《Cross Gun》 Prologue: 5 Years Ago

Prologue: 5 Years ago

*Yawn* A young boy stretches his arms. His black hair rustled in the chilly wind. ¡¸Well that was easy.¡¹ The boy yawns once again. At midnight, the city lights pierced through the dark sky. However, those lights would not dare to enter the dark alleys of the streets. The dark-haired boy reaches into the right pocket of his black trousers, skillfully pulling out his flip phone. He looks through his contacts as he slowly walks toward the radiance of the city. The boy presses a few buttons and brings the phone to his ear. ¡¸Hello?¡¹ The line connects. ¡¸I¡¯m all done here.¡¹ The boy¡¯s lazy voice echoes across the alley. ¡¸Good. We¡¯ll put it in the books.¡¹ Stolen story; please report. The chattering of people and the clinking of glasses could be heard on the other side of the line, like there was a festival. The boy, however, took no notice. The gruff voice continues. ¡¸You want another job, ¡²Gun¡³?¡¹ The boy known as ¡²Gun¡³stops walking. He turns to look at the end of the alleyway. A vile stench coated the walls with a thick, dark-red substance. A lifeless pile of bodies was strewn about the narrow alleyway, their flesh drenched in fresh wine. Several of these bodies had countless holes piercing them. The boy grips the hard and black piece of metal in his left hand. ¡¸Yeah, what jobs have you got?¡¹ ¡¸Rank C ¨C Guard ¨C protect the client from assassina-¡¹ ¡¸Next.¡¹ The boy interrupts the gruff-voiced man. ¡¸Rank A+ ¨C Deliver-¡¹ ¡¸Next.¡¹ ¡¸Rank B- ¨C Wanted ¨C Find the murderer from the [TachibanaIncident] 3 years ago. Still at large.¡¹ ¡¸Dead or alive?¡¹ ¡¸Preferably alive. Authorities want to question him.¡¹ ¡¸Next.¡¹ ¡¸No good, huh?¡¹ ¡¸Not interesting.¡¹ The gruff-voiced man over the phone sighed. ¡¸How about: Rank S ¨C Sweep ¨C Wipe out all the members of the Zuji-gen factor.¡¹ ¡¸Boring, but I guess it¡¯s better than the others.¡¹ ¡²Gun¡³sighed. ¡¸Pay?¡¹ ¡¸5,000,000 yen.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡¹ ¡²Gun¡³remained silent. His feet had once again stopped moving. ¡¸Why¡¯s the reward so big?¡¹ The boy asked in suspicion. ¡¸The client asked for you specifically.¡¹ The gruff man explained. ¡¸Knowing how much money you need, they naturally started raking out the cash.¡¹ ¡¸Wipe out? As in kill?¡¹ ¡²Gun¡³inquired. ¡¸The client wants complete domination.¡¹ Domination That single word pierced through the darkness of the alley. ¡²Gun¡¯s¡³ lips slowly curved. He was smiling. However, this smile was not the innocent smile of a child. This smile was much darker than that. This twisted smile almost seemed too cruel to be on a 12-year-old¡¯s face. ¡¸Time limit?¡¹ ¡¸1 week.¡¹ The gruff voice answered instantly. ¡¸Then I¡¯ll finish this tonight.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Suit yourself¡­¡¹ *Kkk¡­beep¡­beep* The call ended. The boy casually returns his flip phone to his pocket, once again walking towards the city lights. However, another light illuminated the dark alley. ¡¸I¡¯m tired.¡¹ The boy brings his hand in front of his mouth, yawning. Unlike the warm lights of the city, this light was chilling. Once seen, the light, colder than the piece of lead in ¡²Gun¡¯s¡³hands, would submerge one in complete darkness. -Yes. As ¡²Gun¡³walked slowly towards the city, his gleaming red eye pierced the darkness of the night. Chapter 1: The Present

Chapter 1: The Present

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep* A high pitched alarm continued to resound throughout the room. *Beep* *Beep* *Thud* The rugged hand of a dark-haired teenager slammed the bedside table, missing its target. A groan escaped from his lips as his hand continues its search for the source of the annoyance. After a few attempts, the 17-year-old finally grabs the phone, immediately turning off the persistent alarm. (Now I can sleep.) The boy thought as he drifted back into his slumber. Or so he would have, however- ¡¸¡­.ake....u....ka¡­¡¹ A voice slowly brought him back to the world. ¡¸I said, WAKE UP, BAKA ANIKI!!!(1)¡¹ The boy opened his green eyes to see the figure of a 16-year old girl with long, black hair. This fair-skinned ''bishoujo''(2) with jet-black eyes was dressed in a scarlet red uniform, said uniform possessing a pocket which bore the crest of a majestic, golden phoenix.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡¸If you don''t wake up, we''ll be late for school.¡¹ The girl spoke harshly to her older brother as she placed her hands on her hips. And in response to her pushy attitude, the boy lazily ignored Mana''s protests before crawling back under the covers. ¡¸I''m tired. Just let me sleep, Mana.¡¹ ¡¸If you don''t wake up, then I''ll drag you out of-!¡¹ Before finishing her sentence, Mana had pulled on the sheet covers, revealing the clothless body of a 17-year-old. Naturally, upon realising her brother¡¯s state of undress, Mana''s face flushed furiously, her cheeks becoming as red as her uniform before she rapidly stormed out of the room in embarrassment. ¡¸P-p-put some clothes on!¡¹ Seeing how she screamed thus during her retreat, the bishoujo was completely oblivious to the slight smirk that formed on the sleeping youth¡¯s face. Of course, this was no coincidence. The boy''s plan had worked, driving his non-blood related sister away from pestering him. And so- (Now I can sleep.) Placing his head back on the pillow, the boy allowed himself to drift back to the land of dreams once more. However, it was at this moment that Mana once again charged into the room, her eyes closed. She reached for her brother''s ankles and, like the blankets, dragged him out of bed. *Thump* As expected, the boy''s head crashed into the floor, causing a loud thud to resound through the room. A thud loud enough to rouse the dead. And seeing how the boy was now fully awake, it needn¡¯t be said that he wasn¡¯t apart of the afterlife just yet. ¡¸Ow! What was that for?!?¡¹ The boy complained, his ears ringing and his head pounding from the rude awakening. Normally, if one were to experience such a dramatic fall, they would end up receiving concern and expressions of caution. Yet, instead of earning sympathy, the boy was scorned. ¡¸Hmph. It was your own fault!¡¹ Mana turned her back towards her brother, heading out of the room for the 2nd time. ¡¸Now hurry up and get dressed! We''re going to be late!¡¹ And so, this was the present that the boy now lived in. A life that required him to wake up early in the morning and go to school with his little sister. A life of hope and dreams. A life of lies and deception. Chapter 2: The Brother and the Sister

Chapter 2: The Brother and the Sister

-Year XX29- -Monday: July 11- -08:25- The dark-haired boy glanced at his watch, yawning immediately after reading the time. ¡¸How can you yawn like that when school starts in five minutes?!¡¹ Having finally succeeded in dragging her brother out of bed, Mana should have displayed an expression of triumph. However, seeing her brother¡¯s utter lack of urgency, she was justifiably anxious instead. ¡¸Calm down. We still have time, don''t we?¡¹ The brother yawns, nonchalant as he stretched his arms. Yet, it was apparent that the sister didn¡¯t share the boy¡¯s sentiment. ¡¸Class starts in five minutes! It takes at least 15 minutes on foot to get to school from home, and we haven''t even been walking for five minutes!¡¹ ¡¸Then just run.¡¹ ¡¸You know I have a sprained leg and can''t run for another week!¡¹Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡¸Oh! So that''s why you weren''t delivering newspapers.¡¹ ¡¸You forgot!?! Baka(1)! Baka! Aniki(2) no Baka!¡¹ Having only woken up minutes ago, the boy continued to yawn throughout the entire exchange. However, he suddenly stopped. ¡¸You''re alwa-*sniff* always like this. Baka! Baka! Baka!¡¹ His little sister had started crying. Despite the harsh treatment she always gave him, Mana loved her brother, more than anyone in the world. She couldn''t stand the thought of not being with her only brother, or the fact that she would be forgotten by him. The dark-haired boy knew this. ¡¸Sorry¡­¡¹ Drawing closer, the boy stretches his hand towards Mana, her cheeks flushed red. He would always stroke Mana''s hair to comfort her, even since they were children. His rugged hand gets closer to the tear-filled girl¡¯s head, trying to dispel the stream of tears. However, the kind hand that was supposed to console- *thwick* ¡¸Owie!¡¹ -ended up flicking Mana''s forehead instead. ¡¸Sorry, but your act won¡¯t fool me.¡¹ ¡¸Ow! What was that for?!¡¹ ¡¸Serves you right!¡¹ Seeing as her plan to get petted by her ''Aniki'' failed, Mana wiped away her ''tears''. ¡¸But still, that hurt! Baka!¡¹ ¡¸Deal with it.¡¹ Cold words were being tossed between the two. However, to these siblings, it was a simple family quarrel. No. Perhaps it was their own way of bonding. Either way, after the exchange, the boy looked at his watch again. This time, however, he examined it carefully in order to capture the finer details. -08:28, Thursday, 26th June- The boy suddenly realised. ¡¸We have Britney-sensei first¡­¡¹ Britney-sensei is one of the school''s strongest and feared teachers. She is also very strict, famous for giving long, long, loooong detentions at school. A single bead of sweat had rolled down his face. The boy couldn''t afford to be held back. Not today. He suddenly lifted Mana''s body, giving her a piggy-back. ¡¸W-w-what are y-you doing?!¡¹ Mana''s face flushed once more. Not of sadness, but of embarrassment. ¡¸No time to explain. Just deal with it.¡¹ -and with that curt response, a cloud of dust exploded beneath the boy¡¯s feet. Chapter 3: The Dark-Haired Youth, Saito Junichi

Chapter 3: The Dark-Haired Youth, Saito Junichi

*Ding* *Dong* *Ding* *Dong* A dark-haired boy wearing a crimson blazer, a buttoned white shirt with a crimson coloured tie, and grey trousers had his face down at his desk. However, unlike most students in the exact same attire, he wasn''t studying. *Snooore¡­¡­* The boy slept peacefully, blissfully awaiting the arrival of his next teacher. Naturally, the sight of the sleeping youth raised a few eyebrows within the crowd of students. And it just so happened that a certain girl with jet-black hair was one of those that took issue with the boy¡¯s lazy demeanour. ¡¸He''s still asleep? Baka Aniki(1)!¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s fine, isn''t it? Junichi-kun(2)must be tired, Mana-chan(3).¡¹ Mana directed her complaints towards a slender, tall girl with neatly trimmed long, light brown hair. Her large hazelnut eyes were covered by her large, round glasses, and she was holding a closed pocketbook in her hands. ¡¸But he even slept in this morning! All he ever does is sleep.¡¹ Mouthing another complaint, Mana briefly stared at the dark-haired boy known to them as Saito Junichi. ¡¸Has he been eating properly?¡¹ ¡¸He eats whatever he makes so we both eat well.¡¹ ¡¸True. If he ate your cooking, ambulances would flood your apartment-¡¹ ¡¸S-Shiori!¡¹ Mana jumped out of her seat in embarrassment, causing a symphony of giggles to intrude upon the two¡¯s conversation. ¡¸My cooking can''t really be that bad¡­¡­¡¹ Mana returned her bottom to her stool, her voice trailing off as she began to grumble.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. As for the girl who was referred to as Shiori- ¡¸But it''s true that Junichi-kun has been sleeping more lately.¡¹ -she contributed her own observation before resuming the conversation. ¡¸Do you think he''s tired because of his job, Mana-chan?¡¹ ¡¸I don''t think so.¡¹ Mana expressed her doubts towards Shiori¡¯s suggestion. ¡¸I mean he''s only at his job for 1 hour. He shouldn''t be that tired after only an hour''s work.¡¹ ¡¸I see. You have a point.¡¹ ¡¸All right, settle down, kids.¡¹ Disrupting the chatter in the classroom was a shaggy, brown-haired man with (what appeared to be) a cigarette in his mouth. ¡¸You''re late again, Nogi-sensei(4)!¡¹ ¡¸Sorry about that. *Yawn* I guess we should start homeroom then.¡¹ Naturally, the presence of their teacher had caused the classroom¡¯s noise level to drop back down to silence. However- ¡¸Zzzz¡­¡¹ Completely ignorant of the teacher¡¯s arrival, the snores of Saito Junichi echoed through the classroom. All eyes shifted towards the sleeping Junichi, causing his little sister¡¯s face to blush for the 3rd time that day. And yet, despite the tremendous attention, Junichi still slept. Which ended up causing a certain brown-haired teacher to grow irritable. ¡¸Wake up, squirt!¡¹ A flying piece of chalk shot straight into the sleeping boy¡¯s head. After contact, the chalk exploded into dust. ¡¸Hey, I¡¯m tired too, you know.¡¹ The brown-haired teacher reached into his desk before pulling out another piece of chalk. Nogi-sensei, notorious for his ability to throw chalks so powerfully that they vaporise upon collision. Naturally, none of the students dared to mess with him for fear of being on the receiving end of his stationery projectiles. Well¡­¡­no one but him. ¡¸Zzzzz¡­..¡¹ Stubborn snorts could be heard coming from within the puff cloud of chalk. It needn¡¯t be said who these snores belonged to. ¡¸Seriously?¡¹ Nogi-sensei sighed, rubbing the back of his neck with his palm. It was evident that he was not amused. ¡¸Still not awake?¡¹ All of a sudden, Nogi-sensei held several chalk sticks in the spaces between his fingers. Seeing how all the pieces were at least a finger long, many in the room gulped as they understood what they were going to be used for. And sure enough, Nogi-sensei swiped his hands, aiming all of the powdery solids at the snoring Junichi. *boom* The sound of an explosion dominated the classroom, shortly followed by a large puff of chalk which enveloped the sleeping boy¡¯s desk. And the result- ¡¸What the-? Ack-kak-kak-¡¹ The boy known as Saito Junichi began to cough, choking on chalk as he escaped the dense, nauseous smog. (Is this Nogi-sensei''s work?) ¡¸Good to see you''re awake, squirt.¡¹ Having his suspicions confirmed by the smug teacher¡¯s smirk, Junichi frowned. ¡¸Do you always have to try to kill me just to wake me up?¡¹ ¡¸Not if you''d been awake in the first place.¡¹ ¡¸Tch.¡¹ Unable to argue in the face of the teacher¡¯s sound logic, Junichi clicked his tongue. Though he was obviously irked by the brown-haired man¡¯s complacent demeanour, he decided to let it go as he continued to clear his throat of chalk. ¡¸Well then. Now that you''re awake, you think we can start homeroom?¡¹ And so, on that chaotic note, Saito Junichi''s ''Homeroom'' period commenced. Chapter 4: Phoenix Gakuen

Chapter 4: Phoenix Gakuen

¡¾Phoenix Gakuen(1)¡¿ A prestigious school located in the recently established ¡¾Sekai(2)City¡¿. Developing both the mind and the body of its attendees, students of the school are renowned for displaying great leadership, responsibility and independence, whilst graduates are placed among the elite of the working world. And in this school of diligent, hard working students- ¡¸Oi, Seitokai(3)! Iincho-chan(4)! Get over here and start already¡­¡¹ The homeroom of High School Class 2-G was starting after a rough usage of chalk. Homerooms at ¡¾Phoenix Gakuen¡¿ are run by both a teacher and a student, the latter being the class''s representative. They would then discuss a certain topic to the class and ask for everyone''s opinion before submitting answers to the student council. An example of such a topic would be class budgets for culture festivals, or what role the students of the class would take in a play. However, Nogi-sensei(5), known for not only his amazing chalk throwing skills but for his extreme laziness, absolutelyrefusedto participate in such activities, saying that they were mundane and a waste of time. Therefore, a certain girl had to take his place. ¡¸Yes!¡¹ The Student Council member--Miyazawa Mana, and the Class Representative--Hitomi Shiori rose from their seats before walking to the front of the classroom. And as for a certain dark-haired youth-- *Yawn* Having been forced out of his seat by a few flying chalk sticks, Saito Junichi returned to his desk, now dust free. And of course, upon taking his seat, his mouth opened wide as a gush of air surged through his windpipe and towards the light of day. (He''s yawning again.) An exasperated Mana unleashed a mental sigh. In spite of the bond that she shared with her dear brother, even Mana had to admit that his aloof tendencies were probably one of his biggest faults. However, it was also one of the characteristics that made him unique. Though probably not as unique as the stuttering second-year whose stammers caused several of her peers to cringe. ¡¸O-okay¡­S-shall we s-start home room n-now?¡¹ The soft voice of the class representative wavered, her eyes watering as she trembled underneath the pressure of the countless gazes focused upon her. Although she was quite an intelligent individual, Hitomi Shiori had a small problem. She was extremely nervous when talking to strangers. Whether it was an issue of self-confidence or an issue of comfort, only the girl herself could say. That said, it was because of this social anxiety that the bespectacled girl¡¯s speech would often stutter unconsciously. (What are you doing, Mana?) Murmuring under his breath, Junichi¡¯s green eyes focused on the figure of jet-black. Seeing as they had been friends with Shiori ever since elementary school, both of the siblings were aware of her condition. Being the kind souls that they were, Mana and Junichi would often help the bespectacled girl with her condition, their ultimate goal being to get her to overcome it. That said, currently, one of the siblings was sleeping on the job, so to speak. And, ironically enough, it was not the one who was snoring blissfully mere moments ago. ¡ºStop spacing out and help her!¡» This was the message which Junichi tried to relay to Mana as he cast his gaze upon her. Now, it¡¯s obvious to many that talking to someone via eye contact was a difficult feat, especially if one was not telepathic. However¡­ (R-right, I need to start.) Mana and Junichi''s Sibling Bondmade such communication possible. ¡¸*cough* We would like to address some issues concerning the school rules.¡¹ (Oh, boy¡­) If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Junichi''s thoughts openly displayed his displeasure towards the subject raised by his little sister. After all, what was about to occur--AKA the rundown of school rules, was something that he had heard one time too many. And considering that this spiel had already occurred back in April, the boy was confused as to why they were suddenly bringing it up once more. Nevertheless, it seemed that Junichi wasn¡¯t about to get an explanation any time soon as Mana raised her voice. ¡¸Firstly, as everyone may know, the school''s policy is to develop the students'' sense of leadership, responsibility, and independence. However, these qualities are not so easily measurable.¡¹ ¡¸T-therefore, the school uses a point system to judge how well students conduct themselves. T-these points are earned through positive conduct, such as obtaining good test scores or participating in extracurricular activities¡¹ Shiori explained, slightly regaining her composure as her stammers were significantly reduced. ¡¸The points earned are then tallied and compared with the rest of the school division in an overall ranking.¡¹ Mana supplemented Shiori¡¯s explanation before taking over for her trembling friend. ¡¸As such, those who are highly ranked are shown to have the right qualities that will help them later in life.¡¹ ¡¸T-This is also done to exemplify the top-ranked as role models of the school, as well as providing motivation for lower ranked students to follow their example.¡¹ (Well, at least she''s doing alright now.) Reassured by Shiori¡¯s behaviour, Junichi stifled a yawn. Despite her meek and fragile appearance, Junichi understood that his hazel childhood friend was a reliable individual. Therefore, he cast aside his worries as he continued to zone out the girls¡¯ long-winded discussion. ¡¸Of course, those with higher ranks are allowed certain privileges, similar to how hierarchies work in society. However, as life is all about competition, it is possible to take points from other students through duels.¡¹ ¡¸It is encouraged at this school to challenge people to duels where the participants will stake their points. O-Of course, if the participants themselves agree to a point-free duel, there will be no gains or losses of points.¡¹ Shiori dutifully dictated the rules of the school, following through after Mana who was about to continue pushing their presentation forwards. ¡¸Details for duels are various and unspecified, and the higher ranked student will mostly be in charge of them. There are various limitations to the rule settings, as official duels will require a third party to referee.¡¹ ¡¸Finally, duels, both official and unofficial can only take place on campus.¡¹ Shiori accentuated. ¡¸Any student who takes their duels outside of campus will be penalised with the loss of half their points. This is so as to not burden the current members of society with any potential complications caused by our school¡¯s system.¡¹ ¡¸Now, your individual points and ranking are displayed on your personalised [Phoenix Drive Application], or the PDA for short.¡¹ Urging the class to open their PDAs, Mana took out her phone before doing the same. (-tch. This is gonna be a pain.) Junichi groaned silently, pulling out a dark blue flip phone out of his pocket as he ignored the speech addressed to the entire class. Upon skilfully opening it with one hand, Junichi was met with the phone¡¯s LED screen. Navigating the phone, the boy then activated a certain application. The small display instantly changed, depicting an image of a blazing bird overlaid with the letters PDA. The flaming logo flashed crimson before the screen was dyed with a dark-blue background. The portrait of a dark-haired youth was centred in the bottom of the screen, labelled with the words Saito Junichi. (¡­¡­¡­) In complete silence, the boy¡¯s eyes narrowed, focusing his gaze on the box located below his profile.
School ID ?Last Ranker?
Rank 15967/15967
Points 468
Ruffling his dark hair, Junichi swiftly closed his phone before shifting his attention back to the front of the classroom. ¡¸¡­and as you all know, each class''s points are then tallied up and ranked among the school as a Class Average Rank.¡¹ The boy heard Mana''s voice drop to a slightly darker tone. This caused Junichi to have a bad feeling. ¡¸Despite a certain somebody''s rank of being the lowest and their lack of points being detrimental to our efforts, we have been able to maintain a Class Average Ranking of 13 within the school.¡¹ Mana''s cruelly stressed words made Junichi turn his head to one side. Naturally, the gazes of his classmates swiftly moved towards the seat furthest away from the blackboard, right next to the window. ¡­the occupant of this seat being none other than the dark-haired boy whose rank equalled the number of attendees at the school, Saito Junichi. ¡¸Uwaa~ that''s harsh.¡¹ A certain lazy instructor commented as he buried his back into his chair. In reaction to this not-so-subtle criticism, the dark-haired boy only yawned. Though many were amazed by his reaction, one girl was able to sense Mana¡¯s rising temper, causing her to raise a shrill cry. ¡¸A-anyway, these points are essential for those who are trying to graduate from this school.¡¹ Shiori concluded, causing everyone¡¯s focus to become redirected towards her. Although their gazes pierced her like a hail of arrows, the girl simply smiled, gritting her teeth as she endured this onslaught of attention. ¡¸Are there any q-questions?¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yes, I have one.¡¹ In response to Shiori¡¯s stutter, a similar stammer came from a female student with scruffy orange hair. ¡¸Do these ¡°duels¡±use violence?¡¹ (What kind of a question is that?) Junichi thought to himself as he stared at the student who obediently raised her hand. Although he didn¡¯t really remember this girl who was supposedly his classmate, the dark-haired boy couldn¡¯t help but feel as if the student¡¯s scruffy, orange hair was somewhat familiar. ¡¸Well, some duels may require direct combat. But not all duels need to be won through blind violence.¡¹ ¡¸Phew, that''s good.¡¹ ¡¸Any other questions?¡¹ Mana asked the hushed class after answering the meek voice¡¯s question. As the saying goes, silence is the best form of affirmation. And it would seem that most students, prestigious or not, liked to practice this golden rule. ¡¸None? Alright. That''s all from us.¡¹ The pair of long-haired girls quickly returned to their seats in the classroom¡¯s centre. ¡¸Alright, now that that''s out of the way, it''s time to sleep.¡¹ Nogi-sensei nonchalantly spoke, stretching back into his comfy chair. ¡¸Hey, Sensei!¡¹ Obviously bothered by the instructor¡¯s conduct, Mana wailed as she slammed her desk. ¡¸Don''t you have any announcements for us?¡¹ ¡¸Nope. Besides, someone''s started already.¡¹ Nogi-sensei quipped before nodding off. ¡¸Huh?¡¹ ¡¸M-Mana-chan.¡¹ In order to clarify the confusion, Shiori tapped Mana¡¯s shoulder before pointing towards the back of the classroom. *Snore¡­* The dark-haired boy had once again entered the world of dreams. ¡¸M-Mana-chan? Y-your face is kind of scary.¡¹ Shiori tried to soothe the raging Mana. It needn¡¯t be said that her feeble attempts didn¡¯t work. ¡¸BAAKKAA AAANNIIIIKKIII!!!¡¹ And so, Saito Junichi¡¯s homeroom came to a violent end. Chapter 5: The Lions Roar

