the wheels, only to hear a loud horn behind him.


    ¡°Look out!¡± Hiiro shouted. Keichi managed to turn around in time to meet an eighteen wheeler that was behind them.


    ¡°Aw, f-¡± is all Keichi muttered as the horns blared over his voice, shaking the gravel at his feet. Something had blown the tires of the eighteen wheeler, causing the driver to lose control as it crashed into Keichi. Hiiro looked over, stunned.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°KEI!!!¡±


    Hiiro stopped in his tracks and turned to see Keichi on the pavement. A series of logs that the eighteen wheeler had been carrying were laid everywhere, with one of them resting on the Setsu¡¯s sternum, and his legs pinned under another. ¡°Damn! You alright, Kei?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t sound so concerned¡­ I might start to think you like me.¡± He slowly pushed a log off his leg. ¡°Go on, get that bastard. I¡¯ll handle things here.¡± Keichi chuckled as he groaned, lifting the log slowly off his chest. Hiiro turned back at the chaos as some of the witnesses slowly peeled themselves out of their totaled cars, then looked back to the pale man who had just turned and had started running down a small hiking path along the side of the mountain.


    After pulling the other log off of himself, Keichi pressed his head back on the ground. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, then glanced up. As he looked up he briefly saw what seemed to be someone looking down at him from a nearby path. The individual wore a peculiar helmet that covered their upper face, but left their spiky black hair to be blown around by passing wind. A green swan design glowed at the center of the being¡¯s helmet. The design seemed to have a series of swords that made up its wings, with three different swords pointed upward at both ends of its wings and the third blade pointed downward at the center, over the swan¡¯s head. The rest of the suit was a smooth black with a set of small visible wings flapping side to side slowly. Upon realizing that Keichi noticed, the being turned away and disappeared from the edge of the cliff quietly.


    ¡°A cosplayer all the way out here? Probably shooting a movie nearby. What a suit,¡± Keichi thought to himself with a pained chuckle, as he tried to lean up. The individual crossed his mind again. He recalled when the individual turned away, the wings were moving and had actually elongated unnaturally. ¡°Huh?¡± Keichi mumbled to himself. The world around him soon swirled over, as he blacked out.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Hiiro ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He didn¡¯t want to leave Keichi behind, but he trusted he would be fine and resumed, determined to complete his duty. The signs of fatigue were finally starting to show on the pale entity who was up ahead. Pools of sweat flew off of his face as he continued running down the hiking path that was leading deeper into the forest. He turned to look behind him for a moment only to see Hiro methodically keeping pace with him, showing no signs of fatigue. As he stepped on a bit of loose earth, it gave in and the pale man¡¯s ankle buckled as he slipped, tumbling down the steep slope. He smashed into numerous bushes, stones, and trees with rocks and branches flying up randomly with every collision.


    Hiiro watched for a moment before carefully sliding down the side of the slope on the heels of his shoes. Finally nearing the end of his fall, the pale man fell into a murky puddle of mud and leaves. He flopped onto his back and gazed up, gasping for air. He was now so deep in the woods that most of the sky was blotted out by a canopy that fluttered with leaves in the breeze overhead. He tried to rise to his feet, only for his legs to become stiff. He was completely unable to get up. Looking down, he could see his right leg bent unnaturally, as he snarled and started crawling as fast as he could, only getting a few feet before being suddenly kicked over onto his back.


    A familiar face stood over him, who quickly wrapped a hand around his throat. Hiiro lifted the man about a foot off the ground by his neck, slamming him into a tree as his legs kicked wildly in mid air trying to break free from Hiiro¡¯s steel-like grip. ¡°Before I finish you, tell me about how you slipped into Osaka,¡± the Setsu spoke coldly, as his grip loosened only slightly to allow his captive to speak, while his free hand reached into the back of his waistband.


    The pale man¡¯s skin started to inflate oddly, turning into a light shade of green with irregular lumps forming on his cheekbones. ¡°What the¡­¡± Hiiro lifted his forearm up, covering his nose and mouth when the man gurgled and vomited an unusual, bloody liquid that smelled like stomach acid. The liquid washed up against Hiiro, making him nauseous. He took the time to squeeze the man¡¯s throat a bit more and threw him across the small clearing to give the two some distance, as the man smashed into a rock like a ragdoll. Hiiro then stepped backwards and reached down for his weapon when he heard loud grunts.


    The man clawed at his chest and dropped to his knees. He punched the ground like an enraged gorilla before snapping his back. A disgusting squeal escaped the man¡¯s mouth, as his eyes filled with tears and black gunk flew out of his mouth, striking a tree trunk behind Hiiro and melting through the bark. Like a balloon, the man¡¯s body inflated yet again. First, his right arm grew disproportional, then his lower knee did the same. Hiiro¡¯s instincts at that moment told him to dash for cover, but he could hardly move due to the horrid smell. An odd siren sound came from the man¡¯s belly as his body rose higher and higher. Hiiro looked back as a flash of light rushed his way with a shockwave following right after.


    He only had time to turn around and slam his palms against his ears before he was blown away. Dozens of surrounding trees were torn right from the ground, their roots incinerated, as Hiiro¡¯s vision became blurry. It felt as if the ground itself were shaking, making it difficult for him to stand right away. Disoriented, Hiiro felt the heated soil. He shook his head and coughed, looking ahead. A thick fog had spread around him. When he rose to his knees, he glanced down to his palms. There was black dirt on them that he quickly brushed across his jeans, as he stood up onto his feet. Hiiro coughed and motioned through the mist, kicking a burnt tree trunk out of his way. He whipped out his phone to try and get a hold of Keichi, only to see that there was no service. ¡°What the hell just happened?¡±


    Turning his head, he scanned the area. Hiiro continued to step through the ashes that twinkled down around him until he nearly lost his footing and stopped just in front of a gaping crater. At the center, fragments of bone remained, but the foul scent of negative Retsu was still spreading, overpowering Hiiro¡¯s senses. It seemed to be drifting off, but not disappearing like regular Retsu would.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t it die in the explosion? Then, why is the Retsu still spreading¡­¡± Then, it hit him. ¡°Tch, it¡¯s not a Stray; it¡¯s a Shiki.¡± Hiiro scaled out of the crater and took off, running around the crater and jumping through a bush. In order to get a good look, he dashed up onto a tree until he landed on a high branch.


    He looked up at the suddenly grey skyline, which was barely visible through the thick canopy. Low sounds similar to that of whales spread around the area in different directions, yet there was nothing in sight. Hiiro hopped over to another tree branch and scaled up to the top of the tree to better survey the sky. ¡°Yeah¡­ over there, it¡¯s as blue as I remember, but here¡­ it¡¯s grey.¡± An ominous wind forced his jacket to flap back, shaking the tree he was on.


    To his shock, a monstrous creature formed out of the negative Retsu looming along the cloudy skies. Its lengthy arms and legs slammed forty feet down to the ground, blowing away everything nearby. It twisted its head over, letting out a high-pitched bellow as Hiiro took in its terrifying resemblance to a tarantula. It took a single step, then shrunk, disappearing into the far off treeline.


    Hiiro glanced down and dropped to the ground, taking off in the direction of the black particles that twinkled in the sky. He heaved, taking deep breaths that had become visible from the sudden chill in the air. When he nearly tripped, he found that snow was forming on the ground. Up ahead, more of it abundantly covered the patches of leaves that once covered the forest floor. His eyes flickered, emitting a soft violet glow. Just behind him, there was a portal, releasing twinkling snowflakes accompanied with black particles. ¡°It went in there¡­¡± Hiiro fixed his composure.


    ¡°Should I call Sir Alto and the others? Or go in alone? After all this¡­ I can¡¯t let it escape.¡± He reached down into his jacket pocket and spun his phone around. Hiiro swiped his index finger across the front screen and spoke into it. ¡°Sticky note, please.¡± Hiiro waited until the recording app pulled up onto the main screen. When a green light started blinking, he began to record a message before entering the portal.


    ¡°Sir Alto, during our shift today, me and Keiichi ran into a peculiar entity. We pursued it, but Kei was injured. I followed it alone off the Takamatsu Expressway and into the Kentai Forest where it had blown up.¡± Hiiro paused, looking ahead into the portal. ¡°After the explosion, the negative Retsu continued on and took an unnatural form. It¡¯s a Shiki and judging by the amount of negative Retsu¡­ it¡¯s mid class. Call it suicide, but I can¡¯t let that thing escape with the memories of that Stray. Who knows what it gathered in Osaka¡­ besides, it¡¯s not his fault he became possessed. The least I can do is take the Shiki out for him. He may have had loved ones¡­¡± After another pause, Hiiro shook his head. ¡°Signing off.¡± The phone dropped into a pile of snow, powering off.


    ¡°Do you think that Hiiro could have been ambushed and taken like that Stray? If he were captured, you can¡¯t help but wonder if he¡¯d b-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even finish that sentence,¡± Keichi cut in.


    ¡°I know, you were close to Hiiro; just tossing out a possibility,¡± she responded, defending herself. The others remained silent until Kamino went on.


    ¡°In any case, we¡¯re bound to find out eventually. For now, we have to pinpoint the location of the growing problem. The responsibility of assuring that the wards remain safe are in our hands while Sekiha Takeshi is away. An outbreak here can be catastrophic not only for those in Osaka, but our allies as well.¡±


    ¡°The number of Shikis have been growing in the eastern wards by ___. I¡¯d say it correlates with the number of human disappearances, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°Mhm. We¡¯ve already pinpointed the source. Off the outskirts of Osaka, in the old Fillies factory. Funny that the factory is under a woman named Sango¡­¡±


    ¡°Why is that funny?¡±


    ¡°Because she¡¯s tied to the Ginkos.¡± They all stared wide-eyed.


    ¡°Some Shikis have been tracked down to that old run-down factory, huh?¡±


    ¡°Well? What are we waiting for?¡±


    ¡°For the lead¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be?¡±


    ¡°Sekiha Takeshi¡¯s son¡±


    ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not attending the meeting.¡± Keichi turned his head, in search of Takumi, but he wasn¡¯t anywhere in the room.


    Alto cleared his throat and swiped his hand across the grid, causing a holographic file to form. ¡°Miyumi has granted permission to act without the young master, as he¡¯s currently in school.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the sort of warrior Takeshi left us? He¡¯d rather be in school?!¡± Kale growled, slamming his fist down on the table. ¡°What is he building, a corporate pawn or a leader?!¡± His fist smashed right through, as Keichi told him, ¡°Woah, dude! Chill out! Ya almost got my fingers!¡±


    ¡°Unacceptable, I won¡¯t allow it!¡± Kale¡¯s furious vibes caused half of the table to overturn, as the half that Kamino had his hand on remained completely unscathed.


    ¡°We can¡¯t let that brat do nothing, I say we knock some sense into him.¡± Morgii¡¯s arms shifted, as sharp ends spread out on both sides with green crystalline like shards breaking apart.


    ¡°Maybe you guys are taking this too far? I mean, none of us really know the kid too well, right? Perhaps he¡¯s got some problems of his own¡­ or maybe he¡¯s just shy,¡± Keichi interfered.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors of the kind of missions he¡¯s gone on at a young age. If those rumors are true, I¡¯d hate my father too; no kid should go through that. Even Shi takes it too far at times,¡± Isuda folded his arms as the others thought over what he said.


    Kamino continued to listen attentively, as he nodded after Keichi and Isuda¡¯s words. Their little quarrel soon came to an end, as they all heard what sounded like sobbing coming from somewhere close. It only took them a few seconds to pinpoint where the sobbing was coming from. At the corner of the room, Vasco was crying over Kale¡¯s violent behavior.


    ¡°Aw come on little baby, we¡¯re over here having a serious conversation and you¡¯re crying?¡± Morgii ridiculed.


    ¡°GET OVER HERE NOW!¡± Kale shouted, causing Yayoi to tell him, ¡°You¡¯re making it worse.¡± Vasco quietly remained in the corner.


    ¡°Anyway, I agree with Keichi. Besides, I don¡¯t care if none of you guys end up deciding to trust him, I have complete faith in Lord Takumi,¡± Natsu quickly added her two cents.


    ¡°Of course you would, goodie two shoes, that¡¯s how you get advancements. By kissing ass,¡± Kale said, waving his hand in front of his face.


    ¡°Because I can sympathize with him being doubted¡­¡± Natsu quietly thought to herself.


    ¡°Okay, okay. Lady Miyumi already has it all covered, so settle down. The young master will be joining in on the cleansing request,¡± Alto informed them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t count me in for that one, I¡¯ll continue to cover things in my ward; I want nothing to do with the soft kid after what I¡¯ve heard today.¡± Kale rubbed his finger into his ear.


    ¡°It¡¯s cool, I¡¯ll go with my pack,¡± Keichi volunteered.


    ¡°Consider ours in, too.¡± They all heard a new voice coming from the entrance. Kiku walked straight to the table, shocking all of them.


