《We Never Use Our Powers for Anything Important》 Prologue: No Name Transfer Student Autumn Mountain Academy. I stared at the big letters displayed above the school gate, wondering to myself if I really am in the right place. The school just beyond resembled a miniature metropolis. Tall buildings mingled with a nice open field where students walked through, as maglev trains and small roads alike snaked through the campus. With a sigh, I adjusted my bag¡¯s strap over my shoulder and began walking forward. Looks like this is the place I¡¯ll be staying in for the next two years. It¡¯s definitely bigger than my last school. The ambiance is definitely better. I¡¯ll have to acclimate myself with the flow of this place as soon as possible. The atmosphere around me was a typical high school morning. Students and teachers alike walked to their classes, some alone and some with their friends or colleagues. At a glance, everything seemed normal. But upon closer inspection, one would easily be able to notice that something was amiss. Boys and girls never mingled. At least, not out here, in the open. ¡°Hey! You!¡± Boys and girls walked together, some in pairs, others in groups of threes or more. But no two people of the opposite sex walked beside each other. It was a strange sight, to say the least. If I wasn¡¯t paying as much attention as I was, I would have completely missed this altogether. But the fact remains, that the moment I stepped into this campus, the two genders suddenly became segregated. ¡°Hey, idiot! I¡¯m talking to you!¡± Hmm. Now that I think about it, people are paying way more attention to me than they should be. Do I have something on my face? Or do they realize that I¡¯m a transfer student? I¡¯m trying my best to blend in here, what are you people looking at? I eventually get my answer when I end up bumping into a stone wall. At least, I thought it was a stone wall. ¡°Hehe.¡± What greets me is the image of a mountain of a student. His muscles bulged from his blazer, his hair a bright orange sun, and his eyes glowing with madness. The student before me resembled the image of an orange chinchilla on steroids. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± he said with all the haughtiness of a cartoon villain. ¡°Walking to class.¡± I reply. ¡°Ehhh?¡± he leaned down to meet my eyes. The idiot must have been seven foot tall. ¡°What makes you think you can just walk around looking like you own the place?¡± ¡°Did I really look like that?¡± I tilt my head and realize that he¡¯s accompanied by two other idiots. ¡°Shame. I was trying really hard to look bored. Though I guess that¡¯s why I looked like I was full of myself.¡± The idiot grinned and gritted his teeth. ¡°You¡¯re pissing me off.¡± he said. ¡°Sounds like you got issues.¡± I replied, pulling up my sleeve to glance at my wristwatch. ¡°Maybe you should meet with a psychiatrist or something to deal with your problem? In any case, I¡¯m running late for class.¡± I tap him on the shoulder and head on my merry way, all while trying to ignore the shocked and confused looks that everyone is directing at me. The big bully, on the other hand, whose name is still a mystery, doesn¡¯t say anything for some time, up until I¡¯m about twenty meters away. ¡°FIRE LANCE¡ª!¡± A beam of fire seared through the air and roared right over my shoulder, crashing into a nearby tree, annihilating it completely. A pillar of fire burned high and bright, destroying the concrete beneath and blackening the nearby school walls. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Students screamed and shouted around me as they fled from the inferno. ¡°What the hell?¡± I ask, narrowing my eyes. Turning around I see the idiot standing with a feral look in his eyes. His arms are hunched and his massive shoulders are bent. He looks like an angry grab just barely struggling to stay upright. ¡°I am Shirou Hamasaki! An A Rank Overseer!¡± he declared to the uninterested skies. ¡°They call me many names¡ª the Inferno, the Hellraiser, the Burning Young Man, the Solar King!!¡± The students around us watched in awe, and some of the teachers joined in as well. No one made a move to intervene. ¡°But most of all, I am known as the Gatekeeper!¡± he shouted. ¡°I am the judge of all second years, I decide if a second year is worthy of his or her rank! I read through your records, but all I saw was black! So here I am, to test you!¡± ¡°Is that gatekeeper thing an official position?¡± I ask innocently, raising my hand. ¡°My position as the Gatekeeper is beyond such things as petty rules!¡± ¡°So it¡¯s not official then, gotcha.¡± ¡°Listen here, you fool!¡± he flexed his muscles and spat fire from his mouth. ¡°Autumn Mountain Academy is the greatest Overseer school in all of Japan! We are the spear of the morning, the birthplace of heroes, the greatest academic institution the world has ever seen! Our C Rank Overseers are A Ranks in other schools! To wear our uniform is an honor a student carries until death!¡± He pointed a muscled finger at my face, his mouth contorting into something that vaguely resembled a grin. ¡°I¡¯m here to test your mettle, transfer student! I¡ª the Inferno! I, an Overseer capable of creating spheres of fire that reach 5,700 Celsius, a hundred degrees hotter than the surface of the sun! If you can fall to my attacks, then I will demote you to E Rank! If you can survive for five minutes, you will be demoted to D Rank¡ª!¡± ¡°I thought the school decided on our ranks?¡± ¡°I AM THE SCHOOL!!¡± ¡°I thought you were the Guardian?¡± ¡°GATEKEEPER!!¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± I close my eyes and shrug. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m late for my class. Go harass someone else.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not done with you!¡± he flared, opening his palm and pointing it right at me. A sphere of fire gathered at his fingertips, spinning rapidly. It launched forward with a boom, sending a shockwave of fire in every direction. The sphere of fire burned with all the power of a miniature sun. It roared toward me, leaving behind a streak of baleful red. Then it just stopped¡ª along with everything else. The world stood still. I stared at the sphere of fire, wondering what to do with it. Looking past it, I see its master, grinning excitedly at his latest victory. I stare at the space above and behind him. Reality bends around me. Now I find myself a few feet above Inferno¡¯s neck. When time resumes, my foot comes crashing down on his head, sending his face into the concrete. The silence that followed was deafening. Everyone was watching us now. Inferno¡¯s two cronies stared at me like deer in the headlights. So much for trying to blend in. ¡°Hideaki Kimura.¡± I say, smiling widely. ¡°Second year student and S Rank Overseer.¡± Chapter One: Welcoming Ceremony Chapter One Welcoming Ceremony As it turns out, I didn¡¯t need to attend class today. On my way to the classroom, I was stopped by Miss Yuuki Fujioka, who will apparently be my homeroom teacher. She was a nice looking lady who constantly smiled and carried herself with the aura of a big sister instead of a teacher. In a way it made her more approachable, but it was off-putting at the same time. ¡°It¡¯s the first day of the school year, so nothing important¡¯s gonna happen today.¡± she said, holding a thick book to her chest. ¡°You should attend the opening ceremony for freshmen, Kimura-kun.¡± I hesitated, rubbing the back of my head. ¡°Well if you say so, Fujioka-sensei.¡± She smiled and tilted her head, her brown locks bouncing on her shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; everyone is still recovering from summer fever. Nobody wants to work on anything in the first week of class. Maybe a few introductions here and there, but that¡¯s about it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised. I didn¡¯t expect the top school in the country to be this relaxed.¡± She furrowed her brows and pointed a finger at my nose. ¡°This is just at the start of the year! Things get way worse the further we get into the semester.¡± she crossed her arms and nodded. ¡°Because students are allowed to use their powers, they¡¯re often given big projects and assignments to pass. It¡¯s a nightmare, for them and for me! Ahhh~ if only the school didn¡¯t pay me so much, I¡¯d have already left!¡± Her head and shoulders drooped as she stared at the ground, looking completely defeated. But just as suddenly, she pops back up, returns to her cheery self and pushes me back. ¡°Now I¡¯m sure you¡¯re tired of listening to my nonsense¡ª¡± Not really, you¡¯re actually pretty fun. ¡°¡ªyou better get going, Kimura-kun! The opening ceremony should only last for an hour or two! Get back by second period!¡± [--- The Autumn Mountain auditorium was massive, easily capable of housing maybe 10,000 people. A large silver chandelier hung hundreds of feet in the air, illuminating the clean floors and modern architecture of the auditorium¡¯s interior. Beside the stage hung two massive banners, one showing the school¡¯s insignia¡ª a snowy white mountain on a field of blue, and the insignia of the Institute¡ª a falcon with its wings spread apart. Since I wasn¡¯t with my class, I decided to take a seat somewhere at the back. No one seemed to mind when I picked out an empty chair to sit on. ¡°Uhm, hello¡­¡± a tall girl walked up to the podium and gingerly held the mic to her mouth. A collection of teachers and other important-looking people sat on chairs behind her. ¡°¡­before we start, Autumn Mountain Academy would first like to welcome Chairman Isamu Mori for honoring us with his presence today.¡± A man who I assume to be the chairman stood up from the crowd of adults. The teachers and students applauded as he waved at the audience. As he sat back down, the girl continued. ¡°Uhm, on behalf of the Supreme Student Council, I would like to officially, with open arms, welcome everyone here to Autumn Mountain¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªshe¡¯s cute, don¡¯t you think?¡± an unfamiliar voice beside me asked. ¡°I guess.¡± I cross my arms. ¡°She¡¯s a bit too shy for my liking though. And tall.¡± ¡°Ah! So you like short girls, eh?¡± I glance at the person next to me, a blonde with a smirk on his face. Two black bars were sewn on the shoulder of his uniform, the same as mine. Looking closer, I see a simple-looking, two-ringed halo sewn on his blazer. ¡°Uh, is this how you guys normally greet newcomers?¡± I ask. ¡°Or are you a transfer student as well?¡± ¡°Hey, relax!¡± he leaned back and placed his hands behind his head. ¡°Name¡¯s Kenta Yoshida, and I¡¯m just here looking for a friend!¡± ¡°Man, you really must be desperate for approaching someone like me out of nowhere.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it, you caught my attention the moment you walked into campus!¡± ¡°For the record, I¡¯m not into dudes. I think I made that clear enough when I agreed that the girl up on stage was cute.¡± ¡°Hahaha, aren¡¯t you funny!¡± he said, reaching out to slap my back. I lean away and make it abundantly clear that I don¡¯t want to that to happen. ¡°Listen, people like us, we have to stay together!