Chapter 5: The Lion¡¯s Roar

*Ding* *Dong* *Ding* *Dong* The lunch bell rang monotonously, accompanied by the clatter of seats and thumping of footsteps. In the midst of the excited students getting ready for lunch, however, were two delicate beauties who slowly made their own preparations for the midday break. ¡¸Should we go eat lunch at the student council room?¡¹ Shiori asked her friend with jet-black hair as the two began to pack their books. Yet, in response to her childhood friend¡¯s suggestion, Mana could only sigh----exhausted by the task of sitting at a desk for hours on end. ¡¸Sure. I could use the quiet.¡¹ The Student Council, AKA the top 10 ranked students of the school, were given several privileges in accordance with their status. And one of those privileges included permission to enter the Student Council Room, a highly furnished area equipped with advanced utilities. Of course, Shiori¡¯s high rank of 9 and Mana¡¯s even higher rank of 6 earned both of them that honour. ¡¸But Mana-chan(1), what about Junichi-kun(2)?¡¹ Shiori asked, turning her head towards the dark-haired boy that had suffered his sister¡¯s wrath. Needless to say-- *Snore¡­* --the youth continued to sleep, oblivious to the world whilst submerged in the land of dreams. ¡¸Hmph! Just leave him be. He can sleep through all of lunch for all I care!¡¹ Mana spoke sharply, turning towards the door with a handkerchief-covered bento in hand. Although Shiori thought Mana was being slightly harsh, she simply smiled wryly. After all, the real side of Junichi¡¯s little sister was known for being quite bipolar, even if she vehemently denies being so. Whether this quirk of hers was an act to get her older brother to notice her, or a part of a rebellious phase, one couldn¡¯t say. Regardless, the siblings¡¯ childhood friend Shiori could only shrug her shoulders before accompanying her best friend to their dining destination. ¡­¡­however, just before the two girls even had the chance to get out of their seats- *Bang* -the sound of the door being kicked in stopped them in their tracks. ¡¸Oi! Saito Junichi!¡¹ A voice befitting a delinquent bellowed, shattering the peace as his booming voice brought an unsettling order to the chaos. Yet, in the face of this disturbance- *Snore¡­* Saito Junichi simply continued his slumber as the entire class held their breath. Then again, who could blame them? After all, the figure of a fairly built, threatening young man had stormed into the classroom. The enraged youth, with his menacingly slanted eyes, had blond hair styled in an intimidating crew cut. His face was also covered with facial hair, mainly a fuzzy beard that smoothed into his blond sideburns. (Isayama Masaru. What¡¯s the No. 10 doing here?) Mana glared at the figure. That said, her hostility was understandable. The boy known as Isayama Masaru had quite the reputation of ruthlessly stealing points through violence. And, while the school rules encouraged the stealing of points, all of his victims have been left with severe injuries and were taken to the hospital under intensive care. Of course, his renowned ferocity and his distinct stubble earned him the title of ?Lion Mane Masaru?. Those who come face-to-face with his so-called mane and unruly physique genuinely feared him. That is, all but a certain dark-haired boy. (C¡¯mon, just leave already.) Saito Junichi thought to himself as he feigned sleep. (I don¡¯t want to deal with you today¡­) ¡¸Oh, so there you are!¡¹ The ?Lion? roared as he spotted the drowsy youth. (Argh, damn it!) ¡¸I¡¯m gonna fucking kill you for last week!¡¹ Obviously enraged, the boy with the stubble made large strides as he approached the sleeping youth¡¯s desk. As for the youth, however- (Last week¡­) Junichi began to search his memory in order to identify the cause of the ?Lion¡¯s? rage. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡¸So? What¡¯s the big idea?¡¹ Junichi asked as he surveyed the situation. Sleeping peacefully on a bench during the lunch break, he was roused by 3 young men of various statures. A midget with a buzz cut who was playing with a dangerous-looking piece of silver metal. A greasy haired teen who had a wooden bat slouched on his shoulder. A youth that possessed a blond mane with silver knuckles on both his hands. All of the delinquent-esque figures had the top buttons of their uniform undone and no tie, implying that they were too cool for school rules. Then again, seeing how Junichi often kept his attire shockingly untidy, he wasn¡¯t in the best position to judge their appearances. ¡¸*Yawn* So what does the ?Lion? want with me?¡¹ Junichi lazily asked, positioning himself so that his body was upright. Yet, while the boy¡¯s mental fortitude was quite commendable, it seemed to have annoyed one of thestudents that had approached him. ¡¸T-this guy-!¡¹ The midget was agitated due to the Junichi¡¯s lack of fear, drawing his knife into an aggressive stance. Naturally, this aggressive display caused some raised eyebrows in the surroundings. Especially from a certain, blond-haired delinquent. ¡¸Calm down, Sadao.¡¹ Isayama Masaru ordered, his amber eyes hardened as they continued to stare at the boy of black. ¡¸But, Masaru-¡¹ ¡¸Just drop it, Sadao.¡¹ Advising his colleague to simply listen to the ?Lion¡¯s? commands was a greasy-haired male, his speech slurred. ¡¸Besides, that¡¯s not what we¡¯re here for.¡¹ (Ah, damn it. I could¡¯ve gotten about 5 minutes more of sleep by now.) Junichi murmured, lamenting the lost time he could have spent catching some shut-eye. Yet, unaware of this grief, the blond-haired delinquent walked slowly forward until he was face-to-face with his prey. ¡¸So what do you want, oh almighty ?Lion-sama(3)??¡¹ Junichi taunted the school¡¯s No. 10, causing veins to bulge out of the blond boy¡¯s forehead. However, instead of exploding, Masaru swallowed his temper before he began to mumble inaudibly. ¡¸..at..¡­ou¡­..ist¡­..¡¹ ¡¸Huh? What was that?¡¹ ¡¸I said, what does your little sister want for her birthday?¡¹ Masaru whispered, his voice so low that only Junichi could hear his message. In spite of its clarity, however, it still took the boy several moments before he could comprehend the question proposed by the almighty ?Lion?. ¡¸¡­wait, you want to give a birthday present to Mana?¡¹ Junichi staggered as he noticed the ?Lion¡¯s? flushed cheeks. It didn¡¯t take the boy long to decipher the significance behind this peculiar reaction. (Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡­this guy has a crush on Mana?) Junichi furrowed his brow slightly, feeling somewhat conflicted about this whole scenario. That said, his inner turmoil didn¡¯t last long as he realised the following. (¡­¡­I could have fun with this.) A dark, conniving laugh resounded in the depths of Junichi¡¯s heart. (Mana¡­¡­¡­doesn¡¯t like raw fish, does she?) ----and then, on the day of Mana¡¯s Birthday--- ¡¸F-F-FISH!? STAY AWAAAAAY!!!¡¹ ¡¸UUWWAAAAAA!!!!¡¹ A spectacular drop-kick by the shrieking Mana knocked the great ¡ºLion Mane Masaru¡» out cold for at least 3 hours. -And so- Snapping out of his daze, Junichi found himself held aloft by his collar. Yawning, he simply stared at the figure that was ready to strangle him before stating the following. ¡¸Morning. What¡¯s up?¡¹ Everyone present dropped their jaws, amazed by the gall of this dark-haired boy. ¡¸You know very well what¡¯s up.¡¹ Masaru tightened his grip on Junichi¡¯s collar as he snarled. ¡¸C¡¯mon, it was just a small joke. Besides, lions are cats, right? All cats like fish~¡¹ Junichi spoke as his habit began to kick up once more. For those unaware, the youth known as Saito Junichi had an incredibly bad habit of teasing people. That said, now probably wasn¡¯t the best time for said habit to begin acting up. ¡¸Bastard!¡¹ Masaru raised his clenched fist, furious as he began to swing his arm. However, before his fist collided with Junichi¡¯s face¡­ ¡¸S-stop this right now!¡¹ A trembling Shiori rushed in to try and stop Masaru. ¡¸Shiori!?¡¹ Mana sharply gasped at Shiori¡¯s sudden action. As for her older brother, however- (Well, thing¡¯s just got interesting.) Junichi¡¯s thoughts ran in an unexpected direction. Even though Shiori is known as the school¡¯s No. 9, her points were only earned through tag duels with Mana, extracurricular activities, and exceptional work ethics that awarded her top grades within the school. Of course, this meant her talent in combat was lacking considerably compared to the rest of the Student Council. So naturally it was strange for her to actively defend someone. Even more so considering what happened in the [Accident] 10 years ago. ¡¸What¡¯s your problem, No. 9?¡¹ Masaru coldly glanced at the quivering mediator, his hand involuntarily loosening its grip of Junichi¡¯s collar. As for the ?Lion¡¯s? victim, his emerald eyes also fell upon Shiori as they waited for her next course of action with anticipation. ¡¸Y-you s-shouldn¡¯t use violence! It¡¯s bad!¡¹ Shiori stammered, her fragile frame shivering in the face of the terrifying predator. ¡¸You idiot! Telling a delinquent not to use violence is like telling humans not to eat!¡¹ -is what Junichi wanted to say, but instead made an exasperated expression as he sat back in his chair. ¡¸Haah!?¡¹ ¡¸Eek!¡¹ Shiori cowered as she was oppressed by the angered ?Lion?. And of course, this ended up causing a certain girl of jet-black to defend her timid friend. ¡¸Hey! Isayama-kun, what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡¹ ¡¸Ngh! I¡¯m sorry, Mana-san(4), but could you stay out of this?¡¹ The ?Lion¡¯s? rage subsided for a split second as he was overcome by Mana¡¯s beauty. --which gave the girl a chance to try and figure out what his motive was for doing this. ¡¸Not until you tell me what in the world is going on!¡¹ At Mana¡¯s ignorance of his disgrace, Masaru¡¯s face flushed red, either from rage or genuine embarrassment. ¡¸W-why don¡¯t you ask your idiot brother!?¡¹ Masaru turned, bringing attention to the boy known as Saito Junichi. AKA the dark-haired boy who, once again, began to snore as he slept atop his desk. Who could sleep in this situation? -is what most people would think as they observed the sleeping youth. However, Saito Junichi was notorious for being the laziest student in ¡¾Phoenix Gakuen¡¿. Sleeping in the middle of an all-out war was nothing to him. Which meant that, in the eyes of the students, he was easy prey. Many would often challenge him to a duel, only for him to give them the slip as he avoided confrontation completely. And it was for this exact reason that Junichi remained ranked last. But of course, the ?Last Ranker? had no intention of being anything but. (Just go already. I don¡¯t want to deal with you.) ¡¸Asshole!¡¹ Justifiably outraged, Masaru slammed his fist right next to Junichi¡¯s head, causing the accumulated pool of drool to splashed onto the sleeping boy¡¯s face. ¡¸I¡¯m trying to settle a score with you and you¡¯re just going to take a nap!?¡¹ ¡¸Look, knucklehead. Not interested.¡¹ Junichi drowsily muttered in response. ¡¸T-This bastard!¡¹ Sent into a blind fervour, Masaru grabbed Shiori by the collar, choking her due to the force of his grip. ¡¸If you¡¯re not out there in ten minutes, I¡¯m going to clobber this girl!¡¹ ¡¸I-Isayama-kun!? What are you saying!?¡¹ An utterly bewildered Mana asked, shocked by the ?Lion¡¯s? outrageous declaration. And yet, Junichi was unresponsive as he continued to doze off on his desk. ¡¸Sorry, Mana-san, but this is necessary.¡¹ ¡¸How is this necessary!?¡¹ Mana exclaimed, her confusion almost reaching a breaking point. ¡¸If you don¡¯t want No. 9 to be hurt, I suggest you wake that asshole up.¡¹ Masaru said, dragging the suffocating Shiori with him. ¡¸W-wait! Isayama-kun!?¡¹ Mana hurriedly followed behind, trying to reason with the ?Lion?. The rest of the class also followed the three, taking the commotion outside of the classroom and into the courtyard. Leaving the indifferent Saito Junichi asleep in the classroom- -or so it would seem. ¡¸So he¡¯s going to fight Shiori, huh?¡¹ Junichi muttered to himself, leaning back while staring at the ceiling with his murky green eyes. Needless to say, as he continued to gaze upon the unchanging sky, thoughts began to race within the young man¡¯s head. Thoughts of his intellectual childhood friend whose weak body would surely get pummelled by the ?Lion¡¯s? merciless fists. Thoughts that were soon cut short by the appearance of an intruder. ¡¸You worried?¡¹ A shaggy man with brown hair stood in the doorway near the opposite end of the classroom. ¡¸Worried? I guess I am.¡¹ ¡¸Then should you be sitting here, counting the panels on the ceiling?¡¹ ¡¸Shiori¡¯s got limited combat experience to begin with. She¡¯ll need to learn how to fight better if she wants to stay at this school.¡¹ Junichi coldly analysed his childhood friend¡¯s weakness. ¡¸Sure, but is it a good idea for ?Lion Mane Masaru? to be her first opponent?¡¹ Nogi-sensei(5) calmly took out a cigarette while offering his own opinion to the dark-haired youth. ¡¸What, that weakling?¡¹ ¡¸Remember, she¡¯s not as strong as you are.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡¹ Junichi once again drifted into silence. ¡¸So? What¡¯re you gonna do, No. 15967?¡¹ Nogi-sensei narrowed his eyes as he took a puff of his cigarette. ¡¸No¡­¡­¡²Gun¡³?¡¹ Chapter 6: The Lion and the Prey

Chapter 6: The Lion and the Prey

¡¾Phoenix Gakuen¡¯s¡¿ courtyard was a squared section of earth, surrounded by school buildings from the south, east, and west. The horse ring-shaped building was flooded with students who had left their seats during class to witness the uproar between two (plus Mana) of the school¡¯s top 10. ¡¸Sorry, No. 9, but I¡¯ve got no choice!¡¹ The blond-haired delinquent shouted across the courtyard, causing a girl with neatly trimmed brown hair to shudder in fear. Naturally, this girl (whose hazelnut eyes were hidden by her glasses) was none other than Hitomi Shiori. The ¡°No. 9¡± of the school who was often referred to as the ?Tactician?. ¡¸Isayama-kun(1)! Stop this, right now!¡¹ Mana yelled at Masaru, the anxiety swirling around in her stomach urging her to vomit up its contents. Luckily, thanks to having her lunch interrupted, said contents were practically non-existent. Though if you said that to her right now, it was doubtful that those words would be considered as ¡°good consolation¡±. ¡¸Look, just stay out of this Mana-san(2)!¡¹ Masaru¡¯s voice boomed throughout the silent enclosure. And, as if triggered by his statement, Mana¡¯s arm was mercilessly twisted behind her, restricting her movement. ¡¸Why you-?!¡¹ Mana struggled before glimpsing a sharp, silver object being held to her neck. It didn¡¯t take her long to understand what said object was. Especially when its sharp surface was pushed against her snowy skin. ¡¸I hope you understand that I¡¯m under orders.¡¹ A midget with a distinctive buzz cut snickered as he placed more strength into the hand, straining Mana¡¯s arm. ¡¸Sorry, No.6, but a man¡¯s gotta do what a man¡¯s gotta do.¡¹ A greasy-haired boy with a wooden bat slung on his shoulder walked along the side of the courtyard, stopping at a distance right in between Masaru and Shiori before commenting thusly. ¡¸I guess I¡¯ll be the ref.¡¹ To clear up any confusion, a referee must act as a third party in a duel so as to ensure that everything is fair, or so the school regulations state. Needless to say, it would seem that for this peculiar duel between the teenagers of blond and brown, the greasy-haired boy had volunteered to act as the neutral party. However-- (But the ref is a lackey of one of the contestants! How is this fair!?) Indeed. Just as Mana had suspected, having one of Masaru¡¯s followers acting as the referee absolutely smelled of foul play. That said, not one person was able to reject as the greasy-haired boy raised his bat. ¡¸Alright, you guys ready?¡¹ At this signal, none of the spectators dared to utter a word. All eyes fell onto the duel that was about to occur. The blond-haired delinquent spread his knees, left leg forward and right foot back. He raised his clenched fists close to his face, causing his knuckles to seemingly brush against his fuzzy beard.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. And while his stance remarkably resembled that of a boxer, what caught everyone¡¯s attention was not his fighting style, but the pieces of sparkling silver placed on the ?Lion¡¯s? hands. (Silver knuckles!?) Mana sharply inhaled, nausea settling in her stomach as her gaze shifting towards Shiori. Unlike Masaru¡¯s instinctive shift into his boxing stance, Shiori awkwardly tried to adapt her own posture. Nervously taking her glasses off, the timid girl placed them into a pink, hand-knitted knapsack hung on the back of her waist. She then brought out a pocket book from the same bag entitled [Palm Striking Techniques]. She held the book open between her left hand¡¯s fingers before bringing it close to her face. Her right hand was held in front of her with all fingers open, displaying her soft, delicate palm. She then poised her body, lowering her centre of gravity. Her eyes were carefully analysing both the situation and the book before her very eyes. She was trying to formulate a plan. Although enraged, Masaru was a wielder of violence. He shouldn¡¯t be able to exercise proper judgement towards unusual combat styles. That¡¯s why she chose palm-strikes. The particular style she was reading concentrated on hit-and-run tactics, maximising the user¡¯s agility in cohesion with open-palm jabs to upset the balance of the opponent. (So¡­¡­how should I go about doing this?) Shiori tried to remain calm as she coldly began to sequence her movements. First, she would sprint up to Masaru¡¯s left flank. -which would be a feint as she ducks the incoming blow, pushing the extended arm upwards with a palm uppercut. Knocking his balance, she would then strike Masaru¡¯s body, sending him crashing into the wall. Combat still daunted Shiori, but she wasn¡¯t going to back away now. (If I don¡¯t do this, Junichi-kun will-!) ¡¸Set!¡¹ Having her thoughts interrupted by a loud yell, Shiori shook her head, ridding herself of unnecessary concerns. Both sides braced themselves for the signal that would break the standoff. All that were present, including the teachers that also joined the audience, held their breath as the painful silence was broken with one word. ¡¸Fight!¡¹ Shiori immediately lunged forward as she began her frontal assault against the ?Lion?. As Shiori approached Masaru¡¯s left side, he shifted his weight onto his front leg before drawing his right arm backwards. His arm then slung forward, Shiori¡¯s body (in accordance to the ?Lion¡¯s? punch) swiftly ducking out of range. (As predicted.) Shiori gleefully thought to herself as she passed the first phase of her plan. However- ¡¸Watch out!¡¹ A high-pitched voice shrieked as an abrupt, unknown force jerked Shiori¡¯s body into the air. And then- *slam* ¡¸Ku-!?¡¹ ---all of a sudden, Shiori¡¯s stomach suddenly collapsed into itself, the rugged fist jabbed in her abdomen causing her diaphragm to expel all of its air in an abrupt spurt. Due to the impact, the fragile body was flung across the courtyard, making tracks as it rolled around in the dirt. (W-what happened?) Shiori weakly looked over to the other side of the yard. The figure of the blond-haired lion slowly strolled over towards the girl desperately trying to lift her trembling body. And in one of his hands, several long, thin brown strings could be seen trailing along the ground. (My¡­.hair?) ¡¸Shiori!? Isayama-kun! Stop this nonsense right now!¡¹ Shiori vomited a red substance out of her mouth, causing Mana to plead with Masaru as her eyes swelled with tears. Yet, the Lion¡¯s prowl was not halted by the girl¡¯s frantic begging. Stopping directly in front of the girl sprawled out on the ground, Masaru coldly grabbed her by the hair, once again raising her trembling frame into the air. It was then that the carnage truly began. The delinquent mercilessly unleashed a flurry of punches, aiming at the arms, legs, chest, and stomach of the feeble, brown-haired girl. Do you know the reason why delinquents would punch you in the stomach instead of the face? It¡¯s because they don¡¯t want the injuries they cause to be visible. However, the ?Lion¡¯s? assault contradicted this very principle that¡¯s second nature to delinquents. Sure, Masaru didn¡¯t aim for Shiori¡¯s face. But the wounds he inflicted caused cuts, bruises, and blood to pour out of the places he targeted. This was no longer a duel. This was torture. As Shiori was relentlessly beaten around like a punching bag, the students couldn''t tear their eyes away from the bloody sight. It was that terrifying. And, by the time Masaru ceased his assault, blood had been splattered in a 2-metre radius which surrounded the battered body of one Hitomi Shiori. ¡¸-shit!¡¹ Masaru muttered before walking off. The ?Lion? was done. Whether he was satisfied by relieving his stress, or pissed that he had to cause this much damage, no-one could say for certain. The courtyard just remained silent. Until- ¡¸-wai-ack-ack¡¹ ¡¸!?¡¹ The ?Lion?turned around to see Shiori, standing while chokingon her own blood. ¡¸I said, wait.¡¹ ¡¸-the hell?!¡¹ Masaru''s surprise was understandable. Shiori''s bloody, war-torn, trembling body was standing after taking who knows how many hits. The No. 9 of the school, who should be extremely weak and frail, managed to get up on her own feet after absorbingcountlessblows. But this was her limit. Shiori knew that her body would soon collapse on itself. Yet, why did she stand up? She did not quite know herself. Yet, the act of her standing up seemed to piss off a certain, blond-haired delinquent. (Fuck it!) The ?Lion?cursed in his mind at the Shiori''s act of defiance. (She was just like that bastard!) Masaru''s face contorted in rage. He walked towards the quivering girl. He raised his right fist once again. But this time, he''ll make sure she won''t stand up again. This time, he was aiming for her face. He pulled his fist back. And then he swung it forward. However- ¡¸-!?¡¹ Masaru''s face widened in surprise. A certain face had moved into the path of his fist. (Mana-san!?) At some point, Mana had overpowered Sadao (the knife-wielding midget) and ran to protect Shiori. This was obviously not what he wanted. However, he couldn''t stop his fist now. ¡¸F-fuck!¡¹ He managed to curse as he closed his eyes. A dull thud resounded across the courtyard. Chapter 7: ...big brother?

Chapter 7: ...big brother?