    ¡°Ki, weren¡¯t you sorta tired?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said, with dead eyes and bags under her eyes.


    ¡°Woah, no. You should be resting up.¡± Yayoi tried tugging her aside, but Kiku slapped her hand away. The others were concerned just the same.


    ¡°Those Strays could be there. Hiiro could be there. I have to go, no matter what,¡± Kiku told herself in her head.


    ¡°If she¡¯s offered, she can go. Only three Packs can go, the rest of you will focus on looking after the assigned wards as usual,¡± Alto cut in.


    ¡°Ours will join as well then.¡± Natsu raised her head, with Yayoi agreeing.


    ¡°Perfect, then all we have to decide now is who will do the scouting.¡±


    ¡°Three of our members will do that,¡± Yayoi answered Alto right away.


    ¡°Who are they?¡±


    ¡°Onora, Riri and Moriko. They¡¯re new bloods from Nagoya, Nagano, and Osaka¡¯s Rokuro servant clan respectively. They¡¯re marvelous rooks. This will be a great way for them to be promoted. Without having to engage the enemy, they¡¯ll simply go in, gather intel about the infestation and come back out,¡± Yayoi confidently spoke, slamming her fist to her chest.


    ¡°Great, let¡¯s give them a chance,¡± Natsu agreed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with that.¡± Isuda faintly smiled, looking at the other Shosas in attendance. Each agreed.


    ¡°Well then¡­ Yayoi¡¯s apprentices will be scouting this morning,¡± Alto inputted his vote. ¡°Next up, we¡¯ll discuss the conflict occurring with thflekobura family. As you all know¡­¡±


    Yayoi left the room while the others continued on the meeting. She went off to inform the trio of their task: the three Setsus were to scope out the factory¡¯s terrain. A confirmation request.


    On the way there, seeing as it was a rainy morning, they stopped at a station for something to eat at Riri¡¯s persistent begging. ¡°Riri hurry up! The driver¡¯s not gonna wait for you to buy the whole store!!!¡± Onora yelled from inside of the car, impatiently ravaging through the reports given to them.


    There was no response from Riri, who found herself drooling over all of the sweet smells that surrounded her at the Retsu station¡¯s storefront. Finally making a choice on what she¡¯d have first, Riri pointed repeatedly at the sweet buns that were stored behind the glass she was in front of. A woman at the front counter picked the sweet buns that Riri pointed to. Riri stopped kneeling and stood up, twirling her finger over to a tray of large lollipops. ¡°I¡¯ll have three of those too!¡± she told the concession stand lady.


    ¡°RIRI!!!¡± Her heart leapt at the sudden call of her name. Riri expected it to be Onora, but instead it turned out to be Moriko. She had some sort of white box in her hand. Riri curiously reached out to tap it, but Moriko slapped her hand away and said, ¡°I¡¯m short 1000 holo-coins. Lend me it and I¡¯ll pay you when we get back!¡± The grey haired girl begged, pressing the box up to Riri¡¯s cheek. ¡°It¡¯s a collectors geta geta bonds box!!! It has a bunch of manga and anime accessories, I can¡¯t leave it here!!! I might have a Piiheru!¡±


    Moriko pulled the box to her chest and hugged it, squealing uncontrollably. Riri giggled and didn¡¯t think twice about handing Moriko the cash¡­ but moved her card away just when Moriko was about to take it.


    ¡°What happened to the fifty thousand you still owe me?¡± Riri reminded her as Moriko thought of something to say. One of Riri¡¯s fangs grew, as the scent of the honey rolls being taken out of their glass containers set in. Riri completely lost focus as Moriko tackled her.


    ¡°Oh come on, what¡¯s one thousand more?! You can drag me to my pod and I¡¯ll hand it over when we get back from the mission, come on!!!¡± Before Riri had the chance to reach the rolls, Moriko took them and stuffed it into Riri¡¯s mouth. One after another, she fed Riri three until she got the okay. The sugary glaze washed across Riri¡¯s taste buds, hypnotizing her. In the sweet toxicity, she shrugged, devouring the rolls like an animal. Moriko went on to hand Riri¡¯s card to the receptionist, adding her box.


    All of the items scanned well until she reached the box Moriko wanted. The receptionist stared at Moriko and then at the box. ¡°The Lolli Lolli Book Club AR game is inside of here¡­ it¡¯s rated M, contains graphic content.¡± The receptionist squinted, switching her sights from the game to Moriko¡¯s height.


    ¡°Yeah? What about it?¡± Moriko frowned.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem old enough, I¡¯ll have to see an ID.¡± The receptionist slid the box away before Moriko could take it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sixteen, but the game is really for my perverted brother! He¡¯s like 25 and single, he¡¯s dying soon! One of his last wishes is to play this game!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a bro-¡± Riri nearly said, but Moriko shoved her palm against her face and continued.


    ¡°As a dying wish he asked me to get him the game!!!¡± Moriko giggled, hoping that the receptionist would believe her.


    Riri gave her a confused looked. ¡°You don¡¯t even have a brother¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she doesn¡¯t know that though,¡± Moriko telepathically responded back.


    ¡°Really? What hospital is he in?¡± The receptionist puffed up her orange hair and responded, testing the girl.


    ¡°Listen lady, he isn¡¯t looking to date anyone unless they¡¯re 2D waifu material, so don¡¯t get any funny ideas! Plus, you¡¯re a cougar.¡±


    ¡°Ideas? I only asked so I can verify¡­ how do I know you¡¯re telling the truth. I¡¯ll need confirmation from an adult.¡± The receptionist slammed the white box onto the counter, startling Moriko. Riri quickly reached over and pulled her bags off of the counter before they fell over.


    ¡°S-She¡¯s got me!¡± Moriko felt the menacing aura that came from the receptionist. It was like a wave of chilly darkness passing her. ¡°What kind of hum-¡±


    ¡°You should know your own kind.¡± The receptionist unrolled some see-through lipstick and ran it across her lips. Moriko briefly saw the receptionist¡¯s fangs as she gave her a wink.


    ¡°You¡¯re a Set-¡± she nearly yelled out, but someone¡¯s hand slapped over her mouth. The receptionist sighed, taking a look at the three girls, as Onora was now behind Moriko.


    ¡°Yeah, I am. You¡¯re in the Ikigai?¡± The receptionist glanced at the metallic plate on the girl¡¯s forearm. The armplate clearly showed, while Moriko pried Onora¡¯s hand off of her mouth.


    ¡°We are. What¡¯s the issue here?¡±


    Moriko caught her breath and stepped aside when she felt two menacing forces locked in on her. Those stares were from Onora and the lady. ¡°The Tensei will take in anyone these days, huh?¡± The receptionist dropped her head in frustration, only to lift herself back up into composure a second later. ¡°The girl here wants to buy a mature AR game. You¡¯re all underaged kids, so I can¡¯t give it to you.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in the Ikigai for crying out loud¡­ we see gore all the time,¡± Onora pointed out.


    Moriko scoffed and lunged up to grab the game. The receptionist tried tugging the game away as Moriko held onto the box for dear life. ¡°Give it here, you old hag!!!¡± Moriko shouted, getting the same answer back. ¡°No!¡± The box crumbled a bit, forcing Moriko to let go in fear of the contents being damaged.


    Onora gently karate chopped Moriko¡¯s head and looked around the place. ¡°It¡¯s real early, do you have a license to be operating so early?¡±


    Onora¡¯s question struck a nerve. ¡°Crap¡­ this one got me.¡± The receptionist closed her eyes. She didn¡¯t want to get in trouble, but she had to do her job. She listened to the sound of bells jingling. A breeze blew into the storefront, carrying the scent of the salty ocean with it.


    ¡°Well? If you don¡¯t have the license, we may just have to take a few minutes to jot down the info, unless¡­¡± Onora reached back to retrieve her phone and gave the lady a look. Right then and there the receptionist let go of the game.


    ¡°Fine, but you didn¡¯t get it from here, got that?¡±


    Moriko hugged the game tightly, as the woman swiped Riri¡¯s card and handed it back with a sigh, before watching the girls enter a black hover-car. The car started up and reversed back onto the road, u-turned, and disappeared out of sight.


    ¡°Kids these days¡­¡±


    For the rest of the ride, the three girls remained silent within the car, all in their own worlds. Moriko played on her phone, Riri snuggled in between her two teammates (delightfully numming on her sweets), and Onora spaced out for moments at a time, only to focus back on what was just outside of the car. She kept her eyes on the green that was created from the car passing the forest side fast. This green was soon replaced by a series of dead black trees, shaking in the now snowy terrain.


    ¡°People? No¡­ I¡¯m seeing things,¡± she mumbled, glancing at the window over at Moriko¡¯s side. Riri quietly hummed to herself, kicking her feet around until Moriko lightly tapped her knee in order to get her to stop. Riri finished up one of her sweets and reached down to her recorder. This device is what she used to document what the unit uncovered and would automatically send the information back to the Ikigai¡¯s HQ. Riri did exactly that, motioning over to get a better look through Onora¡¯s side.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be getting off now, thanks for everything,¡± Onora told the driver, tapping the bottom of the seat, so that the gravity that kept them firmly on weakened. Riri and Moriko did the same, exiting first. Once outside, they went straight for the old fencing and cleared it with ease,  landing at the other end. Aside from Riri walking through blissfully, Onora was on high alert and Moriko kept her eyes on the holographic map that came out of her watch.


    All they had to do was get close enough to study the factory, then make their way out undetected. It seemed simple enough, but the creepy vibes their surroundings gave them didn¡¯t make them feel at ease. The whole place was dead silent aside from their feet pressing down as they traversed through the snowy path. Even the flock of crows that flew overhead made no sound at all. Some of those crows silently swooped down, perching themselves on top of tall black trees that made up their surroundings.


    Their sights were down on the three. It was as if they were being observed the moment they set foot in the place. ¡°Put on your hoods,¡± Onora instructed, flicking hers on. The crows soon glanced around as if the three were now invisible and flocked away, losing sight of the three who were now invisible to them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep going.¡± Onora grabbed Riri¡¯s wrist so she wouldn¡¯t stray too far behind and led her through the forest of black trees. Nothing seemed out of place, yet. They slid down and climbed onto a boulder, inspecting the area ahead every thirty seconds for about five minutes.


    From above, they spotted the gigantic chimney of the factory releasing dark grey fumes that swirled along a bright grey beam of light that seemed to keep the grey clouds circulating over the entire area. Snow twinkled down from those clouds. ¡°Weather manipulation?¡± Moriko muttered. ¡°The weather around this place is out of whack, and you can bet it¡¯s those Strays.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Onora agreed.


    ¡°How do you know?¡± Riri asked cluelessly.


    ¡°Clearly we¡¯re not in wintertime, Riri. On top of that, this place has been abandoned for a long time,¡± Moriko responded in a whisper. ¡°I gave you some insightful knowledge, so take three thousand holo-coins off my tab,¡± she added.


    ¡°Teheh, not happening,¡± Riri giggled, finishing the large lollipop she had been chewing on. Riri made sure to relay the information using her device. With that finished, she brought out a candy bar and observed it, looking for a way to carefully open it without messing up the insides.


    ¡°Riri, keep moving,¡± Onora telepathically called to her, annoyed. They crept through, masking themselves in the dense forest, until they came to some bushes and laid low. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll keep sight of this area, you¡¯ll split up to check the other area. We have to scope out the place at least halfway,¡± she spoke, with an uneasy sensation setting in her stomach.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°If anything happens, call through the intercom; you know we can¡¯t use telepathy from afar without running the risk of it being intercepted by the Strays.¡± With Riri and Moriko agreeing, Onora struck her fist against her chest. The three stood up and at that moment, from the corner of her eye, Onora saw something flying straight down at them.


    ¡°WATCH OUT!¡± she screamed, pushing Riri aside and lunging out of the way with Moriko. The aftershock of the impact blew the surrounding trees away as chunks of wood flew everywhere. Onora rolled several times with Moriko, as pebbles mixed with twigs rained down all around them. Onora gripped Moriko tightly, taking hits as they collided with more snow. Turning over, she stopped them from going any further. She felt disoriented, but got onto her feet and glared over to where they had been.


    ¡°What is¡­¡± She saw a muscular silhouette and the snow around the crater melt away at a rapid pace. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a Shiki!¡± Her eyes widened at the sight of the muscular figure crawling out of the steep crater. Her heart pounded hard. She gulped, leaning down with the intention to take off. This was her first encounter with one without having her Shosa around.


    From the clustered smoke, two pairs of glowing yellow eyes peered straight at Onora, then roamed in a crazed manner. The entity¡¯s head contorted, snapping backwards over to Riri who was alone, trying to stand up with her back turned to them. Moriko tried to stand up, but found a branch had stabbed into her thigh, forcing her back to the ground. She yanked it out, flinching in the process.