¡± he repeated. ¡°Especially vulnerable unranked people like you.¡± he pointed at my chest, right where my rank insignia should be. I really should drop by the supplies office to get my rank sewn on my uniform. I keep forgetting to do that. But it¡¯s not really my fault though. There¡¯s too much paperwork that needs doing. ¡°See that girl; she¡¯s Hikari Tachibana, Council Vice President and all-around scary person.¡± Kenta said. ¡°She may look sweet, she may look shy, but if she¡¯s angry she becomes a terrible force to be reckoned with!¡± ¡°So, just like any other girl?¡± ¡°Except she has powers!¡± Kenta said, punching the air. ¡°That makes her much more dangerous!¡± ¡°Literally everyone in this school has powers, though.¡± I point out. ¡°She can¡¯t be that much more dangerous.¡± He shakes his head, tut-tut-tutting loudly. ¡°Despite her looks, she¡¯s A Rank. When someone violates the rules, she comes down upon them with all the force of a hurricane! Few people can survive her overwhelming might!¡± ¡°Why are you telling me this, anyway? I¡¯m not planning to break any rules while I¡¯m staying here.¡± ¡°Ah, but can you keep your word?¡± he asked smugly. ¡°Autumn Mountain has a very strict administration. There are rules for everything! Male and female students are often segregated, pieces of illicit literature are banned, and worse of all, the internet connection in-campus is awful!¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine it being that bad.¡± I say. Aside from the whole male-female segregation thing, that just sounds odd. I better look into that. ¡°You can always just, you know, go outside.¡± Kenta crossed his arms and sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. Most students live in-campus and those from lower ranks are rarely even allowed outside. We¡¯re funded by the government, so the Institute wants to keep a close eye on us. Getting by and living a normal teenage life is hard, impossible even! Especially with the Supreme Student Council around to enforce the administration¡¯s will.¡± Even though it sounds like he¡¯s talking nonsense, this is actually just what I was looking for. I wanted to get a feel for the school. In every place, in every institution, unspoken rules are abound. Failing to follow these rules can be alienating or sometimes downright dangerous. I don¡¯t know what Kenta¡¯s intentions are. He might be here to recruit me for a cause, or he might be planning to take advantage of my power, or maybe he¡¯s just a genuinely nice guy. I appreciate his insight, but either way, I have to be careful. ¡°Don¡¯t mess with the student council, gotcha.¡± I say. ¡°They prefer to be called the Supreme Student Council.¡± he points out. ¡°Don¡¯t get caught calling them anything less!¡± I meet his eyes and nod. ¡°Anything else I should know about?¡± He seemed surprised that I was actually listening to him. ¡°There are different factions inside the school, some are sided with the Council, but most are against them, or at least try to stay out of their way.¡± he took out his cell phone, projecting a hologram of the school in front of us. I was worried that people would tell him to turn his phone off, but nobody seemed to care. In fact, a few students were distinctly fiddling with their own devices. Several emblems appeared on the map, as colored grids divided the campus. ¡°Territories?¡± I asked. He nodded. ¡°Factions are formed for different reasons. Some people group up because they have similar powers or ranks, while others get together because of similar goals.¡± ¡°Like what, passing English class or something?¡± ¡°Like smuggling things into the school, for example!¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Kenta turned to look at the stage. The vice president was stepping aside. A beautiful girl who wore thick-rimmed glasses took the podium. As she straightened her shoulders, the entire auditorium fell into complete silence. Unlike the vice president, this girl carried herself with a more dignified aura. She resembled a noblewoman in the way she stood. Her eyes wandered at the crowd of freshmen, neither judging nor scrutinizing, just observing. She seemed to glow under the spotlight, more beautiful than a rose blossoming in winter. ¡°President Ayane Tsukino.¡± Kenta mouthed out in a voice that mixed awe and fear. ¡°If there¡¯s one thing that all the factions agree on, it¡¯s that she¡¯s someone you don¡¯t want to mess with.¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± she doesn¡¯t look that dangerous. ¡°She¡¯s an S Rank Overseer.¡± ¡°So? What¡¯s so special about her being S Rank?¡± Kenta stared at me like I was someone from another planet. ¡°Are you kidding me? You don¡¯t know what makes S Ranks so dangerous?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± I¡¯d really love to know, though. Kenta rubbed his temple and turned off his phone. ¡°I assume that you¡¯re at least familiar with how the ranking system works, right?¡± ¡°Of course I am.¡± I grin cheekily. ¡°Okay then. Well, if a C Rank Overseer is a kid with a pistol that never ran out of bullets, how would you describe someone in B Rank or A Rank?¡± ¡°A B Rank would be someone with a rocket launcher.¡± I say. ¡°And someone in A Rank would be a dude driving tank.¡± ¡°And how would you describe S Rank?¡± ¡°Someone driving a slightly bigger tank?¡± ¡°No! An S Rank would be an entire army! Trying to defeat an S Rank would be like trying to defeat the concept of war itself.¡± Kenta visibly shook in fear. ¡°I don¡¯t¡ª I don¡¯t even want to think about what would happen if two S Ranks got into a fight.¡± Gotcha¡ª don¡¯t get in any scuffles with the beautiful president lady because we might end up destroying the campus. ¡°Listen,¡± Kenta turned to me solemnly. ¡°I know that it can be hard finding friends in this school when you¡¯re new and unranked. I know what it¡¯s like to be isolated because you¡¯re weak, or because you¡¯re different. If you ever need a friend or someone to talk to, feel free to reach out to me. You can just ask around, I¡¯m pretty popular, you know.¡± He offered his hand and after a bit of hesitation, I shake it. ¡°Sure. Thanks.¡± He smiled a friendly smile. ¡°By the way, I haven¡¯t caught your name¡ª¡± [--- ¡°¡ªI¡¯m Hideaki Kimura,¡± I say, bowing in front of my new class. ¡°¡ªS Rank. It¡¯s nice to meet all of you.¡± It turned out that Kenta and I were on the same class. As I moved to take my place near the back, beside the window, I caught a glance of him looking like he just shat his pants in surprise. Chapter Two: Skyscraper Chapter Two Skyscraper The morning went by like a breeze. Second period was a typical after-summer class. The teacher spent more time conversing with students about their summer vacation than he did talking about the syllabus. We didn¡¯t have a teacher for third period, so Miss Fujioka returned to substitute. She told us to self-study. Since it was the start of the semester, everyone simply pretended to read their books. Life for Overseers wasn¡¯t always this lax. If we lived a hundred years ago, we¡¯d be out in the field, punching monsters in the teeth¡ª and probably dying in the process. It¡¯s hard to justify what the previous generation did to give birth to our kind. Perhaps it was desperation, or perhaps it was greed, a thirst for power that needed quenching. Now here we are, the sons and daughters of humans that transcended humanity, lost in the confines of a ¡°typical high school life.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s your power, S-class-kun?¡± Kenta didn¡¯t seem to care too much about Fujioka-sensei leading the class. Everyone else was keeping to themselves, but the blonde second year somehow found the urge to talk to me. It also didn¡¯t bother him that he stood two seats away from me. I tilt my handbook back. ¡°I can read minds.¡± Everyone in the class visibly flinched. Even the teacher nearly dropped her phone. ¡°Whoa, are you serious? That¡¯s incredible!¡± Kenta said. ¡°Yep. Right now I can tell that everyone thinks you should shut up and keep reading.¡± That got a few chuckles from everyone, Miss Fujioka included. ¡°Hey man, that¡¯s mean.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I shrug. ¡°It¡¯s a gift and a curse.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re lying, though. If you could really read minds, then you would have been able to tell that I wasn¡¯t reading in the first place.¡± ¡°I heard that!¡± Fujioka-sensei shouted. ¡°He¡¯s reading a manga.¡± I say, loud enough for everyone to hear. ¡°Wrong!¡± Kenta replied. ¡°It¡¯s a light novel.¡± ¡°Same difference,¡± Fujioka rolled her shoulders. ¡°Get to reading, Yoshida-kun.¡± For his part, Kenta gave the teacher the respect she deserved. He shrunk in his desk, raised his shoulders, and replaced the light novel in his hand with¡ª another light novel. ¡°Seriously though, what kind of power do you have?¡± he asked again. ¡°You do realize that everyone can hear you, right?¡± ¡°Who cares, everyone is curious either way. But I¡¯m the only one here with the guts to ask.¡± ¡°If I tell you what it is, will you let me continue reading?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± he replied, happy. ¡°But we both know you aren¡¯t really reading. You¡¯ve been staring at that page for fifteen minutes.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t help it. I¡¯m a slow reader.¡± ¡°So, so what is it?¡± he leaned closer to me, which looked awkward because, again, we were two seats away from each other. Everyone between us was listening to our conversation, along with probably everyone else in the class as well. ¡°Saltus.¡± I say. ¡°I can instantaneously move around and stuff.¡± ¡°What, super speed?¡± ¡°Nope. I can go from point A to point D without going through B and C.¡± There was an audible gasp in the room. Students shuffled uncomfortably in their seats, and some even turned to glance at me, as if to check if I was real. ¡°Teleportation.¡± ¡°No. Saltus. There¡¯s a difference.¡± ¡°And what is that, exactly?¡± he asked, hungry for more information. ¡°My power comes at a cost,¡± I said dramatically. ¡°Every time I perform a Saltus, the nearest blonde guy ends up spending his Valentine¡¯s Day alone.¡± The class laughed at Kenta¡¯s ire, and even I found myself smiling. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re so comfortable telling us this.¡± a third voice entered the conversation. The girl in front of me turned around to meet my gaze. When I arrived in second period, the teacher asked everyone to briefly reintroduce themselves for my convenience. I memorized the names and faces of anyone who seemed important. This was Kimiko Ueda, the class representative. She offered me a friendly, if not fiery smile, before throwing Kenta an equally intimidating glare. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be keeping your power a secret? Now I¡¯m sure everyone else is thinking of ways to beat you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± I shrug. ¡°I was planning on staying low, but some idiot forced my hand this morning.¡± I flip the page of my handbook, my eyes ignoring the words. ¡°Plus it gives me more of a challenge when people know what I¡¯m capable of. Evens the odds a bit.