Mana placed her body in between Masaru and Shiori. She didn''t have time to think, so she instinctively moved to protect her best friend. However, even though she was higher ranked than the lion, she knew she couldn''t win with brute strength. Not to mention her ankle was injured. She didn''t have the luxury of time. And so, she was going to pay the price. Thus, without even being able to cry out, Mana shut her eyes tight, bracing herself for the Lion''s punch. ¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­ *Thud* ? In that single moment, anxiety and confusion filled Mana''s heart. With her own ears, she clearly heard the sound of Masaru''s fist colliding against flesh. And yet---her body felt no pain. Not even the slightest prick had struck her unblemished skin. Surely, this was strange. After all, she had clearly heard the sound of a punch resounding through the subdued atmosphere. And so, as she opened her in an attempt to confirm the strange phenomena, Mana found- *Yawn* -a dark-haired boy, unleashing a familiar yawn as he lazily clasped the lion''s fist with one hand. ¡¸A-!?¡¹ (Aniki(1)!?) Mana tried to voice out, her voice failing her as both of her legs gave way. Having been saved from harm, the adrenaline that pumped through her body suddenly dissipated, causing her frame to tremble as it collapsed onto the dirt. Upon seeing the jet-black beauty kissing the ground, one could see that, at some point, Shiori had also fallen to the ground. However, Mana didn¡¯t pay attention to any of that at all. Her wide eyes were focused solely on her saviour---the ?Last Ranker? who should have been a weakling, her big brother. But it wasn''t just she who was startled by this boy¡¯s sudden appearance. ¡¸W-what the-¡¹ ¡¸Look, I know you have a bad temper, but try to keep it to yourself, huh knucklehead?¡¹ The dark-haired boy lazily ruffled his hair, his emerald eyes sweeping over the furious teen whose hand he held in his palm.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡¸F-fuck you!¡¹ The lion used his other fist to attack Junichi. (Watch out!) Although a muted Mana tried to cry out thusly, the shock of the entire situation had rendered her speechless. However, there was no need for it. The dark-haired boy effortlessly pushed the fist he was holding backwards, knocking the lion off balance. -Like he was merely brushing off dirt. The dark-haired boy then jumped forward, performing a 360 spin in the air, as he moved his leg forward. Performing a heel kick aimed at the lion''s stomach. The lion''s body, unable to brace itself properly on the ground, was sent flying across the courtyard, into the school building. And with it, the lion¡¯s path of flight could be seen as it made tracks in the dirt, creating a dense cloud of smoke. ¡¸W-wha-!?¡¹ Mana''s jaw dropped. Murmurs could be heard in the crowd. ¡¸What the Fuck!¡¹ ¡¸Hah!¡¹ Two people, however, were not awestruck like the rest of the crowd. A midget wielding a knife charged straight at Junichi''s stomach, lunging forward with his knife. The other, a greasy-haired youth swung his baseball bat, aiming for Junichi''s skull. ¡¸-tch¡¹ Junichi glanced behind his shoulder, clicking his tongue. (This just got annoying.) Most people would cower when they see a knife held in front of them. Especially this knife in particular, as its menacing curve made it appear longer than it actually was. But alas, Junichi took this with a grain of salt. Instead of retreating, he rushed forward. 3 steps forward to be precise, distancing him from the currently incapacitated girls. Naturally, due to hisphysical stature and larger gait, the greasy-haired boy reached Junichi first. (So it''s him first.) Junichi shifted his weight backwards as the baseball bat started closing in on him. Out of the corner of his eye, Junichi spotted the midget just 2 steps behind the baseball player. (Alright, let''s do it that way.) Junichi smirked inside. Junichi arched his body back, performing a limbo action that let the baseball bat fly just above him. Then with a fluid motion, he continued bending his body backwards, holding his arms above his head. By this time, the midget was close enough to stab Junichi. However, the boy with emerald eyes kicked the dagger upwards, using the momentum to perform a backwards somersault. Landing on his feet, Junichi then rushed forward once again. The baseball player, just finishing full-swing, was off-balanced, allowing the dark-haired boy to kick his abdomen, sending him flying in the same direction as the almighty lion. As his body added more density to the dust cloud, the baseball bat fell out of his hand. Junichi instinctively grabbed the bat, poised himself like a baseball player and swung at the air. -Or at least was air. By the time the bat reached mid-swing, a silver piece of metal fell from the sky. The knife''s blade lodged itself into the baseball bat, which Junichi then used to point at the midget. ¡¸You still wanna go?¡¹ He taunted, staring at Sadao with intimidating green eyes. ¡¸-t-the hell?¡¹ -was the only reply uttered from his mouth. ¡¸Guess not.¡¹ Having ascertained a lack of fighting intent, the ?Last Ranker? nonchalantly turned his back on his assailant, crouching down as he slung the baseball bat over his shoulder. And then, with his usual aloof attitude, the dark-haired teenager spoke. ¡¸You alright, Mana?¡¹ Junichi asked, his green eyes filled with concern as they stared directly at the girl of jet-black. Despite his usually stoic nature, it would seem that the boy truly did care for his sister¡¯s wellbeing. A feeling that was transmitted to the little sister so strongly that she flinched in the face of Junichi¡¯s unfaltering gaze. ¡¸I-I''m alright.¡¹ Mana struggled to say, weakly lifting herself up as she dusted the dirt off her skirt. And, while she was a little shaky, the older brother determined that she was well enough to handle herself. ¡¸Sorry, but can you take Shiori to the infirmary?¡¹ ¡¸I-I would, even if you didn''t ask me!¡¹ Suddenly growing flustered, Mana blushed furiously as she watched her brother stand as well. However, having already moved on from checking his sister¡¯s condition, Junichi stared at the cloud of smoke that had yet to dissipate before the following words passed his lips. ¡¸I''ve got something to take care of with knucklehead over there.¡¹ ---seeing her brother¡¯s unwavering gaze, Mana''s eyes were filled with anxiety, the source of which was unknown to her at the current time. Nevertheless, understanding that she had a duty to fulfil, the jet-black bishoujo(2)silently supported Shiori whilst making her way to the closest entrance to the school building. ---it was at this time that Junichi decided to call out to the two. ¡¸Mana, Shiori.¡¹ Junichi called out to them before they left. ¡¸What?¡¹ ¡¸¡­sorry.¡¹ Mana''s eyes widened with surprise at the apologetic Junichi. A small noise could also be heard from Shiori, although Mana doubted that Junichi could hear it. That said, seeing how there was nothing that the two injured girls could do, they walked away in silence, leaving the ?Last Ranker?, Saito Junichi trapped all alone in the Lion''s Den. Chapter 8: The Lion and the Dark-Haired Youth

Chapter 8: The Lion and the Dark-Haired Youth

(What the fuck was that!?) Left speechless by the sudden turn of events, a dumbstruck Masaru groaned in agony. Even though his world full of dust was spinning relentlessly around him, the furious teen was still in a state where he could move. --or at least, he would be were he not currently indented several inches deep into a concrete wall. ¡¸What the fuck was that, Saito Junichi!?¡¹ ¡¸Don''t underestimate him, almighty Lion.¡¹ In the face of the cursing beast, a low voice pierced the hazy atmosphere. And the owner of said voice, a shaggy, brown-haired teacher infamous for his chalk-throwing prowess, issued a warning towards the infuriated Masaru. ¡¸W-what was that, fucker?¡¹ The boy with the stubble cursed, his words distorted by the pain into a high-pitched snarl. Despite his vision returning to its normal order, Masaru¡¯s eyes were still red, bloodshot as rage forced his skin to redden harshly. But alas, without feeling the least bit intimidated, the shaggy instructor simply shrugged, narrowing his eyes before mouthing off the following. ¡¸I''m saying be careful. If you don''t go all out, you could die.¡¹ The shaggy man narrowed his eyes. ¡¸You''re no longer the hunter.¡¹ ¡¸F-fuck you!¡¹ Masaru tore his body of the wall, the rubble and debris dirtying his already scrappy uniform. However, when he turned to the owner of the voice, there was no longer there. With that said, by the time this engagement reached its conclusion, the dust which once obscured the battlefield had begun to settle, clearing the vision of the large courtyard. And with this vision, the Lion was absolutely flabbergasted by what he saw. On one side, he saw an unconscious, greasy-haired youth, sprawled on the floor. On the other side, he saw a midget shivering uncontrollably. And in the middle, he saw a dark-haired youth, slinging a baseball bat on his shoulder. ¡¸Fuck you, you bastard!¡¹ ¡¸Hm? You got a problem?¡¹ Upon receiving Masaru¡¯s abrupt anger, the dark-haired boy craned his head, choosing to respond with his characteristic aloofness. For better or for worse, Saito Junichi was a blunt individual who cared little for conventions. In a sense, he, like the lion, was also one who strayed from the rules. That said, if you were to ask anyone who was watching them right now, they¡¯d easily conclude that the two were as different as water and oil. ¡¸What the hell do you mean, ¡°you got a problem!?¡± I''m going to fuckin'' kill you, Saito!!¡¹ In all honesty, as he heard this incredibly cliched line coming from the delinquent, Junichi couldn¡¯t help but heave a deep sigh. Nevertheless, seeing how he was the source of this mess, he could complain to noone as he rubbed his head in annoyance. ¡¸You sure you wanna continue? It¡¯s not going to be a duel anymore since we got not ref.¡¹ ¡¸Who do you think''s fucking responsible for that!?¡¹ As fury swirled in his heart, Isayama Masaru raised his fists, stomping his feet fiercely as he began a full frontal assault on the ?Last Ranker?.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Yet, unfazed by the abrupt approach, Junichi simply took the bat which was slouched over his shoulder--- ---and threw it away. (-the hell''s he doing!?) Masaru thought as he approached Junichi, who was now pocketing his hands. (Is he serious!?) Putting your hands in your pockets is a sign that you are harmless. This is because when your hands are in your pockets, you limit your movement, making people think it¡¯s safe to be near you. This act of appearing harmless is quite a common thing to do. Many people do this. But not in the middle of a brawl. However, Junichi didn''t care. He just narrowed his eyes. His piercing, jade green eyes. Masaru, now face to face with Junichi, began the onslaught. The lion threw punch after punch after punch at the dark-haired youth. Junichi barely moved. He didn''t need to move. Leaning slightly left, step back, duck, swerve to the right- Using minimal movement, Junichi evaded every single punch thrown at him. ¡¸What the fuck!¡¹ As Junichi continued to dodge, Masaru grew more and more impatient. For each fist he threw met nothing but empty air. And it was this impatience in which the boy with unkempt hair was relying upon. (An opening!) Junichi calmly analysed Masaru''s movements, taking advantage of a gleamed opportunity as he planted his heel in delinquent''s abdomen. And, whilst the impact of the strike was light, the surprise factor of the blow was more than enough for the boy¡¯s purposes. ¡¸Ku-!?¡¹ Taken aback by the attack which had slipped through his guard, Masaru grunted as he planted his feet firmly into the ground. Thankfully, due to the instincts he honed fighting others, Masaru was only knocked back a couple of metres. That said, the fact that the school¡¯s renowned weakling had managed to land a blow on him shook Masaru to the very core. ¡¸What the hell, you fucker!?¡¹ Continuing to cuss at his opponent, Masaru began to scowl as he clenched his fist in aggravation. However, the moment his eyes shifted back towards the ?Last Ranker?- ¡¸What¡­the hell!?¡¹ -Masaru¡¯s entire frame shuddered ferociously, immobilising him as he began to pour out into a cold sweat. All of a sudden, an inexplicable pressure ruthlessly assailed the delinquent of blond hair. As to be expected of his namesake, the ?Lion¡¯s? battle instincts which were honed in constant combat were warning him. Warning him of danger. Sirens went off in Masaru¡¯s head as he stared at the being before him. The figure of a teenager, lazily standing upright, had his dark hair covering his eyes, forming shadows on his face. In beneath those wispy shadows, a distinct gem of green light could be seen, coldly looking down upon Masaru. He was standing in the middle of a bloody circle. The aura emanating from the youth wasn¡¯t of one fighting a duel. It was an aura of one fighting to the death. The courtyard became a battlefield. The red circle became a pool of blood. And the sparkle of green transformed into a deep, bloodstained red. And then- The dark-haired boy smiled. A smile so sinister, it looked like it came straight from hell. ¡¸?Ominous Wind?¡¹ The owner of the red-eye muttered casually. His words like a command which unleashed the true beast lurking within him. And then, as if moving according to the unbending will infused in said words¡­ A strong gale swept through the battlefield. -!? Blinded by the sudden breeze, Masaru¡¯s entire body tensed as he instinctively flinched. Of course, this was but a momentary lapse. A change that took place in a single moment. And that moment was all it took. Because it was in that moment that the figure of the dark-haired boy disappeared completely from the sight of everyone in the vicinity. (Where¡¯d that bastard go?) Surprised by Junichi¡¯s vanishing act, Masaru immediately grew wary, scanning the area for any sign of the boy. However, it was already too late. ¡¸Remember, you asked for this.¡¹ Masaru turned his head behind him, catching a glimpse of the owner of the eerie voice. A dark shade of iron, and a piercing red light. A figure so ghastly that one might have mistaken it for the grim reaper himself. And from the reaper¡¯s lips, a single word passed indifferently into the frigid atmosphere. Knucklehead ----in that moment, Masaru¡¯s instincts forced his body to wildly swing out a fist in desperation. Naturally, it was a futile swing at an invisible target. However, Masaru felt his fist collide with something. Now, what that something was remained a mystery to the man with the large frame. Yet, in the end, his reckless struggle was unable to change his ultimate fate. For within an instant, a multitude of lacerations infested ?Lion Mane Masaru¡¯s? body, causing burning blood to spurt out of the freshly made wounds. (Wha-?) Unable to deal with the pain that overloading his brain, Masaru¡¯s consciousness faded completely, his limbs giving way as his frame collapsed onto the cold hard ground. The lion¡¯s body, sprawled out in the middle of a pool of his own blood, signified that the match was over. And then, the bizarre silence that was evoked by the complete and total upset of the weakest student defeating a member of the £ÛStudent Council£Ý was quickly broken by the murmurs and gossip of students. ¡¸I don¡¯t believe it!¡¹ ¡¸?Lion Mane Masaru? lost!¡¹ ¡¸The No. 10!?¡¹ ¡¸No way!¡¹ ¡¸Who did it!?¡¹ It was in this manner that the raucous commotion continued uncontrollably, the wind which had once picked up finally settling down again. Naturally, seeing how large the audience was, order was completely absent from this chaos. There were those who expressed utter amazement at the sight they had witnessed. There were those who perpetuated their disbelief, unable to admit that what just occurred was the truth. There were those who were curious about the duel itself, trying to gather information about the identity of the ?Lion¡¯s? opponent, as well as the circumstances that led to this duel. With that said, amongst the differing opinions, there was one thing that everyone shared during that moment. The one thing that was on everyone¡¯s minds¡­¡­ ¡­¡­was the fact that the dark-haired victor had vanished without a trace. Chapter 9: The Brother, the Sister, and the Childhood Friend

Chapter 9: The Brother, the Sister, and the Childhood Friend

The layout of ¡¾Phoenix Gakuen(1)¡¿ consists of the ¡¾Main Building¡¿, the ¡¾Left Wing¡¿ and the ¡¾Right Wing¡¿. The ¡¾Main Building¡¿ is a 3 storey tall, rectangular structure. The Left and Right wings joint on the end of the building in right angles, creating a horseshoe shape that surrounded the courtyard which was referred to as the ¡¾Heart¡¿. The ¡¾Main Building¡¿ contained all of the classrooms, while the ¡¾Right Wing¡¿ held facilities for clubs, such as the music instruments, drama sets and costumes, art tools, etc. The ¡¾Left Wing¡¿ was the home for study spaces, the library, and faculty offices which also included the infirmary. And in this infirmary- ¡¸She looks awful.¡¹ A woman with orange hair which fell to her shoulders and fair skin that matched her pure white lab coat grimly examined the battered body of Shiori. ¡¸P-please. Please help her.¡¹ As her cute black eyes continued to water, Mana clutched her hand to her chest, unease gripping her heart as it caused her entire frame to shiver. Yet, in the face of this sincere concern, the woman simply smiled as she gently placed her hand upon Mana¡¯s silky black hair. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s going to be just fine.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you, Shizuka-sensei(2)!¡¹ As the young woman comforted Mana, she gradually felt her tense body begin to relax, her nerves flowing out of her body as relief caused her face to brighten. ¡¸¡­I just have to finish this potion first.¡¹ ¡¸P-potion¡­?¡¹ Upon hearing this ominous statement, Mana smiled for a different reason as she felt her features began to stiffen. Being an alumnus of ¡¾Phoenix Gakuen¡¿, Shizuka-sensei used her knowledge gained from researching medicine to heal many of the students who had caught up in duels, eventually being come to known as the Miracle Doctor. That said, due to her treatments infamously involving strange potions and various mixtures, rumours began to spread that she was actually a sorceress that¡¯s come to test her concoctions on the vulnerable students. And of course, as a member of the £ÛStudent Council£Ý, Miyazawa Mana was also aware of such gossip that was circulating amongst her cohorts. ¡¸I-is this potion¡­safe?¡¹ ¡¸Of course it''s safe. Just trust me. I know what I''m doing.¡¹ Shizuka-sensei reassured Mana as she took out a peculiar shaped wooden stick. (Are you a witch or what?) Mana asked mentally as she felt a sweat drop fall down her face. But alas, it was too soon for the school¡¯s beauty to feel such dread as there was still plenty more disturbing things to come from this orange-haired instructor. ¡¸Now let''s see¡­toad legs, ferret hair, wasp wings¡­¡¹ As she suppressed an internal shriek, Mana unconditionally shivered as she began to visualise the ingredients which Shizuka-sensei had begun to list off. Needless to say, none of them sounded very pleasant to consume by themselves, much less when concocted into a single brew. Though on the other hand, was it even safe for a human to eat such a thing? --and it was in this moment when Mana pondered such a thing whilst breaking out into a cold sweat, she heard a small sound. ¡¸..nn¡­¡¹ ¡¸Shiori!¡¹ As a meagre groan escaped Shiori¡¯s weak lips, Mana swerved her body, falling on her knees whilst grasping the hand of her disturbed childhood friend. Her closed eyes twitched slightly as her features grew ever paler. It needn¡¯t be said that the girl¡¯s body wasn¡¯t in its best condition. However, the fact that she was still breathing filled Mana with an indescribable sense of comfort. ¡¸¡­u¡­i¡­.un..¡¹ ¡¸S-Shiori!¡¹ ¡¸Jun¡­ichi¡­kun¡­¡¹ All of a sudden, whilst deep in a coma, the girl with brown hair muttered a name in her sleep. The name of the dark-haired youth who had saved them. A name which tore at something deep within the confines of Mana¡¯s confused heart.Stolen novel; please report. ¡¸¡­Shiori¡­¡¹ Drooping her head, the depressed girl of jet black grew silent, her fringe delicately falling so as to obscure her jet-black eyes. As she had been reminded of her brother, doubts and uncertainties began to swell within Mana¡¯s modest chest. Aniki, what are you trying to do? Why did you hide your strength? You¡¯re so much stronger than me, yet how come you¡¯re still last ranked? Why did you let Shiori fight? Why can¡¯t you rely on me? Onii-chan(3)¡­ As the girl¡¯s worries grew in number, her mind spiralled into a whirlpool of anxiety, leaving her devastated by the darkness seeping into her very core. A darkness that was soon dispelled by a hand that placed itself on Mana¡¯s shoulder. ¡¸Miyazawa-san, would you mind getting these things from the storeroom for me?¡¹ The orange-haired doctor smiled at the troubled teenage girl, holding out a wad of paper. And, while she wasn¡¯t sure how to react at first, Mana stifled her pain as she nodded, making her way to the storeroom before quietly closing the door behind her. *clack* With the sound of the closing door, a subtle silence enveloped the infirmary. Glancing at the school idol¡¯s departing figure, the young doctor took a deep breath before sitting down on the stool next to the patient¡¯s bed. And then- ¡¸You can wake up now, Hitomi-san(4).¡¹ -calling out towards her pained patient, Shiori¡¯s pale eyelids opened slowly, revealing her hazy, hazelnut eyes. ¡¸Th-thank you, Shizuka-sensei.¡¹ ¡¸Is that thanks for the treatment, or for encouraging Miyazawa-san?¡¹ ¡¸Both, actually.¡¹ After offering a few trembling words of gratitude to the young doctor, Shiori tried to smile but was hindered by the pain which caused her to wince. Yet, in the face of the student¡¯s agonising expression, the doctor displayed no pity, carefully caressing Shiori¡¯s back as she returned a smile of her own. ¡¸I''m just doing my job.¡¹ Shizuka-sensei walked to her desk, taking out a small plastic tub of ointment from the drawer. She then approached Shiori, unscrewing the lid of the container before placing a finger into the cream. ¡¸I''ll treat your wounds now. Now, this might sting a little¡­¡¹ --In a completely different section of the school-- The footsteps of a certain dark-haired youth reverberated in the corridor. ¡¸*Yawn* What a pain in the ass.¡¹ Saito Junichi rubbed the back of his head as he let loose another big yawn. Naturally, he was complaining about the ordeal that he had unfortunately been thrust into. An ordeal that only caused him trouble. Especially because he had now revealed a portion of his actual strength to the masses. ¡¸Not bad, not bad at all.¡¹ Despite the wound which was currently oozing with a rich red substance, Junichi made a casual comment as he reflected upon the fight which had just transpired. Having thought he had taken the ?Lion? by surprise, the boy¡¯s habit of teasing kicked up again as he taunted the delinquent with a sharp tongue. And yet, even though it was far from perfect, Masaru had managed to take advantage of that opportunity, throwing a wild swing in Junichi¡¯s direction in a last-ditch attempt at winning. Naturally, in the position that he was in, there was no way that the dark-haired youth would have lost. Nevertheless, the fact that he was injured by a mere high school student caused Junichi¡¯s features to contort into a dark grin. (That knucklehead''s got potential.) Having finished his reflection, the smirking youth continued his stroll through the deserted corridor of the ¡¾Left Wing¡¿. Why was he in the ¡¾Left Wing¡¿? Obviously because he was headed towards the infirmary. To where his sister and childhood friend were. ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡¹ Finally arriving at his destination, the boy with dark hair stood silently before the infirmary door. However, that was all he did. Instead of entering, Junichi could only make a difficult face as he approached the door of the infirmary. But then, who could blame him? After all, the only reason why he had to come here was because of this incident. The incident which his carelessness had caused. An incident which appeared to not be over yet. ¡¸Kyaa!¡¹ -a high-pitched scream came from the other side of the door. (Shiori-!?) Hearing the shrill, high-pitched cry coming from the other side of the door, a concerned Junichi immediately threw open the door, storming into the infirmary to find- -the clothless back of a slender, brown-haired girl. ¡¸-!?¡¹ ~Ara ara~(5) As Shiori''s face immediately blushed upon Junichi''s sudden appearance, the young witch-doctor simply smiled, her eyes mischievously sweeping over the dark-haired intruder¡¯s figure. Yet, in contrast, Junichi¡¯s face immediately flushed a deep crimson, growing flustered as he realised that he had intruded upon something he shouldn¡¯t have. -or so one might think. However, believe it or not, but the boy known as Saito Junichi was not an inexperienced virgin that one would often see in love comedies. In other words---he wasn¡¯t the type to get aroused just from seeing a high school girl¡¯s back. ¡¸Uh¡­ what just happened?¡¹ ¡¸Hitomi-san just overreacted when I placed some ointment on her.¡¹ Trying to break the awkward atmosphere, Junichi asked while averting his eyes so as to not embarrass Shiori. And whilst taking the stance of a bystander, the witch doctor smiled sweetly as she returned a simple explanation. ¡¸So...is she okay now?¡¹ ¡¸She''ll be fine, although I''m not sure if you''ll be.¡¹ ¡¸Huh-?¡¹ Perpetuating her non-involvement position, the doctor once again smiled playfully as she flashed a knowing glance. Yet, while having no idea what she was talking about, Junichi cocked his head, unable to shake the feeling that he was forgetting about something. A certain something that suddenly reared its beautiful, jet-black head. ¡¸Shizuka-sensei, I couldn''t find a couple of i¡­tems¡­¡­¡¹ The voice faded away towards the end of the sentence. Mana had walked out of the infirmary store room to see a red-faced Shiori, hugging her body and turned away from her brother. ---one didn¡¯t need to have a college degree to guess exactly what happened next. ¡¸-!?¡¹ (Oh, shit!) Seeing Mana¡¯s grim countenance, Junichi instantly realised that his little sister''s eyes were dangerously leering at him through the bangs which currently masked her face. Junichi knew how short-tempered Mana was, and would usually stop provoking her before she reached a breaking point. However, it would seem that today he had trekked far off into unexplored territory. *Snap* (I''m screwed!) Hearing a distinct cracking sound, Junichi immediately realised how much he had fucked up, his body slowly inching away in fear. Nevertheless, the boy was nothing if not tenacious, deciding to risk it all in a final attempt of feeble resistance. ¡¸Mana, w-wait! I can explain!¡¹ ¡¸Explain what, Aniki(6)?¡¹ ¡¸This is a misunderstanding!¡¹ ¡¸Misunderstanding? Didn''t you enter the infirmary to catch a glimpse of Shiori''s naked body? Isn''t that what you''re trying to tell me?¡¹ ¡¸That''s why I''m saying that''s wrong!¡¹ (She''s too far gone.) Having realised thus, Junichi determined that his resistance was futile. And so, all he could do was resign himself to his fate. ¡¸That''s bad, you know, Aniki. Bad boys should be punished, Aniki. I hope you''re ready.¡¹ ¡¸Please just listen to me already!¡¹ ---it was at that moment, through his own screams of tear-jerking agony, which Junichi happened upon a realisation. To him, his little sister was scarier than any beastly predator. Interlude 1 - The Newbie?