    ¡°RIRI!!!¡± Onora shouted to the disoriented girl. Riri groaned, tripping back onto her feet. She glanced around and saw the monstrous Shiki heading straight for her. Both Moriko and Onora screamed ¡°MOVE!!!¡±, but the mix of fear and shock kept her immobilized. Acting fast, Onora slid her metallic saber out of its sheath and thrust it into the Shiki¡¯s path. The saber stabbed into a tree, lodging in deep.


    The Shiki, having already been in movement, passed right through, without realizing that a wire was attached to the end of the saber. Its lower body dropped, having been sliced off while its upper body kept going towards Riri, who sniffed and brought her attention to her candy bar, which had been knocked out of her hand when Onora had pushed her. It laid right in the Shiki¡¯s path. The Shiki staggered over, squishing it under its massive palm.


    ¡°MY FRUIT SPINDOWNS!!!¡± Riri screamed in terror. Her hair splurged up and everything flashed for her. Her body rushed straight at the Shiki, her mind completely blank. Her primal Setsu side kicked in, shifting her normally pale skin, to a faint red.


    ¡°RIRI, DON¡¯T!!!¡± Onora shouted, but it was too late. Riri already tackled the massive Shiki, her head jammed into it¡¯s gut, forcing acid to blow out of the Shiki. This was followed by her landing down and taking a single step up, connecting her head with the bottom of the Shiki¡¯s chin. Its head knocked back, but not before she grabbed a hold of its neck and pulled it back straight towards her. ¡°GRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡±


    Riri smashed her forehead square on the Shiki¡¯s head. The three horns that had developed at the center of  Riri¡¯s forehead stabbed through the Shiki¡¯s head, tearing the head to shreds aside from the strike blowing the Shiki away as its body was flung through several trees, leaving a trail of destruction. ¡°GRRRRRRRRAAAAHHHHHHH!!!¡± Wind rippled wildly around her, only to calm down five seconds later. She soon realized what she did, as the horns sunk back into her head and her skin became pale again.


    ¡°M-My Spindowns¡­¡± Riri sniffled. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have killed, now I can¡¯t get my sweets b-back.¡± Riri dropped to the ground soon, lamenting her crushed candy. Onora called out to her, ¡°Forget that for now!!! Get over here! We¡¯ve gotta g-¡± Just then, the scent of Riri¡¯s sweet fruity candy mixed in with the foul scent of a dozen entities washing in. Onora didn¡¯t want to turn around, as more Shikis were attracted by the noise and among them, five that seemed especially different swooped down, stepping out of the mist that enveloped the area.


    One of those landed beside Onora, who barely had time to turn her head when she was flicked aside like a fly. In the process, she yanked the wire of her saber, only for it to be intercepted and caught by one of them. She saw from the corner of her eye¡­ ¡°A Stray?!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this little thing? A weapon?¡± the Stray spoke, smiling as he snapped the wire with ease. Onora continued spinning back, colliding against a tree that cracked, dropping down behind her. Her hood slipped off as blood trickled past her eyebrow.


    Moriko tried to run towards Onora, but was grabbed from behind and pulled back by another Stray. Her arm was bent behind her back while the being gripped Moriko¡¯s left breast. She struggled in the arms of the individual, who lifted her up and suddenly pressed its lips up against her own. Shocked and disgusted as the tongue invaded her mouth, she swung her hand up and slapped the Stray across the face, but he remained in place. She struck him two more times to no avail, as he laughed and threw her down into a snow pile in front of them. Moriko tried whipping back to slash at him, but he grabbed a hold of her arm and cracked a bone. She let out a pained cry at the feeling of her bone shattering in two. The vile entity then tugged her up by her hair.


    ¡°LET GO!¡± Moriko shouted in pain, as the Stray proceeded to slam her head to the snow with tremendous impact, causing her to lose her voice. Snow blew around as the others watched.


    ¡°Hey, this Setsu is actually cute. I caught a tasty one, mmmmm.¡± The Stray lifted Moriko up by her ankle and slammed her to the ground a second time, this time silencing her low groaning. The attention of the other Strays went straight to Onora the moment that she shouted ¡°Moriko!!!¡± Riri tried to dash for Moriko, but one of the slick Strays slipped right between her, tripping her up. Another two flew down from above, landing on top of Riri, taking her arms and pinning them down.


    ¡°Chow,¡± Riri heard the Stray to her right say, followed by cackling and a low whistle. Riri turned her head around and saw Shikis rush in, headed for her from all around. She tried to stand as soon as the Strays let her go, but by the time she moved her head up, a dozen Shikis pounced down onto her, shredding her thighs and shoulders, as blood rapidly gushed onto the ground. Despite being surrounded, Riri attempted to bite at the Shikis, but found two clamped down on her small ears, ripping them off. Soon after, jaws locked her forehead and tore back, revealing her brain visibly. The rest of them turned their attention to Onora, who shook uncontrollably, with tears streaming down her face and urine soaking her pants.


    Before any of them could head for Onora, Moriko coughed, bringing her hand up to her mouth. A bright orb flickered out, shifting into a white box that she slammed on the ground. The white box spread out in the blink of an eye, surrounding all of them except for Onora, who stood outside of it. Moriko held in the pain of her shattered right arm and cried out to the best of her ability, ¡°Run for help!!! Forget about us!¡± She moved her hand to the back of her head in order to protect it from the relentless kicks the Stray gave her.


    ¡°Aviner, what the hell did she do?!¡± one of the Strays questioned, attempting to press his palm through the see-through white barrier. Every attempt was met with a stinging sensation that ran all across his palm.


    ¡°She casted some sort of barrier with her vibe. We have to kill her in order to break it!¡±


    ¡°No, this one¡¯s mine. I have plans for her. I¡¯ll break through this without killing her.¡± The Stray stopped kicking Moriko and turned around. He cracked his massive knuckles and took in the formation.


    Jorsquat impatiently shouted, ¡°Then hurry up and break it, Nibla! We have to kill that other one before she gets away!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like being trapped in spaces,¡± Kyra said.


    The complaining of the others got under Nibla¡¯s skin, as he turned to Moriko. ¡°Look what you did, you lousy little b*tch!¡± Nibla stomped his foot down on Moriko¡¯s head, causing her face to smash into the pebbles around them. ¡°Break this now!¡± He knelt down and grabbed the back of her head.


    Moriko made eye contact with Onora, who couldn¡¯t bring it to herself to run away. ¡°G-Go,¡± she mouthed with a faint smile. Blood trailed down her forehead, messing with her sight.


    The sheer nervousness kept Onora¡¯s knee shaking vigorously and her insides squeezed up together. A fit of nerves kept her frozen in place as she switched from watching Riri¡¯s limbs being torn apart to Moriko getting kicked.


    ¡°What¡¯s the best choice? I can¡¯t leave¡­ but if I stay, we¡¯ll all be killed and this will have all been for nothing¡­¡± Onora felt torn between two choices as tears continued rolling down her face, before she forced herself to take an unsteady breath. She then gulped and stabbed her index fingers into her thigh to knock herself out of her indecisiveness.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m leaving you behind¡­ I¡¯ll come back with help, I promise!¡± A wave of guilt washed over her, as she turned away and rushed off through the trees.


    ¡°Ember, Jorsquat, Kyra, go over to the other three walls! I¡¯ve got this one.¡±


    ¡°What are you planning, Aviner?¡± Kyra asked as she went over to her position.


    ¡°We¡¯ll bring out our vibes to shatter this sh*t surrounding us, come on! Nibla, you¡¯ve got the top¡­¡± Aviner instructed as he watched Nibla backhand Moriko against a rock.


    ¡°You sit and watch what I can do. When I catch your friend¡­ I¡¯M GOING TO SHRED HER TO PIECES AND HAVE YOU EAT HER!¡± Nibla shouted at Moriko, who couldn¡¯t hear at all.


    Moriko¡¯s vision became hazy, as her body turned weaker. She slipped off of the rock she was on, and watched all of the Strays raise their hands one by one. They all stood at their assigned area, their bodies completely still. The see-through walls shook, and began vibrating faster. Nibla flung his hand over his head and in a single thrust¡­


    From afar, Onora leapt through the underbrush as fast as she could, tripping up repeatedly. The ground below her shook. She briefly looked to where she had escaped and felt the foul vibes growing. ¡°Riri¡­ Moriko¡­ I can¡¯t let their sacrifice be in vain!¡± She grit her teeth, forcing herself forward even harder than before. She dove through, shoveling snow back with her fast steps. The gates came into view along with the signals.


    ¡°Hello, this is Onora of Pack Five! Am I coming through?!¡± She tapped her earpiece, running down the road as the connection got stronger.


    ¡°Haha, that Setsu ran away! The Setsus of Osaka lack hardiness. How pitiful,¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can catch up to her,¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯ll be a waste. Just stay here,¡± Aviner warned.


    ¡°Neifer will be really upset if he finds out one got away. If more of them come, it¡¯ll be on us¡­¡± Jorsquat responded.


    ¡°No he won¡¯t¡­ unless you¡¯re stupid enough to tell him. He never ordered us to leave our spots,¡±


    ¡°Let them all come. We¡¯ll get rid of all of them before he even notices, so quit your worrying, p*ssy,¡± Nibla spouted back.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re right about that, Nibla. You always get way over your head, I¡¯m telling the boss it was on you then,¡±


    ¡°Whatever. I don¡¯t know about any of you, but I¡¯m heading back inside to enjoy this snack.¡± Nibla swiped up Moriko¡¯s ankle, licked his lower lip and dragged the unconscious woman away, headed for one of the factory¡¯s hidden chambers.


    ¡°Alright dude, have fun,¡± Kyra said, about to turn away. By then, all the others scattered in their own directions, leaving Nibla and Kyra.


    ¡°You can join if you-¡± Nibla telepathically suggested, but before he could finish, Kyra cut him off.


    ¡°Nah, not now.¡± She disappeared with the passing wind.


    ¡°W-Where¡­?¡± Moriko slowly regained consciousness, only to find that she was surrounded by mutilated female chests. A torch lit over Nibla, who had been waiting for her to awaken as she tried to stand, but found herself pinned to the ground. ¡°RIRI! ONORA!¡± Moriko cried out, finding her clothes torn apart and her body exposed. The Stray grinned, before diving onto her. ¡°W-Why are you doing this?! Stop!¡±


    Her mouth was soon muffled by Nibla. ¡°This is retribution against Osaka, and it¡¯s only the beginning!¡±


    Inside of the main office, Neifer poured a businessman another drink, when one of the Strays appeared before him. ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve handled the pesky flies outside.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great news, Jorsquat¡­ you may rise.¡± Neifer handed a woman the bottle he had in hand while he faced the Stray.


    ¡°We¡¯re afraid they¡¯re growing in numbers; we¡¯ve been discovered.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, everything is going as planned thanks to you and the others.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Is there anything else you¡¯d like me to do, sir? Shall I go out and continue my rounds?¡± Jorsquat stood back up, as the water in his helmet swirled around with the motion.


    ¡°Yes, that would be great. After all, your shift isn¡¯t even over, now is it?¡±


    ¡°I know, sir. I just thought, maybe I could be of better use¡­¡± he hesitantly answered. One of the reasons he even joined Neifer was because of the rumors that he was far more lenient to those under him, a total contrast to the hardships he faced with Jeel.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. You should just go back and make sure there aren¡¯t any more of those flies sneaking in. It wouldn¡¯t be good if you were followed before everything is complete¡­¡±


    ¡°Very well, I understand.¡± Jorsquat bowed, taking steps back when he suddenly heard glass shattering.


    ¡°WHERE THE HELL IS THAT CONTRACT?! I DON¡¯T HAVE ALL DAY TO SIT AROUND THIS FILTHY SH*THOLE! I HAVE DEALS TO MAKE, I THOUGHT I PAID TO HAVE IT IN TWO DAYS, BUT IT¡¯S BEEN THREE, YOU FU**WITS!¡± the businessman ranted.


    ¡°Silence yourself, fool. I¡¯m almost done speaking to my underling here.¡± Neifer quietly gazed over to the man. The business man turned away and took his frustrations out on the cane he had in hand. He attempted to snap it with his knee, but his stumpy legs were too short, leading him to struggle all the more. He spazzed out, flinging the cane across the room.


    ¡°Mr. Burke, please take it easy; it¡¯s on its way! We¡¯re doing as much as we can!¡± one of the female Stray¡¯s attempted to place her hands on his shoulder, but he backhanded the girl, causing her to tumble over. Neifer smoothly stepped in before she fell, allowing her to land into his arm.


    ¡°That¡¯s not good en-¡± Mr. Burke was about to shout, but felt chills run down the back of his neck.


    ¡°You¡¯re not good enough, backhanding one of my underlings¡­ if you don¡¯t watch your tone, you¡¯ll be leaving here empty handed¡­ or worse, you won¡¯t be leaving at all,¡± Neifer warned.


    ¡°You heard the master. I suggest you take another drink, and let us do our part,¡± added Seilei, who had just entered, slipping right behind the corpulent man and dragging her nail across his throat while holding a cup of wine in her other hand.