¡± [--- There are a lot of places to eat on this campus. Autumn Forest is sponsored by both the government and large privately owned corporations. You can find every single fast food joint in the school cafeteria, along with a few fancier establishments as well. For my part, I have my own packed lunch, bought from a convenience store near my apartment. Kenta invited me to eat with him and his friends, but I politely declined. I¡¯d rather spend my first lunch alone, to get a better feel of the school. Plus, I don¡¯t want to be associated with anyone just yet. It¡¯s not a matter of not wanting to make friends, but more like¡ª I just want to be alone for a bit. It¡¯s easier to get a feel out of the campus without the bias of acquaintances. I walk around campus for a bit, holding my wrapped bento in my hand, not really knowing where to go. I could just eat in the cafeteria with everyone else, but I¡¯d rather be outside. I considered going to a rooftop, but there¡¯s a good chance that people are already eating their lunch there. Still, the campus is pretty much a small city, I¡¯m sure there are plenty of places I can go to. Eventually, my eyes catch sight of the tallest building around. The radio tower was a giant among dwarves. It stretched toward the blue sky, hundreds of meters of red steel, like a needle pointing toward a blue canvas. It swayed and shuddered slightly in the wind as clouds raced past its peak. Yep. That¡¯s where I¡¯m eating my lunch. The world froze around me and I looked toward the radio tower¡¯s peak. The world warped and spun, turning into a mosaic of colors and shapes. In the next second I find myself hundreds of meters in the air, standing on a steel platform no wider than two meters. ¡°Looks like an observation deck.¡± I say to myself as the wind blows around me, sending my blazer flopping around everywhere. The wind is cold but not overwhelming. The view is nothing short of spectacular. The city bloomed around me, a carpet of grey and black and silver, while the sea and the sky mixed together in the distance. Everything seemed so small from way up here. But this view was nothing compared to the sight of the girl sitting crossed-legged on a platform just above me. Her mouth was open and her blue eyes, hidden behind a pair of thick glasses, were wide with surprise. The shrimp between her chopsticks was close to her lips, but she didn¡¯t seem willing to eat it. ¡°Uh¡ª hello.¡± she said apprehensively. ¡°Hi.¡± I replied, not really knowing what to say. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.She narrowed her eyes and ate the shrimp, her gaze leaving my own. She watched the city and continued to eat her lunch, her attention now away from me. As the wind blew, her hair danced. Time stopped and I perform a Saltus to appear on the platform beside her. She didn¡¯t bother acknowledging what I just did and instead continued to eat her lunch. ¡°It¡¯s a nice view, don¡¯t you think?¡± I asked her, leaning on the railing to stare at the city beyond. She nodded, continuing to dig into her bento. Its contents were way fancier than what I had. I could probably trade ten of my bento for one of hers. ¡°Yes. I often come here when I want to be alone.¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± I said, crossing my legs to sit down beside her. ¡°Uh, what are you doing?¡± her voice was silk, soft but hard enough to demand respect. ¡°Enjoying the view.¡± I said, smiling and glancing at her. ¡°I like high places, and this looks like the highest place in the campus.¡± I framed the city with my fingers. ¡°Plus it gives me a perfect view to plot my evil plan to take over this city. See that place over there, the place with all the bright lights?¡± ¡°Akihabara?¡± ¡°Yep. I¡¯ll start there. Take over the manga and anime industry, to spread my world through popular media! It¡¯s 2075 and the foreigners still love the stuff, right?¡± ¡°You are very ambitious.¡± she replied. ¡°But as President of this school, I¡¯ll have to put an end to your nefarious plans, psychopath-kun.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Kimura.¡± I tell her. ¡°Psychopath-kun has a better ring to it, don¡¯t you think?¡± she asked, tilting her head. ¡°Then I¡¯ll just call you Megane-chan.¡± The girl sighed, her blazer curling and waving from the strong winds that surrounded us. ¡°This is¡ª I¡¯m not sure what I should be doing here. Hmmm.¡± she placed the chopsticks to her chin and stared at the sky. ¡°I should definitely be acting a bit more proper around you, but it¡¯s not like anyone¡¯s around so¡ª hmmm¡ª I¡¯ll just be straightforward. I want you to leave.¡± ¡°Not happening.¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± I unpacked my lunch as she contemplated. The whiff of cooked, convenience store bento entered my nostrils. I said a prayer and started digging in, and for a time, we said nothing to each other. ¡°It must be hard, being the president.¡± I said in a lame attempt to start a conversation. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± she replied. ¡°I have to deal with teleporting idiots trying to ruin my lunch.¡± ¡°Did you just call me an idiot? Wow. That¡¯s not something I expected to hear from the school president. You looked so prim and proper during your speech a while ago. And, for the record, I¡¯m not here to ruin your lunch. This is all a coincidence, really.¡± ¡°A coincidence.¡± for some reason she smiled. ¡°Yes, a coincidence. How was I supposed to know that you were up here? I thought people like you ate in fancy restaurants for lunch.¡± ¡°That sounds inconvenient.¡± she scowled. ¡°I have a lot of things to attend to. I¡¯d waste too much time leaving the campus and¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªheh.¡± ¡°That was a joke, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Mmm¡ªhmm.¡± She smiled warmly once again, before her eyes continued to gaze across the vast cityscape before us. The moment we shared could easily be described as romantic. Two people, a young boy and a young girl, sitting on top of the world watching the world and sky and the distant sea. The moment lasted for a good two seconds before her phone began ringing, and playing a loud unromantic, English pop song. ¡®So tell me what you want, what you really, really want¡ª¡® Her ladylike composure disappeared in a whiff as she struggled to shut off her phone. The song continued to play for five more seconds before she practically crushed the phone in her hand. ¡°He¡ª Hello!?¡± she said. ¡°What the hell was that song?¡± I ask, suddenly questioning everything I know about the world. ¡°Very well, I understand.¡± she spoke to the person on the other end with careful, ladylike grace. Almost like she was a different person. ¡°I¡¯ll be there soon. Miyamori¡¯s there? Please tell her to prepare¡ª¡± I take out my own phone and connect to the internet. I change the keyboard language to English and start typing in, ¡®tell me what you want¡ª¡± ¡°Okay, thank you so much, Tachibana-san.¡± she quickly shut off her phone and stood up, wrapping and closing her bento before shoving it into her bag. ¡°Wow, the song was published in 1996. That¡¯s almost eighty years ago.¡± I say out loud, reading through the Wiki page of the song that just played on her phone. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that they had songs like that back then. It¡¯s pretty catchy, isn¡¯t it, president?¡± She didn¡¯t reply with words, and instead simply glared at me from behind her glasses. She frowned, her blue eyes narrowed, but there was no real malice behind her gesture. ¡°Tell anyone about this and I¡¯ll hurt you.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be a proper lady?¡± ¡°I am. That¡¯s why I said ¡®hurt¡¯ instead of ¡®kill¡¯.¡± she replied, a hand on her hip, her skirt swirling in the wind. ¡°But¡ª¡± she almost seemed vulnerable. ¡°¡ªah, whatever you wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± I looked up at her and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, president. Your secret¡¯s safe with me.¡± She scoffed and crossed her arms. ¡°Just keep quiet about this, please. You sound like a friendly enough person, Kimura-kun. So I trust you with this.¡± ¡°You called me Kimura.¡± I pointed out. ¡°What happened to psychopath?¡± The corners of her lips lifted into a smile. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to get on your good side.¡± I found myself smiling as well. ¡°I have things to attend to.¡± she said. ¡°If you excuse me, Kimura-kun. Please, enjoy your lunch.¡± She turned around and placed a hand on the railing. ¡°And don¡¯t return here tomorrow. I quite enjoy the peace and quiet.¡± ¡°Is that an order, president?¡± ¡°A request.¡± ¡°Well, I choose to ignore it.¡± I say, picking at a stick of yakitori. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯ll put you in your place, soon enough.¡± ¡°Another unladylike thing to say. But I¡¯ll be looking forward to that, either way.¡± She scoffed loudly and puffed her chest, before suddenly disappearing in a blur of blue. What she did completely took me by surprise. I nearly dropped the yakitori as I stood up to reach over the railing, my eyes instinctively scanning the campus faraway below. I spot her not a moment later, her long, braided hair standing out amidst a crowd of shorter-haired students. She looked over her shoulder, up at the radio tower, as she continued to stroll. I can¡¯t read the expression on her face, and I really don¡¯t care, but her glance caused me to smirk. ¡°The only other S Rank in the school, eh?¡± I sigh. ¡°Ah well, at least I have blackmail material on her.¡± I unlock my phone, go to my favorite music store, and start downloading the song. It may come in useful at some point. Chapter Three: Not Even Curious Chapter Three Not Even Curious There was a commotion near the athletics office. I still had around an hour before the start of class, so I decided to check it out. A crowd of students were gathered around the gymnasium, murmuring amongst themselves. In the crowd, I spotted a familiar mop of blonde hair. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Hearing my voice, Kenta turned around, sipping a carton of juice. The crowd of students was thick and plentiful. It was hard to see what was happening. ¡°Enforcer Company¡¯s making an arrest.¡± he said, frowning. ¡°Poor kid got caught with some contraband.¡± I made my way beside Kenta and stood on my toes. I caught a small glimpse of what looked to be a student on his knees. He was surrounded by two other figures, one boy and one girl. I couldn¡¯t really see anything else or what was happening, but either way it didn¡¯t look good. Both of the students overlooking the boy were wearing red armbands, worse still, the girl looked¡ª ¡°Is that a sword?¡± I asked Kenta. He looked at me with a grin. ¡°Yep. That¡¯s the real thing alright. Grade-A folded steel.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s a weapon that can slice off heads, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And she¡¯s being allowed to carry that around in school because¡­?¡± ¡°She¡¯s Rina Miyamori, captain of Enforcer Company.¡± ¡°Ahhh.