Interlude 1 - The Newbie?

¡¸Any sign of him?¡¹ ¡¸S-sorry, Rin-san(1). He¡¯s not in the city.¡¹ Answering the cold, feminine voice which came through a receiver was the sweet soprano voice of a young girl, her orange hair swaying side to side as she walked down the street. Enveloping her slightly chubby frame was a dark grey skirt and a familiar scarlet red blazer, the prominent symbol of a golden phoenix embroiled on its shirt pocket. Yet, even though the fabric looked quite different on this entity of orange, it was obvious to all that the uniform belonged to the prestigious school: ¡¾Phoenix Gakuen¡¿. ¡¸Continue scouting, newbie.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, will do.¡¹ As the voice of ¡°Rin-san¡± resounded once again through the speaker, the girl referred to as newbie replied, her scruffy orange hair bobbing up and down as she strolled along the deserted street.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Deserted? Upon realising how destitute her surroundings were, the girl with scruffy hair grew wary as her eyes darted about restlessly. ¡¸What''s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸¡­I think I found something else.¡¹ With an anxious tone, the orange-haired girl tensed her entire body, raising her guard as her breaths grew shallow. And, while it wasn¡¯t exactly clear why she was so perturbed, the cold voice¡¯s probing began to shed some light onto the newbie¡¯s situation. ¡¸What is it, an enemy?¡¹ ¡¸¡­it might be.¡¹ ¡¸Do not engage. I''ll go to your position.¡¹ ¡¸I''m at the traffic lights near-¡¹ ¡¸We''ve traced your coordinates from your phone.¡¹ Immediately cutting the scruffy-haired girl off, the voice known as ¡°Rin¡± coldly resounded throughout the receiver, leaving the newbie with a persistent discomfort lodged into her heart. ¡¸O-oh¡­ok.¡¹ ¡¸I''m heading there now. Wait for m-¡¹ *Crash* Before Rin¡¯s voice could complete its sentence, the body of the scruffy-haired girl flew into a pole, bending it into an acute angle. And with the impact which caused shockwaves to ripple through the atmosphere, a trail of red spilled out onto the dark grey ground. *Clack* ¡¸-Newbie!? Are you okay!? Respond! Please respond!¡¹ As an orange-coloured phone dramatically fell onto the concrete pavement, the anxious voice of Rin echoed through the desolate city landscape. Chapter 10: What they would do…

Chapter 10: What they would do¡­

¡¸...damn it.¡¹ ¡¸Now, now, you can¡¯t blame her for misunderstanding.¡¹ ¡¸Are you okay, Junichi-kun?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, but this hurts like hell.¡¹ ¡¸S-sorry, Aniki(1).¡¹ After a certain someone had calmed down, the four individuals holding very different emotions gathered. Naturally, there was the apologetic little sister. A concerned childhood friend. A mediating doctor. And of course, an annoyed young man with dark hair. ¡¸Hey, watch it!¡¹ Saito Junichi scowled, glaring towards his back as his face was distorted by agony. Currently, the dark-haired youth was getting treated by none other than the school¡¯s infamous wi---doctor, Shizuka Manami-sensei(2). Yet, even though he was usually an aloof and nonchalant individual, it would seem that even Junichi wasn¡¯t immune to pain. ¡¸C¡¯mon, you¡¯re a man, aren¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s that got to do with it?¡¹ In the face of Shizuka-sensei¡¯s playful comment, the boy could only sigh, rubbing his treated wound before turning towards his sister. ¡¸But man you hit hard, don¡¯t you Mana?¡¹ ¡¸Geez~ It¡¯s because you were gawking at Shiori¡¯s body.¡¹ In a flawless attempt at defending her actions, Miyazawa Mana puffed her cheeks, crossing her arms as she turned her head. And, while Shiori¡¯s face grew slightly pinkish thanks to her comment, no one pointed it out as the conversation¡¯s focus shifted directly towards Junichi. ¡¸¡­I wasn¡¯t gawking.¡¹ ¡¸But you did see it, right?¡¹ ¡¸*cough* A little bit.¡¹ As the boy admitted thus upon being met with Mana¡¯s questioning gaze, Shiori¡¯s face flashed from a light shade of pink to a bright crimson, tilting her head down as she attempted to bury herself within the curtains of her flailing hair. ¡¸J-Junichi-kun, s-saw-!¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t see that much.¡¹ As the stuttering intellectual clenched the clean bed sheets tightly, Junichi turned his head, an image of Shiori¡¯s small chest resurfacing in his mind. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it.¡¹ ¡¸Guu~¡¹ Although questionable whether this was a conscious decision, Hitomi Shiori unleashed a baby-like cry, immediately pulling the covers over her as she hid herself from view. However, in doing so, a patch of red was revealed to the dark-haired boy, allowing him to notice that the corner of the blanket had become stained. Stained by the girl¡¯s wounds which, unlike his, had yet to be healed. (She¡¯s pushing herself.) The boy concluded, warily pretending to be completely oblivious to this sign of disaster. Junichi understood how sensitive Shiori was of others. And this patch of red, along with her not displaying any signs of pain, was proof that she was trying desperately to keep him from worrying about her. Truly, a kind girl whose efforts were wasted on scum like him. Nevertheless, understanding that the girl¡¯s struggle would be fruitless if he revealed this, the boy chose to feign ignorance. ¡¸Saito-kun, do you mind if I talk to you for a moment?¡¹ Choosing to intrude upon his thoughts with awfully convenient timing, Shizuka-sensei called out to Junichi, her eyes hinting over at the corridor¡¯s exit. Initially perplexed, the boy¡¯s eyes flickered, allowing his mind to analyse the instructor¡¯s behaviour. And from what he could tell upon a quick glance-Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. (She probably doesn¡¯t want Shiori or Mana to hear what we¡¯re going to talk about¡­) -he deemed that it would be wise for him to follow, causing Junichi to stand before exiting the infirmary with the young doctor. ¡¸A-Aniki?¡¹ ¡ºDon¡¯t worry Mana, just look after Shiori.¡» Hoping to nip his sister¡¯s concerns in the bud, Junichi¡¯s eyes transmitted this message before he shut the sliding door. However, unbeknownst to the dark-haired boy, this only caused the girl to feel more worried. (¡­.but, Aniki¡­) Mana stared at the door in a daze, her mind still focused on the figure of her brother¡¯s back. The very same back which had protected her from the ?Lion¡¯s? assault. But alas, before she was allowed to wallow further in her thoughts, a sudden sound tore through the little sister¡¯s depression. ¡¸Guh-!?¡¹ ¡¸Sorry, Shiori! Are you ok?¡¹ As Shiori grimaced at the pain her body tried to ignore, Mana grew distraught, quickly grabbing the ointment that was lying on the short stool beside her friend¡¯s bed. Yet, in a manner befitting of her conservative nature- ¡¸I-I¡¯m fine.¡¹ -Shiori tried to reassure her friend whilst unconvincingly falling onto her back in agony. ¡¸¡­why did you try to hide it from Aniki?¡¹ As she deftly unbuttoned her friend¡¯s shirt with the utmost caution, Mana¡¯s concern rapidly rose as tears began to pool in the corners of her eyes. Having been called the ?Grace? of ¡¾Phoenix Gakuen¡¿, Miyazawa Mana was highly empathetic towards the feelings of others. Perhaps it was because of this high empathy that she was able to uphold her school-idol image among her cohorts (who weren¡¯t in her class). That said, even with her talent of feeling others¡¯ emotions, seeing how she lacked Shiori¡¯s ability to logically understand another¡¯s thought process, she simply couldn¡¯t understand why her bespectacled friend went through with such a dangerous act. At least, not until she heard the reason from her very own mouth. ¡¸¡­because I didn¡¯t want him to worry.¡¹ As her clasped hands began to fidget on her lap, Shiori¡¯s face blushed for the nth time that day. With that said, however, it was clear that embarrassment was not the cause for her rosy cheeks this time. For it was another emotion--more complex than the universe itself--which caused blood to rush to her face. ¡¸Shiori¡­could it be that you-¡¹ -like Aniki? Unable to voice the tail of her question, Miyazawa Mana could only remain still, silent as she stared at her friend who was seemingly trapped in a tender daze. But of course, being held captive by this whimsical emotion, Hitomi Shiori could only sigh, her heart throbbing wildly as the name of her saviour rolled off of her delicate, shivering tongue. ¡¸Junichi-kun¡­¡¹ ¡¸So what¡¯s her condition?¡¹ ¡¸You come off rather strong, don¡¯t you?¡¹ Having exited the infirmary, Saito Junichi and Shizuka Manami engaged in a silent conversation, ensuring that the two girls who they had separated from couldn¡¯t hear its contents. One one side, the boy with dark hair propped himself up against the window, his hands lazily held in his trouser pockets. On the other side, the doctor of wavy orange hair crossed her arms, seemingly holding her moderate chest as she straightened her back. And, while both of these individuals were vast contrasts of each other, there was one thing that they currently possessed in common. Neither of them was smiling. ¡¸There¡¯s no damage to her vitals, however, her body can¡¯t cope with the excessive trauma.¡¹ Shizuka-sensei cited, offering up a careful analysis of Shiori¡¯s condition as her lab coat billowed behind her. With her sharp glasses, white coat, and red work tie, she honestly looked more like a scientist rather than a nurse. Yet, the boy made no comments about her arguably seductive attire as he continued to listen to the doctor¡¯s explanation. ¡¸Basically, her wounds aren¡¯t closing up fast enough to heal.¡¹ ¡¸¡­thought so.¡¹ Junichi gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowing as he recognised that his suspicions had been confirmed. Seeing how weak her constitution was, it seemed almost natural that such wounds wouldn¡¯t close, even with ointment. With that said, this did not stop the boy from placing his hopes in the power of medicine. ¡¸Can you cure her?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I tried an ointment that can temporarily close her wounds.¡¹ ¡¸-and?¡¹ ¡¸From my observations, she won¡¯t heal completely.¡¹ ¡¸Damn.¡¹ With a swift and sharp tongue, Junichi lightly swore between his teeth which were clenched as tightly as his pocketed fists. However, this frustration passed quicker than it came as the boy¡¯s rational self raised another question to the lady doctor. ¡¸You got anything else?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve got a potion that helps stimulate the body¡¯s regeneration of cells.¡¹ Deciding not to comment about Junichi¡¯s rapid mood swing, Shizuka-sensei took out a wad of paper from inside of her coat, gripping it between her index and middle finger as she passed it towards the unkempt youth. And, although he was at first confused by the sudden gift, the scientist¡¯s next words placed everything back into perspective. ¡¸However, it seems that I don¡¯t have the supplies I need right now.¡¹ ¡°So take this list and go get them for me¡±---or so was the message that the ?Last Ranker? inferred from his instructor¡¯s actions. Seeing how Shizuka-sensei had her own obligations to fill, it would be considered difficult for her to leave her post to obtain the so-called supplies to heal his friend. Thus, it was reasonable for Junichi himself to go and fetch medicine. And, while the boy didn¡¯t particularly mind doing so, he wasn¡¯t entirely confident whether he procure the necessary materials. Especially after he glimpsed but a section of the long, long list.
  • dried bat wings
  • worm blood
  • newt¡¯s eyeballs
¡¸¡­are you a witch?¡¹ ¡¸Who knows?¡¹ In the face of Shizuka-sensei¡¯s mischievous smile, the boy with unkempt hair couldn¡¯t help but feel himself breaking out into a cold sweat. Nevertheless, understanding that he would waste time if he pursued the matter further, he instead changed his line of questioning. ¡¸So where do I get this stuff?¡¹ Having already predicted such a question, the doctor handed Junichi another slip of paper, its contents seemingly a set of directions written on the back of a small map. ¡¸I usually order supplies from this store. I¡¯ve already paid for them so you just need to go pick them up.¡¹ ¡¸Got it. I¡¯ll head there right away.¡¹ Answering swiftly, Junichi glanced at the memo before pocketing it. And from this quick glance, he understood that, wherever this store was, it wasn¡¯t going to be within the campus. Thus, he raised his body, opening the window behind him as he allowed the summer breeze to enter the tranquil corridor. ¡¸I¡¯ll call the £ÛStudent Council£Ý and tell them you¡¯re running an errand for me.¡¹ ¡¸Thanks.¡¹ Expressing gratitude towards his instructor¡¯s consideration, Junichi turned towards the second-storey window he had opened. And then, without any sort of warning whatsoever, it came. A mysterious force assaulted the confined area, rattling the doors whilst causing the young doctor¡¯s coat to flutter wildly. A force so quick that it was relentless. A force so trivial that it was gentle. And it was with this force that Saito Junichi once again disappeared on a gust of wind. Chapter 11: Magic?

Chapter 11: Magic?

¡¾Phoenix Gakuen¡¿ is located in the north of ¡¾Sekai City¡¿, surrounded by tall buildings on all sides. All kinds of stores and public facilities are available to the students, proprietors setting up shop aiming their services towards the students of the school. -and in the midst of the bustling streets of the city. ¡¸*Yawn* Well, at least I don¡¯t have to go to classes, now.¡¹ Saito Junichi yawned as he walked on the pavement. Car engines were rumbling. Wives were gossiping. The sounds of music could be heard from a large plasma display, placed on the wall of a skyscraper which overlooked the typical daily life of the peaceful city. (Damn, this city¡¯s noisy during the day.) Junichi commented internally, staring at the location mentioned in the memo Shizuka-sensei gave him. ¡¾Wild Orange Diner¡¿ (Wild Orange, huh? So it¡¯s ¡¾Tachibana(1)¡¿? How come I¡¯ve never heard of this before?) Junichi mumbled, translating the English name of the store to a localised version whilst skilfully opening his dark-blue flip-phone. -14:23- The current time was displayed on his dark blue phone. And, while one would think that he didn¡¯t need to rely on his phone¡¯s navigation, the boy found that the directions written on the back weren¡¯t exactly the most¡­¡­precise. Thus, choosing to let his phone guide him, Junichi paused slightly, allowing his handheld to process his request before navigating a path to his destination. (So it¡¯s just a left at the next traffic light.) The dark-haired boy confirmed, closing his phone as he proceeded to make his way towards his destination. Yet, as he did so, something strange occurred to Junichi. He could no longer hear the rumbling of car engines, pumping polluted exhaust into the pristine city air. He could no longer hear the chatter of women cluttering the sounds of the street with unrestrained gossip. Even the large plasma that was playing a unique commercial starring a pair of blonde and pink idols now only showed a blank screen. (-the hell?) Noticing the abnormality of the situation, Junichi cursed as he began to survey the area. The bustling city landscape turned into a grey, desolate ghost town quicker than the flip of a coin. And, because of its suddenness, this rapid change caused the dark-haired boy¡¯s confusion to transition swiftly into wariness.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. (I smell blood.) Junichi was led by his nose as he followed the unpleasant fragrance. -which eventually led him to quite a horrific sight. Two figures were glaring at each other on opposite sides of a 4-way crossing. One was a girl, dressed in a red blazer with an unmistakable phoenix sewn onto the blazer pocket. The girl, who possessed scruffy orange hair that seemed strangely familiar to Junichi, was covered with cuts that ruined both her uniform and her fair skin, the pain from these lacerations causing her to fall to the ground. The other figure belonged to a tall, white-haired man wearing faded white jeans and a grey, loosely fit shirt. The man had tanned skin that one might find in the tropics, and had several piercings on his ears, undoubtedly to make him look tougher. And on an exposed portion of this tanned individual¡¯s right arm laid a tattoo bearing the prominent image of- (-an eagle?) Junichi instinctively held his breath, regulating his breathing in an attempt to prevent either of these strange entities to notice his presence. But alas, it was already too late. ¡¸Who''re you!?¡¹ The white-haired man barked, scowling as his aluminium eyes were focused in the direction that Junichi concealed himself in. And, while his efforts at remaining undiscovered had been foiled, the youth cared not as his curiosity had been piqued by the two individuals. ¡¸¡­that''s my line. Who the hell are you, bird-brain?¡¹ Choosing to reply brazenly, Junichi walked confidently in between the two figures, his aggressive stance signifying that his bad habit of issuing taunts had once again begun to act up. However, the white-haired boy''s reaction to this provocation was drastically different from what the dark-haired youth was expecting. ¡¸This annoying-as-fuck attitude, and those green eyes¡­I''ve finally found you!¡¹ Unsure of what to make of this response, Junichi could only stand there, his brow furrowed as he tried to understand what the man with the bird tattoo just said. However, seeing the boy''s outburst, something must have been triggered in the scruffy, orange-haired girl as she unleashed a shrill cry of desperation. ¡¸Run! Get away from him now!¡¹ In an attempt to warn him of the impending danger, the chubby girl¡¯s soprano mercilessly pierced the atmosphere. And yet, at the same time as the girl¡¯s shout, a silver shadow swiftly approached Junichi at an incredible velocity. Needless to say, Junichi had long since noticed the white-haired man¡¯s advance, choosing to ignore the girl¡¯s warning as he rushed forward in order to match the assailant¡¯s speed. However, disregarding the girl¡¯s cautioning may have been the dark-haired youth¡¯s undoing. For as he raised his fist in an attempt to counter the tanned boy blow- (What the-!) -Junichi¡¯s clenched fist passed right through the tanned boy¡¯s hand, phasing through his body part as if it was but an optical illusion. It needn¡¯t be said that the dark-haired boy¡¯s attack had magnificently missed its mark. On the other hand, however, the youth with silver-haired was unfazed, his assault continuing on a path straight into Junichi¡¯s gut. *thudd!* ¡¸-gurgh?!¡¹ Junichi groaned, flinching as his body sent signals of pain to his stunned brain. But alas, this wasn''t the end of it. (C-Crap! This isn¡¯t good!) Witnessing the enemy¡¯s leg aimed straight at his head, the dark-haired youth instinctively raised his arms in an attempt to block it. However, once again, like some ridiculously overpowered magic, the boy¡¯s leg passed through Junichi¡¯s arms, mercilessly smashing directly into his head. Following the sound of a huge impact resounding clearly throughout the desolate cityscape, Junichi¡¯s body shuddered as it was immediately sent flying into the pole of a traffic light several metres away. *Thud* Following the sound of a huge impact resounding clearly throughout the desolate cityscape, Junichi¡¯s body shuddered as it was immediately sent flying into the pole of a traffic light several metres away. And upon impact with the sturdy metal pole- ¡¸Ka-!¡¹ -Junichi croaked pitifully, unable to withstand the pain as blood was expelled from his throat. As the impact with the pole hit Junichi¡¯s spine, he was unable to fully control his body, causing his frame to slide down the pole limply as strength left his limbs. (Shit! W-what the hell was that!?) Being only able to move his eyes, Junichi placed strength into his gaze, attempting to analyse the tanned figure of the boy who seemed to possess supernatural powers. Yet, not caring about his current position, the boy approached him as he began to speak with a coarse, shrieking voice. ¡¸Huh!? That was way too easy.¡¹ (Damn¡­it¡­!) The boy cursed, biting his lip in a frantic effort to hold on to his fading conscious. Yet, as he was flickering between the different states of consciousness-- ¡¸Hoh?¡¹ ¡¸I-I won¡¯t let you hurt him!¡¹ --Junichi heard a sweet, soprano voice softly trembling in resistance against the approaching silver shadow. And then¡­ ¡­¡­the world around him turned white. Chapter 12: The Contract