    ¡°I¡­ still want my contract by tonight, so if I don¡¯t have it by then¡­ that f*cker Chase is going to have me up his ass. You all will, and it won¡¯t be pleasant!¡± he nervously dished out his own warning.


    ¡°You¡¯re a bold one to say that with me this close¡­¡± The tip of Seilei¡¯s nail dug in, drawing a droplet of blood from the tense businessman.


    ¡°Seilei,¡± Neifer telepathically spoke, sensing her urge for blood. His vibe washed all over her, as she blushed. Seilei let go of Mr. Burke obediently. She made her way to the other end of the room where she picked up a book, the same one she¡¯d been reading for the last two days.


    Seilei sighed and briefly nuzzled her palm against the right side of her breast. ¡°He¡¯s asking for it master, but if you must punish me¡­ we can take an excursion to your chamber,¡± Seilei softly responded Neifer¡¯s way.


    ¡°Cut it out, you¡¯re wearing a nun¡¯s get up.¡± Seilei dropped her head in shame and mumbled to herself, flipping through the book¡¯s contents.


    Likewise, being released from the brief touch of death, the businessman dropped to his knees as his belly jiggled. He coughed several times and then flopped his arm, hobbling back to his stumpy feet. ¡°Monsters,¡± he muttered under his breath quietly and returned to his seat on the large black couch.


    ¡°Jorsquat, about last night.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes? Ember was leading us¡­¡±


    ¡°All five of you encountered the dogs of the Fukushima, yes? The Yori? Tell me what happened.¡±


    Jorsquat felt uneasy, but explained, ¡°We went to check on Goigar, but ran into a Setsu who happened to kill it. He was a Rikuto, but we made short work of him together¡­ until his comrades arrived. We made sure to take four different directions to avoid being followed together to the factory. I believe his name is Yoshigawa Fukushima, and he shares ties with the embassy of the British.¡±


    ¡°Embassy of the British¡­¡±


    ¡°He isn¡¯t the only one, there was another Rikuto that Jeel ran into. Honshu isn¡¯t lacking like the rumors say.¡±


    ¡°These are things Chase will want to know,¡± Neifer stated, half in thought. ¡°After you leave a report for him, take Aviner and Oris to retrieve that contract.¡± Neifer went over to a desk and rummaged through the upper drawer, then flicked over a disk, which Jorsquat caught.


    ¡°Inside of that, there¡¯s info on the address and the target. Sango Ginko. Be more careful this time around.¡±

 Chapter 25

    ¡°No, no, no, this can¡¯t be¡­¡± Yoshigawa found himself mumbling, having peered through into a room full of injured Setsu. Despite the fact that it was dimly lit inside, he spotted a bandaged body with Naomi¡¯s energy on the last bed in the far back.


    ¡°Doctor, that can¡¯t be Naomi in there¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, Naomi Niwa¡­ ¡± A doctor went through his list. ¡°I¡¯m afraid the one you¡¯re asking for has had half of her heart gem eaten¡­ in her condition, if it is not retrieved within the next three days, she will die. It¡¯s a shame, she¡¯s so young too. The Niwa were really looking forward to the growth of their hardworking prodigy. She was just appointed to the position of Shosa, to think this could happen so soon¡­¡± The doctor lamented, continuing his walk through the hallway.


    ¡°That can¡¯t-¡± A painful sting panged in his chest, leading him to stagger backwards, only to jolt back up for the door pad.


    ¡°There¡¯s these really sweet lemon cakes on sale.¡± Her smile, her soft hand, her very being, it all flowed into him. ¡°Yoshigawa, look at this! Does it look good on me?¡± Her voice echoed in his head. Desperation pulsed all throughout his nerves, and all he could think about was her voice. The thought of never hearing her voice again, an unbearable possibility. An intense yearning to hug her swept through his body. His worst nightmare came true, the worry he¡¯d had so many nights: her being out in the field patrolling Osaka, only to never return.


    ¡°It¡¯s not meant to be, we''re from different worlds. I come from a peasant clan and you¡¯re next in line to be a successor. I¡¯m sorry, Yoshigawa.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t worry! I only have to legally do five years of service and then I¡¯ll be done with being in the Ikigai¡­ if you¡¯re serious about us¡­¡± Her reassuring words, now dead. It all had to happen on the single night he thought she¡¯d mostly be safe. On the single night that she¡¯d have many Ikigai by her side.


    Stumbling into the room in a crazed state, he slid by beds, accidentally stubbing his toe into a seat that he didn¡¯t notice was in his way. A number of injured Setsu groaned in discomfort of all the noise. A robotic hovering bat with a nurse hat, floated to Yoshigawa, telepathically informing him, ¡°Visitors must remain quiet.¡±


    Yoshigawa shoved it aside without a care, moving past beds until he arrived at Naomi¡¯s side. There, he felt his heart gem palpitate. The few visible parts of her face, so very pale. Her body, so fragile, so lifeless. His lungs constricted, suffocating him as he stood over her, unable to maintain a constant gaze on her. He dropped to his knees, out of shock, only to weakly stand back up and reach for a stool that he accidentally knocked over.


    ¡°Keep the noise down!¡± Yoshigawa heard an injured Setsu say, though he was too disoriented to care. Someone had used it, Yoshigawa realized, feeling the warm stool as he slipped onto it.


    ¡°I had a feeling¡­ I should have been there¡­ why¡¯d it have to be you¡­ I told you to ditch those duties last night and wait at my place, but you didn¡¯t listen¡­ I told you to be safe¡­ you ran away from our promise¡­ Nao.¡±


    He took a hold of her cold hand. Leaning up towards her face, he slipped her hand to his chest and silently weeped. His teardrops dropped onto the bandages that covered most of her face.


    ¡°You promised you¡¯d make it back to my place for those lemon cakes¡­ but I find you like this? You never change¡­ you¡¯re so troublesome, always breaking promises¡­¡±


    Yoshigawa stared at her face, as his eyes wouldn¡¯t stop producing tears.


    ¡°You may look so peaceful and innocent, but you¡¯re¡­ still a liar.¡±


    Monitors continued to beep, emitting faint yellow lights that brushed out to make his face visible. Staring into that yellow light, he spaced out.


    Unlike the darkness of the room he found himself in, that particular day¡­ a bright ray of light struck his vision, leading him to cover his eyes as he stood on a road. Vast farmland stretched out as far as he could see. Right in front of him, a seemingly never-ending field with many stallions roaming around. A summer day unlike any other. It was both the best and worst summer of his life. The anxious feeling of waiting, knowing someone was coming. His first crush. So many thoughts jumbled within his boyish mind.


    One thing snapped him out of all those thoughts: the sensation of someone pressing a cold bottle of water against the back of his neck. The boy jumped up and turned around to see it was one of his best friends, Takumi, accompanied by his three other best friends: Luu, Sanosuke, and Rae.


    What was another day of adventure for the boys was far bigger for Yoshigawa. His four friends all stared at him running around them in search of someone. After a while, he realized she wasn¡¯t with them. They were supposed to have sneaked her into the haystack they brought. Yoshigawa jumped into a cart, searching about and eventually poked his head out of the hay confused.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t wanna come,¡± the four all said in unison, all feeling bad about Yoshigawa¡¯s excited nature dwindling down.


    ¡°Take the chance, believe in me. I¡¯m here, so nothing bad¡¯s gonna happen,¡± he remembered telling her, and that she avoided responding. He knew she loved him, but questioned himself and if that were actually true.


    She was supposed to hide in the hay that the four brought, but Sanosuke recounted he flirted with the maids to keep them from noticing Takumi pulling her outside. He covered her mouth so she wouldn¡¯t scream, as Rae slipped a sack over her head and whisked her away. Once they were far enough in the surrounding forest, they let her out of the sack, but Takumi threatened to knock her out if it helps in keeping her silent, to which Luu hit Takumi over the head, telling him not to scare her. The pair got into tussling until Sanosuke broke it up and Luu Reminded the others of giving her free will to choose if she wanted to go or not. They all waited for an answer and she said she wanted to stay, she didn¡¯t want to go. Yoshigawa¡¯s glare went to Luu.


    Their attempts at cheering Yoshigawa all failed, so the boys spent the rest of that evening staring at the passing clouds, each laying back under the same shaded tree.


    ¡°Women are cancerous, so you should¡¯ve expected this. It¡¯s just not worth loving anyone but yourself.¡±


    Luu quietly played a circular instrument he had in hand, only stopping after hearing what Takumi had to say. Takumi eyed him. ¡°What? You have something to say?¡±


    ¡°Not all women are cancerous¡­ and she¡¯s not even a woman yet, Takumi.¡±


    ¡°But she has women around her, so where do you think she¡¯s learned that behavior? Then again, she comes from a lower clan. And you¡¯ve never been in love, so you should shut up and keep playing your trash ass instrument instead,¡± Takumi responded, picking at his claw.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting so emotional. All I said is not all women are that way. Oh yeah, I forgot¡­ you got dumped by a girl who wasn¡¯t even yours to begin with,¡± Luu shot back, rubbing his left eye and yawning.


    ¡°F*ck you. You wouldn¡¯t understand¡­¡± Takumi growled, watching Luu snuggle back on the grass for a nap. Sanosuke and Rae both were in their own conversation, pointing at the different clouds that continued to swirl by.


    Yoshigawa didn¡¯t say anything at all. Even after they returned to the resort, he went his own way, slipping onto a bed. The other boys went off to a racing track nearby, prefering to give him the space he needed. Following that evening came a long, heart-wrenching night that eventually helped him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I-I was told to help around the chambers. Miss Mariam would have noticed I was gone, so I didn¡¯t want to get in trouble. I have my family to think about, too¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I should have thought about that. Next time, I¡¯ll ask Mariam myself then.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯d raise suspicion, she¡¯d never allow it.¡±


    ¡°And I won¡¯t allow them to stop us from playing. Jeez Naomi, do you hate me or somethin¡¯? You never wanna play just because others tell you not to!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­ I just can¡¯t trouble my family¡­¡±


    ¡°Ohhh, I¡¯m not family to you?¡± Yoshigawa flung his arms over.


    ¡°You can play with the other guys,¡± she tried to change the subject, but he wasn¡¯t having any of that.


    ¡°Nah, at least pinky promise, to hold your word next time or¡­ we won¡¯t ever talk again.¡± Yoshigawa held his pinky out to her, but she dropped her head, not taking it. Disgruntled, he turned away from her. He heard her sniffling under the pressure.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Yoshigawa took a step to walk out of the shed they were in, only to be hugged from behind.


    ¡°No! I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t be as vocal as you¡­ I promise, I¡¯ll try next time.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t breaking that promise. I won¡¯t let you.¡± He snapped himself out of the memories, standing up from the stool. A boiling rage fizzled up inside him. What happened? He had to know who was responsible for her current state.


    As he exited the patient¡¯s room, he spotted two Setsus at the end of the hall, their conversation quite in the open. One of the two paced back and forth nervously. Yoshigawa recognized the two as Tron and Halse. Both members of Naomi¡¯s pack¡­ exactly who he wanted to speak to.


    ¡°Yo,¡± he called their way, heading straight for them. Their knees buckled upon seeing him.


    ¡°Lord Fukushima¡­¡± Halse scratched his beard, dropping down onto one knee right after.


    ¡°You visited Naomi¡­ my apologies! I couldn¡¯t watch over her as you requested. She posted me elsewhere and as the newly appointed Shosa, I couldn¡¯t refuse he-¡±


    ¡°You two, give me your memories of last night,¡± Yoshigawa cut Halse off.


    Yoshigawa¡¯s eyes became a pale orange, and his Retsu almost oozed out of him with a darker sensation than ever before. The two turned their heads to each other, then back to Yoshigawa who was approaching them with his hands held up, aiming for their sweaty foreheads.


    Soaring across the bright sky, a lone bird swooped down into an empty nest that Takumi gazed at. He spaced out, ignoring the many ramblings going on inside of the classroom. ¡°How boring,¡± he thought to himself, tilting his head when he saw the bird take off again.


    ¡°This is what school¡¯s about? The same old¡­¡± He squinted silently, moving his index finger around his cheek in a circular motion.


    ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m sharing a class with a Rikuto of the Hachi! A future Sekiha!¡°


    ¡°It must be nice coming from royalty!¡±


    ¡°His sister is the principle, too!¡°


    ¡°I know right, do you want to try talking to him? Think about what we can experience if we befriend him!¡±


    ¡°Does he have a Stagfam? Go ask him for it!¡±


    ¡°My dad works in the macroft company that¡¯s owned by his father! Maybe I can get him a raise in the company!¡±


    ¡°Or you¡¯ll wind up getting him fired, chill¡­¡±


    ¡°If he doesn¡¯t like you, he can get your whole family destroyed. I wouldn¡¯t get too close.¡±


    ¡°You want to go missing? I¡¯ve heard the rumors¡­¡±


    Students within the class mumbled discretely amongst themselves. They sneaked glances to Takumi, who continued staring out of the window as if he were unaware, as if he were in his own invisible glass cage.