¡± I nod. ¡°I see now.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know who they are, do you?¡± ¡°A bunch of bullies looks like it.¡± That got me a few confused stares from the people around us. I smiled awkwardly as I took a step back. Nothing¡¯s really happening over there, and I¡¯m not really that interested. Despite the odd sight of a student holding another student hostage with a sword, everything appeared to be in control. ¡°Hey, wait, you¡¯re just going to leave?¡± Kenta asked, falling into step beside me. ¡°Whatever¡¯s happening over there isn¡¯t my business.¡± I said, hands in my pockets. We pass by students rushing to the scene, looks of confusion and concern drawn on their faces. Crowds are gathering by the windows of a nearby classroom, most of them talking amongst themselves. There is a genuine aura of fear in the air. Whoever these Enforcers are, they seem to be a big deal. Still, as long as I keep to myself and stay away from trouble, I¡¯ll probably never find myself involved with them. ¡°You¡¯re really something, aren¡¯t you?¡± Kenta asked. ¡°You¡¯re just going to walk away from that? Was this common in your old school?¡± ¡°You could say that.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Why was he caught? You said something about contraband?¡± ¡°Hm, yeah. One of the Enforcers noticed that he was acting weird. What you saw was the fruit of their very brief investigation.¡± We find ourselves in a semi-empty part of school. The open field was far and wide. With the hot sun bearing down on Japan, the few students hanging around in the field sat on the grass, under the cool shade of trees. A few students were running around in a nearby soccer field, kicking a ball around, while some girls were playing volleyball in the court to their left. A lone maintenance worker sat on nearby bleachers, reading a magazine. In front of him an automated lawnmower was eating away at the grass. If I didn¡¯t study here, I would have assumed that this was like any other high school. At first glance, it¡¯s impossible to tell that literally everyone here has powers. ¡°So what was he caught with?¡± I asked Kenta, crossing my arms and leaning on a tree. He grins at my apparent curiosity. ¡°A confession letter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you meant by contraband? We¡¯re not allowed to have those?¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re not! It¡¯s unfair, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t really know. I don¡¯t even think girls know I exist.¡± ¡°Oh they do, trust me. You¡¯re probably just one of those dense idiots I always hear about.¡± I scoff. ¡°What other things does the school not allow?¡± ¡°Porn!¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s kinda a given.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, it¡¯s a travesty either way, an insult to mankind!¡± he closed his eyes and pretended to cry, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his blazer. He walked defeated toward a nearby trashcan, throwing his carton of juice inside. ¡°The Institute likes having an eye on every student here. It¡¯s your first day, so I¡¯m going to forgive you for not knowing, but man you will not believe how far they¡¯ll go.¡± He stomped past me and spread his arms toward the open field. ¡°What you see here is Japan¡¯s greatest prison!¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re exaggerating a bit.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not! The Institute monitors everything we do. Tell me, is it normal for the administration to monitor how often we access the internet, or how often we go outside the campus to buy snacks, buy comics, or go to arcades? Is it normal for the school to outright prohibit boys and girls from being alone¡ª¡± ¡°Wait, I didn¡¯t know about that.¡± ¡°Oh? You didn¡¯t? Well sorry for slapping you across the face with reality, Kimura-kun. Ignorance must¡¯ve been bliss!¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. This technically means that the president and I just broke the rules a while ago, right? Better not tell him. ¡°But yeah, as I was saying. The school doesn¡¯t like fraternization. Boys and girls share classes all the time, and even sports teams and clubs are often coed, but outside of the controlled atmosphere of classrooms and gyms, we¡¯re pretty much segregated from each other.¡± ¡°What about that crowd we were just a part of? Boys and girls were packed together¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s different. Like I said, socially it¡¯s fine, but anything more intimate than a friendship is heavily frowned on.¡± ¡°Any idea why this is the case?¡± ¡°Oho, it sounds to me like you¡¯re curious.¡± ¡°I am.¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll be staying here for the next two years, might as well learn how to blend in. And you sound like a pretty knowledgeable guy.¡± ¡°And what if I¡¯m lying to you?¡± he crossed his arms, amused. ¡°I¡¯m S Rank. No one will find your body.¡± His mouth dropped and he took a slow step back. ¡°I¡¯m kidding.¡± His shoulders slumped and the air left his lungs. ¡°Man, I¡¯m¡ª don¡¯t scare me like that. Now I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re being serious.¡± ¡°Right now I am. Most of the time, I¡¯m not.¡± I bend my legs and sit down, still leaning on the bark of the tree. The sky is clear and blue. A cold breeze blows across my face. ¡°Tell me about Enforcer Company.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just what they like being called.¡± Kenta walked closer to the field, crossed his legs and sat down. ¡°They were originally the swordsmanship club, up until six years ago when they changed their name.¡± ¡°The kendo club?¡± ¡°No, swordsmanship club. After the war tore the world apart, the club¡¯s founder decided that they shouldn¡¯t just focus on a single discipline. Instead, a club was formed that focused on studying and learning the different swordsmanship styles from all over the world. Though I think they only really focus on Asian styles these days.¡± ¡°So what¡¯s the reason behind the name change?¡± ¡°They got involved with the SSC.¡± he shrugged. ¡°The captain got demolished by the prez, in front of every other club in the school. Since then she swore herself to the president¡¯s service. She even knelt and bowed and all that. Now her club works for the council, helping reinforce the school¡¯s many rules.¡± My eyes widened instinctively. The president defeated the captain of the Enforcers? What is that supposed to mean? Did the captain challenge the president to one of those honor-bound duels I keep reading about? Or was there a misunderstanding and the president just had to defend herself? The president seemed harmless enough, eating her expensive bento up there in her secret spot, but I never saw her as the fighting type. She seemed too reserved. I guess looks really can be deceiving. ¡°And how is that, through violence?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°I guess it¡¯s hard being a delinquent in this place when sword-wielding crazies patrol the halls.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± he sighed. ¡°I get things pretty rough because I¡¯m only B Rank. The Enforcers love harassing me about the smallest things¡­¡± ¡°Then do something about it. Report it or something.¡± ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t understand, man. It¡¯s not that simple! They¡¯re backed up by the SSC, and the SSC is backed by the Institute. They won¡¯t listen to a lowly B Rank like me.¡± I lowered my gaze. I felt the grass between my fingers, the dirt on my skin. I couldn¡¯t help but smirk. ¡°Hey. Tell me, are these Enforcers strong?¡± ¡°Of course they are.¡± he waved his arm dismissively. ¡°Why do you think do such a good job of keeping the peace? Not every member is an A Rank like their captain, but they¡¯re organized and disciplined. Like army ants, you know? With swords.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The bell ringed, signaling the start of class. Kenta hopped up from his sitting position, stretching his knees and massaging his shoulders. I rose up slowly, dusting off the grass and the dirt off my pants. I looked straight ahead, across the open field. Students crossed the great green sea, heading toward their class. A cool wind blew, sending leaves spinning in the air. ¡°Yoshida-kun.¡± I called out to my classmate. ¡°You seem like you know your way around school.¡± He huffed and pounded his chest. ¡°Ahaha~ of course I do. Why? You need something done, you need some help with something, just let me know.¡± ¡°Do you know the name of the student who was just caught?¡± Kenta raised his eyebrows. ¡°I can ask around, I guess. He was a first year, so finding out who he is should be easy. Freshmen girls love me, you see. My mom¡¯s Ukrainian, you see. Girls just love my foreigner look¡ª¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Why do you need to know?¡± ¡°I want to pay him a visit.¡± All I want is an ordinary high school life. I¡¯m not interested in sports, or being a student leader, or getting the best grades. I¡¯d rather keep a low profile. Keep to myself, stay out of trouble and whatever conflicts are happening around this place. But I can¡¯t help but feel curious. Curious at what would drive a school to have such strict rules. Curious at how Kenta can say ¡°Enforcer Company¡± with a completely straight face. But most of all, I¡¯m curious about this kid, this mysterious soul who¡¯d dare stand against the mighty student council. The girl he likes must be very cute. Chapter Four: Five Steps per Second Chapter Four Five Steps per Second It¡¯s my third day at school, and I still don¡¯t have my rank halo. My uniform feels incomplete without it, but apparently the supplies office doesn¡¯t have it yet. Which is weird, because there are only two S Ranks in the school in the first place. Well whatever, I don¡¯t really mind. If anything, this makes it easier to blend in. ¡°Are you sure we¡¯re in the right place?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Kenta said. ¡°Don¡¯t you trust me?¡± I leaned back on the bench and crossed my arms. We were watching students funnel out of their classrooms, the setting sun painting the school a bright orange. The atmosphere was calm and entirely normal. ¡°Remind me his name again.¡± ¡°Yori, Yori Nakano.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°Do you even know what he looks like?¡± ¡°No. And I suppose I don¡¯t need to.¡± I point at a kid in the distance, hugging his bag to his chest. Even at a glance, it¡¯s obvious that the other students are keeping their distance from him. ¡°Wow you¡¯re good. How¡¯d you know?¡± Kenta said, grinning as he flashed me a picture of the freshman on his phone. ¡°Intuition, I guess.¡± I smiled. ¡°That¡¯s the look of utter defeat familiar among youth like us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s deep¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s really not.¡± I stood up, pocketing my hands. Kenta followed close behind. I made an effort to blend with the river of freshmen, but Kenta¡¯s bright blonde head stood out too much. At first it started as simple ¡®hi¡¯s¡¯ and ¡®hello¡¯s.