Chapter 12: The Contract

¡­ ¡¸¡­ugh, my head¡­¡¹ Holding his aching forehead, Junichi¡¯s eyelids fluttered as he found himself gradually regaining his lost consciousness. And as he awoke, shaking his head in an attempt to rid his nausea, the dark-haired boy found himself surrounded by a blinding white nothingness. ¡¸¡­it¡¯s too bright.¡¹ He muttered to himself, placing strength into his legs as he stood on the floor absent of matter. And, while the invisible carpet initially perplexed him, Junichi soon ignored it as he glanced around in an attempt to grasp his current location. ¡¸¡­there¡¯s nothing.¡¹ He stated bluntly, reconfirming his solitude in the isolated void. No matter how much he squinted off into the distance, all that the boy could see was an endless field of white- -and at the same time, all he could hear from the terrain of white was absolutely nothing. ¡¸Where the hell am I?¡¹ Junichi questioned once more, his gaze sweeping over the vast environment of emptiness. However, it was as he made his second search that the boy noticed a ghostly figure off into the distance. An obsidian clad youth with penetrating jade eyes. (Who the hell¡¯s that?) In an attempt to analyse the figure, Junichi squinted his eyes as he stared off into the distance. Yet, thanks in part to the whiteness flaring his vision, it was hard to distinguish the smaller details of the ghastly entity. Nevertheless, seeing how the pitch black shadow prominently distinguished itself from the rest of the pure white nothingness-- (Well, standing here¡¯s not going to do anything.) --Junichi decided that there was nothing to gain in his inaction, resolving himself as he warily approached the individual of obsidian. ¡¸Who¡¯re you?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡¹ The individual covered in dusk remained silent towards his bold question, staring back at Junichi with emotionless, green eyes. And upon answering this stare with his own gaze, Junichi¡¯s own green eyes flickered as a part of him seemed to recognise this figure standing before him. (He looks familiar.) ¡¸¡­so it¡¯s you, huh?¡¹ Calm words escaped the obsidian youth¡¯s mouth as the blinding white which surrounded the two dissipated, the blazing light now dimming into a softer, gentler grey. And with the atmosphere clearing, Junichi¡¯s eyes suddenly spread wide open, finally realising why this dusk-covered figure looked so familiar to him. Like looking into a mirror, Junichi came face-to-face with a slender teenager with emerald-green eyes and dark, unkempt hair. Features that mimicked his own to a tee. ¡¸So you¡¯re the ¡®me¡¯ in this world, huh?¡¹ ¡¸Oi, oi, what the hell is this?¡¹ Upon hearing his own voice talking to him, Junichi furrowed his brow, growing incredibly confused as he asked ¡®himself¡¯ what in the world was going. Yet, instead of answering him directly- ¡¸¡­well, I guess you do deserve an explanation. What do you want to know first?¡¹ -the obsidian-clad Junichi muttered to himself before confirming the original¡¯s question with a familiar, blunt demeanour. ¡¸¡­who are you?¡¹ ¡¸¡­me? Well, I¡¯ll just give you a name for now.¡¹ ¡¸¡­for now?¡¹ ¡¸Because we don¡¯t have much time.¡¹ The dark-haired youth shrugged, his gesture of rubbing the back of his head seemingly mirrored Junichi¡¯s own habit. But alas, the boy chose not to point this out so as to move the conversation forward. And so, the entity of dusk introduced himself. ¡¸My name is ¡¶Cross¡·.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¶Cross¡·?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s my name, don¡¯t wear it out.¡¹ ¡¶Cross¡· narrowed his emerald eyes, casually sweeping his gaze across Junichi as he made the following inquiry.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡¸So what¡¯s your name, ¡®me¡¯?¡¹ ¡¸¡­Junichi. Saito Junichi.¡¹ ¡¸¡­yeah, that¡¯s too long. I think I¡¯ll just call ya partner.¡¹ ¡¸Partner?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. We¡¯ll be working together from now on, so why not?¡¹ ¡¸Wait, wait, wait, working together?¡¹ ¡¸Look, you got knocked out by that birdbrain, right?¡¹ ¡¸B-birdbrain?¡¹ Upon hearing such a strange phrase, Junichi¡¯s head was assaulted by a sharp pain, causing him to cradle it in his hand as it soothed his suffering. Yet, almost immediately after this- ¡¸Yeah, he should be tanned and have white hair.¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¹ -¡¶Cross¡¯s¡· prompt caused an abrupt flow of images to surge through the dark-haired youth¡¯s mind. A silver shadow. Transparent limbs. -and a certain orange-haired girl. ¡¸Well it looks like you¡¯ve remembered something.¡¹ After witnessing the various emotions which flashed across the boy¡¯s face, ¡¶Cross¡· smirked to himself as he gave a snarky remark. A remark which Junichi chose to blatantly ignore. ¡¸¡­more importantly, I need to get back there!¡¹ ¡¸Why? To save that girl?¡¹ ¡¸What else would I be going back there for?¡¹ The boy growled, his features contorting into a fiery glare so as to match ¡¶Cross¡¯s¡· questioning, ice-cold gaze. But alas, this deadlock did not last for long as the first to avert their eyes was none other than the boy clad in obsidian. ¡¸Forget her.¡¹ ¡¸Huh?¡¹ ¡¸I said forget about her, partner.¡¹ Upon seeing Junichi fumble over his surprising statement, ¡¶Cross¡· repeated his declaration once more, his focus shifting back to the boy who he addressed as his partner before explaining his point. ¡¸Look. If you¡¯re the ¡®me¡¯ of this world, then we should be quite similar.¡¹ ¡¸¡­I don¡¯t quite get the ¡®this world¡¯ jumbo but, what¡¯s your point?¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯re both Lone Wolves. We have no need for other people.¡¹ ¡¶Cross¡· spat out coldly, his gaze infused with intense emotion. And, while Junichi couldn¡¯t quite fathom why this entity felt so strongly about this particular phrase, he simply remained silent, finding himself unable to refute his mirror image¡¯s assumption. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸So I am right.¡¹ Having affirmed his suspicions, ¡¶Cross¡· folded his arms, staring at the silent figure of the dark-haired youth with judgemental, emerald-green eyes. And then, after taking a deep breath, an obvious question passed over the dusk-covered entity¡¯s lips. ¡¸Why do you need to save some stranger that you barely know?¡¹ Indeed. A valid question which continued to linger helplessly in the vast, grey emptiness. It might¡¯ve been a different story if they were friend or family, but there was absolutely no need for Junichi to risk his life in order to save someone else¡¯s. A life that mattered little to him. A life that would benefit him in no way whatsoever. Taking a logical standpoint similar to ¡¶Cross¡¯s¡·, it was blatantly obvious that choosing to return to that battlefield and fight against an almost unbeatable enemy for the sake of a stranger was foolish. And yet- ¡¸¡­you know, I used to think like that too.¡¹ ¡¸¡­used to?¡¹ ¡¸¡­even a wolf gets lonely.¡¹ -Junichi simply showed a wry smile, several experiences of his harsh life flashing briefly through his mind. A life where risk was impossible to avoid, no matter how one chose to live. A life where taking risks had moulded him into the peculiar existence he was today. ¡¸¡­so that¡¯s the kind of character you are.¡¹ ¡¸You got a problem with me, ¡®me¡¯?¡¹ ¡¸Far from it. That just makes things more interesting.¡¹ Upon realising that Junichi wasn¡¯t quite the same as himself, ¡¶Cross¡· cracked a wide grin, smirking to himself as if he had just witnessed something amusing. Though choosing not to relish in the same joy for the time being, Junichi took another glance at his surroundings, frowning as he failed to find an exit from this endless void. ¡¸Great. So how do I get out of here?¡¹ ¡¸You sure you wanna be let out now? You¡¯re just gonna get beat up again.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah¡­the hell was that?¡¹ Recalling how both his attacks and defences had been rendered useless, Junichi stroked his chin, pondering the reason behind the silver-haired youth¡¯s transparency before reaching a ridiculous conclusion. ¡¸Magic?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, no. Look, I can explain that birdbrain''s trick and even help you beat him.¡¹ ¡¸But?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m gonna need your cooperation.¡¹ ¡¸¡­cooperation?¡¹ Junichi cautiously inquired, his instincts reminding him of similar shady deals which had a premise not very different from this one. That said, for the sake of getting out of here, the boy decided to remain quiet as he listened to the full story. ¡¸¡­well, I came to this world to do something. And for that end, I¡¯ll need a vessel.¡¹ ¡¸Vessel? Wait, are you like a ghost or something and you want to possess me?¡¹ ¡¸*Sigh* Look, we¡¯ve got no time. Let¡¯s just say, we¡¯ll form a temporary contract for now.¡¹ ¡¸Temporary¡­contract?¡¹ Echoing the suspicious term, Junichi was once again puzzled by ¡¶Cross¡¯s¡· dubious proposition. Yet, sensing this scepticism, the obsidian-clad entity scoffed before one-handedly deciding to rephrase the whole discussion. ¡¸¡­look, you wanna beat that birdbrain, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, but-!¡¹ ¡¸Then stop wasting time and do what I say!¡¹ In the face of ¡¶Cross¡¯s¡· overbearing command, Junichi clicked his tongue, making it clear that his dissatisfaction was known to the other party. With that said, seeing how there seemed to be no other option at this stage, the boy simply resigned himself as he habitually rubbed the back of his hair. ¡¸Fine, if it¡¯s only temporary, I just have to do this, right?¡¹ ¡¸Alright, now get over here.¡¹ At ¡¶Cross¡¯¡· direction, Junichi approached the obsidian individual until their noses were but millimetres apart from one another. ¡¸¡­so now what?¡¹ ¡¸Your eye.¡¹ ¡¸Hah?¡¹ ¡¸Use your £ÛEye£Ý.¡¹ (--?! Wait, he knows about that too?) A bewildered Junichi thought to himself, surprised by his so-called other self¡¯s knowledge. ¡¸Just do it!¡¹ ¡¸I got it, I got it already.¡¹ Junichi raised both hands, committing to a gesture of surrender as he resigned himself to using his £ÛEye£Ý. In reality, Saito Junichi was a boy who possessed Heterochromia Iridis. A condition where the colour of one Iris is different from the other. However, after the £ÛAccident£Ý 10 years ago, his right red eye turned green, mimicking his left eye as they now donned the facade of being a pair of normal emeralds. Ever since then, whenever Junichi desired more power, be it physical strength or mental ability, he would flip an intangible switch in his mind. And whenever he did, his right eye would consequently begin to glow with a bright, crimson hue. Now how this exactly worked, the boy didn¡¯t know. Naturally, he never consulted any professionals about this ability either. Nevertheless, it was a part of Junichi which he kept hidden from many. Including both his childhood friend and his very own little sister. (¡­¡­alright then.) Affirming to himself silently, the boy placed strength into his eye before flipping his imaginary switch. And then, almost immediately after, Junichi¡¯s right iris flashed, its hue changing colour from a piercing jade to a crimson red. Though, interestingly enough, at the same time that this was happening, a similar change had taken place in the individual before him. Like looking at his reflection, ¡¶Cross¡¯s¡· left £ÛEye£Ý also transformed from a sparkling emeral into a dull, blood red. Yet, inside this eye of scarlet, Junichi noticed a strange, X-shaped symbol imprinted inside the jewel of the entity¡¯s pupil. A ¡¶Cross¡·. ¡¸Brace yourself.¡¹ The entity¡¯s warning shook Junichi¡¯s head, bringing him back to the matter at hand. Yet, almost immediately afterwards, another warning was issued by the individual who was so aptly named after the symbol in his eye. ¡¸This is going to hurt.¡¹ *Thump* *Thump* --suddenly, without rhyme nor reason, Junichi¡¯s pulse began to hasten drastically. And with it, a searing pain instantly accumulated into Junichi¡¯s eye. ¡¸Ah-!¡¹ It happened in an instant. No. It was even faster than that. So fast that Junichi didn¡¯t even have time to scream. Though with that said, the pain which assaulted him was so overwhelming that he lost his ability to scream. !@#!@#!&*&#!@&^%R$!@$#@?#?!@#!?@#! Junichi¡¯s mind immediately broke under the burden of the intense pain which surged through his body. And as his grey surroundings (which were once bright-white) rapidly dimmed, darkness descended into the atmosphere, almost in a similar manner to how dusk sweeps over the Earth as it prepares it for the coming of night. -and it was in this manner that Junichi¡¯s consciousness had been cut once more. Interlude 2 - I Don’t Want To Die

Interlude 2 - I Don¡¯t Want To Die

¡¸I-I won¡¯t let you hurt him!¡¹ The scruffy, orange-haired girl shrieked, her chestnut eyes glaring viciously at the tanned, silver-haired youth. Yet, seeing how her trembling legs were barely able to support her, the anger infused behind the girl¡¯s scowl was as meek as a beaten puppy. ¡¸You again¡­you should go run home already, ¡¶Delta¡·.¡¹ Having initially lost interest in the girl referred to as ¡¶Delta¡·, the silver-haired young man suddenly stopped, smirking to himself before approaching with an intimidating, nonchalant gait. ¡¸¡­though on second thought, you could be of use to me.¡¹ Licking his lips, the man¡¯s eyes narrowed, his focus honed on the girl like a hawk stalking its prey. And in the face of such an overbearing glare- (Are you okay, Mayumi?) -a worried soprano voice reverberated in the girl¡¯s head, its owner¡¯s concern undoubtedly being conveyed by the sombre timbre. (¡­¡¶D-Delta¡·? I¡¯m fine.) The girl with scruffy orange hair--Mayumi--whispered her response unsteadily towards the unseen voice. A voice which beared a remarkable resemblance to her own. (Besides, I have to help that person over there.) (But you¡¯re no match for him!) (I can hold out until Rin-san arrives.) ¡¸? What are you mumbling amongst yourselves for?¡¹ Having noticed parts of the dialogue which Mayumi leaked, the tanned youth craned his neck, continuing to stalk towards the injured girl. Yet, in the face of this provocation, the orange-haired girl simply bit her lips, edging away slowly as she held her moist hands behind her. And in those hands, red-coloured beads were drenched in Mayumi¡¯s own sweat. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. (Get ready.) ¡¶Delta¡¯s¡· voice cautioned, echoing tensely as it filled the mind of the girl with scruffy hair. (One more step¡­) Mayumi glared at the tanned assailant, patiently waiting for the perfect opportunity. And then, the instant that the silver-haired boy took that one more step- ¡º¡¸Now!¡¹¡» The two soprano voices overlapped as Mayumi swung her arms forward, scattering the red-beads into the air. Though with the help of gravity, this didn¡¯t stay the case very long as countless miniature spheres fell towards the ground and-- *booom* --upon colliding with the earth, the beads revealed their true nature, exploding upon impact as the blast generated by their tiny frames violently shook the grey surroundings. ¡¸D-did we do it?¡¹ Having witnessed the dramatic blast, Mayumi¡¯s legs finally gave way, causing her to fall onto her buttocks as she prayed thus with a shaky voice. And yet- ¡¸Ka-!?¡¹ -this false hope was instantly crushed as a silver shadow collided into Mayumi''s blind spot, causing her to vomit blood as she was sent flying into the middle of the paved intersection. ¡¸Ka ka ka, did you really think you could kill me with that?¡¹ Unleashing a peculiar cackle, the silver-haired youth¡¯s features contorted into a twisted joy, relishing in his superiority as he held Mayumi by the neck high into the air. Yet, in the face of his overwhelming power, the chubby girl could only squeak pathetically as she struggled against his grip with all her might. ¡¸Now, ¡¶Delta¡·! Tell me, where is he!?¡¹ ¡¸W-where is who?¡¹ ¡¸Ha!? Don''t mess with me.¡¹ Unamused by the fact that the girl¡¯s strangled soprano remained defiant, the tanned youth immediately strengthened his grip on Mayumi''s throat, his fingers sinking deep into her skin as they threatened to snap her neck like a twig. ¡¸Where is ¡¶Cross¡·?¡¹ The man with white hair repeated his question once more, his eyes no longer smiling as they possessed within them a barren, lifeless chaos. Needless to say, the ghastly scowl deeply frightened the spirit of the high school girl as tears spilt from her eyes. ¡­¡­and yet- ¡¸Guh!¡¹ -instead of answering, Mayumi¡¯s lips chose to remain closed, her meagre arms clutching the ones wrapped around her throat as she attempted to pry herself free. A feeble act of resistance. The very same one which broke the final straw. ¡¸¡­very well. My patience is at an end.¡¹ Heaving a deep, regretful sigh, the man narrowed his metallic eyes in annoyance. ¡¸If you won''t tell me, then I''m afraid¡­¡¹ You''ll have to die here! In an abrupt instance, the man''s arm tensed drastically, placing a significantly larger amount of strength in his wrist as he began to strangle the scruffy, orange-haired girl held aloft. And in response to this, all Mayumi could do was allow her face to turn pale. She was losing oxygen. She was dying. She desperately forced her weak, scrawny arms to clutch onto the hand that was strangling her. But it was no good. Her vision turned dark. And like a doll whose strings were cut, Mayumi¡¯s limp arms dropped to her sides, losing the strength to resist as all of the energy was sapped out of her chubby frame. (Mayumi!) As she heard a voice echoing on the edge of her consciousness, Mayumi tried to respond. However, seeing how the tanned man was crushing her neck, as well as any hope of ever speaking again, it was gravely apparent that she lacked the ability to do so. Though, in the end, all she could manage was one last pitiful plea. A plea to whom, even she didn¡¯t know. ¡¸I¡­¡¹ Mayumi''s eyes, full of subtle tears, grew dull as her surroundings faded away. And before she was cut off from the world completely, the girl cried inside with all her being- I don¡¯t want to die! Chapter 13: Myself and I