    ¡°Mhm¡­ nothing has changed. F*ck this,¡± Takumi thought to himself with an irritated sigh. ¡°Once again, stuck in a room full of useless fools. Why¡¯d I think this would be any different?¡± He picked up on a repressed vibe nearing the class entrance. Not that he cared enough to check who entered.


    None of the other students noticed the door of the classroom slide open as the homeroom teacher arrived. The entire class casually continued their babbling, as the teacher made a quick assessment of the students present in his class. He scanned the room for the five students the principal informed him of¡­ the promising Setsus that were entrusted to him, four lords put in his own class. Of those four, only Takumi was present.


    ¡°So that¡¯s one of them.¡± The instructor played with one side of his short mustache and watched Takumi suddenly reach into his bag to take out a book. The book¡¯s spine read ¡°Basketball Vertical Tips.¡±


    ¡°A basketball book by Yuki Sagara¡­¡± The sight of the book reminded him of the conversation he had with Miyumi in the early hours of the morning, prior to the beginning of class.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you actually made it this early, Mr. Fujiwara,¡± he heard Miyumi say over her fast typing, as he closed the door and helped himself to some toast a hovering robot had in a basket that balanced on its head.


    ¡°What can I say? It¡¯s not everyday that you seek me out so urgently. Plus, I had to do some early shopping for some new goggles. Have to make a great impression on the first day, you know ¡° he answered, taking a bite out of the toast.


    ¡°I called you in to ask for a favor, Fuji,¡± she informed him, clicking through different files on her holo-screen. Miyumi then slid her seat over to where he could see her, since her desk was stacked with other papers she had to sign by hand.


    ¡°And what would that be?¡± Fujiwara coughed. ¡°Also, calling your old teacher so informally, now that¡¯s new.¡±


    ¡°Oops, sorry! Anyway, Fuuuuujjjiii¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve grown colder Miyumi.¡± Mr. Fujiwara turned away, pretending that he was about to cry, as he slid his forearm to his eyes dramatically.


    ¡°Teehee,¡± Miyumi teased, before continuing on. ¡°As you may already know, you have five lords in your class! Out of all of them, there¡¯s one that¡¯s going to be really problematic! Because of that, I want you to give my baby brother a test on the first day.¡±


    The students in the class chattered louder, snapping Mr. Fujiwara out of the flashback.


    ¡°Very well. First order of business.¡± He made his way to his desk at the front of the class and slid his briefcase onto it. ¡°Oh, how didn¡¯t I notice? We also seem to have another¡­¡± He glanced over to an orange-haired girl, as her vibe washed right by him when he passed her desk. ¡°A Ginko too?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just as Miyu said¡­¡± One of the orbs on his French hat glowed a faint blue. Sadao gripped his suitcase, walked over to his desk, and slammed the suitcase down, attracting the attention of all the students. The suitcase automatically unlatched when he slammed it down and sprung up to their surprise, revealing particles forming wiggling worms that rose out.


    ¡°Hello all. I¡¯m Sadao Fujiwara, 34 years old, obviously a male. I¡¯ll be the teacher for class D-1. Pleased to have you all here. From this day forward, I will groom you all to be the best versions of yourselves.¡± Mr. Fujiwara¡¯s ears twitched, hearing the teens whisper amongst themselves.


    ¡°Most of you are in this top class because of your grades, but don¡¯t let that get to your head ¡®cause I can get you out of here at any moment,¡± Sadao warned as the students chattered under their breath.


    ¡°Is he really Japanese? He seems foreign,¡± one of the students thought aloud.


    ¡°I¡¯m French and Japanese,¡± Sadao responded, irked. He adjusted his special goggles over his eyes. ¡°Everyone take your seats, now,¡± Sadao added, still hearing students whisper to each other.


    ¡°Really, who is this small guy?¡±


    ¡°Is he a student?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a small fry!¡±


    ¡°No! You mean a French fry!¡±


    ¡°BAHAHAHAHA!¡± Most of the class exploded into laughter.


    Without saying a  single word, Mr. Fujiwara intensely glared at the babbling students, choosing to make examples out of only three. Worms within his case flew out and stuffed into the mouths of the students who bickered too much. The worms expanded like gum, stretching across their lips. They latched onto the students¡¯ jawlines, keeping them from talking any further.  Those kids attempted to pry off the apparent gum, but found they were completely immobile seconds later. The laughter died down, as all the other students froze up.


    ¡°Now, we¡¯ll go around the class and you¡¯ll all introduce yourselves. No more fooling around. I¡¯ll be straightforward here: you get in trouble three times, you¡¯re out. I don¡¯t take sh*t from anyone. Those who¡¯ve been stopped from talking have already lost fifty points. Reach one hundred and you¡¯re expelled.¡± All of the students gasped after what Sadao said.


    ¡°Y-You can¡¯t be seri-¡± one began to think out loud, but quickly covered his mouth.


    ¡°Great, that¡¯s what I like. Silence. Speak only when spoken to. We can have fun in the class, but right now is the time to be serious. Everyone rise and in an orderly file, place your phones in this basket. No unauthorized devices in learning premises. Those things are like a plague to one¡¯s concentration. We¡¯re going to aim to become the most intelligent freshman class of this year¡­  which should lead to a handsome pay bonus for me¡­¡± Mr. Fujiwara folded his hands back. All of the students did so, aside from Takumi, who lowered his phone¡¯s volume and kept it hidden. No one mentioned him and Sadao continued on with his talk after they all returned to their seats.


    ¡°This class is completely composed of Setsus, so tell me of your ambitions freely. Are you here as a prerequisite to joining one of the Order¡¯s military branches?¡± No one answered. ¡°Or because you¡¯re seeking a different career out of the field?¡± Sadao looked around, but none dared to speak up to that question either. He closed his eyes with a sigh. ¡°Fine, if none of you will go first, I¡¯ll have to pick.¡± Sadao lifted his hand and brought it down, pointing over to an orange-haired girl.


    ¡°You, you¡¯re Himari Ginko from the illustrious Ginko family of Kumamoto. Tell me, how is the activity in Kumamoto? I miss the hot springs there¡­ I¡¯d say the evening weather is best there compared to other regions of Japan. Ah, your grandfather¡­ my, it¡¯s been years. How is he?¡±


    ¡°I actually haven¡¯t ever been there¡­ umm¡­ my grandfather? I don¡¯t really know too many of my family members so I can¡¯t say much.¡± What she said made the other students around break into whispers, making Himari visibly uncomfortable as she lowered her head.


    ¡°Oh¡­ my apologies. Well you¡¯re the student with the highest mark in our class, so tell us about yourself and what you plan to do for university.¡±


    Himari squirmed when the teacher looked her way. All eyes darted to her as she clumsily stood up, composing herself a second later. She hid her sadness and quietly spoke. ¡°I¡¯m not joining any military branches nor am I really getting into any Setsu activities. I¡¯m only here to get high marks and enroll in a university that can help me with my music career¡­ that¡¯s all really.¡±


    ¡°This new generation is softer than noodles¡­ I¡¯ll have to do something about that.¡± Mr. Fujiwara sighed and rubbed his goatee using his black glove. ¡°Very well, who¡¯s next?¡± He skimmed the room. A total of four students were absent, and they were amongst the ones Miyumi had mentioned to the teacher. Seeing as they hadn¡¯t attended the first day, Sadao made a mental note and went on to pick all of the other students at random, purposely saving Takumi for last.


    ¡°Now, the last one. Takumi Hachi. Tell us all about yourself. You being the heir to the Hachi family, surely have a grand vision since you will be the emperor of Japan in a few years¡­¡± Sadao smirked while Takumi squinted with a frown. ¡°So long as you manage to defend that rite of passage.¡±


    Most of the students in the class stared in awe, turning around to hear what Takumi had to say. Many squirmed in their seats gleefully. Takumi knew he was called, but continued to gaze out of the window as if he hadn¡¯t heard the teacher at all. That is, until the staring of the whole class became uncomfortable. At that point, he had no choice to turn around, and the fact that he was pissed off was obvious in the glare he shot the entire class. In a monotone voice, he asked, ¡°What?¡±


    Mr. Fujiwara folded his arms, taking in Takumi¡¯s posture. Takumi sighed and stood up to give his answer, preferring to get the attention off of himself fast. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to join any of that. I¡¯m only here to pass my classes and become the best basketball player of my era. I¡¯m going overseas to continue my basketball career.¡± Takumi stared directly at Mr. Fujiwara as his classmates all commented.


    ¡°A Rikuto thinking of a basketball career?¡±


    ¡°Why that? He has so much money already¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s really cool and all, but¡­ what a waste.¡±


    ¡°Isn''t basketball used to distract humans?¡±


    ¡°Get real. As if his family¡¯s going to let that happen.¡±


    The wave of comments continued on, coming all throughout the room. ¡°Any of you care to speak louder?!¡± Takumi turned to face the rest of the class. ¡°Come on, speak up!¡±


    They all instantly avoided making eye contact. Takumi grabbed the closest male student and lifted him a few inches off of the ground, shaking him in the process. ¡°You want to speak up for them?!¡± The student shook his head, not uttering a word as he was shoved back to his seat. Sadao clapped to get their attention back to him.


    ¡°Now, now. Mr. Hachi, there¡¯s no need for violence.¡±


    ¡°Basketball?¡± Mr. Fujiwara thought to himself, studying the aggressive nature that came out of Takumi, who slowly loosened his fists. ¡°The irony¡­¡±


    ¡°Tell me class, do you believe in having a predestined role? Do you believe people are made to do a specific duty and if so, must they do it instead of pursuing their own desires or conform to the careers already laid out in front of them? How are you any different from a person doing what has been predestined for them? Doesn¡¯t everyone have the ability to choose what they do? Or is free will simply an illusion?¡± Sadao pointed to Takumi, only for the robotic announcer to say that it was time for lunch. All of the students rose from their seats in relief of not having to answer such intense questions.


    ¡°Just think about those questions for now. Everyone can go¡­ except for you, Mr. Hachi.¡± Takumi silently watched the other students exit and sucked his teeth, disgruntled. He stood up and went for the door, but Mr. Fujiwara slid right in his way and slammed his palm against the door frame.


    Takumi glared down at the short teacher, placing his palm on Mr. Fujiwara¡¯s rather stiff forearm. ¡°Get out of my way, midget.¡±


    ¡°Aw, that¡¯s the brat I knew you were. Nothing like Taro. You¡¯ll have to do better if you want to catch up to him, little boy.¡±


    ¡°Taro? What are yo-¡± Takumi paused. ¡°I¡¯m not a little boy.¡±


    ¡°And I''m not a midget.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you clearly are.¡± Takumi squinted his eyes, sensing that his teacher wasn¡¯t actually smaller. He tried to yank Mr. Fujiwara¡¯s forearm down, but the teacher had too firm a grip on the door¡¯s frame.


    ¡°Tch.¡± Takumi sucked his fang, secretly sending a vibration of Retsu to burn at Mr. Fujiwara¡¯s eye, but it failed to go through the teacher¡¯s goggles.


    ¡°So weak¡­ what a shame. Can you even grip a basketball properly with that hand strength?¡± Sadao sighed. ¡°You¡¯ll never be able to be as great as Taro.¡±


    A vein sprouted on the left side of Takumi¡¯s forehead after hearing what his teacher said. ¡°Hmph. Say what you want, but move out of my way. I have some sophomores to hunt down.¡± Takumi closed his eyes, controlling the anger that steadily boiled in him at the mention of his brother¡¯s name, yet again.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Nah, you can find them later. I did tell you I wanted to talk, right?¡±


    ¡°Make it quick, shrimp.¡± Takumi glared from the corner of his eye.


    ¡°You, a Rikuto Setsu, who is supposed to be in charge of your family one day¡­ want to become the greatest basketball player of your era? Huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I do. That¡¯s what I¡¯ll use my free will for. For you to come at me like this, I can tell¡­ my sister put you up to this, didn¡¯t she?¡± Inside of his pocket, Takumi clenched his fist as his shadow cast over Mr. Fujiwara.


    ¡°Well, at least you have some kind of a brain in that head of yours¡­ though you should, considering you¡¯re number three in the class. Ironically, I was once her teacher. Ah, those good old days¡­¡± Mr. Fujiwara coughed. ¡°Anyway, in part, yes and no. Let¡¯s put this into perspective. You think you can become the best basketball player? While your brother exists? While there are so many talented monsters out there? Why put yourself through those struggles when you have it made already and can be the emperor of Japan someday? That is what I have to take from you today.¡± He silently watched Takumi.


    ¡°If the answer you want out of me is that I¡¯m on some journey, I''m not givin¡¯ you that, pal.¡±


    ¡°Then you aren¡¯t on a journey of revenge? Or a rebellious phase?¡±


    ¡°None of that.¡± Takumi sighed, annoyed.