¡¯ Mostly from freshmen girls. But then more and more students greeted and waved at Kenta, until he suddenly found himself surrounded by a small crowd of adoring¡­ friends? Fans? I don¡¯t know. ¡°Kimuraaaa¡ª¡± he cried out, futile, his hand lost in an ocean of teenage pheromones. ¡°I guess he wasn¡¯t kidding when he said that girls liked him.¡± I said to myself, shrugging. I focused on the sight of Nakano¡¯s back as I walked with the crowd. He¡¯s not hard to find. Aside from being short, he also lacked confidence. That made him stand out. I spend five more minutes following him, through the school park, and the club rooms, then through the canteen. I eventually decided to match his pace once we reach the so-called ¡°lover¡¯s lane,¡± a long hallway of cherry blossom trees that apparently looked lovely in April. It gained the name because this was where couples would often go to when spring came. Because boys and girls weren¡¯t allowed to ¡®date¡¯, per se, they instead came in groups, pretending to be friends. I¡¯m not sure if the school caught up to this practice, because Kenta never bothered finishing his story, but I like to think that the tradition is still alive. ¡°Hey.¡± I said, just loud enough for Yori to hear. He glanced at me, keeping his bag close to his chest. ¡°Ye¡ªYes, senpai?¡± Okay, he¡¯s stuttering. That¡¯s not good. ¡°I¡¯m Hideaki Kimura,¡± I said. ¡°From class 2-C. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± he replied, very slowly. We walked in silence for a few seconds. I considered my options. He¡¯s obviously shy, so what¡¯s the best way to approach him? Should I pretend to invite him to a club? Ask if he wants to enroll in my patented rank-up training program? Or¡ª My thoughts were interrupted when Yori kicked the ground and exploded into a sprint. He quickly turned to his right, galloping with all the speed of a racing horse. He dodged and weaved through students and teachers alike, straight toward the cafeteria. I stayed in my place, lips closed and confused. Time froze and I repositioned myself up to a fourth story window. Two girls were chatting idly when I appeared. Needless to say my sudden appearance almost made them drop their drinks. ¡°Is that beer?¡± I asked, reading the label on one of the cans. The surprised girl spun the can around slowly without a peep. ¡°Ah. Root beer.¡± I smiled and returned my attention to the campus below. Yori Nakano was making his way through the canteen, interrupting the few people who were loitering about. As he crashed through a pair of double-sided doors, I calmly walked down the hallway, following his direction. Autumn Mountain had two outdoor swimming pools. The one Yori ran into was currently occupied by the all-girl¡¯s swimming team. Girls screamed and threw harmless empty buckets and bottles at the poor boy as he raced from one end to the other. He disappeared behind another pair of doors, prompting me to follow after him through another Saltus. I appeared beside the lifeguard chair, much to the surprise of the swimming team. Screams were abound. Again. ¡°Kimura-san!?¡± a strange yet familiar voice called out to me. Oh no. ¡°Pre¡ªpresident?¡± Of all the people to run into¡­ ¡°Kimura-san, what are you doing here?¡± the president was dressed in her uniform, unlike the other girls. She stomped toward me, scowling. ¡°This place is off limits while the swim team¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a pervert!¡± I declared, holding up my arms in surrender. Ayane stopped mid-step, eyebrows arched. She vaguely resembled an angry, spectacled bull. It¡¯s better if I¡¯m honest with her. ¡°I¡¯m only here because I¡¯m chasing after a freshman who caught my interest.¡± Wait no. That came out wrong. ¡°Uh-huh.¡± she frowned, as she continued to stomp toward me. ¡°Hey, you didn¡¯t join me for lunch today.¡± I said, nervously. There were a few gasps from the swimmers around us. The president frowned, her cheeks slightly turning red. ¡°Though technically speaking, we only ate lunch, like twice.¡± ¡°I was busy.¡± she explained. ¡°Ah. Sorry. Thought you went there every lunch¡ª¡± Before I could finish what I said, she suddenly disappeared in a flash of blue light, appearing not a moment later, a meter before me. She looked up at me, with those blue, spectacled eyes of hers, and reached out to take my arm. But time stopped before she could ever get close. I looked up, glancing at an empty rooftop, and brought myself there. The last thing on my mind was the smell of the president¡¯s perfume. She smelled like expensive roses. The next thing on my mind was finding out where Yori went. Luckily, I didn¡¯t have to look far. He was just below, on his haunches, between a wall and a tree, still hugging his bag. I performed a Saltus right in front of him. ¡°You¡¯re fast.¡± I said, trying my best to give an approachable, friendly smile. ¡°But I¡¯m faster.¡± Instead of looking up at me in awe, he instead held up his bag and cowered. He held his knees to his chest, trying his best to look as small as possible. ¡°Pl¡ªPlease, I¡¯m sorry, I won¡¯t do it again!¡± ¡°Do what? Run away from me? Because if so, then good, chasing after you almost got me in trouble with the council president.¡± He looked over his bag, still scared. ¡°Wha¡ªWhat do you mean? Yo¡ªYou¡¯re not with the Enforcers?¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you¡¯re asking about the Enforcers, and not the council.¡± I said. ¡°And¡­ why are you so scared?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not scared.¡± he tried to say with conviction, but he still hugged his bag tighter. ¡°Just¡­ careful.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± ¡°Who are you with then? If not the council or Enforcers?¡± Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m with nobody. Just curious.¡± He slowly lifted himself off the ground, tired. He was sweaty and panting heavily, all because of his boneheaded decision to try and outrun someone who could teleport. ¡°Did the Enforcers hurt you?¡± I asked as he began to turn away. ¡°N¡ªNo.¡± He started to walk and I fell into pace beside him. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of fatigue or because he stopped considering me as a threat, but he said nothing and didn¡¯t try to run away. ¡°You¡¯re probably here to make fun of me, aren¡¯t you, senpai?¡± he asked, head facing the ground. ¡°And why would I do that?¡± ¡°Because I got my ass kicked by the Enforcers, that¡¯s why. Wh¡ªwhat else? Those guys love beating on freshmen and lower ranks.¡± he tried to steal a glance at my chest, at my rank halo, but of course found nothing. ¡°I thought you were with them. Sorry.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t feel bad about what happened to you, whatever it is. From what I hear, those Enforcers are pretty strong. A C Rank like you wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance.¡± He cringed, his fingers tightening on the leather of his bag. ¡°I¡¯m not making fun of you. Just¡­ stating facts.¡± I paid a bit more attention to Yori. He was a short kid with a plain face and big eyes. His cheeks were puffy and red, and his shoulders slumped from the lack of confidence. To be fair, he looked like any other shy freshman, caught out of his element. There were no markings on his body, no signs of abuse or injury. But the gaze he held as he stared at the ground screamed defeat. ¡°I heard you were caught with a confession letter¡­ or something like that.¡± He stopped mid-step and looked away. ¡°S¡ªSo what? Yo¡ªYou¡¯re going to make fun of¡ª¡± ¡°Oh please I don¡¯t care about that, relax.¡± I scoffed. ¡°If anything I¡¯m glad that you did it. Good for you, for having the confidence to face your feelings like that.¡± He looked at me, wide eyed and hungry for answers. ¡°I¡¯m new here. And from my understanding, feelings like crushes and stuff aren¡¯t exactly tolerated by the student council.¡± I shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s a huge culture shock. The last school I went to didn¡¯t have any rules like that.¡± ¡°So¡­ people were allowed to date, to meet with g¡ªgirls?¡± ¡°Yep. In fact we had a few teachers who actively encouraged it. Those fucking perverts.¡± ¡°Ehhh¡­¡± Yori shrunk. ¡°But here it¡¯s different. Huh. Like, love letters can get you beaten up by school-sponsored thugs? That¡¯s¡­ weird.¡± I took a step forward and placed a hand hard on his shoulder. He nearly buckled from the force. ¡°See, I heard that there¡¯s a bunch of different factions in this school. And I really don¡¯t want to join any of them. Hahaha. However, I do want to¡­ hmm¡­ help.¡± ¡°Help? Help with what?¡± ¡°Help with¡ª people¡¯s problems.¡± Yori stared at me, his eyes turning into dinner plates. Then, with all the hope of youth behind his words he said, ¡°Senpai you¡¯re weird, please stay away from me.¡± ¡°Yo! I¡¯m serious!¡± I threw up my hands in the air. ¡°I¡¯m here to help you!¡± ¡°Why!?¡± he shouted. The genuine rage in his voice pushed me back. ¡°Because you need it.¡± His expression softened, his eyes turning downcast. ¡°Okay.¡± was all he said. [¡ª He laid out the confession letter on the table. Piece after piece after piece. The confession was written on pink paper with blue ink. His handwriting was¡­ something¡­ but the characters were legible if you stared long enough. There was no one nearby. We sat under the shade of a nearby maintenance shed, far away from the after-school commotion. ¡°Why would they do this?¡± the words left my mouth on their own. ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t know.¡± Despite what I saw, I didn¡¯t feel any anger. Any other idiot would have vowed ¡°to make the people who did this pay¡±, but I¡¯m not like other idiots. Instead, I felt pity. ¡°Did they rip it up in front of you?¡± ¡°N¡ªNo. But I¡ªI fished for these in the trash.¡± ¡°Why? Couldn¡¯t you have just made another one.¡± Yori stared at the table, his posture tight, as if he were building a wall around himself. ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m not good with words. It took me s¡ªso long to write this. I didn¡¯t remember what I wrote, so I¡ªI wanted to keep it.¡± his voice was barely a whisper. It was hard hearing his every word. ¡°What are you planning to do with it?¡± ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t know.¡± he conceded. ¡°Hm. We could stick it back together?¡± I grinned. ¡°Though you probably shouldn¡¯t give this to the girl when it¡¯s all torn up¡­ by the way, it¡¯s the start of the school year, isn¡¯t it a little too early for these things?¡± ¡°She¡¯s¡­ an old friend.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± I pound my fist on my hand, surprising him. ¡°Right. I got a better idea now!¡± I sprang up, and crossed my arms. He looked up at me, anxious and scared. Like a hamster about to be attacked by a slightly bigger hamster. ¡°Since you already know this girl, and since you¡¯re already friends¡ª you are instead going to confess to her.¡± ¡°Wh¡ªWhat!?¡± ¡°Personally! It¡¯s the easiest, safest method. Trust me.¡± Though to be fair, I¡¯ve never really confessed to a girl before. ¡°I¡ªI can¡¯t do that!