Chapter 13: Myself and I

¡¸-!?¡¹ All of a sudden, a black shadow swiftly sprung across the rubble. And with it, the white-haired boy felt an impact on his side, unable to grunt as the collision sent him crashing into the wall of a skyscraper. Naturally, just before his flight, the boy of silver had released his grip on the orange-haired girl, causing gravity to pull Mayumi (who was held up by the scruff of her neck) down to earth. However, just before she touched the cold, hard concrete, the nimble shadow immediately caught the girl¡¯s chubby, stout frame, cradling her head in one arm whilst supporting her legs in the other. (Mayumi! Are you okay!?) A voice similar to her own resounded throughout the scruffy-haired girl¡¯s consciousness, frantically calling her name with concern for her wellbeing. And, roused by this piercing soprano, the young teenager¡¯s features trembled, scrunching up in discomfort as their movement allowed her to confirm one important fact. (¡­I¡¯m¡­still alive?) Albeit confused, a feeble Mayumi affirmed her existence, instinctively opening her eyelids to find- -a youth with unkempt, iron-black hair, staring back at her with a set of deep, glowing red pupils. Red pupils? Drawing attention to the hue of the light which reflected themselves in her chestnut irises, Mayumi peered hazily into the young man¡¯s left eye. And what she saw within the Iris was a familiar symbol, prominently embedding itself into the organ. An ¡ºX¡». ¡¸¡¶C-Cross¡·¡­-san¡­?¡¹ ¡¸¡­friend of yours?¡¹ ¡¸Shizuka Mayumi. You seem to be doing well.¡¹ In the face of an exhausted Mayumi¡¯s bewilderment at the identity of her saviour, two sets of similar voices resonated through the atmosphere, only distinguishable by the tone of their speech. ¡¸¡­so it is you¡­¡¶Cross-san¡·.¡¹ Having realised that an ally had saved her, the girl¡¯s tense body suddenly relaxed, losing all strength as she meekly smiled at the dark-haired boy. Yet, as for the supposed ally, his mind had immediately focused on a certain part of the dialogue between his other self and this victim of orange and chestnuts. ¡¸Shizuka¡­.wait! You mean you¡¯re related to Shizuka-sensei?¡¹ ¡¸¡¶Cross-san¡·? What are you saying all of a sudden?¡¹ Finding the boy¡¯s conduct undoubtedly strange, Mayumi meagrely furrowed her brow as her features clearly outlined her confusion. Which, of course, prompted the boy to sigh, narrowing his eyes as he set about clearing up the misunderstanding. ¡¸¡­sorry, but I¡¯m not ¡¶Cross¡·.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­eh? But if you aren¡¯t ¡¶Cross-san¡·, then you must be-¡¹ ¡¸Saito Junichi. It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t talk.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Saito¡­.Junichi¡­-san?¡¹ In the face of his straightforward introduction, Mayumi stared through the haze of her mind, curiously uttering the name of the boy who saved her. Junichi walked over to a nearby building. ¡¸Just rest here for now.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­b¡­but¡­¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll come back for you in a bit.¡¹ Casually assuaging her concerns, Junichi gently lowered Mayumi onto the ground, leaning her back against the concrete wall for support before returning towards the colourless battlefield. Yet, a few moments after he separated from the scruffy-haired maiden- ¡º¡­you really know how to treat a girl, don¡¯t ya?¡» ¡ºSo? What of it?¡» ¡ºNothing.¡» -¡¶Cross¡¯s¡· sarcastic voice snickered in Junichi¡¯s head, causing him to return a curt reply as he bothered not to fall for his other self¡¯s provocation. Though after dealing with said distraction, the boy suddenly brought his attention to something of more importance. (¡­what¡¯s the deal with the outfit?) Looking down at his own attire, the boy noticed that his clothes had taken on a drastic shift. Instead of his crimson blazer and brown trousers which were an iconic part of his school uniform, a pitch black leather jacket with a hood and dark, midnight slacks now covered his slender frame. Needless to say, what concerned the boy was not what he was wearing, but why his attire had suddenly transformed. That said- ¡ºYeah¡­ Just deal with it for now.¡» ¡º¡­tch.¡» -instead of returning any substantial answers, ¡¶Cross¡· simply evaded the question, causing Junichi to click his tongue as he squinted at the cloud of dust dissipating on the other side of the intersection. And emerging from the wreckage, a tanned young man of silver staggered to his feet, unsteadily lift his lanky frame off of the ground. Patches of blood could be seen soaking into the boy¡¯s shirt. The wall behind the man had a human-shaped indent freshly carved into it. It needn¡¯t be said that this scene was eerily familiar to Junichi, seeing how he had bore witness to a similar spectacle earlier today. However, instead of a wounded lion, this time the enemy was a grey eagle. ¡º¡­so it did work.¡» Having observed the effect that his attack had on his opposition, Junichi muttered to himself in disbelief whilst slowly stalking the injured boy. That said, it didn¡¯t take long for this affirmation to prompt a certain disgruntled voice to echo pervasively in his head. ¡ºWhat, you didn''t trust me?¡» ¡ºGive me one good reason why I should.¡» ¡º¡­-tch. You got me there.¡» Somewhat understanding the boy¡¯s viewpoint, ¡¶Cross¡· lightly clicked his tongue, seemingly shrugging as all he could do was sigh in resignation. ¡ºBut how did I become able to hit him just by forming a contract with you?¡» ¡ºYou sure it¡¯s time to be asking that now? It looks like he¡¯s waking up.¡» In the face of the sceptical Junichi, ¡¶Cross¡· continued to evade supplying any answers, warning the boy of the opponent¡¯s regained conscious. And, while he really wanted to address the matter of the strange, incorporeal entity which seemed to be living inside his skull, Junichi understood that it would be best to focus on one thing at a time, turning his attention back towards the tanned man who spat out the following phrase in an overdramatic snarl. ¡¸You bastard! How the fuck did you hit me?¡¹ ¡¸Honestly, I¡¯ve got no idea¡­¡¹ ¡¸Wha-!? Are you mocking me!?¡¹ ¡¸¡­not really. I genuinely have no idea what the hell¡¯s going on.¡¹ Junichi sighed, his piercing rubies glaring with subtle malice as they honed in at the figure on the opposite side of the intersection. Despite how subdued his gaze was, however- ¡¸That being said, all I know is that you¡¯re an eyesore, birdbrain.¡¹ -it was disturbingly clear that the boy¡¯s eyes were infused with contempt as they narrowed ever so slightly with poignant derision. Though, incidentally, it was this open ridicule and disdain exhibited by the dark-haired youth which caused the situation to develop drastically in a completely unforeseen direction.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡¸¡­ka ka¡­¡¹ ¡¸?¡¹ Feeling a strange aura coming from the man with white hair, Junichi furrowed his brow, lowering his centre of gravity whilst raising his guard. And, while this protected the youth from any potential assault coming from this silver enemy, what came was not a barrage of blows. ¡¸KA KA KA KA KA KA!!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡¹ As the tanned figure¡¯s frame trembled, a chaotic, inhumane chortle resounded deafeningly on the opposite side of the intersection, causing Junichi to simply remain silent as he looked over the situation with an incredulous expression. And, after realising that this laughter wasn¡¯t going to stop anytime soon upon waiting for half a minute, the dark-haired youth couldn¡¯t help but express his utter bewilderment within the confines of his soul. ¡ºWhat the hell?!¡» ¡ºDon''t worry, partner. He''s just special that way.¡» ¡ºWho is he anyway?¡» Choosing to ignore the strange cackling momentarily, Junichi asked his other self, hoping to gain some insight into exactly who, or what, he was fighting. ¡ºHe''s an acquaintance of mine. His name''s ¡¶Hash¡·.¡» ¡º¡¶Hash¡·? As in Hashtag?¡» ¡ºYeah. But I just call him bird-brain.¡» ¡º¡­so what''s the deal with that eagle tattoo?¡» ¡º¡­no idea.¡» ¡¸So it is you! ¡¶CROSS¡·!!!¡¹ Unaware that a fatal flaw in his character design had been pointed out, ¡¶Hash¡· leaped at Junichi, travelling the distance from his position to the other side of the intersection in one jump. And, whilst Junichi could imitate this physical feat quite easily, that didn¡¯t stop him from whistling as he admired the white bird¡¯s technique. ¡º(Hou? Not bad.)¡» Two voices overlapped each other, growing excited at the thrill of battle. And with it, ¡¶Hash¡· swung his arm at Junichi¡¯s chest, using the momentum from his forward rush to increase his power. (-so slow.) Witnessing the initial attack, Junichi instinctively yawned, evading the silver shadow¡¯s wild swing before smoothly positioning his body towards ¡¶Hash¡¯s¡· blind spot. Immediately following which, the boy gathered strength into his hand, smashing his fist into the back of the ¡¶Hash¡¯s¡· head with a velocity and abruptness rivalling that of a lightning bolt. ¡¸Ka-!?¡¹ The tanned figure cried pitifully, his body smashing into the pavement once more as fluids painted the colourless landscape. Yet, daring not to stop in fear of losing his momentum, Junichi mercilessly used his foot to raise ¡¶Hash¡¯s¡· body into the air. And, for an instant, as if in slow motion, the tanned body slowly descended, similar to how a leaf gently floats in the breeze. Naturally, this delay occurred in only an instant. With that said, an instant was all it took. Junichi pivoted on his left foot, his entire frame rotating as he performed a magnificent, 360o horizontal spin on the spot. And using this momentum generated from his instantaneous swivel, the boy raised his leg, aiming a kick directly at ¡¶Hash¡¯s¡· exposed stomach. *Thud* Junichi¡¯s foot sent the white bird¡¯s frame crashing into the blank T.V screen, located several meters above the ground atop a towering skyscraper. And, while the collision between the student¡¯s limb and the man¡¯s abdomen created an overdramatic noise reminiscent of an explosion, the boy cared little about the ringing in his ears as he sent a scowl towards the opponent whom he had launched across the intersection. ¡¸Oi, oi, don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s it?¡¹ A disappointed Junichi whined, making it clear that he was greatly unsatisfied by ¡¶Hash¡¯s¡· abysmal performance. Nevertheless, seeing how he obtained no response from his opposition, the dark-haired victor swiveled his body once more, turning his back on the tanned figure stuck in a T.V before making his way back towards the injured girl lying against the wall. ¡º¡­hey, partner.¡» ¡ºYeah, I know.¡» Prompted by the voice in his head, Junichi sent a glance towards a certain sector of the abandoned city, catching a momentary glimpse of an escaping, silver shadow. ¡ºJust let him be. He¡¯s not our priority for now.¡» ¡º¡­do you have a soft spot for girls?¡» ¡ºSay what you want, but she needs medical attention.¡» Unable to discern whether ¡¶Cross¡· was teasing him or asking out of earnest, Junichi decided to respond honestly as he crouched down in front of Mayumi. Upon comparing her condition with the last time he laid eyes on her, it was clear that the scruffy-haired girl¡¯s skin was growing ever paler, her frame violently shivering due to blood loss. Needless to say, she was in a horrid state. And yet, even if she was, the boy¡¯s gentle voice and kind eyes would never let her know the true gravity of the situation. ¡¸Are you okay?¡¹ ¡¸I-I¡¯m fine. T-thank you for saving me.¡¹ In spite of her weakened state, Mayumi replied with a strained voice, the soprano whistling meekly as it expressed the girl¡¯s gratitude. ¡¸I didn¡¯t do much. Besides, I need to thank you for protecting me while I was out.¡¹ ¡¸N-not at all, Saito-san. It was the natural thing to do.¡¹ ¡¸Not just anyone can risk their life for a stranger.¡¹ Junichi spoke with admiration, his unexpected phrases taking root deeply in Mayumi¡¯s soul as her cheeks, unable to resist the emotion festering in her heart, grew hotter with each passing second. And, whilst the scruffy-haired girl was unable to deduce the nature of her body¡¯s strange condition, she wasn¡¯t given much time to contemplate it. ¡¸Hey, are you okay?¡¹ Noticing her body¡¯s radical change in condition, Junichi brought his face closer to Mayumi, placing one hand on her forehead whilst comparing its against his own. ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me you have a fever? Your face is red, you know.¡¹ ¡¸-!?¡¹ Realising just how close the boy¡¯s face was to her own, Mayumi¡¯s entire face burst into a sea of hot flames, her once pale skin now transforming into the same colour as her uniform. Which, naturally, caused the boy to grow concerned. ¡¸Hey, your face is getting hot! We should hurry and take you to-¡¹ Cutting his sentence short, Junichi swerved his body, kicking away an unidentified flying object which was abruptly aimed at the back of his head. And as the deflected object sparkled with a metallic silver, it hazardously spun in the air, allowing the boy to identify exactly what it was that had been thrown. (A knife?) Junichi glimpsed at the roughly 20 cm long weapon, tracing circles in the air before moving his gaze to the source of the attack. Atop one of the towering grey buildings, a girl with long hair, the colour of an otherworldly purple, stood mysteriously without a sound. The girl¡¯s lavender hair was bundled into a neat ponytail, falling down to her knees as it fluttered in the wind. Mimicking this, a sky blue scarf, contrasting the colour of the world turned grey, covered the girl¡¯s face as it also traced the wind¡¯s path behind her. And finally, adorned across the girl¡¯s figure was a familiar, crimson uniform with a golden phoenix crest on the chest pocket. Naturally, having run into another member of his school should have justifiably confused the dark-haired youth. With that said, what Junichi focused on was not her appearance, but the 20 cm-long silver blades which were held between the fingers of the girl on the rooftop. (So it was her?) Junichi murmured, strangely captivated by the isolated figure of the lavender-haired girl. With her legs straightened and spine straight, her well poised frame which silently stood at attention left not a single section of her petite body unguarded. From the perspective of his alter ego (not the one whom he only met today), the maiden overlooking the desolate landscape was a professional in combat. One who held the aura of a seasoned warrior. ---now if only she would do something about the overwhelming animosity which continued to bombard him relentlessly. ¡¸R-Rin-san?¡¹ ¡¸¡­is she your friend?¡¹ Noticing a voice trembling behind him, Junichi remained still, asking Mayumi about the identity of the entity from whom he could not turn his back on. Yet, what the boy received in response to his query was a hesitant stammer. ¡¸Y-yes. Well¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­you don¡¯t have to say anything. I probably look really suspicious from up there.¡¹ Understanding that he couldn¡¯t do much about the situation, Junichi comforted Mayumi as his eyes met with the roof-top girl¡¯s icy purple irises. And as they continued to remain in an inseverable deadlock, it was becoming abundantly clear that both of the teenagers¡¯ stares held a strange intensity. From the girl who had perfected her posture, a glare of frigid hostility plunged the surroundings into a frosty hell. And as for Junichi- (So how exactly am I gonna give this girl the slip?) -the youth possessed this line of thinking behind his formidable scowl. ¡ºWait, are you gonna run away from this?¡» ¡ºWell, that was my intention but¡­¡» Upon hearing ¡¶Cross¡¯s¡· disbelief echoing in his head, the dark-haired boy returned a mental shrug, caring not about the concept of never running away from a fight. Still, even if his decision was tactically sound, that did not mean Junichi could rationalise his actions to an ecstatic ¡¶Cross¡·. ¡ºWhy? This is gonna be a great fight.¡» ¡º¡­I can see what you¡¯re getting at, but¡­I have other business to attend to¡­¡» As the boy¡¯s eyes remained glued to the girl of violet, the image of a certain person flashed through his mind. A tall, slender brown-haired girl whose frail frame had been infested by blue marks and red lacerations. And with this vision of Junichi¡¯s childhood friend who had been injured by a result of his actions, guilt began to weigh itself in his chest. ¡º¡­you really do have a soft spot for girls, huh?¡» ¡º¡­you saw that?¡» ¡ºI can see everything you can see, partner. Your memories, your thoughts, as long as we have a contract, I¡¯m a part of you.¡» ¡º¡­whatever.¡» Brushing aside ¡¶Cross¡¯s¡· comment, Junichi continued to rack his brain as he searched for a way out of his current predicament. Though before he managed to continue his thoughts, his attention was once again redirected by the voice in his head. ¡ºWhat about ¡¶Delta¡·?¡» ¡º¡¶Delta¡·?¡» ¡ºShizuka Mayumi.¡» ¡ºOh. Well, her friend¡¯s here so she should be able to take care of her, right?¡» ¡º¡­whatever, partner. You¡¯re the boss.¡» Having heard his partner¡¯s reasoning, ¡¶Cross¡· simply sighed, seemingly shrugging as he resigned himself once again to Junichi¡¯s whims. Though it was good to know that the boy wasn¡¯t simply abandoning the injured, there were more pressing matters that the two dark-haired individuals should be worrying over--escape. ¡ºSo how do I get out of here?¡» ¡ºYou don¡¯t know how to run away from an enemy?¡» ¡ºNo, that much will be easy.¡» Responding to sarcasm with a blunt quip, Junichi nonchalantly corrected the voice in his head about the true reason why he was hesitating. ¡ºBut there¡¯s no one in sight, and I need to get some supplies.¡» ¡º¡­ok. I got it. You see that traffic light over there?¡» ¡ºTraffic light?¡» As ¡¶Cross¡· confirmed what Junichi wanted to do, he issued some directions to the dark-haired youth, causing him to use his peripheral vision so as to not break the tense stalemate with the girl¡¯s eyes. And, sure enough, he managed to spot a long, metal pole, unusually contorted as stains of red corroded its colourless body. To clarify, this was the one and the same traffic light which Junichi had collided with earlier during his first encounter with ¡¶Hash¡·. That being said, it was all too apparent that something about it was¡­¡­off. It looked¡­distorted. Upon closer inspection of the bent traffic pole, one could see that the space surrounding it appeared to fluctuate, wavering in the air like boiling steam. ¡ºThat¡¯s the one. Run straight into it. It should get you where you want to go.¡» Seemingly peering through Junichi¡¯s eyes, ¡¶Cross¡· spoke without warning, choosing not to mince his words as his clear instructions gave his partner a direct path to his goal. And, while he naturally had his doubts, Junichi didn¡¯t spare a single second to think as he suddenly sprang into action. ¡¸-!?¡¹ Placing strength into his legs, Junichi kicked the ground, propelling himself to his left as he sprinted straight for the area around the traffic light. Yet, not daring to miss out on making her own move as well, the girl with the purple ponytail swiped her hand, throwing a cluster of the sharpened knives straight towards Junichi¡¯s back. ¡ºHey, watch it!¡» Sensing the impending danger, ¡¶Cross¡· shot off a harsh warning as the flying daggers approached his blindside. Yet, it was soon clear that this mysterious entity¡¯s warning was unnecessary. ¡ºGot it!¡» Immediately shifting his travel direction from left to right at random intervals, Junichi smoothly evaded the incoming projectiles as he traversed the barren landscape with a zigzag movement. Nevertheless, understanding that lowering his guard before he had accomplished his goal was basically asking for death, Junichi remained deathly silent as his body dived straight for the distorted space. And then, as he passed through the point mentioned by ¡¶Cross¡·-- ¡¸Damn!¡¹ The lavender girl cursed, jumping down from where she was perched atop the skyscraper before attending to her injured comrade. Naturally, the animosity which she bore had yet to completely dissipate. That said, she really had no other choice but to look after the weakened Mayumi now. After all- -the figure of the dark-haired boy clad in obsidian had completely vanished from the world tinted in monochrome. Chapter 14: Wild Orange Diner

Chapter 14: Wild Orange Diner

And in an instant, it all came back. The tapping of numerous footsteps. The rumbling of car engines. The chatter of housewives. The sound of music from a large plasma display overlooking the everyday city life. All of that which had disappeared in the blink of an eye had returnedas if nothing had ever changed. And in the midst of this ordinary scene full of colour and vitality- ¡¸¡­I¡¯m back?¡¹ -the boy known as Saito Junichi had found himself on the ground, back on the footpath which he walked only several minutes ago. ¡ºSee? I told ya so, partner.¡» ¡º-tch. So it wasn¡¯t a dream.¡» ¡ºH-Hey! I helped you out, didn¡¯t I?¡» As a voice eerily similar to his own reverberated wildly in his head, Junichi clicked his tongue, rising to his feet as he brushed off the dirt clinging to his grey trousers. Though it was then that something stood out as peculiar to the young boy. What was once an obsidian leather coat and dark slacks had now transformed back into his familiar uniform of crimson, the symbolic scarlet blazer with a bird of golden flames sewn on the shirt pocket. ¡º¡­my clothes are back.¡» ¡º¡®Course they are. The clothes you had earlier won¡¯t appear unless you¡¯re in that grey world.¡» ¡ºYou say world¡­what does that mean?¡» ¡ºDo you really have time for question and answers? Don¡¯t you need to be going somewhere?¡» As ¡¶Cross¡· immediately diverted the topic, Junichi began to walk forward, taking out his phone habitually as his murky green eyes glanced at its clock. -14:23- This was the hour which was depicted on the phone¡¯s display. If this figure was to be believed, time had not moved since Junichi went into that grey world. And, while one would immediately assume that it was the phone which was mistaken, Junichi¡¯s intuition told him otherwise. Naturally, the dark-haired youth wanted to ask ¡¶Cross¡· about exactly what had just happened. After all, there were many unresolved questions he had surrounding his strange adventure in the colourless world. ¡­but now was not the time. For the lackadaisical teenager understood that he was keeping a certain childhood friend waiting. ¡º¡­you better explain all this to me when I finish up here.¡» ¡ºGot it, partner.¡» And so, having decided to shelve his misgivings about his otherworldly experience for the time being, Junichi continued to walk the streets in search of a cure to fix what he allowed to be broken. ¡¾Wild Orange Diner¡¿ This is what was on the old wooden sign which hung above the caf¨¦ door. ¡ºIs this the place?¡» ¡º¡­should be.¡» Junichi curtly responded, scanning the exterior as he still hadn¡¯t the faintest idea why this sort of place would have the stuff he was asked to obtain. Nevertheless, seeing that this was where he was sent, the boy spent little time on the matter as he yawned before pushing the door open. And as the bell which signified his entrance chimed, what appeared before his eyes was a diner appropriately garnished with a vintage theme. The wooden floor was polished, twinkling with refinement as it possessed a chocolate-coloured gleam. The slightly faded walls aged gracefully, as if they had been painted with a coat of freshly brewed coffee. As for the tables and chairs which were sprinkled across the establishment, each and every one of them were deliberately arranged as their ornaments housed an unmistakable antique charm. The diner itself, although small in width, was quite long--or rather, quite deep. Alongside the bar which was located east of the entrance, there were about 5-6 small round tables, lined up opposite the bar in parallel. As for the business, the store seemed a little quiet, even with the few customers seated. An elderly couple were sitting together at a table near the front, and a salary man was having his lunch at the far back. And sitting on top of a barstool was a girl with short, light-green hair, staring at several pieces of paper sprawled across the bar. (¡­¡­seriously?) As his gaze feel briefly upon the girl with sprightly hair, Junichi couldn¡¯t help but allow his eyes to widen in subtle surprise. Of course, his surprise was not caused by girl¡¯s sloppy manner of slurping her straw dipped into carbonated water. No. His surprised was instigated by the phoenix crest embroidered on the girl¡¯s scarlet blazer. (Another one from my school? Why do I keep running into these people?) Junichi sighed, reminding himself of the two girls whom he had just encountered. A girl with orange scruffy hair that went by the name of Shizuka Mayumi, or ¡¶Delta¡· according to ¡¶Cross¡·. A knife-wielding girl who possessed an otherworldly, lavender ponytail. Although he knew not of her identity, from what he could gather, she went by the name of Rin. It was obvious that these two teenagers knew more about the situation Junichi was in. And, as if by coincidence, both of them also went to his school: ¡¾Phoenix Gakuen¡¿. (Should I try to find them after getting the supplies for Shizuka-sensei?) With a sullen expression on his face, Junichi wondered thus, contemplating whether or not it would be wise to track down these sources of information. However, before his internal debate could come to a proper resolution- ¡¸Irasshaimase~(1)¡¹ -his train of thought was immediately interrupted by the appearance of a female waitress who walked out of the kitchen and began to address the dark-haired youth. Upon closer inspection, the waitress¡¯s skin was quite fair, and her dark green hair with a wavy perm that fell to just below her shoulders made her quite attractive. In addition, the wavy permed girl wore a uniform with a frilly design, possessing a monochromatic black-and-white checker theme as its base. The gothic uniform that had a skirt which revealed the knees contrasted with the waitress¡¯s droopy black eyes.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡¸Is it just yourself today, Okyaku-sama(2)?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, actually I¡¯ve come to pick up a delivery for a Shizuka Manami-san(3).¡¹ As the wavy-haired girl about Junichi¡¯s height was about to show him to a table, Junichi responded thusly, noticing that the slurping stopped the moment he spoke Shizuka-sensei¡¯s full name. ¡¸Oh, so you¡¯ve come to pick up Manami-san¡¯s merchandise? Please wait here, Okyaku-sama.¡¹ The waitress grinned naturally, confirming Junichi¡¯s intent before heading back into the kitchen. Yet, in doing so, the girl¡¯s departure resulted in an inexplicably strained silence to hang mercilessly in the atmosphere of the coffee-coloured diner. (¡­well, this is awkward.) Noticing brief glances directed towards them from the customers present, Junichi and ¡¶Cross¡· couldn¡¯t help but sigh unanimously, dawdling about as they were abandoned in the entrance of the caf¨¦. Though, in being left alone, the boy¡¯s senses grew sharper, picking up the sounds of slurping which resumed shortly after the wavy-haired waitress withdrew inside. ¡¸?¡¹ Drawn towards the girl of green whose slurping had drawn his attention twice, Junichi narrowed his eyes as he peered over her shoulder. And from what he could see, various pieces of paper had been sprawled around the teenager, each of them holding black and white blocks with sketches that seemed to represent people in several scenarios. Each panel depicted passionate battle scenes and comedic conversations. ¡ºA student Mangaka?¡» ¡ºWhat¡¯s a Mangaka?¡» ¡ºA Manga artist.¡» Upon being asked such a question by ¡¶Cross¡· , the dark-haired youth returned a curt response, summarising his explanation with a single sentence. ¡º¡­what¡¯s a Manga?¡» ¡ºYou don¡¯t know?¡» ¡ºNo, so tell me already!¡» ¡ºManga is basically a Japanese Comic.¡» ¡º¡­what¡¯s a comic?¡» ¡º¡­really?¡» In the face of ¡¶Cross¡¯s¡· utter lack of knowledge regarding the world, an exasperated Junichi couldn¡¯t help but sigh, almost falling to the floor at the utter ridiculousness of the matter. And, while the youth wanted to point out this entity¡¯s ignorance- ¡ºHey, hold it! Someone¡¯s coming.¡» -¡¶Cross¡· suddenly cautioned Junichi as a tall, slim middle-aged man walked towards the cash register with a rather bulky leather suitcase. The slim man had dull silver hair, the subtle shade posing quite a contrast when compared to the young man whom Junichi had encountered mere moments before. And, unlike the roughly-spoken youth, this man¡¯s hair was neatly combed back, displaying a slightly wrinkled forehead which seemed to have aged gracefully. Usually, the boy wasn¡¯t a one who judged others by their appearance, opting to analyse a person¡¯s character through their actions. Nevertheless, because of his height and grey hair, Junichi couldn¡¯t help but feel an air of maturity emanating from the elderly figure. ¡¸I¡¯m going to clean the tables, dad.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you for the help, Miki-chan.¡¹ As the waitress with the wavy perm took a damp cloth, the grey-haired man offered words of gratitude to his daughter before urging the dark-haired youth to approach the cash register. ¡¸So you are the carrier?¡¹ ¡¸¡­I¡¯m just here to pick up this order.¡¹ Having no idea what he was just called, Junichi decided not to pry as, after briefly collecting himself, he handed over the memo which Shizuka-sensei had given him. ¡¸Hm¡­¡­¡­¡­Ok, I understand.¡¹ As the man inspected the paper, his eyes continued to remain fixated, as if the man was trying to bore holes through the memo with his eyes. And, while it seemed like he would continue for an eternity, the man¡¯s gaze broke away from the memo as it shortly fell back into Junichi¡¯s hands. Though at the same time, the leather suitcase which hung on the man¡¯s other arm found itself jerked upwards, flying threw the air before landing gracefully onto the counter. ¡¸Here is the merchandise.¡¹ The man¡¯s voice rang nonchalantly in the boy¡¯s ears, causing him to pause as the youth focused on the thick, bulky suitcase. No matter what angle he studied it from, the case looked incredibly¡­suspicious. ¡¸What¡¯s in here, a bomb?¡¹ ¡¸Could be¡­¡¹ (-!? It couldn¡¯t be-!) As his sarcastic remark was met with an all-too-serious reply, Junichi sharpened his gaze as a drop of sweat rolled down his cheek. Yet, upon seeing the man smirk in the face of distress, the boy with emerald eyes realised that he was being messed with, deciding to shake away his anxiety as his sense of urgency was completely destroyed. ¡¸Don¡¯t be silly. We use a metal case for bombs.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡­I hope you¡¯re joking.¡¹ ¡¸Be at ease¡­ I can assure you that it only contains the materials on that list in large quantities.¡¹ ¡¸Right¡­well, I¡¯ll be off then.¡¹ ¡¸Have a good day, sir.¡¹ Taking the man¡¯s nod as his cue to leave, Junichi grabbed the heavy suitcase before casually strolling towards the exit. And then, the bell chimed once more. However, it was at a time when Junichi had yet to approach the door. A time when a buff man in a black suit entered the humble store. Boasting about the same height as the man with dull silver hair, the muscular customer possessed a pair of shades which seemed customary with the summer season. That being said, however, while the sunglasses he wore suited the weather to a tee, the black suit wrapped around his burly frame obviously did not. ¡º--the hell? Is this guy a part of the Mafia or something?¡» ¡º¡­looks more like a bouncer to me.¡» Junichi responded to an astonished ¡¶Cross¡·, carefully moving to the side as the buff bouncer approached the register. And then- ¡¸Kurosawa-san?¡¹ ¡¸¡­yes, that is me.¡¹ As the bouncer¡¯s deep voice directed itself towards the bartender, the mature-natured man¡¯s face grew stern, his eyes glazed as he glared ominously through the haze of his anger. An anger that clearly displayed just how much he detested the suit-wearing individual before him. ¡¸Do you have the money?¡¹ ¡¸¡­I believe the deadline is still two weeks away.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, well, it seems that it¡¯s been changed to today.¡¹ ¡¸¡­rather impatient, are you not?¡¹ ¡¸Watch it, old man. You¡¯re the one who¡¯s in skin deep.¡¹ At this line, the buff man exuded an intimidating aura, leaning across the counter as his saliva drenched the barkeeper''s face. And, while the bouncer¡¯s gestures seemed like they were ripped from poor imitations of B-Movie villains, the threat behind his bulging muscles was very real. --which made Junichi wonder why he hadn¡¯t left the scene as his body silently walked towards the waitress who was cleaning tables at the back of the store. ¡¸Excuse me.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, would you like a table after all, Okyaku-sama?¡¹ ¡¸No, not that. And you don¡¯t have to be so formal. It¡¯s a little awkward for me.¡¹ As the dark-haired youth habitually rubbed the back of his head, he noticed the waitress¡¯s eyes widening slightly in the face of his proposition. With that said, after his urging, the atmosphere surrounding the waitress took an abrupt shift, changing from an extremely polite business demeanour to a more liberated and casual attitude. ¡¸If that¡¯s what you want, Okyaku-sama.¡¹ ¡¸And quit it with the ¡°Okyaku-sama¡±. The name¡¯s Junichi.¡¹ ¡¸Then, Junichi-kun. Ah, I¡¯m Miki, by the way. So what¡¯s up?¡¹ Choosing to introduce herself after hearing his name, the waitress smiled, perking up slightly as she felt relief upon dropping her formal persona. And yet, almost immediately after the tension had escaped her- ¡¸¡­what¡¯s the deal with the guy in the suit?¡¹ -Miki¡¯s features stiffened up once more as Junichi¡¯s question seemed to have hit a sore spot. ¡¸Well, about 2 weeks ago a group of strange men started collecting taxes around the area.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­taxes?¡¹ ¡¸Silly, isn¡¯t it? Anyway, those who don¡¯t pay these men have their business threatened.¡¹ ¡¸Threatened, huh?¡¹ Placing his hand on his chin, Junichi encouraged the waitress to continue her explanation as his complexion took a darker turn. ¡¸Damaging property, scaring away customers, all sorts of shady stuff happens because of these strange men.¡¹ ¡¸Seriously? Hasn¡¯t anyone called the cops about this?¡¹ ¡¸Some have, but as soon as the police leave, the threats get worse.¡¹ ¡¸¡­some security force.¡¹ Already possessing some experience with ¡¾Sekai City¡¯s¡¿ law enforcement, the youth with unkempt hair was once again appalled as he couldn¡¯t help but see the police as a bunch of incompetent idiots. Nevertheless, seeing how it wasn¡¯t exactly his place to judge the law, Junichi could do nought but shrug as he proceeded to unravel the current situation a bit more. ¡¸So have you guys been paying?¡¹ ¡¸¡­to be honest, we¡¯re a small business. We have been able to get by somehow but we¡¯re almost unable to make ends meet.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Sorry, it must be troubling witnessing such a thing happen at our store.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­no, not really. Besides, that¡¯s not-¡¹ *thud* Suddenly, a loud sound echoed through the caf¨¦, cutting off Junichi¡¯s point as all those in the vicinity turned towards its source. And what they saw was the female student mangaka who was sipping mineral water through a straw only minutes prior, extending her leg as she high-kicked the bouncer into a wall. ¡¸-!? Yoshino!¡¹ ¡¸N-Nee-chan?(4) Did you see that?! I got him good!¡¹ As a shocked Miki screamed, the girl in the crimson turned around, her eyes bright as a vivid smile spread across her cheeks. From her flushed skin and heavy breathing, it would appear that the student mangaka was pumped up on adrenaline, excited as she had vanquished the B-Movie villain who threatened her home. Though, for better or for worse, the older sister didn¡¯t appear to share the girl¡¯s glee. ¡¸Don¡¯t be silly! What would happen if you got hurt?¡¹ Miki shrieked, scolding her sister as tears began to well up in her droopy black eyes. And, while a bit more family drama followed thereafter, Junichi cared little as his focus was suddenly snatched by a talkative ¡¶Cross¡·. ¡º¡­you seem to be a real busybody, aren¡¯t ya partner?¡» ¡ºNo comment.¡» In the face of the entity¡¯s tease, Junichi simply shrugged, brushing the potent sarcasm aside as if it were an everyday chore. Strangely enough, despite having only been in each other¡¯s company for a subjective time of 15 minutes, it was clear that a bond of some sort was developing between the youths of similar appearance. Though perhaps they owed this quick development to the fact that their personalities were quite similar to start with, the dark-haired youth didn¡¯t exactly mind this relationship. So long as it didn¡¯t affect him negatively, that is. ¡ºBut I agree with you. Who do these assholes think they are?¡» ¡º¡­who knows?¡» Caring little about the identities of the strange men who were harassing the townsfolk, Junichi¡¯s eyes darted towards the bouncer that was smashed against the wall. And it was in that moment which the youth was hit with a revelation. The revelation that this incident was far from over. ¡¸-!?¡¹ As the buff man¡¯s body twitched, he violently rose to his feet, standing strong whilst reaching into his inner jacket pocket and pulling out a silver, L-shaped tool. Needless to say, this instrument was very familiar to Junichi. After all, he had seen this particular apparatus quite a number of times before not just in manga, anime, and movies, but in person as well. That¡¯s right. What the bouncer held between his thick, stubby fingers was without a doubt-- ---a pistol. Interlude 3 - The Taste of Iron Sweat