    ¡°That makes me want to take you on myself. Show me then. Show me just how pathetic you are.¡±


    ¡°Keep yapping. I don¡¯t have to explain myself to anyone. I know I¡¯m going to be the best,¡± Takumi replied, garnering laughter from his teacher. ¡°Enough of this. I really need you to get out of my way or else lunch will be over without me gaining any leads on Hirazawa¡¯s captain.¡±


    ¡°What? You¡¯re too scared to face this ¡®shrimp¡¯ in a game then?¡± Mr. Fujiwara taunted.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure this is bullying¡­ or some sort of harassment.¡±


    ¡°Nah, not what Taro would say.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to keep at it, huh?¡± Takumi squinted further. The two stood around as Mr. Fujiwara then made way for a robotic octopus-like janitor to enter the classroom. It moved around vacuums with some tentacles while another squirted the board.


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to get fired, only looking to make an assessment; if you lose, then you¡¯ll take it as a sign that you aren¡¯t cut out for it.¡±


    ¡°Fine, if that¡¯s the only way to get you off my back, whatever. Let¡¯s get this over with.¡± Takumi watched Mr. Fujiwara let go of the door.


    Minutes later, the two found themselves just outside of the cafeteria, at a basketball court. Students recognized the two and gathered around. Others sat down on the hovering tables nearby, enjoyed their lunch and apparently the free show.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Mr. Fujiwara from class D-1?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s he doing with a basketball?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s facing Takumi Hachi. I saw him play before.¡±


    ¡°Is he any good?¡±


    ¡°You bet he is! He lit a fire under Togata¡¯s cheeks!¡±


    ¡°No way! Seriously?!¡±


    The aura around the place heated up. Both Takumi and Mr. Fujiwara still had their respective school uniforms on and stepped onto the baby-blue court near the outer lunch area. ¡°This is going to be a game of ten, and I¡¯ll get the ball first. Ha-ha!¡±


    Takumi shrugged and sighed, tapping the tip of his school shoes against the court line. ¡°Can¡¯t believe I¡¯m letting myself get pulled into this.¡± He thought of leaving initially, but Mr. Fujiwara baited him yet again.


    ¡°One must defend their desires at all times. If you walk away, you are showing you¡¯re a coward to all the students here. You¡¯re proving you can¡¯t stand to face the tall obstacles that get in your way of accomplishing your aspirations. How destructive that¡¯d be to your highschool reputation¡­¡±


    ¡°Tch. You talk too-¡±


    ¡°If you cannot do that against me, you¡¯ll never be able to look at your father or yourself,¡± Mr. Fujiwara added, tossing the basketball over to Takumi. Takumi caught it and spiked it back to him.


    ¡°Make this qu-¡± Just when Takumi was going to get into a defensive stance, Sadao bolted right at him, catching Takumi off guard with the sudden maneuver that got him two points. He took two big leaps, caught the ball, rose over Takumi and shot the ball right in his face, to the shock of all the students. Takumi watched Mr. Fujiwara¡¯s torso come back down as he caught a glimpse of a locket rise out of Sadao¡¯s buttoned down shirt.


    The locket had a photograph in it. In the picture, there were individuals each with a basketball in their hand. Of those, Takumi saw a young Miyumi in the picture, along with another fellow that Takumi couldn¡¯t see too clearly.


    ¡°This guy¡­ Sadao.¡± The name now struck Takumi¡¯s mind. He had heard it somewhere in the past. He tried tracing his memories, only to feel pressure in his gut. Mr. Fujiwara shoved the basketball into Takumi¡¯s gut, effectively forcing Takumi out of his thoughts.


    ¡°Close off all the cheering, focus right here boy. What¡¯s with the long face? You¡¯re not facing just any teacher,¡± Mr. Fujiwara telepathically told Takumi. He bounced the basketball off of Takumi¡¯s forehead, despite Takumi remaining unfazed, with a maddening wide eyed glare.


    ¡°Defend!¡± Sadao shouted with a smile, as his hungry eyes became visible from behind the goggles he wore. The gaze made Takumi freeze in place as Sadao swiped his hand to get the attention of Takumi¡¯s eyes while he jumped up and shot with one hand again.


    ¡°WOAH! Nothing but net!¡± shouted one of the students, jumping from his seat at a nearby table.


    The basketball rolled up to Takumi¡¯s shoe as he met Mr. Fujiwara¡¯s upset expression. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to brag, but you¡¯re taking on someone who¡¯s faced Toshira, Ukuiyei.¡±


    ¡°Did he say Toshira!? As in¡­?¡± The revelation shocked Takumi. ¡°The pro baller on the Japanese League¡¯s Blitzers team?¡±


    ¡°And to think you were preaching about being a pro baller¡­¡± Sadao shook his head.


    ¡°Tch, I haven¡¯t gotten the ball yet¡­¡± Takumi protested, kicking the basketball over to Sadao.


    ¡°Then earn it!!!¡± Sadao shouted.


    ¡°Consider it done.¡± Takumi got into position once more. Sadao did the same, making his way back behind the free throw line. From drinking milk cartons to eating popcorn, the students were running the cafeteria out of business. The atmosphere intensified, as the anticipation became overwhelming. Takumi extended his arm up, placed his free hand on his thigh and paid close attention to Sadao¡¯s hips.


    ¡°Foolish boy. I¡¯ll teach you to always keep your eyes moving!¡± Sadao smirked, seeing where Takumi¡¯s eyes were. He looked up with the intention of shooting the ball, but when he hopped up, Takumi had leaped higher than him and sent the ball back with a mighty echoing slap that caught everyone off guard. The ball flew into the crowd as the students all gasped.


    ¡°One of you, fetch the ball,¡± Sadao ordered just as fast.


    While they waited, he noted the change in Takumi¡¯s eyes. Before, they were empty, one could say aloof and very much disinterested; now, they were blazing with life. ¡°The boy wasn¡¯t being ignorant. He was checking me the whole time¡­ not bad,¡± Sadao thought to himself.


    Takumi¡¯s wide eyes were glued onto him, a glare identical to that of a starving tiger¡¯s. ¡°You look hungry¡­ I¡¯m glad I now have your full attention. Those eyes are just like your father¡¯s, that fires me up!¡± Sadao exclaimed as he was unable to resist the urge to smile. Takumi was far too zoned in to hear anything Sadao said.


    ¡°Here you are, sir.¡± A short boy bowed his head, handing Sadao the ball, before running back to the sidelines.


    Takumi once again leaned over, paying close attention to Sadao¡¯s hands and shoulders. ¡°This time, I¡¯m gonna steal it,¡± Takumi told himself in his head.


    Sadao twisted his head from left to right and got straight to work, rushing for Takumi¡¯s left side. He focused on Takumi¡¯s hip and attempted to pass the ball between Takumi¡¯s knees, but to Sadao¡¯s surprise, the ball wasn¡¯t at the receiving point he had planned it to be.


    ¡°Got it. Now it¡¯s my turn, old man,¡± Sadao heard Takumi say. His jawline clenched as Takumi whipped back and got behind the freethrow line. He could feel strong vibes emanating from Takumi.


    ¡°He¡¯s only up by four. No big deal.¡± Takumi explosively bolted down the left corner. Sadao tracked him, but Takumi quickly paused, and threw the ball up. The sunlight from above hit Sadao¡¯s goggles. From the corner of his eyes, he recognized the ball.


    ¡°When did he shoot it?!¡± Sadao watched in shock as the ball bounced off the rim. Takumi quickly ran for the rebound and shot it back up with ease. Wind washed down, slapping the bottom of Sadao¡¯s pants around.


    ¡°Ah, my neck!¡± Sadao flinched, slapping his palm behind his neck. ¡°He completely played with my body, that little¡­¡± Sadao growled, but soon began laughing. The other students around clapped mesmerized by the performance.


    ¡°That¡¯s two points. Come, I¡¯m not finished with you.¡± Takumi¡¯s piercing eyes darted straight to Sadao, who made his way over and signaled for Takumi to let him check the ball.


    Takumi quickly chucked the ball at Sadao and raced behind the free throw line like a dog expecting to be thrown a bone. Sadao threw it up, and expected Takumi to lunge up for the ball, but Takumi¡¯s wingspan helped him. Takumi waited for the ball to glide down to his side, and the moment it tapped his hip, Takumi slid his right foot behind his left and smashed his palm against the back of the ball.


    The force made the ball spike right past Sadao¡¯s right side. Sadao twisted over in an attempt to slap the ball, but he mistakenly slapped the ball to his left side, where Takumi caught it and ran in towards him instead of going for the basket. Sadao turned only to see Takumi right in front of him, as he felt the ball pass through his legs, before disappearing out of his sight. The twist of his back rendered Sadao incapable of turning as he dropped to his bum and heard the crowd cheering again.


    ¡°FOUR TO FOUR!!!¡± students all around repeated. Sadao watched the clouds in the lime sky roll by. He enjoyed the feeling of the warm ground on his arm as he tried to lean back up in pain.


    ¡°Get up. There¡¯s still more left for you, shrimp,¡± Takumi taunted.


    ¡°Shrimp? Oui, I sure could go for some right now. Ehahahahah,¡± Sadao laughed. ¡°We¡¯re done here, you win.¡±


    ¡°I won? You wanted me to prove that I¡¯m going to become the best basketball player of this era. So come on, let me ingrain it in your body.¡±


    ¡°Non, non. You got my back good there. Plus, I¡¯m not in my natural Setsu state. It takes a lot to maintain this weak form. I could die you know.¡± Sadao rubbed his lower back, adjusting his goggles. Takumi squinted, clearly pissed off, but went over and extended his hand down to Sadao, who accepted it and stood up.


    ¡°You were all talk, huh?¡± Takumi was disappointed.


    ¡°I never really doubted you. Just had to confirm something,¡± Sadao explained.


    ¡°How lame.¡± Takumi sighed, shaking his head.


    ¡°You¡¯re a reserved kid, but admit it¡­ I woke up that slumbering beast in you. That¡¯s good though. Keep that fire and never let it burn out, you got that?¡±


    ¡°Whatever.¡± Takumi slid one of his hands into his pocket and walked off, slipping into the crowd that quickly made way for him to get through.


    ¡°He made me waste my lunch break. Tch, I only have eleven minutes left. For that, I¡¯m going to skip class and use that time to find those two sophomores,¡± Takumi thought to himself as he passed by Hanami¡¯s classroom. She had been in there with Minami and Veil for the duration of the lunch period, instead of going to the lunchroom with the others.


    Hanami went over to the robotic trash bin and fed it the juicebox she had sipped up. When she turned her head, she saw Takumi through the window, and stepped out of the room to see that he was headed towards the exit stairway door although there were only roughly ten minutes left until class started again.


    ¡°Where does he think he¡¯s going? Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s skipping?!¡± She knocked her seat aside, but before she could run out, some of the students from her class were already coming in and two of those students stopped in front of her and asked for her name.


    ¡°I¡¯m Haruna Hasegawa,¡± she told the boys. Hanami blinked, confused at the silence. The two didn¡¯t respond; instead, they seemed like the color of their faces drained out. ¡°Ehhh?¡± She raised a brow and tippy toed to wave her hand in front of the two, when a third fellow came in between them. He locked his arms around the two, pulling them in and cheerfully greeted her.


    ¡°Hi there, cutie! I¡¯m Hisaya! Atomu, no way! And Daiki! I haven¡¯t seen you two since the end of middle school, what¡¯s up!? Trying to bag the cute girls, I see.¡± Hisaya checked the two. They continued shaking feverishly, which he found weird. Just as he looked down to Hanami, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Haruna¡­ Hasegawa,¡± she hesitantly repeated, causing Hisaya to shiver as soon as he heard her name. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she questioned, to which Hisaya stepped back and gently pushed on Atomu and Daiki¡¯s shoulders, making them fall onto their knees.


    ¡°Th-The Hasegawa?!?!¡± He screamed, diving over behind a table. The others looked over, too. ¡°Princess, sorry for speaking so informally!!!¡± Hisaya announced in fear. This was because outside of school grounds, if a male that isn¡¯t a part of one of the Rikuto Guard families that serve the Imperial family were to talk to the princess, they¡¯d be punished by¡­


    Atomu and Daiki suddenly slammed their hands to the ground and begged for forgiveness the same, then Hisaya gripped his crotch and cried out, ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose my balls! I don¡¯t want to die!¡±


    ¡°Get up! Get up! It¡¯s okay! I''m a fellow student like each of you, so you can be informal.¡±


    ¡°OH PRINCESS, YOU¡¯RE SO FORGIVING!!!¡± The three cried out.


    ¡°No! I''m an ordinary student like you, stand!¡±


    Concerned, Hanami tapped their shoulders and urged them to stand up. She blushed, embarrassed at the scene created, but quickly left, since she had to go after Takumi. By the time she got out the front door of the class, Takumi was further down the hall, having stopped momentarily to tie his shoe.