¡± he stumbled as he tried to stand up. ¡°The supreme student council doesn¡¯t approve of¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s a confession. There¡¯s no guarantee that she¡¯s going to say, ¡®ohhh, Nakano-san~ I~ I like you too~!¡¯ Enforcer Company can¡¯t hurt you for trying!¡± He cringed again. ¡°Oh come on. Don¡¯t tell me they hunt people for anguished confessions of love.¡± He nodded. ¡°Damn it, that¡¯s not cool. You can¡¯t just put a leash on teenage hormones like that.¡± I combed back my hair with my fingers, suddenly struck with a whole new, genius-level idea. ¡°We¡¯ll just do it secretly! Yes, that¡¯s the only solution!¡± ¡°Se¡ªSenpai, you really are insane.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. I just want the flowers of love to blossom in this school!¡± Despite his looks, Yori was actually pretty fast. He scooped up the tattered pieces of his feelings (his confession letter) and stuffed it in his bag in two swift motions. ¡°I¡¯m going home, what you¡¯re suggesting¡ª¡± ¡°What I¡¯m suggesting is completely normal.¡± I scoffed and tilted my head. ¡°Listen, I understand how you feel. You¡¯re scared and unsure, I get it. You don¡¯t have to do this now, or tomorrow, or next week. It¡¯s not like the girl you like is going to end up falling in love with anyone else, anyway.¡± He didn¡¯t move from his spot. ¡°But remember¡­ what Enforcer Company did to you¡­ that wasn¡¯t right. You¡¯ll probably find the courage to confess again sometime in the future, or maybe you won¡¯t¡ª maybe you¡¯ll give up, maybe you¡¯ll fall in love with someone else, maybe you¡¯ll be too busy turning yourself into a badass S Rank like the president and a certain mysterious transfer student. But in my opinion, it¡¯s best not to let that fire in you die out, not while it still burns.¡± I waited for Yori Nakano to move. I waited for him to put one foot over the other and walk away from the weird senpai. But he never did. The scared boy stayed in place, his bag still clutched to his chest. ¡°Tell me her name.¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯ll find her and arrange the meet-up.¡± Bonus Chapter One: Information An excerpt from After the War, published 2066, by J.A. Publishing. The war was called many things. The Incident, the Calling, the Coming, and the Armageddon, were amongst the most popular. Regardless of what it was called, the war changed the world as we know it. Entire nations were wiped out from the world and the planet¡¯s geographical landscape was altered. Even to this day, parts of Europe, South America, and China are still inhospitable. The war brought humanity close to extinction. In our desperation, we created the Overseers. The first Overseers were brave volunteers. Their bodies were enhanced through extensive therapy or modification. The first Overseers were weaker than their modern counterparts, but they paved the way for a better future. The first Overseers also needed constant maintenance through medicine. Their children and grandchildren no longer share this trait. Overseers have the power to manipulate small aspects of the world around themselves. These ¡®powers¡¯ vary from relatively harmless to highly destructive. We are still unsure if the powers that Overseers gain are random or not. Children rarely inherit the powers of their parents, though sometimes they gain similar abilities. Overseers are physically enhanced. An untrained Overseer is physically stronger and faster than an ordinary human being, but that¡¯s not to say that a 14 year old Overseer can outsprint a trained Olympian. Overseers however have a higher limit to their abilities than ordinary humans. With the war over, Overseers are now given special education in schools all over the world. These schools are all sponsored and monitored by the Institute, the remnants of the group that first created the Overseers in the first place. In these controlled environments, Overseers are given the education they need to become healthy members of society. [--- An Introduction to Ranks and Attributes When an Overseer is discovered by the Institute, they are given a rank ranging from D to S. These ranks are not only based on an Overseer¡¯s power. Ranks are instead determined based on a combination of potential and current capabilities. Overseers are also given Attributes, values determined by an Overseer¡¯s greatest feats. Attributes are ranked from E to EX. Pluses imply a slight rise of value, but not enough to qualify for the next rank. The following attributes are as follows. Strength: a measure of strictly physical feats. A Rank means that an overseer has no problem punching through a concrete wall. Agility: a measure of running speed, reflexes, and reaction time. A Rank would allow an Overseer to catch an arrow travelling at 100 meters/second. Endurance: a measure of resistance to injury. A legendary S Rank once survived getting shot at by a tank, albeit at long range. Raana: a measure of how often a power can be used each day. E rank would mean that an Overseer can only use his/her power once every 24 hours. Luck: a non-quantifiable measure, often ranked by the Overseer themselves based on personal opinion. [--- Student Database Autumn Mountain Academy Name: Hideaki Kimura Rank: S Age: 16 Year: Second Eye Color: Green Hair Color: Black Strength: A++ | Agility: A+ | Endurance: A+ | Raana: EX | Luck: D Power: Saltus Saltus is the ability to perform teleportation toward any location that he has line of sight of. The operational range seems to be limitless. Saltus works as long as Kimura can directly see his destination. He has shown the ability to teleport through glass walls, but amusingly, not through something like a live camera feed. While performing a Saltus, Kimura has described the world ¡®stopping around him¡¯, so long as he stays in place and performs no actions aside from looking around. This secondary power however seems to have a seven-second cooldown, and cannot occur on every Saltus. Kimura is capable of bringing along other people with him when he performs a Saltus; however the subject often ends up vomiting from the sudden motion. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.Student Council President Name: Ayane Tsukino Rank: S Age: 16 Year: Second Eye Color: Blue Hair Color: Black Strength: A+ | Agility: A++ | Endurance: A | Raana: EX | Luck: A Power: Transilio Transilio is the ability to perform teleportation¡ª [redacted]. Student Council Vice President Name: Hikari Tachibana Rank: A Age: 16 Year: Second Eye Color: Black Hair Color: Brown Strength: D | Agility: C+ | Endurance: B | Raana: A | Luck: C Power: Tempesta Tempesta allows the user to manipulate¡ª [redacted]. Enforcer Company Captain Name: Rina Miyamori Rank: A Age: 16 Year: Second Eye Color: Red Hair Color: Black Strength: A | Agility: B | Endurance: B | Raana: B | Luck: C Power: Lunga Espada Lunga Espada gives the Miyamori the ability to create unbreakable, stationary¡ª [redacted]. Students of Class 2-C Name: Kimiko Ueda Rank: A Age: 16 Year: Second Eye Color: Blue Hair Color: Dark blue Strength: C | Agility: B | Endurance: C | Raana: A | Luck: A Power: Illuminare Illuminare allows the Overseer to launch subsonic¡ª [redacted]. Name: Kenta Yoshida Rank: B Age: 16 Year: Second Eye Color: Black Hair Color: Blonde Strength: B | Agility: C | Endurance: B | Raana: B | Luck: B Power: Voltegio Voltegio allows Yoshida to store¡ª [redacted]. Students of Class 2-E Name: Shirou Hamasaki Rank: A Age: 16 Year: Second Eye Color: Black Hair Color: Orange Strength: A | Agility: D | Endurance: C | Raana: A | Luck: E Power: Ardante Ardante grants the Overseer the ability to manipulate fire at a localized level. Hamasaki can create spheres and tongues of fire that burn at temperatures close to the surface of the sun. These spheres can be propelled at great speeds to destroy most targets. Ardante also grants Hamasaki an incredible resistance to fire, however, according to his classmates, he still complains about the summer heat. Chapter Five: Canteen Conversation Chapter Five Canteen Conversation I like to think that I¡¯m an expert at investigating, and eventually, solving people¡¯s problems. But I¡¯m actually not. It¡¯s my second week at Autumn Mountain Academy, and I found myself adjusting pretty well, all things considered. Kenta introduced me to his small circle of friends, and my classmates have warmed up to me. I still find myself eating my lunch on top of the radio tower most of the time, though. Half the time, I found the ever-serious president there. The other half, I ate alone, enjoying the scenery. I haven¡¯t checked up on Yori recently, but I told him to wait while I sorted things out. The kohai seemed to have faith in me, so I was determined not to let him down. The bell rang and I stood up, grabbing my bento in the process. Kenta and his friends had to run off to do something, so I guess I¡¯m off to the radio tower again today. There was a commotion outside. Some of my classmates were standing by the doorway, shoulder to shoulder, nervously peering out. As I stepped out of the hallway, I found more students, standing around murmuring amongst themselves. As I looked straight ahead, I discover the source of everyone¡¯s stress. The president. Of course. ¡°Kimura-san.¡± she said, arms crossed over her chest. ¡°Tsukino-san.¡± I replied simply. ¡°Do they know each other?¡± ¡°What does the president need with him?¡± Students murmured around us. ¡°Come eat lunch with me.¡± Ayane said in the most straightforward way possible. ¡°Ehhhh!?¡± gasped my schoolmates. ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask. Just wait at the usual spot.¡± I replied. ¡°EHHHHHH!?¡± roared my schoolmates. She looked to the side and frowned. ¡°No. Let¡¯s go to the canteen. I want to show you something.¡± [¡ª ¡°You know, we¡¯re doing a pretty bad job of being discreet.¡± I said, poking some ham on my plate. ¡°You¡¯re pretty much the most popular girl at school; people are bound to stare at you when you¡¯re dining with a boy out of nowhere.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good point, but we¡¯re not trying to be discrete.¡± she said, adjusting her glasses. We were smack dab in the middle of the canteen. The entire place was packed, except for our little island. People were keeping their distance from us. Probably because Ayane projected such a noblewoman¡¯s bearing. That or they¡¯ve discovered just how powerful I am. Mwahaha. No, no that¡¯s probably not it. Ayane pointed her slender finger at someone across the floor. A crowd of seniors were sitting together, talking amongst themselves. Some were holding phones; others were quietly eating their food. In the center of the group sat a beautiful girl, idly typing away at her cell phone. She didn¡¯t seem to be paying any attention to her friends. ¡°She¡¯s the girl you¡¯re looking for.¡± Ayane said. ¡°The what, I¡¯m what now?¡± I replied, trying to play things cool. ¡°The girl you¡¯re looking for.¡± the president repeated. ¡°I saw you running after Yori Nakano-san, so I assume you¡¯re trying to help him with his problems.¡± ¡°What gave you that idea?¡± I grinned. ¡°I was just trying to make friends.