Interlude 3 - The Taste of Iron Sweat

¡¸Are you okay, Newbie?¡¹ As the low voice echoed, its owner¡¯s otherworldly lavender hair noticeably began to change, fading into a soft, navy silk. And, while the transformation seemed like water had drained the unnatural dye from the fibres that stemmed from the girl¡¯s head, the majesty of such metamorphism was the least of Shizuka Mayumi¡¯s concerns. After all, it took the entirety of her being to simply remain conscious. ¡¸R-Rin-san¡­?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. I should have gone with you instead of leaving you to scout by yourself.¡¹ In response to the orange-haired girl who desperately strained her voice in order to call out to her friend, Rin calmly conveyed her apologies. Though with that said, as a few beads of sweat rolled down the young, navy-blue girl¡¯s face, Mayumi could tell that Rin was not as calm as she originally believed. ¡ºIt¡¯s not your fault!¡» The girl with scruffy hair tried to say, unsuccessful as her voice unconditionally failed her. And so, without understanding Mayumi¡¯s intent, the calm girl continued to speak, her voice growing in intensity as her features twisted in an amazing manner. ¡¸But that asshole! That was ¡¶Cross¡¯¡· counterpart, wasn¡¯t it? I¡¯ll never forgive him for doing this to you!¡¹This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Upon witnessing Rin cursing to herself, couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of urgency. After all, Mayumi knew that her friend had always been suspicious of the entity called ¡¶Cross¡·, ever since the beginning. And she also realised that Rin thought Saito Junichi was the reason why Mayumi was in this state. Which meant that Mayumi had to quickly clarify that the dark-haired youth was not an enemy. However, it was getting hard for her to think. Sweat was dripping down her face. Her body was getting unusually cold. Her eyelids were getting drowsy. And it was then when Mayumi heard Rin¡¯s frantic worrying from the edge of her consciousness. ¡¸Hey, Newbie! Keep it together!¡¹ (Ah-?) As Rin gently nudged the scruffy-haired girl¡¯s body, the sweat which dribbled from her head fell into Mayumi¡¯s mouth. An iron flavour assaulted her tastebuds as she once again lost herself to the darkness of sleep. However, before she entered her slumber, she was struck by an epiphany. It wasn¡¯t her sweat which poured heavily down her face. It was blood. ¡¸Newbie!¡¹ ¡¸Newbie!¡¹ The girl with navy blue hair anxiously shook Mayumi¡¯s shoulders, her complexion paling as concern vividly showed across her face. Yet, in spite of her panic, Rin was still able to think things through rationally, her mind racing as she began to contemplate how she should deal with the situation. (This isn¡¯t good. I have almost no experience in first-aid.) ¡ºIt would be best to hurry up and take her to a doctor.¡» In the midst of the girl¡¯s turmoil, a voice similar to Rin¡¯s echoed distinctly throughout her consciousness. A voice which bore no ill-will as it made a calm suggestion. ¡ºRight. Shizuka-sensei would know what to do.¡» Understanding what she needed to do now, Rin nodded to the voice¡¯s instructions as she quickly lifted Mayumi onto her back whilst affirming her next objective. And then, with all her might- (Please, Newbie. Don¡¯t die!) -the girl pleaded thus as her ponytail twisted wildly behind her petite frame. Chapter 15: The Girl and the 〔Gun〕

Chapter 15: The Girl and the ¡²Gun¡³

¡¸You fucker!¡¹ Discarding his professional atmosphere in a fit of rage, the bouncer howled, raising the instrument of death towards Yoshino¡¯s face. ¡¸A g-gun!¡¹ The bespectacled mangaka whimpered, her legs collapsing under her weight as the silver barrel was placed between her eyes. Her once bright complexion instantly paled as sweat dribbled from her pores, drenching the teenager as her breathing grew rough and erratic. It was clear that the once confident girl was no longer here, the presence of the pistol causing her to tremble in her boots. Yet, even though her life was in danger, her reaction to the ominous tool seemed a little¡­extreme. ¡¸Yoshino!¡¹ The student mangaka heard her father¡¯s mature voice shout her name. However, Yoshino barely even registered his voice. Hoplophobia. An irrational fear of firearms. Upon witnessing her mother¡¯s death by gunfire first hand, the girl developed a trauma against guns. Whenever she saw a firearm, whether it be real or on T.V, her brain would freeze. Even drawings evoking the mere image of the pistol caused her to break out in a cold sweat. And this was no exception. ¡¸For assaulting a member of the Zuji-gen. Die!¡¹ As the man¡¯s face twisted with rage, his index finger twitched ever so slightly, preparing to annihilate the girl on the other end of the barrel. Yet, all Yoshino could do was stare back at the menacing implement that stole her mother¡¯s life, her eyes empty as her limbs dangled by her sides like a lifeless doll. ¡­and it was in this instant that a ghost shot itself in front of the bouncer. ¡¸Wha-!?¡¹ Someone in the background expressed an utterance of amazement, unable to comprehend the scene which played out before their eyes. But then again, this was a sentiment shared by everyone. After all, the last thing that anyone in the immediate vicinity expected was for a spectral life form to spread its ghostly body out and latch itself onto the bouncer¡¯s face. ¡¸The fuck is this?!¡¹ The man in the black suit cursed, dropping his pistol as he tried to pull the phantom white sheet off of his face. That¡¯s right. A white sheet. (I recognise that.) Upon looking closer at the white sheet which assailed the black-suited bouncer, Yoshino¡¯s eyes grew wide as she was struck by an epiphany. It wasn¡¯t a ghost that assailed the bouncer¡¯s face.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. It was a cloth. A damp, ragged piece of cloth. And as Yoshino made this realisation, a crimson-black shadow shot itself towards the bouncer, zooming through the atmosphere faster than the drop of a hat. *slam* ¡¸Uwoh!?¡¹ Within an instant, the obsidian-red shadow grew blurry, accelerating at an impeccable rate before colliding with the bouncer. In doing so, the man with the sunnies unleashed a pitiful groan as his body was sent flying through the coffee-coloured wall and out onto the pavement. Naturally, the sight of seeing the man who was terrorising the store being immediately thrown out the hard way rendered much of the audience in disbelief. Yet, Yoshino cared not about the man in the black suit. No. She cared more about the identity of the shadow that had performed such a daring deed, finally stopping in his tracks as it was revealed that the entity was none but the male student who attended her school ¡¸-tch. Who the hell drops a gun?¡¹ The male student, seemingly pissed by the bouncer¡¯s careless handling of his weapon, placed the bulky suitcase (which he was surprisingly still carrying) on the floor, reaching into his pocket before taking out his wallet and removing a few bills. ¡¸Miki, was it? This is for the damages. Also, call the cops. They¡¯ll put this guy behind bars.¡¹ As the boy turned, his eyes fell upon the green-haired girl¡¯s sister, taking the bills in his hand and nonchalantly placing them in her hand. And, while the flustered waitress was about to protest, the dark-haired student immediately ended the conversation as his jade eyes shifted their focus. From the guilty older sister to the confused younger sister. ¡¸Yoshino-san, right?¡¹ ¡¸Y-yes.¡¹ As the dark-haired student held his hand out to Yoshino in an offer to help her stand, the bespectacled girl blushed, managing to recover herself as she reached out for the student¡¯s hand. Yet, as she was brought to her feet by the young man¡¯s strong grip, the boy¡¯s face brushed against her ear as he whispered the following to her. ¡¸Don¡¯t push yourself. The reason it¡¯s called a trauma is because it¡¯s not easy to get over it.¡¹ (-!? He found out!?) Upon hearing the student¡¯s remark, Yoshino¡¯s contracted pupils trembled in bewilderment, taken aback by the fact that the youth saw through her trauma so easily. Nevertheless, caring not for the mangaka¡¯s inner turmoil, the student turned his back on Yoshino, drawing closer to the broken wall as he picked up the silver gun which made her shiver. And then- ¡¸Hey! You listenin¡¯?¡¹ In an obviously foul mood, the student approached the bouncer lying among the debris outside, his arm raised as the dark-haired youth pointed the pistol¡¯s barrel at his head. Needless to say, the bouncer¡¯s situation had been completely flipped around. ¡¸W-who the hell¡¯re you?¡¹ ¡¸¡­you can¡¯t tell just by looking?¡¹ As the boy with unkempt hair asked thus, the atmosphere surrounding him began to shift. What was once a calm, pleasant breeze transformed into an intimidating aura which mercilessly strangled the air. ¡¸D-dark hair like iron. Piercing, red eyes like a rifle scope. You couldn¡¯t be, ¡²Gu¡³-!?¡¹ ----before the bouncer could finish speaking, a sharp sound stabbed the air. Luckily for the man, however, it was not his head but the pavement next to it in which a small hole was born, wispy smoke rising softly in a similar manner to the smoke born from funeral incense. ¡¸¡­I didn¡¯t think you guys were still alive.¡¹ With narrowed eyes, the dark-haired boy spoke thus with a casual breath. Yet, in the face of this young man¡¯s comment, the bouncer was rendered speechless. ¡­no. Not just speechless. His entire frame was visibly trembling. He was afraid. With fear as the impetus, the bouncer began to crawl frantically, trying to escape from the entity before him as he headed towards the door of the caf¨¦. However, the boy that the bouncer was so afraid of didn¡¯t seem to care about this pathetic attempt to flee at all. For, upon raising his arm, the boy pointed the miniature canon a few metres above the bouncer¡¯s head before pulling the trigger. *bang* ¡¸¡­¡­heh?¡¹ Upon hearing the gunshot, yet not feeling any pain, the cowering man grew a small amount of courage, his face twisting as he began to spout provocations towards the boy with unkempt hair. Yet, in doing so- ¡¸H-ha! Haha! W-what are you aiming a-!¡¹ *Thud* -he was completely blindsided as the man in the suit was knocked out by a wooden block falling on his head. And engraved on the blunt weapon were the words ¡¾Wild Orange Diner¡¿. ¡¸*yawn*¡¹ Unleashing a somewhat unsightly yawn, the dark-haired youth ruffled the back of his head, his figure looking so natural that it seemed as if it were a habitual action. Yet, faced with such a lackadaisical attitude after the dynamic events which just played out before her eyes- ¡¸Wh-who are-?¡¹ -an astonished Yoshino¡¯s lips instinctively asked thus, curious about the student who saved her life. But alas, before she could get her answer, a gust of wind blew. And it was with the passing of this violent gale that the figure of the peculiar student was nowhere to be seen. Chapter 16: Meanwhile

Chapter 16: Meanwhile

¡¸Damn it. I just wasted even more time.¡¹ Having relocated himself to a secluded alleyway nearby, Saito Junichi mumbled his complaints as he impatiently glanced at the streets. Yet, while the youth was making sure that his getaway was clean, a voice similar to his own echoed firmly in his mind. ¡ºHeh. You¡¯re pretty good, you know.¡» ¡¶Cross¡· commented, seemingly impressed by the way that Junichi handled the situation with the bouncer. Now, it wasn¡¯t entirely certain whether this admiration was caused by the boy¡¯s quick thinking, his aloof attitude, or his overall ruthlessness. Nevertheless, it was clear that the dark-haired student had, for better or worse, gained the approval of the ethereal entity. ¡ºI like you already.¡» ¡¸¡­¡­yeah, I don¡¯t know how I should react to that.¡¹ Sighing in the face of the respect that he unintentionally garnered, Junichi rubbed the back of his head whilst taking out his dark-blue flip phone and checking the time. -14:46- ¡¸Damn. I need to get a move on.¡¹ Realising that he had already spent way too much time on a simple detour, the dark-haired youth slid his phone back into his pocket before returning back to the main street. And then, with a heavy suitcase in tow, Junichi began to duck in and out of the crowds that gathered along the pavement as he made his way back to the school where a certain girl of hazel was waiting for him. -Meanwhile: in the coffee-coloured caf¨¦, ¡¾Wild Orange Diner¡¿- ¡¸Are you okay, Yoshino?¡¹ A voice filled with concern came out of Miki¡¯s mouth, her brow furrowed as she gazed upon her sister with worry. ¡¸I-I¡¯m fine, Nee-chan(1). Um¡­I¡¯m sorry I caused this mess.¡¹ Tearing her eyes away from the dark-haired student¡¯s after image, Kurosawa Yoshino returned an apologetic stutter, reflecting upon the fact that her recklessness had caused this chaos. Yet, while it was a good thing that the bespectacled girl of green was able to discern her faults, this ultimately did not change her fate. *Thud* ¡¸O-Ow!?!¡¹ As a fist mercilessly slammed itself into the top of her head, Yoshino cried out in agony as she cradled her pained cranium between her arms. And then, as if accompanying the torment which pierced her skull, the harsh voice of her father assailed Yoshino¡¯s ears with its indescribable authority. ¡¸Foolish girl!¡¹ ¡¸W-What was that for, Dad!?¡¹ ¡¸What you just did was reckless!¡¹ ¡¸But that guy-!¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t care! You could have been killed just now!¡¹ Triggered by her father¡¯s words, the image of a silver piece of metal blurred into Yoshino¡¯s conscious. And with this ghastly flash, nausea shook the girl to her very core. --a nausea that was interrupted by an abrupt, cheerful jingle which started playing from Yoshino¡¯s blazer pocket. ¡¸O-oh, that¡¯s my phone.¡¹ Shaking away the ghost that haunted her, Yoshino began to operate her flip-phone, trying her best to suppress the urge to vomit as she brought the receiver to her lips. ¡¸Hello?¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yoshino?¡¹ Upon placing her mobile against her ear, a soft voice came from the phone¡¯s transceiver, allowing Yoshino to immediately grasp the caller¡¯s identity. That said, still somewhat distraught by the events that had just occurred, it took a while for the mangaka to process the situation as she returned a staggered reply. ¡¸R-Rin-chan(2)?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll make this quick.¡¹Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The moment that Yoshino heard the urgency in Rin¡¯s voice, she immediately snapped back to reality, filtering out the panting on the other side of the line as she began to probe for information. ¡¸What happened?¡¹ ¡¸The newbie¡­¡­Shizuka Mayumi is injured.¡¹ (What?! Mayumi-chan!?) Taken completely aback by the news, Yoshino covered her mouth, her exclamation almost spilling out of her lips as her pupils contracted in utter bewilderment. That said, growing both concerned and curious, the bespectacled girl of green reflexively threw out a question in an attempt to learn more about what happened to the girl of scruffy-orange hair. ¡¸H-how?¡¹ ¡¸A man dressed in black attacked her.¡¹ The voice of Rin delivered thus bluntly, her disturbed voice infused with slight chagrin. However, neither of the girls lingered on this point for very long as Rin informed Yoshino of her actions. ¡¸I¡¯m taking the newbie to Shizuka-sensei(3). Can you meet me there? We need to plan our next move.¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean?¡¹ ¡¸The man escaped.¡¹ -in the face of this news, Yoshino¡¯s eyes widened even further, her jaw agape as she was overwhelmed by her friend¡¯s admission. After all, from what she knew of her friend, she was really capable. So much so that Yoshino felt jealous for her talent. And the fact that this man in black had escaped her¡­¡­well- (If even Rin could not catch this assailant, then he must really be strong.) Although somewhat in a state of disbelief, such thoughts flashed through Yoshino¡¯s mind as she began to grow wary of the new menace which loomed over her shoulder. ¡¸Got it. I¡¯ll be there right away.¡¹ Sending a quick affirmation towards Rin, the mangaka swiftly disconnected the call, her nausea now replaced by a less crippling, yet equally intense dread towards this unknown enemy. However, even if she was alarmed, Yoshino didn¡¯t let it show. ¡¸Sorry dad, but I gotta go!¡¹ In an abrupt and impulsive manner, the girl with sprightly green hair shouted towards her father, jumping out of the store through the broken wall before running across the streets. As she was leaving, however, Yoshino heard her sister¡¯s cheer trailing behind her, Miki¡¯s light-hearted voice bordering along a hushed giggle. ¡¸Hey, Yoshino! Say thanks to Junichi-kun for me!¡¹ (Junichi-kun?) Repeating this name to herself, Kurosawa Yoshino began to wonder exactly who her sister was referring to. That said, it didn¡¯t take long for the image of a certain dark-haired boy to flash through her mind. ¡ºHey, don¡¯t get sidetracked.¡» ¡ºR-right. Sorry about that.¡» -breaking her out of her daze, a voice similar to her own resounded delicately in Yoshino¡¯s head, prompting her to return a response. As she did so, however, Yoshino¡¯s feet pivoted, leading her astray from the bustling footpath and into a deserted alleyway, close to the traffic lights. And, while one could see the huge screen plastered onto the side of the skyscraper from where she was, the figure of one Kurosawa Yoshino was hidden from the public eye. ¡¸Ok. Let¡¯s do this.¡¹ Seemingly speaking to herself, the mangaka¡¯s throat twitching as she allowed her voice to echo profoundly in the deserted alleyway. And what came from the girl¡¯s parted lips was a single name: ¡¶Shield¡· -Meanwhile: near the skies cluttered with Sekai City¡¯s tall buildings- A girl with lavender hair, bundled into a stylish ponytail, was jumping from rooftop to rooftop at an incredible pace. ¡ºCalm down, Rin.¡» ¡ºHow can I, ¡¶Tear¡·? She might die.¡» At the current time, Rin was hastily flying through the skies, her scarf and ponytail billowing in the wind as she wore a complex expression. Her petite back, which seemed not much larger than that of a child¡¯s, was thoroughly drenched. However, it was not sweat, but blood that soiled the girl¡¯s uniform. Shizuka Mayumi, the unconscious, scruffy-haired girl whom Rin was carrying had blood dripping out of her head. Large amounts of it, at that. ¡ºWell, panicking isn¡¯t going to help.¡» The entity known as ¡¶Tear¡· cautioned, her voice also sharing a remarkable resemblance to the girl she was talking to. Yet, Rin didn¡¯t question the voice in her head. After all, she was more concerned about getting her unconscious ally some help. ¡ºFocus on getting to Shizuka-sensei.¡» ¡ºI know that already!¡» Lashing back at ¡¶Tear¡· with a sharp tongue, the ponytailed girl kicked her legs harder, propelling her petite frame even faster through the grey skies. -Meanwhile: back at the school¡¯s infirmary- ¡¸Shizuka-sensei, we¡¯re almost out of ointment.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got loads of them.¡¹ In response to an anxious Mana, Shizuka Manami flourished her orange hair, opening up her desk drawer as she revealed approximately 50 cases of the ointment which was reported to be depleted. ¡¸W-why do you have so many?¡¹ Miyazawa Mana inquired, justifiably astonished by the sheer quantity of the exact same ointment accumulated in the doctor¡¯s drawer. Yet, in response to this- ¡¸You should know, right? At this school, causalities happen often.¡¹ Shizuka-sensei nonchalantly stated the obvious, tossing a new case of ointment to Mana in a manner which seemed all too natural to her. And, of course, as the abrupt throw took her by complete surprise, the beauty with jet black hair fumbled in an attempt to catch the case, almost dropping it as she desperately clung to the medicine with her frail fingers. ¡¸So? How¡¯re her wounds?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­I see.¡¹ Upon seeing Mana silently continue to apply the medicine onto Shiori¡¯s body, Shizuka-sensei understood that things weren¡¯t exactly going well as she rested her arm upon her desk. During her brother¡¯s lengthened absence, the girl of jet black constantly treated her friend¡¯s wounds with the ointment, applying the cream to the skin over and over again with little to no result. To be clear, the ointment did actually have an effect. Shiori¡¯s wounds, when smothered with the cream, would close up very quickly. However, soon thereafter, the wounds would reopen again, nullifying its effects. And at this reopening, Mana would reapply the ointment. It needn¡¯t be said that this never-ending cycle would most likely continue until Junichi returned with the supplies. Which is why Shiori, the one whose body was under dire stress, was currently sleeping due to the witch¡¯s spell (sleeping pills). Partly so she could save energy to recuperate. Partly because the pain would be excruciating for her if she were conscious. (Onii-chan. Please hurry.) Praying internally for her brother¡¯s return, Mana continued to diligently nurse her bedridden friend, hoping that this cycle would soon be broken. -Meanwhile: on top of a towering skyscraper with a plasma plastered to the side of the wall- A tanned, white-haired young man with a grey shirt and faded white jeans overlooked the bustling city. The youth was like an eagle, perched on the rooftop as he eagerly awaited his prey. ¡¸KAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKA!!!!¡¹ Suddenly, the young man burst into an unprompted, raucous laughter. And, while he might¡¯ve gotten strange looks were he heard by the populace, it would seem that he did not care as a sinister cackle continued to escape from his twisted lips. ¡¸Finally! After so long, I can have my revenge on you!¡¹ As several emotions mixed in the youth¡¯s chest, a trace of insanity flashed over his face. And with this insanity came the mention of a certain name. An utterance that was filled with both absolute excitement and undisguised contempt. ¡¸¡¶Cross¡·!¡¹ Chapter 17: The Gathering in the Infirmary

Chapter 17: The Gathering in the Infirmary

*Clang*

As a loud clutter abruptly pierced the peaceful atmosphere, Miyazawa Mana couldn¡¯t help but jump, taken aback as she saw the infirmary door swing wide open. And, while she was utterly stunned by how vigorously the door had been opened, she wasn¡¯t given any time to express her astonishment as another sound interrupted the tranquillity.