    ¡°HEYYYYYY!¡± Hanami yelled out, pointing at Takumi.


    Takumi picked up the annoying cherry scent and voice that he despised. Turning his back to look, he sighed. ¡°As expected¡­ Hasegawa.¡± Takumi turned away and hastily increased his footsteps, speed walking right through the door. The hot pursuit commenced.


    ¡°First that midget¡­ now the monkey.¡±


    Hanami flew right after him, passing two girls that had been gawking at Takumi and jumped up, kicking the door. Takumi glided down the stairs in a hurry and looked up as the upper door flung open with Hanami landing just in front of the top staircase where he had been.


    ¡°HEY!!! GET BACK HERE!!!¡± She flailed her finger at him, but Takumi continued, shoving a guy that was going up the stairs, aside. ¡°WHA-¡± The guy tried to question why he was shoved, but before it could fully come out, Takumi punched him across the face, effectively knocking him out as Hanami dove down the steps to check on the knocked out fellow.


    While she did so, Takumi proceeded to rush down the steps, turning the corner fast enough that Hanami only managed to see the back of his jacket as she flew down the stairs, leaving the knocked out fellow laying on his side. With her closing in really fast, Takumi decided to not stop at the second floor. He looked around with little choice and jumped off of the railing, gliding down to the first floor. He had landed on top of a pile of compact paper that some robots were transporting. Hanami stopped at the ledge and yelled out ¡°Takummmi!¡±, then turned over and leapt down the remaining steps after him. ¡°You¡¯re not getting away from me! STOP RIGHT THERE!¡±


    As she came down, she rolled to the second floor and pointed over at him. ¡°SOMEONE STOP THAT SKIPPER!¡± she squeaked as she lost the grasp she had on the floor and tumbled down the stairs, landing on the waxed first floor. Takumi heard the falling and smirked faintly, but didn¡¯t look back.


    ¡°A skipper you say?! Mighty man has come out to play!!!¡± One of the teachers passing by slid into Takumi¡¯s way, only for Takumi to juke him, effectively avoiding the teacher¡¯s attempt at grabbing him.


    Hanami rubbed her head and hopped back up, taking off again. ¡°Now you¡¯ve done it!!! I almost got hurt and now this!¡± she whined, hoping empathy would stop him. She paused to assist the old teacher, who had twisted his back when Takumi juked him.


    ¡°Argh, my back!¡±


    ¡°Try laying down!¡± She helped the teacher, only thinking of choking Takumi. ¡±That jerk¡¯s gonna have it when I get my hands on him!¡±


    Getting to the exit of the building, Takumi pushed the entrance door open and in a split second, shifted his direction from left to right and in a circular spin, maneuvered along the closing doors. Once outside, he admired the refreshing weather. His blazer flapped back along with his bangs. He took that moment to soak in the sunlight as the chain of his collar slipped behind his shoulder. The warm sunshine felt great against his pale skin. ¡°Freedom at last,¡± he sighed. That moment soon came to an end when he heard the doors behind him whip open. ¡°It¡¯s like people don¡¯t know how to mind their own business around here.¡± Takumi was forced to focus back into the situation he thought he¡¯d escaped.


    Hanami patted her skirt real quick, then continued to run after him and noticed a tree branch up ahead. An idea crossed her mind. She stopped before the tree branches and grabbed two into her hands, swiping her hands back to her side. She arched her back over and swung one of the tree branches up into the air towards Takumi¡¯s direction and then whipped the second tree branch forward, as it spun right behind the first and hit the first one from behind, shifting the first one¡¯s trajectory. The sharp stick swirled down and nearly struck Takumi¡¯s legs.


    ¡°So close!¡± Hanami snapped her fingers as she felt the ground rumbling. A crowd of sumo wrestlers were headed straight for her like a pack of rhinos. With only a few thick tree branches left, she reached down for a third and pressed her foot down on its base to keep it from moving around too much. It snapped in half as she whipped it around and made it seem like a kendo blade. ¡°OUT OF MY WAY!!!¡± she yelled at the incoming sumo wrestlers, who struggled to stop at her command and started bouncing against one another.


    Taking in their direction, the girl took some quick steps, maneuvering around four of the rolling wrestlers. When a fifth came her way, she knelt down and focused her weight before propelling herself up. Hanami landed her foot on top of one of the sumo wrestlers in the middle and jumped over the rest, soaring back down like a flying squirrel.


    Takumi jumped over a bench to escape her once more, and headed in the direction of the floating castle she had been to before. ¡°Miyumi¡¯s office?!¡± Hanami yelled in a high-pitched squeak after seeing the silhouette of the castle within the clouds.


    She lifted her tree branch and positioned it behind her shoulder. Hearing her squeak, Takumi looked back and tripped over when she shot the tree branch and it got caught between his feet. He landed on his back gently and slid across, causing trails of dust to rise up. Takumi stopped himself by using his right palm to decrease his movement backwards. By the time he looked up, a shadow casted over him. Hanami had landed right on his gut, and grabbed his collar. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you should be in class?! Answer me!¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± he muttered blankly, with no further commentary.


    ¡°And why is that?! What kind of example is that for your peers?!¡±


    ¡°Why do you care? It¡¯s none of your business, squirt.¡± Takumi squinted his eyes and turned his gaze away to green leaves being whisked away into some bushes. Two purple birds plucked at the ground, the smaller one jumped onto the other and started plucking its head. Takumi turned to look away and Hanami tried turning his chin up for him to look at her, but ended up accidentally grabbing at his cheeks.


    ¡°Because I can¡¯t have anyone related to me skipping class! Ugh, I¡¯m not your babysitter!¡± she argued.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like anyone knows, but with your yelling, that may change, stupid¡­¡±


    ¡°Stupid?! You take that-¡±


    Takumi cut her off by quickly lifting his hand up to her face. He squished her cheeks together in return and turned her head in the direction of the attention they had attracted. ¡°Look around and get your stinky ass off of me, girl. This is humiliating.¡± He gently moved his upper body as Hanami slapped his hand away and realized people had been spectating, but quickly turned away the moment she looked their way.


    Her face heated up, shifting to a light red. ¡°My butt isn¡¯t stinky! Your mouth is!¡± She shook him, making Takumi¡¯s head shake like a bobble head. Takumi lightly pushed her off of him and stood up, patting down his lap. Hanami reached her hand up for him to help her, but he passed her without assisting.


    ¡°H-Hey dude! You pushed me and didn¡¯t even help me up!¡± She rose up and pushed him back lightly. The paper Takumi had been grasping got wrinkled a bit in the process. When he felt it crumble, he glanced down. Hanami snatched it before he could lift it up, quickly inspecting it. She grinned, now understanding why he had left in the first place.


    ¡°Ahhhh, so the teacher is making you get your classmate¡¯s information, too.¡± She giggled. Takumi squinted and tried to swipe the paper from her, but she swung it behind her head and stepped back.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. Keep your nose out of my business, squirt! Give it back!¡± Hanami continued giggling and stepped over onto a passing robot cleaner. She landed on the white, five foot robot and waved the paper around.


    ¡°Mr. Popular is too cool to taaaawk to his cwasss mwates,¡± she mocked in the high-pitched voice he disliked. Just as she had said that and opened her eyes, Takumi wasn¡¯t where he had been before.


    In that short time, he got behind her, leaned down close, and pressed his upper lip along the ridge of her ear. His left arm coiled across her tummy, and the index fingers of his left hand were placed under her chin to keep her still. ¡°No, I¡¯m not doing any of that. That paper is for Miyumi¡­¡± he spoke softly, as the feeling of his lips against her ear and hearing his voice so close sent tingles down her spine.


    ¡°EEEK!¡± She tried to turn around and slap Takumi, but he caught her hand and swung it aside. The action made her spin over as he snatched the paper back from her. With it in his possession, Takumi stood up, taking a few steps away from her. He tapped the robot with his foot to power it off and jumped off, landing down on the stone path.


    ¡°I was going to hunt down some upperclassmen but now you¡¯ve reminded me¡­ I have to talk to Miyumi alone. This squirt can¡¯t be there or else she¡¯ll complicate things. Gotta shake her off.¡± With that in mind, Takumi dashed off again as Hanami rubbed her flustered cheeks.


    She didn¡¯t catch on to him running off until she turned back and saw him already substantially far. Not giving up, she went after him. As she turned a corner, she spotted girls from Takumi¡¯s class waving from a third floor window, informing him that the class started. Takumi caught sight of the girls from his class bombarding the window, but passed through to the other courtyard without responding.


    Takumi stopped in his tracks after passing into the inner courtyard and considered which way he¡¯d go. ¡°So many paths¡­¡± he thought to himself, feeling Hanami slam her palm on his shoulder as she hopped on and locked her legs to his hips.


    ¡°You¡¯re not getting away that easily! Stop making me do things like this, someone will get the wrong idea!¡± She sheepishly smirked, doing her best to control the urge to attack him. Takumi tried to pinch her thigh in order to get her to let go, but she wouldn¡¯t budge and he couldn¡¯t stand around for too long so he sighed, regretting having ran instead of just going to Miyumi¡¯s.


    ¡°Squirt¡­ I¡¯m going to class, so you can let go.¡±


    ¡°As if. The class is that way, so start walking! Over there!¡±


    ¡°Those annoying females are coming, so that¡¯s not happening. I¡¯ll find another way, just get your grubby little hands off of me!¡± Takumi responded as he glanced to some vending machines and to his surprise, spotted the two sophomores he had been looking for earlier in the day: Bentei and Yuuichi. Out of all the times to find them, it had to be in the middle of this predicament.


    ¡°Damn luck.¡± He sighed, picking up on the vibrations of the footsteps of the girls coming down from the second floor. Takumi really wanted to stop and talk to Bentei and Yuuichi, but kept going instead, headed for a building at the other end of the yard, as Yuuichi noticed him.


    ¡°Woah, is that the freshie? And that girl with him¡­ she¡¯s the girl from yesterday.¡± Yuuichi opened an energy drink, bringing it up to his lips. He started to gulp it down while thinking of Takumi and Hanami. She was on Takumi¡¯s back in a very odd way, causing Yuuichi to choke and nearly spit out some of the kiwi juice. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve, as a fit of coughing ensued. Bentei leaned off of the vending machine and patted Yuuichi¡¯s back as he removed his headset.


    ¡°Aw great! I spilled my kiwi juice! Bentei, pass me my wallet!¡± Bentei slid his hand into his back pocket and handed his brother a yellow wallet with an albino bear head keychain hanging out of it. ¡°I tell ya¡­ irresponsible freshies. Even we weren¡¯t that reckless on campus last year,¡± Yuuichi muttered, pressing some buttons. He heard a beeping from the machine, followed by some knocking. The second drink he ordered shot out of the vending machine. It would have hit him square in the face if he hadn¡¯t swiped his hand to his face when he did.


    Giving Bentei a side eye for smirking, he handed his brother the cold beverage and reached down to take the third drink. He cracked his open and looked back to Takumi disappearing into the distance with Hanami hitting him over the head several times.


    ¡°Freshmen¡­ has quite the girlfr-¡± He mumbled and then noticed¡­ ¡°The three divas? What are they up to?¡± Yuuichi took note of the diva in the middle. From afar, he could see one of them cracked a holo-pad. ¡°From the looks of it, seems she¡¯s not too happy about the freshmen either?¡± Yuuichi wondered aloud.


    ¡°Well, that can¡¯t be good for them¡­¡± Bentei added.


    Yuuichi shrugged his shoulder after slurping down half of his drink. ¡°Not our problem, c¡¯mon.¡± He nudged Bentei and passed some girls that ran over to the divas to ask if they had seen where Takumi had gone.


    Inside of the building, Takumi pressed down the handles of the doors in search of an open room. It was clear that the building was still being renovated, since they didn¡¯t have touchpads.


    ¡°Can you quit hitting me?¡± Takumi caught Hanami¡¯s forearm and tugged her off of him.


    ¡°Not until you get back to class!¡± she yelled back as she landed down.


    Takumi pressed his palm up against her mouth briefly and pulled her into a dark room with him. ¡°Mwehh!¡± Haruna gasped against Takumi¡¯s palm.


    ¡°We can¡¯t go in here, come on! What are y-¡± she tried telling him, but his palm made her say it in a muffled voice until Takumi let go and she felt Takumi press his palm over her head. He forcefully made her duck down with him. He signaled her to stay quiet by setting his index finger between his lips. ¡°Why should I be qu-¡± she spoke aloud, but he moved in as if he was going to kiss her, but slid his hand, separating their lips from touching as their foreheads pressed together.


    With her quiet, Takumi pulled away from her face, still keeping his hand over her mouth as he listened attentively for anyone coming. It didn¡¯t seem like anyone was in the hallway at first. Fifteen seconds later, just when Takumi was about to lean up, the sound of a bunch of footsteps running over echoed. This was followed by girls chattering.