?Shizuka-sensei(1)!?

A girl with navy blue hair burst into the room, panting heavily as her entire body was drenched with sweat. Minamoto Rin, with her ponytail whipping being her violently, wore an anxious expression as both her appearance and her state of mind had been ruthlessly disturbed. But then again, who could blame her? After all, even though her entire body was covered with sweat, the unconscious girl on her back was drenched with a darker liquid. A sharp gasp shortly followed as Mana¡¯s jet-black pupils trembled and contracted. Although she wasn¡¯t averse to vivid scenes such as the one before her, her body instantly chilled as the sight before her was so severe that it almost felt unreal. But then again, it couldn¡¯t be helped. This was the second time that she witnessed someone covered in blood on that very same day.

?-?! Mayumi!? Taking note of the dire situation, Shizuka-sensei immediately sprung to her feet. Within an instant, the doctor could see Shizuka Mayumi, the unconscious girl on Rin¡¯s back, bleeding severely from the wounds on her head. So much so that her scruffy, orange forelocks were dyed dark red as the strands of her hair clung to the sticky liquid pouring down her face. Needless to say, her appearance was quite mortifying. The bloody sight was enough to send any civilian¡¯s heart into disarray. Yet, just like a veteran combat medic, Shizuka-sensei was unperturbed as she collectedly motioned Rin to a door: the one next to the storeroom Mana entered earlier. ?S-Sensei?? Out of deep concern for the injured girl who just appeared, Mana raised her voice to the witch doctor. Yet, as both she and Rin were urgently retreating to, what seemed like, an enclosed emergency room, the school nurse could only offer the following words before her departure. ?I¡¯m sorry, Miyazawa-san(2), but I need to attend to this patient. Just keep applying the ointment like you have been and let me know when Saito-kun arrives..? ?B-but Sensei-!?? Despite her panic, Rin gently laid the unconscious girl on the white sheets, staining the bedding a crimson-black. A hybrid hue which made the girl gnash her teeth in angst towards the strange individual who was characterised by both colours. That being said, since Mayumi¡¯s condition took a higher priority, Rin pushed the issue to the back of her mind as her consciousness returned to the present. ?¡­how long has she been in this condition?? Examining her little sister¡¯s beaten body, Manami furrowed her brow, her expression growing grim as she reached into her pocket and took out a tub of ointment. -3:04- ?About 20 minutes.? ?I see.? After glancing at the clock on the wall, Rin returned a short reply, her hands clenched in frustration as anxiety took root in her heart. And, as if resonating with such a response, Shizuka-sensei answered curtly as a bead of sweat trickled down her face paled features. A minuscule detail which Rin did not fail to catch. (¡­Damn it!) Cursing in her mind at her own incompetence, Rin could only watch helplessly as Shizuka-sensei began to apply the ointment against Mayumi¡¯s wounds. From her steady hands and practice movements, it was very plain to see that Shizuka Manami did not hold the position of the Phoenix Gakuen Nurse for nothing. That being said, judging by the gradually reopening wounds, it was obvious that the ointment was but a temporary fix, sending Rin further into unease. (¡­is there anything I can do to help?) In the face of Shizuka-sensei nursing the fainted patient, the ponytailed girl tried to offer her help. However, before they could leave her mouth, Rin reluctantly swallowed these words. Because she knew that there was nothing she could do here to help. Because she knew that, by staying here, she would only get in the way. ?¡­I¡¯ll wait outside.? Declaring her departure with downcast eyes, Rin bowed meekly before retreating to the infirmary¡¯s main room. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. On one of the patient stools, Minamoto Rin sat wordlessly. Her shoulders drooped as her entire body seemed to curly itself up into a ball. With her head dejectedly hung, her navy-blue fringe fell forwards, covering her turquoise eyes. But most importantly of all, her hands had grown pale, clasping her crimson skirt as they, along with her entire body, trembling lightly. (¡­how could I let this happen?!) Blaming herself for what had happened to the scruffy-haired girl, Rin gritted her teeth. Although tears had yet to well up in the corner of her eyes, the dread plastered all over her expression was ghastly enough to display just how responsible she felt for how Mayumi¡¯s current condition. After all, if she had arrived earlier---if she had defended her from that mysterious man in black, then it was very likely that her very own back would not be drenched in blood. (And I swore that I¡¯d never let that happen again.) As she continued to dwell on the guilt she felt for not being strong enough to help another, a sudden memory surged through Rin¡¯s mind. One that was dredged away a long time ago. An image of flames blazing towards the sky as if to swallow the heavens whole. And, as if triggered by this image, Rin reflexively sharpened her eyes as an almost maniacal glint passed across her icy pupils. (Never again!) ?Rin-chan(3)?? ?-Gya!?? As her inner turmoil was abruptly interrupted by an unexpected sound, Rin jumped out of her seat as a cute sound echoed throughout the humble infirmary. Although somewhat embarrassed by unbecoming noise that leaked out of her lips, Rin was more concerned about what interrupted her, causing her head to swerve before she came face to face with a teenage girl with elegant black hair. With soft, graceful features like that of a true angel, the girl¡¯s jet black eyes gleamed softly with a strange radiance. That being said, this girl needed no introduction. After all, she was Rin''s upperclassman, the No. 6 in the school¡¯s rankings: Miyazawa Mana. ?M-Mana-senpai(4)?!? ?R-Rin-chan, no need to be so formal!? As the flustered Rin hastily bowed respectfully towards her upperclassman, Mana just as hurriedly retorted, asking her junior to refrain from the overly polite attitude. Naturally, being the type of people they were, both girls were somewhat unwilling to concede their positions. That being said, since Rin understood that remaining stubborn would only cause her senior more discomfort, she decided to ditch the argument entirely as she raised her head. ?So how is she?? ?...? Towards Mana¡¯s worried inquiry, Rin could only remain silent, proving just how bleak Shizuka Mayumi''s condition was. Now, for the most part, Mana couldn''t understand Rin''s guilt. Even though she was able to empathise with the ponytailed girl¡¯s emotions, she wouldn¡¯t be able to explain it even if she tried. However, she understood how it felt when a dear friend was seriously injured. The pain, sadness, worry, anxiety... Mana could understand. After all, she was in the exact same position. As Mana¡¯s jet black eyes unconsciously moved towards the occupied bed, Rin¡¯s gaze followed, suddenly snapping out of her depression as she spotted a girl with light brown hair. The girl¡¯s soft, white skin glowed with a shiny radiance. Of course, this shine was not caused by her good health, but by the glossy nature of the ointment applied all over her body. Each segment of her body not covered by fabric was excessively pale, to the point where it looked like she would simply fade out of existence. And the key to understanding why she was in this state----was the bed sheets which were blotched with spots of red dye. ?S-Shiori-senpai!?? As her eyes fully comprehended the scene, Rin sharply inhaled. Not because she recognised the girl¡¯s state, but because she recognised her identity. Miyazawa Mana¡¯s close friend and the school¡¯s No. 9: Hitomi Shiori. ?¡­Isayama-kun(5) fought her.? ?Wha-?! Isayama-senpai did this to her!?? Contrasting Mana¡¯s darkened expression, Rin¡¯s face grew pale due to shock. She, just as well as everyone in the school, knew full well of the ?Lion?''s bad reputation. Simply imagining the scene of Shiori being physically abused by the beast sent shivers up her spine. ?¡­? ?S-Senpai?? Rin looked at her senior with eyes full of concern. Unbeknownst to her, however, Mana had been in constant turmoil ever since the commotion during lunch. And, because of her busy mind, her head inadvertently ended up drooping as her eyes darkened due to confusion. That being said, before Rin was capable of digging deeper into the black-haired girl¡¯s current state, the infirmary door suddenly swung open. ?R-Rin-chan!?? A girl with short, light green and a side tail which bounced up and down with each movement abruptly entered the room. With her face flushed red and her erratic breathing, it was plainly obvious that this individual was running quite hard before entering the infirmary. Of course, this girl wasn¡¯t a stranger to absolutely everyone in the room. For she was called here by the one and only Minamoto Rin. ?Y-Yoshino?? ?How is Mayumi-chan?? Although Rin was taken aback by the abrupt entrance, Yoshino was in no condition to care about it as she ignored her exhaustion to inquire about Mayumi¡¯s condition. ?Shizuka-sensei¡¯s treating her in the other room.? With her expression darkening, Rin¡¯s voice was unusually weak as she answered the concerned Yoshino¡¯s question. Yet, just as she responded, the girl of green suddenly threw a curve ball as she bluntly spoke the following. ?It¡¯s not your fault.? ?-!?? All of a sudden, Rin felt herself tremble at those words. Naturally, she had been blaming herself for Mayumi¡¯s current condition. After all, as a result of Rin¡¯s orders, Mayumi had an encounter with that man dressed in black. Burdening herself with this thinking, Rin was consumed by guilt. But with that one sentence from the surprisingly sensitive Yoshino, Rin¡¯s burden was somewhat eased. ?Yoshino, I-!? ?So? Who are you?? Cutting off the ponytailed girl, Yoshino abruptly turned to Mana, catching the jet black beauty off guard as she readjusted her posture to give herself a formal, mature atmosphere. ?Nice to meet you. My name is Miyazawa Mana.? Unlike Rin''s flustered bow, Mana''s was light, elegant, and well-poised, finishing her gesture with a straightened back. Naturally, this was an act which she practised quite thoroughly so as to properly present herself to others as acting formal delivers an impression of professionalism and grace. Incidentally, Mana only ever acts casual in front of her close friends, immediately projecting herself as a good-natured young lady in front of others. Regardless, her conduct was most likely a factor as to why she¡¯s so popular amongst the students of Phoenix Gakuen. ?N-nice to meet you too.? Taken aback by Mana¡¯s dazzling aura, Yoshino replied with a trembling voice. And, while Rin was befuddled upon noticing the sudden change in her upperclassman¡¯s behaviour, Yoshino was completely oblivious to these concerns as her mind began to whirl. (Miyazawa Mana¡­¡­...?! Wait a minute, the school''s no. 6!?!) ?Are you okay?? After pondering over the girl¡¯s name, Yoshino was shocked as she realised her identity. That being said, since she wasn¡¯t aware of these inner thoughts, Mana grew concerned about the expression on Yoshino¡¯s face, causing her to inquire into her condition. ?H-huh? O-Oh, y-yeah. I''m fine.? ?If you say so¡­? Seeing Yoshino¡¯s dumbfounded reaction, Mana smiled sheepishly, deciding to feign ignorance regarding the green girl¡¯s perturbed state. ?S-So what happened, R-Rin-chan?? ?I cannot truthfully say what happened.? Setting aside her confusion, Yoshino changed the topic as she asked Rin about the events leading up to Mayumi¡¯s current state. However, in response, all Rin could do was swallow as she hung her head. ?When l arrived, the newb---Shizuka Mayumi was already in that condition.? Seeing Rin''s face growing dark upon recalling the events that had transpired, Yoshino and Mana grew silent as they began to listen to the short, ponytailed girl with heightened focus. ?When l found Mayumi, she was heavily injured. Her uniform was in shreds, her body was covered with bruises, and she was severely bleeding from the head.? ?So what happened to that man in black?? Unlike Mana, who flinched at Rin''s description of the scruffy-haired girl¡¯s injuries, Yoshino was seemingly unfazed by the gory description (with the exception of a trembling, clenched fist) as she inquired more about the perpetrator. ?When I arrived, I saw a man dressed in black from head to toe approaching Mayumi. I thought he was dangerous so I immediately attacked him.? Rin eyes turned into daggers, mercilessly glaring at the image of the black assailant which lingered in her mind. Mana, upon seeing this icy cold expression, felt an unsettling type of fear. It was almost like¡­¡­she was looking into the eyes of a murderer. ?So what should we do?? Yoshino asked, her voice strained not due to the pressure exerted from the girl with navy-blue hair, but because she was trying to suppress her own emotions. If Rin was in her normal state of mind, she would have noticed Yoshino''s clenched fist. A fist which expressed anger towards this unknown assailant. However, Rin had already lost quite a bit of her composure. And as a result, her pretty face contorted into an expression of pure rage. Now, if one were to analyse the current situation, they¡¯d be able to conclude that this ¡®man in black¡¯ was not the reason Rin¡¯s features grew so distorted. After all, expressing so much hatred for an individual one had barely met was unusual, to say the least. If anything, Rin¡¯s expression resembled that of someone bearing something far heavier. A lifelong grudge? Or-- ?If l find that man¡­? Rin''s cold voice surged with unbridled killing intent. And as her animosity flared, so too did a sharp pain in the back of her neck. To her, it would feel like someone had pressed a burning metal rod against her exposed, unprotected flesh. Yet, despite this agony, Rin remained ice cold as she spat out the following words. ?-I''ll kill him.? Chapter 18: The Soul

Chapter 18: The Soul

-Meanwhile, in front of the gates of Phoenix Gakuen- ¡º...so? D¡¯you think you can explain yourself now?¡» Whilst making his way back to the infirmary, the ''man in black,'' Saito Junichi, muttered under his breath with a somewhat sharp tone. Naturally, if one were to see him mumbling to himself, then they¡¯d most likely think he was crazy. That being said, it was obvious that the boy was not talking to himself, but to the entity that dwelled within his mind. ¡ºAren''t you going to deliver the supplies now?¡» The entity---¡¶Cross¡· asked, surprised by the sudden inquisition despite the fact that the youth should be prioritising the task at hand. Yet- ¡ºIt''s not like you can''t talk while we walk.¡» -seeing how Junichi¡¯s suggestion was entirely reasonable, ¡¶Cross¡· decided to no longer resist as he prepared himself to explain. ¡ºAlright, so what do you want to ask?¡» ¡ºFirst things first, what are you?¡» ¡ºYou don''t beat around the bush, do you?¡» ¡ºWould you rather l be vague with my questioning?¡» ¡ºYou got a point there.¡» While many would feel somewhat uncomfortable by the bluntness of Junichi¡¯s questioning, ¡¶Cross¡· chuckled, finding his directness not only amusing, but quite refreshing. Nevertheless, since now was actually an opportune moment for the entity to describe its situation, ¡¶Cross¡· dropped the pretences as he ultimately resigned himself to the youth¡¯s demands. ¡ºAlright, I''ll tell you.¡» ¡ºSo? What the hell are you?¡» ¡ºDo you know the concept of parallel worlds?¡» ¡ºWhat, you mean the theory of the existence of other worlds similar to this one?¡» ¡ºYeah...that one.¡» ¡ºI can already guess where this is going, but continue¡­¡» Junichi urged the voice in his head, entering the main building, his footsteps echoing through the corridor with an unhesitatingly steady rhythm. ¡ºI am from such a world. Another Earth, so to speak. In my world, we are heavily dependent on the power of £ÛSouls£Ý.¡» ¡º£ÛSouls£Ý?¡» ¡ºIn this world, when humans are faced with problems they solve it by working together.¡» ¡º... let''s go with that premise for now.¡» Junichi felt conflicted as he reluctantly agreed with ¡¶Cross¡·. Sensing this, the entity was undoubtedly intrigued. However, instead of pressing Junichi for more details, ¡¶Cross¡· decided against probing further as he continued with the explanation. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡ºIn my world, however, we do something more extreme.¡» ¡ºExtreme? Don''t tell me you fuse together or something.¡» Junichi sneered, sarcasm dripping from his words as he threw out a jest out of sheer whimsy. That being said- ¡º...you''re not far off, actually.¡» ¡ºOi, oi. Seriously?¡» -since he wasn¡¯t expecting for his joke to hit so close to home, the youth was stunned, halting his advance as he frowned in disbelief. ¡ºWe would connect our souls in order to solve our problems.¡» ¡ºH-how would you do that?¡» ¡ºHm...I''m not too sure of the details myself.¡» Despite the somewhat apprehensive Junichi being unable to fathom just what had to be done to accomplish such a feat, ¡¶Cross¡· simply shrugged off the important question like it was no big deal as he continued on. ¡ºBut my point is, we use the combination of our souls to generate power, fight, and even make us smarter.¡» ¡º¡­¡­so basically, this £ÛSoul Power£Ý is like a substitute for electricity, only it has more uses?¡» Although he was unable to grasp the vague points of the entity¡¯s explanation, Junichi was more or less able to follow along with the conversation as he sought for clarification. However, in doing so- ¡º...what''s electricity?¡» -¡¶Cross¡¯s¡· response made it perfectly clear to Junichi that he was better off asking someone else for answers. That being said, since a half-baked explanation was better than none at all, the youth decided to ask one more question regarding a unique matter which piqued his interest. ¡ºYou say a combination of souls. Does that have anything to do with our contract?¡» The moment he asked thus, Junichi could detect an incredibly subtle smirk forming across ¡¶Cross¡¯s¡· invisible face. But alas, instead of pointing it out, the youth simply decided to start walking again as he allowed the entity to resume his teachings. ¡ºConnecting souls is a basic skill required in our world. If you can''t do such a basic thing, then you would have no chance of surviving in my world. However, the act of connecting souls is not that simple.¡» ¡ºWhat do you mean?¡» ¡ºWhen connecting souls, you share your existence, becoming a single entity.¡» ¡º...okay, so is the difficult part a concern of trust, or something else?¡» With his quick wit, Junichi was able to insinuate, what he believed to be, the true reason for why this soul connection was such a difficult matter. If one was to share their existence, it is not hard to imagine that memories, experiences, and skills would be collectively received by all parties involved. This fact in and of itself was not strange. After all, Junichi¡¯s £ÛContract£Ý with ¡¶Cross¡· was currently allowing the two to access the other¡¯s memory to some degree. Now, although Junichi was forced into it, he wasn¡¯t particularly displeased with the current situation. Not thrilled, but he wasn¡¯t going to throw a tantrum or anything. That being said, if someone else were in his position, there was no guarantee that they would trust ¡¶Cross¡· with their existence. Thus, a certain amount of trust is required to connect souls. And it was with this line of thinking which Junichi possessed while asking ¡¶Cross¡· of the difficulties regarding soul connection. ¡ºWell, you''re not wrong. However, there is a more important factor to consider.¡» ¡ºWhich is?¡» ¡ºCompatibility.¡» ¡ºCompatibility?¡» Junichi echoed, urging the entity within him to continue. ¡ºIn order to be able to connect souls, the participants'' souls need to have a certain compatibility rate. Should the compatibility rate be poor, the souls will not be able to connect.¡» ¡º...so what determines the compatibility rate?¡» ¡º...I am not too sure, as I don''t often connect¡­¡» ¡¶Cross¡· candidly stated, a hint of spite or derision hidden within his voice. Of course, the entity didn''t have to tell Junichi the reason for this lack of connection. After all, Junichi had already associated ¡¶Cross¡· with the phrase lone wolf. ¡ºHowever, it is to be expected that, in the rare case that souls are identical, that the compatibility rate would be at its best.¡» ¡ºHence why you chose me¡­¡» Indeed, Junichi did seem like the best candidate for ¡¶Cross¡· to form a contract with, considering the circumstances. However, ¡¶Cross¡¯s¡· explanation raised a vital question. ¡ºIf what you say is true, then¡­¡» Taking a deep breath, the dark-haired youth scratched the back of his hair, narrowing his emerald eyes as he directed his gaze towards the ceiling (and presumably the invisible entity) before dropping the question. ¡ºHow did you know it was me?¡» Although Junichi and ¡¶Cross¡· looked identical, it cannot be denied that Junichi¡¯s appearance was average. While his build was a little thin and relatively tall, anyone who saw him would describe him as any average high schooler. Even if his hair was somewhat unkempt, the boy¡¯s appearance was undeniably closer to the mean than any of the standard deviations. Of course, there was always his special eyes. That being said, even if Junichi¡¯s right eye had a direct connection with the entity, ¡¶Cross¡· would not have approached Junichi unless he was 100% certain. Which meant that there was a method in which ¡¶Cross¡· used that would allow him to obtain this 100% certainty rate. Now, the most obvious possibility was that this entity spied on the youth. However, Junichi dismissed that thought entirely. After all, if someone had been observing him¡­¡­¡­Junichi would have already detected and eliminated them. ¡º...let''s just say it''s my special ability.¡» ¡ºHey, didn''t you say you would answer my questions?¡» ¡ºI''ll answer the rest of them later. Don''t you have someone waiting for you?¡» Unexpectedly dodging the question, ¡¶Cross¡· simply shrugged before redirecting the conversation back towards the present. After all, by the time they finished their discussion, Junichi was already standing right in front of the infirmary door. Which meant that the time for talk was over. ¡º...whatever.¡» Although Junichi held some misgivings, he decided to drop his curiosity in light of what lay before him. Junichi couldn''t keep Shiori waiting any longer. And so the dark-haired boy opened the infirmary door-