    ¡°Where¡¯d he go?!¡± one of the girls asked urgently, though the rest of them didn¡¯t know either.


    ¡°I think I saw him with one of the girls from D-2! Crimson hair!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but keep searching!¡± Another stopped beside her and then ran ahead. One of the dozen girls stepped over to the room they were hiding in. She pressed her face against the door¡¯s glass window, trying to inspect what was inside, literally right above the two who froze. It was too dark, she couldn¡¯t see into the room that well.


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re¡­¡± She reached down to grab the handle. She thought she saw movement from within as Takumi silently listened, hoping she wouldn¡¯t open the door. He heard the knob turning and held his breath.


    ¡°Woah! You can¡¯t go in there. The cooking room is off limits without a teacher around; that thing has an alarm that¡¯ll go off!¡±


    ¡°Oh, thanks for telling me! I could have gotten in trouble.¡± The girl nodded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go before the Day Patrol catches us.¡± The two ran off to join the other girls that ran off to get to class.


    Inside of the room, Hanami held onto Takumi. Her heartbeat pounded harder with each passing second due to Takumi being so close. His hand pressed against the cold metallic table behind her as she looked up. ¡°His eyes are glowing brighter¡­¡±


    Takumi¡¯s fangs protruded past his lower lip. He moved down and Hanami mumbled, squirming. ¡°W-What is it?¡± She blinked. Takumi didn¡¯t respond, fighting his Setsu senses. He found himself moving in, to which she clenched her eyes shut, expecting him to bite. Instead, Takumi sighed and tapped the steel counter beside him. He helped himself up and peeked through the window. The coast was clear, none of the girls were in the hallway.


    Takumi flicked the lights on to see better, after suppressing his Setsu side. He reached over and tugged a string down that brought down a curtain over the window behind them. Turning around he was hit by the same arousing scent of cinnamon bread that he had picked up before. His nostrils were invaded by the intoxicating aroma. Out of everything that could have been in the room¡­ it had to be one of his favorite delicacies, one that he couldn¡¯t resist. His purple eyes glimmered with the lighting above.


    In a trance-like state, Takumi walked right over without questioning who had made the bread and for what reasons. Hanami still had her eyes shut. ¡°If you''re gonna bite¡­ take it easy.¡± After the entire minute where nothing happened, she opened one eye and realized Takumi had turned on the lights. She raised her hand over her eyes, giving herself a moment to adjust to the kitchen¡¯s lighting. As she stood up, she saw Takumi near trays that were lined up on a silver steel table. In a repetitive motion, Takumi just grabbed bread after bread, stuffing them into his mouth as if it were a bottomless pit.


    ¡°Hey, do those say ¡®Takumi¡¯ on them?! W-What are you doing?!¡± she yelled, slapping her palm onto the cold surface of the table beside her. The loud sound didn¡¯t attract Takumi¡¯s attention at all. He just continued to munch on the bread and reached for one after another, completely hypnotized by the tasty buns and their gooey sweet insides. ¡°TAKUMI!¡± she tried getting his attention. He turned to face her with one of the breads in his mouth, maintaining his blank expression.


    ¡°Get that out of your mouth! Because of you, I¡¯m now late for class!¡± She stepped forward and just as she did, Takumi pulled a rolling table that was beside the metallic table. He pushed it in her direction and then started to shove more of the pastries into his mouth faster, as she jumped over it. In the process, pots and pans fell over. After two minutes of wrestling with him, she finally got him out of the room. Takumi had gotten his fill and wasn¡¯t sorry for it.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ the worst.¡± Hanami placed her hand over her chest, trying to catch her breath. Takumi flicked her nose and walked off.


    ¡°You know you wanted some too, Hasegawa. Kill your ego.¡±


    Hanami stomped her foot down with authority. ¡°You¡¯re so dense! Why am I cursed with having you as a fiance, it¡¯s not fair!¡± She pouted. The sliding door leading outside slid open, spreading a refreshing breeze past Takumi.


    ¡°Likewise. Just save your breath and go back yourself. I¡¯m headed to Miyumi¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°You know my answer to that. Can¡¯t you do it after class? That¡¯s poor planning and being irresponsible. Be considerate of me, of how caring I am to bother with an ungrateful something like you.¡± She set her hands on her hips after she stopped at his side.


    Takumi sighed, quite irked at her constant persistence. He rubbed his forehead with his palm knowing full well what would follow. ¡°I have to go to Miyumi. She told me she needed to see you too¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re making an excuse to avoid class, aren¡¯t you?¡± She stared at him intently to see if he was lying, but Takumi maintained his blank expression.


    ¡°I wish it was an excuse. I was on my way over there to show her somethin¡¯, and forgot to tell you she wanted to see you, too. Well, I did remember¡­ but you¡¯d get in my way of talking to her.¡±


    ¡°No I wouldn¡¯t. You can¡¯t assume that, jerk!¡± Not bothering to respond, Takumi slid his hands into his pockets and set off to the floating castle where Miyumi awaited the two in her office. Hanami followed right behind him.


    Miyumi finished sorting out papers, when her office phone buzzed. A feminine robotic voice let her know that two students were downstairs in the lobby wanting to see her. Miyumi asked, ¡°Who are they?¡±, and upon seeing Hanami and Takumi, she became delighted.


    Takumi opened the door and quickly dug his fingers into his ears. Miyumi set her cup of tea down and let out a loud squeal when Hanami stepped in behind him. ¡°HANA!!! MY SWEETIE!!! AND BABY BROTHER!!! You came back!¡± Takumi kept silent, darting a death glare at Miyumi while Hanami awkwardly giggled.


    ¡°Oh, how I missed my little sister-in-law! I¡¯m so happy to see you two! I called you in to inform you of your first request, since you made the choice to join the school council and all¡­ but both of you are here really early. I expected you after class.¡± Miyumi checked the time, concerned.


    ¡°It was this dunce¡¯s idea! I only followed him because he wouldn¡¯t listen to me!¡± Hanami bowed apologetically. Miyumi shook her head in disappointment.


    ¡°Little brother, giving your fiancee such a hard time¡­ that¡¯s no good, not good at all.¡±


    ¡°Biased ass b*tch¡­¡± Takumi thought to himself, before whispering to Hanami. ¡°You¡¯re such a snitch.¡±


    ¡°Bleh!¡± Hanami stuck her tongue at him.


    ¡°Listen, I¡¯m not here to chit chat. You sent Fujiwara after me and he wasted my lunch, which is why I¡¯m here now. I have bigger priorities at the moment.¡± Takumi slid out his phone and approached Miyumi¡¯s desk. He placed it on the middle of her desk along with the paper. Miyumi stopped it with her hand and flipped it over as a holographic projection sprouted out when she clicked the folder that Takumi had put at the center of the screen. ¡°There¡¯s a factory I¡¯d like information on¡­¡±


    ¡°Funny that you mention that factory, little brother¡­¡± Miyumi smirked, leaning back in her seat.


    Takumi raised a brow. ¡°So, you do know something?¡±


    ¡°That factory is actually tied to the request I have for you and Hanami.¡±


    ¡°Request?¡± Hanami asked, as Takumi glanced down at her. She felt it and stared up at him, before two turned to Miyumi.


    ¡°Mhm, you¡¯ll be visiting a woman to assist her. She¡¯s the current owner of that old factory.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice¡­¡± The realization made Takumi squint. Miyumi read his thoughts, giving him a nod.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Welcome to the team, baby brother! And the first order of business is to give me a hug!¡± Miyumi hovered over the desk and went straight to Takumi for a hug, but was flat out rejected, as he pressed his palm up against her face to keep her from getting too close.


    ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t joining, after the fuss you made.¡± The revelation that he¡¯d join without making a fuss surprised Hanami.


    Takumi shook his head, in complete disagreement. ¡°I never said I was joining¡­¡±


    Miyumi grinned, letting go of Takumi¡¯s waist and returned to her seat. ¡°You have no choice but to collaborate this time, little brother. It¡¯s checkmate. Right now and for all eternity!¡± Miyumi twirled mockingly across the room. ¡°Houhouhou!¡±


    ¡°I owe my friend Senji a favor. So, I¡¯ll only do this one time. Don¡¯t get it twisted: I¡¯m not following your orders.¡± With that, Takumi turned away to leave.


    ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll see about that. Oh, and don¡¯t forget these passes for class. Finish up the rest of your classes.¡± Miyumi slid open one of the cabinets. She searched around until she found two passes and signed her name on them. ¡°Here.¡± Miyumi handed Hanami a paper along with the two passes.


    ¡°The directions are there. Also, take this.¡± Miyumi brought out a folder and handed it to Takumi.


    With everything handled, the two returned to their classes. Once the school day was over, Takumi met up with Hanami at the steps leading down to the school gates. Minami accompanied the two as the sky shifted to a soft orange shade. Flocks of crows flew overhead, in search of garbage bins. From the third floor of the main building, Sadao watched the crowds of students passing by, easily narrowing his sights to the trio.


    ¡°So, is he any good?¡± Mr. Fujiwara heard a voice ask. He looked down the hallway to see it was a small pink-haired girl with a staff uniform. She was accompanied by another teacher, ¡°Ms. Hobobo, Lala, you too?¡±


    ¡°Finished preparing for tomorrow¡¯s lesson?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I did. I had Katsuya and the other boys arrange the furniture,¡± Lala responded, while Ms. Hobobo was too busy finishing a crab cake she had in hand.


    The two stopped at his side and looked out of the same window. Down at the courtyard, they saw Takumi passing a fountain, headed towards the stairs that led down to the main gates. Hanami and Minami followed close behind, keeping a distance of eight feet from him.


    ¡°The boy?¡± Lala pressed her palms to her cheeks, setting her elbows on the window frame. Her round hair locks dangled outside of the window carelessly.


    ¡°Yes, I tested him like you asked me to. Though Lady Miyumi wanted me to get him to quit basketball. Turned out to be impossible, haha.¡±


    ¡°Ohhhhh, someone''s going to be in trouble,¡± Lala joked, as Mr. Fujiwara was fixing his glasses. ¡°Is he a promising one?¡± Lala curiously asked, seeing the striking resemblance to Taro.


    ¡°It¡¯s too early to say for sure, coach.¡± Mr. Fujiwara smirked.


    ¡°Awww, you¡¯re teasing me now? Come on, tell me!¡± Lala puffed up her cheeks and tried reaching for his elbow, but was suddenly bombarded with cake.


    ¡°MWWWW, these crab cakes are too good! You have to try some!¡±


    ¡°I see you¡¯re mowing down more crab cakes. Keep that up and you won¡¯t make it through your teaching hours.¡± Chuckling to himself, Mr. Fujiwara waved off, preferring not to have any of the cakes offered.


    ¡°Hahahaha, I can¡¯t help it. They¡¯re just really good today. Try one! You too, Suzie!¡± Ms. Hobobobo offered, as she continued to chow down on the cake even faster.


    ¡°No thanks, I¡¯ll pass,¡± Sadao declined.


    ¡°I¡¯m on a sugar cut, not allowed to,¡± Lala explained.


    ¡°If you say so, more for me then!¡± Ms. Hobobobo stuffed another into her mouth happily.


    Out of curiosity, Mr. Fujiwara questioned ¡°How were the students on your end?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re dears. They all returned to bring me some of their lunch. Class D-3 is so kind!¡± Ms. Hobobobo rejoiced.


    ¡°Right¡­ and did you give them assignments?¡±


    ¡°No, I felt guilty because of their kind gesture. It¡¯s only the start of classes anyway,¡± she chuckled as he sighed.


    ¡°Seniors are easy to handle. I wish the two of you luck, since the freshman are a lot to handle¡­ for anyone other than me at least,¡± Lala joined in, after she kicked her feet around as she kept a hold on the window frame and hummed to the tune of a passing trash unit.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. Makes me glad to have the kind of class that was assigned to me. How about Emore and Tsu? On second thought, don¡¯t bring Tsu up¡­¡± Mr. Fujiwara quickly withdrew his initial mention of class D-2¡¯s teacher.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Emore all day, and Tsu left early.¡±


    ¡°Could¡¯ve sworn she was freshening up for a date with you,¡± Lala mischievously grinned.


    ¡°Sometimes I forget that you¡¯re 34.¡± Mr. Fujiwara lightly flicked Lala¡¯s nose, causing her to giggle in an evil way and attempt to bite his finger. He was smart to step away, shaking his finger, still feeling the sensation of her breath along his fingernails. ¡°So, you¡¯re actually hungry? Guess Ms. Hobobo¡¯s appetite is contagious.¡±


    Lala turned her head around with a sinister look. ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine.¡±


    ¡°Sure, see you around.¡± Fujiwara laughed, before walking off, seeing as there were preparations he still had to make. The other two soon left together. He received a call shortly after, from Miyumi.


    ¡°He¡¯s destined for trouble¡­¡± he spoke into his phone, as a flock of birds took off from a nearby station, prompting Mr. Fujiwara to look up as he kept the phone to his ear.