¡± ¡°¡­by talking to a shy freshman¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t pick my friends. I¡¯m friendly with everyone. I mean, you¡¯re the perfect example of this.¡± She frowned, pushing back her glasses. ¡°We¡¯re not friends.¡± ¡°We¡¯re having a friendly conversation. That¡¯s good enough for me. Plus, you¡¯ve made no sudden announcements that you hate my guts. In my book, that makes as friends.¡± Ayane sighed. ¡°Your classmate told me what you were up to, indirectly at least.¡± ¡°Kenta that traitor, I knew I shouldn¡¯t have trusted him.¡± ¡°No, it was Ueda-san.¡± I scoffed. ¡°Should have the known the class rep would rat me out.¡± ¡°Apparently she caught Yoshida-kun asking around about Nakano-san.¡± ¡°And that was unusual because¡­?¡± ¡°Yoshida-kun normally stays away from anything related to the Enforcers.¡± the president leaned back in her seat, fingering her braided hair. ¡°He¡¯s the type of person who prefers to stay out of trouble.¡± ¡°You sound like you know him. Were you close?¡± ¡°He was the leader of a so-called student movement in our freshman years.¡± she shrugged. ¡°I quickly put an end to that. Now he chooses to stay out of the spotlight.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Anyway, coupled with your antics in the school pool, I figured that I should personally look into what you were up to.¡± her fist clenched and she frowned slightly. ¡°That was the first time someone ever escaped from me.¡± I smiled broadly, placing my hands on the table to lean toward her. ¡°It¡¯s not every day I meet someone with powers similar to mine.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± she smiled back. ¡°It won¡¯t happen again.¡± I returned to my original place and pulled my bento close. As usual, the sight of convenience store food greeted my eyes. The president quietly followed my example and began unwrapping her sophisticated looking box of Japanese food herself. ¡°So what¡¯s the point of all this?¡± I asked between bites. ¡°Her name is Yuuka Oshiro.¡± she pointed with her chopsticks. ¡°I assume you¡¯re aware of the Seven Great Families here in Tokyo?¡± ¡°I never really paid attention to those types of things, so no. Are you from one of them?¡± She shook her head. ¡°But she is. The Oshiro clan are known for owning a ton of land in Kyoto and Nagasaki. Here, they own a chain of hotels and resorts. Even though Oshiro-san is only Rank B, her family¡¯s reputation is immutable. That close circle of friends of hers are from rich, powerful families as well. Even I sometimes have trouble approaching her.¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!¡°But you¡¯re President Megane S-Rank-chan.¡± She glared at me, frowning deeply. ¡°Please don¡¯t call me random nicknames.¡± ¡°Says the girl who called me psychopath-kun¡­¡± She rubbed her temples and frowned. ¡°Listen, the point I¡¯m making is that the girl is unapproachable. She¡¯s¡ª untouchable, like a distant flower on top of a mountain. Even if the school did allow student relationships, she¡¯s the type of person who maintains a¡­ certain persona.¡± ¡°The distant untouchable idol, is that what she is to you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what she is to the rest of the school.¡± Ayane corrected me. ¡°The Enforcers read Nakano-san letter to her, and frankly, it¡¯s not something that fits¡ª¡± ¡°Come on, who are you to decide that?¡± I frowned. ¡°The poor kid just wants to express his feelings. She¡¯s a senior, sure. She¡¯s rich, sure. But a silly love letter from a junior isn¡¯t that rare for someone of her stature. If we were in any other school, she¡¯d get those things all the time.¡± ¡°But we¡¯re not in any other school, we¡¯re in Autumn Mountain.¡± she frowned just as deeply in return. ¡°There are rules we follow.¡± ¡°Screw your rules.¡± I stood up, a bit too forcefully than I might have wanted. ¡°Nakano needs to do this. The poor kid is an introvert, he¡¯s shy, he¡¯s small, he¡¯s a C Rank who stands in everyone else¡¯s shadow. The fact that he had the guts to write a confession letter speaks volumes of how brave he is, despite everything that he¡¯s not.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll break his heart.¡± Ayane stared at me with blue eyes, sympathy drawn on her face. ¡°The school will laugh at him.¡± ¡°Heartbreak is better than inaction. I¡¯ll help Nakano profess his feelings. Feel free to try and stop me.¡± I took a step away, the canteen eerily quiet around us. Ayane sipped a can of tea, in her usual graceful way. She seemed like a princess, even here in the middle of a high school canteen. She almost looked frail, but I could tell that it was impossible to dissuade her opinion. She looked at me, tilting her head, as if trying to assess the situation. ¡°I don¡¯t believe what I¡¯m seeing. You¡¯re really serious about this, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± I crossed my arms. ¡°What are you going to do about it, president?¡± She placed a hand on the table, her slender finger running across the side. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll tell Enforcer Company to look the other way.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but raise my eyebrow in surprise. ¡°What?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve been monitoring your actions the past few days.¡± she gestured for me to sit back down, which I do after a bit of hesitation. ¡°The moment Miyamori-san heard of your conversation with Nakano, she organized a taskforce to pay attention to everything you did.¡± ¡°Are you serious? A ¡®taskforce¡¯? Just for talking to a bullied kohai?¡± Ayane visibly cringed from the word ¡®bullied.¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, I didn¡¯t organize it. Enforcer Company more or less acts on their own, I just tell them what to do sometimes. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep them off your back while you do¡­ whatever it is you¡¯re trying to do.¡± ¡°And why would you do that? From what I hear, you¡¯re a stickler for the rules. I¡¯m obviously planning to break some.¡± ¡°Romantic relationships are banned by the school, but in the first place, there¡¯s no guarantee that Oshiro-senpai will return Nakano-san¡¯s feelings. If you really want to hurt a poor boy¡¯s heart, then be my guest.¡± she leaned forward and reached for my bento with her chopsticks. ¡°But my warning still stands; Oshiro-senpai isn¡¯t the easiest person to approach.¡± Her chopsticks hovered over my bento, until it eventually settled on its victim. She picked the food up, examined it, smelled it, and placed it in her mouth. I have never seen someone look so sophisticated while eating chicken teriyaki before. Super spicy chicken teriyaki. Her face turned red instantly. Her nostrils flared. Her bloodshot eyes glared at me with the fury of twenty-thousand suns. I simply grinned in return. ¡°Thank you, president. You¡¯re as considerate as always.¡± It was amusing, watching her try to act smart and sophisticated even while her mouth was on fire. [¡ª The sun was close to setting and the school was filled with after-class activities. Sports clubs were in the field, training for an upcoming sports meet, while cultural and discipline clubs loitered in their rooms. I watched Oshiro-senpai¡¯s group from on top of a roof, drinking canned green tea. I was never a fan of tea, but it¡¯s the only thing the vending machines had. Her friends surrounded her like royal guardsmen protecting their queen. She was speaking with a tall boy, who wore a jacket over his blazer in the middle of summer. What a weirdo. She¡¯d occasionally laugh at what her friend said, and whenever she did, the rest of the group would follow. The whole scene reminded me of a pack animals following their leader. ¡°Okay, so how should I approach this?¡± I asked myself, pocketing my hands. ¡°Hey popular-senpai, I¡¯m a transfer student who doesn¡¯t really know anyone in the school, can I ask you to meet with your old childhood friend in a possible romantic setting, I promise he won¡¯t do anything weird and drastic like confess his love to you.¡± I found myself smiling. ¡°Right. That sounds good enough¡ª¡± I was about to perform a Saltus toward her, when I began to hear the telltale sounds of approaching footsteps. I saw them immediately, as I glanced behind myself. One by one they marched, swords hug on their hips, red armbands on their arms. They poured out into the roof, shoulder to shoulder. The formation was composed of both boys and girls. They encircled me in a confident, military fashion. ¡°Hideaki Kimura.¡± one of the Enforcers stood forward, a serious-looking lad with a pair of red earrings. ¡°We are placing you in temporary arrest for your actions against the academy.¡± ¡°Hold on,¡± I hold up my hand. ¡°The president said that you guys were going to leave me alone.¡± ¡°The president rescinded that command.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying. She doesn¡¯t look like the type of person who goes back on her word.¡± The Enforcers lips turned into a straight line, he stared at me, looking focused. ¡°Very well. Strike him down where he stands.¡± The Enforcers began to approach. I smirked, removing my hands from my pockets. A cold wind blew. Here, far atop the school, I found myself facing yet another group of idiots who think they can just push me around. Humility was never my strong suit. Because of this, I felt nothing but pity for the Enforcers in front of me. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry this up. I have a confession to sponsor.¡± I took a step forward, holding an arm behind my back. ¡°Here. Let me even the odds.¡± The Enforcers looked like machines. No emotions crossed their faces as they approached in a slow, disciplined charge. I smiled and felt the concrete beneath my feet, the air on my face. My vision sharpened and my hearing enhanced. I wonder how long I can go without using my powers. Chapter Six: Alpha Birch Chapter Six Alpha Birch The first Enforcer shot forward like lightning. The B Rank Overseer lunged at me with a silver rapier. Dodging it required nothing more but a simple step to the side. As he passed by me, I used my free arm to grab his wrist and twist it. Using his momentum against him, I sent him stumbling toward the edge of the rooftop. I kept moving as the second and third swords reached for my head. Ducking over both, I immediately placed myself between the two approaching Enforcers. I swept my leg under the feet of the first, and as he fell slowly through the air, I spun and moved behind his companion. The second Enforcer attempted a counter attack, but I moved out of the way of his swing with a step to the side. My half-opened fist came slamming into his palm, releasing his grip on his sword, sending it twisting in the air. ¡°Get behind¡ª!¡± an Enforcer yelled. I grabbed the sword by the hilt as it hung in the air, spinning it wildly on my fingertips as I turned to deflect the next attack. Steel clashed against steel, sending sparks in every direction. With a hand still to my back, I immediately pressed forward, overwhelming the Enforcer with swift attacks. Each time our swords clashed, the Enforcer flinched from the force of the blows. Realizing that my opponent probably has actual formal swordsmanship training, I rushed forward and delivered the strongest swing I could manage. The impact of the blow sent a shockwave in every direction, throwing my opponent back into the waiting arms of the other Enforcers, as well as breaking the sword in my hand. Scoffing, I toss it aside and frown. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what you guys are trying to accomplish.¡± I said. ¡°If you don¡¯t want me approaching Oshiro-senpai, you can just ask.¡± Their leader creased his eyebrows, his lips turning into a frown. ¡°And would you comply with our request?¡± ¡°I would consider it if you asked nicely.¡± The Enforcer leader sighed and took a step forward, readying his blade. He held the ornate rapier in front of his eyes, its silver length reflecting sunlight. ¡°Souma Yamada,¡± he announced. ¡°B Rank Enforcer Lieutenant.¡± Ah. Announcing your name to your opponent. How very honorable. ¡°Hideaki Kimura.¡± I replied, straightening my stance. ¡°S Rank¡­ uh¡­ freelancer, I guess?¡± His eyes widened and the eight other Enforcers that accompanied him showed signs of hesitation. Did these people not do their research? Or did their boss just send them in blind? ¡°Judging by that look in your eyes, I¡¯m going to assume that you never knew.¡± I smiled. ¡°And now that you do, I¡¯m going to give you the option to walk away.¡± Surprisingly, no one as much moved a step back. ¡°I¡¯ll handle this myself.¡± Souma said grimly. ¡°Enforcer Company never retreats.¡± ¡°A terrible philosophy to stand behind.¡± I replied. ¡°But I see no difference. Though I have to apologize, I¡¯m going to try and finish this qui¡ª¡± Souma suddenly shot forward, the force of his charge breaking the concrete under his foot. His rapier lanced straight for my chest, forcing me to throw my weight to the right to evade. His sword hit nothing but air, but the Enforcer quickly recovered. He released a flurry of blows, too fast for the eyes to see, aiming for my thigh, arms, and chest. His blows were not meant to be lethal, but they were obviously aimed to injure. I evaded to the best of my ability, dodging and weaving between swings and thrusts. His speed was incredible. But I¡¯m faster. I tried the same trick as before, swiping at his hand with my fist, but he read my movements like a book and evades appropriately. I tried to aim for his legs with a sweep, but he leaped and rolled in the air to evade. His attacks were relentless, a hurricane of silver flashed before my eyes. ¡°For a B Rank, you certainly fight better than that A Rank I encountered last Monday.¡± I said, dodging underneath a swing. ¡°I am a mere B Rank because of my power.¡± he replied, aiming and missing my head. ¡°But I am the school¡¯s greatest swordsman.¡± He swung his sword in a wide arc, forcing me to roll away. The silver blade met the rooftop¡¯s iron barrier, slicing it cleanly apart. ¡°Are you better than your boss?¡± I asked, skidding to a halt on one knee. ¡°Yes.¡± the serious Enforcer replied, swinging his sword to his side before resetting his stance. ¡°That¡¯s a surprise. That means your captain relies more on her powers to supplement her swordsmanship.¡± I stood ramrod straight, removing my hand from my pocket. ¡°You on the other hand rely on nothing but technique.¡± He furrowed his brows. ¡°And what point are you trying to make?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying that I won¡¯t be able to beat you with technique alone.¡± I smiled. ¡°So¡­ congratulations.¡± I lowered my stance and ran straight for him. The Enforcer readied a response, going low and preparing his sword¡ª I kicked the ground and threw myself forward. Then time stood still. The world blurred and I reappeared behind Souma. The strength and speed of my sudden rush was amplified ten times, right as I delivered two open-palmed strikes straight into the Enforcer¡¯s back. He didn¡¯t have enough time to react. The force of the blow sent a wave of air blasting in every direction, tossing away the few Enforcers that still stood around. Souma¡¯s body flew straight ahead before crashing into the same steel barrier surrounding the rooftop, thirty meters later. The force of the impact was powerful enough to collapse the barrier, sending Souma falling straight into the uninviting earth below. I immediately performed another Saltus, appearing above the area where Souma fell through. I gazed down and spotted where the poor Enforcer was. One more Saltus later and I found myself directly above him, my hand reaching for his collar and hoisting him up. A final Saltus sealed the deal as the familiar texture of grass now lied beneath my feet. To my right, what¡¯s left of the steel barrier fell to the ground. ¡°Well that¡¯s that.¡± I briefly checked the Enforcer for injuries. There were a few broken bones, here and there, but he was still in one piece. Overseers are tough, and a direct combat type like him shouldn¡¯t have problems recovering. The rest of the Enforcers should be making their way down here. I should get away while I still can. [¡ª Catching up to Oshiro-senpai¡¯s group wasn¡¯t that hard. I simply found high ground, looked around a bit, and eventually there they were. Their little group of rich kids stood out from the crowd, like a ship of beautiful people floating on an ocean of regular-looking people. I performed a Saltus and followed a few meters behind the group, trying my best to blend in with the crowd. Even though the fight with the Enforcers took a bit of time, the group seemed determined to walk at a slow pace. Their leader, the ever-beautiful Oshiro-senpai particularly seemed to enjoy taking her sweet time listening to everything her friends were telling her. In a way, I found her reminding me a lot of the president. She seemed to possess the same level of ladylike poise, and combined with her height and perfect eyebrows, reminded me of a high school version of a supermodel. Her look was such a huge contrast to Nakano¡¯s. And on the off-chance that she returned his feelings, they would be this school¡¯s weirdest couple. Not that there are any other couples in the school in the first place. Their group left the campus for a high class caf¨¦ half an hour after I started following them. I thought about following them inside, but figured that it wasn¡¯t necessary. The caf¨¦ featured glass walls allowing passersby to see inside. There was a perfect view of the group across the street from a ramen stand. Lower-ranked students were rarely allowed outside of the campus. However, seeing that Oshiro-senpai and her friends came from dignified families that rule probably meant little to them. Oshiro-senpai and her friends hung around for a few hours in the caf¨¦, talking about whatever over cups of expensive looking drinks. Eventually, they left, one by one until she was left with her tall, jacketed companion. The same boy she was talking to earlier. ¡°Please don¡¯t be her boyfriend.¡± I wished to the empty bowl of tonkotsu in front of me. ¡°Nakano is going to be so sad if that¡¯s the case.¡± The two seemed to be close friends. But if there was any affection between them, it was hard to see it through a glass wall. They conversed, friendly to one another. Oshiro-senpai occasionally giggled at what jacket-senpai said, but that seemed to be that. When her friend tried to caress her hair, she moved away. Jacket-senpai tried to wave it off awkwardly and threw a joke, and Oshiro-senpai replied with what looked to be kind words. Oshiro-senpai¡¯s companion stood up to leave, just when I started consider leaving myself. He waved her a goodbye and the two even shared a brief hug. Moments after the sun set, Oshiro-senpai found herself sitting alone in the caf¨¦, a second cup of coffee before her. The caf¨¦¡¯s patrons ranged from businessmen to other rich-looking people. Three girls sat together in a corner of the caf¨¦, dressed in the uniform of a nearby ¡®ordinary¡¯ high school, but aside from them, Oshiro-senpai was the only other student in the establishment. She almost looked like she was waiting for someone. A rich princess like her was probably waiting for her driver to pick her up. However, the forlorn look on her face told me otherwise. Sighing, I eventually rose from my place on the ramen stand and decided that now was the time to get things done. I crossed the busy evening street, strode into the caf¨¦ with my chin held high, and walked straight toward Oshiro-senpai¡¯s table. The caf¨¦ was of a modern design, featuring sleek furniture, and an indoor glass waterfall. Each table had a small plant sitting at its center, as pieces of modern art hung on display. Everything about the place screamed about class and style and beauty. ¡°Hello.¡± I said, smiling toward her. She was way more gorgeous up close. Oshiro-senpai looked up at me with wide hazel eyes, her mouth half open. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Who are you?¡± she demanded, eyes suddenly narrowed. ¡°Ah¡­ that¡¯s a very hostile way of greeting someone.¡± I said, sliding myself into place in front of her. ¡°I¡¯m Hideaki Kimura, senpai. Nice to meet you.¡± She eyed me from head to chest, huffing a breath of hot air. She leaned back on her chair, fingering her hair over her ear and settling her hand on her cup of coffee. ¡°I see. And do you need something, Kimura-san?¡± ¡°Well¡­ not me, but I¡¯m here on behalf of a friend of mine.¡± She radiated an air of aloofness. She was wordlessly telling me that I shouldn¡¯t be here, that I was bothering her. But I ignored her rudeness and instead smiled as a waitress approach me from behind. ¡°Good evening, sir. What will you be having?¡± the young lady asked. ¡°I¡¯ll uh¡­ I¡¯ll take this.¡± I said, pointing at the menu. ¡°A Vanilla Bean Frappuccino. Yeah, that sounds expensive enough.¡± The waitress nodded and walked off to grab my order. ¡°Kimura-san, not to sound rude or anything, but there are plenty of other tables around.¡± Oshiro-senpai said. ¡°I would appreciate it if you sat somewhere else.¡± ¡°Nah.¡± I replied, causing her to stir in her seat. ¡°I have a question, though. The guy who just left, was he your boyfriend?¡± Her eyes widened in surprise. Her irises shrunk and her hand tightened around her coffee cup. ¡°Wh¡ªWho? Hoshi? He¡¯s a friend. And how did you know about him?¡± ¡°Hoshi? Hm. So on a first name basis, then.¡± I rubbed my chin, nodding. ¡°So just a friend? Ah, good to hear.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but what do you care?¡± she frowned, leaning forward and glancing at my uniform. ¡°You¡¯re from Autumn Mountain, right? Then you should know that the school forbids relationships between its students. Do you work with Enforcer Company? I¡¯m not seeing anyone, alright. If that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not with Enforcer Company, senpai.¡± I held up my hands. ¡°In fact, I just uh, recently recovered from a misunderstanding with them. I¡¯m not affiliated with any groups in the school, not yet at least.¡± ¡°Well why are you asking then?¡± her hazel-colored eyes narrowed like a hawk¡¯s. ¡°You can¡¯t just be asking these things because you¡¯re curious.¡± ¡°Ah, but that¡¯s exactly the reason.¡± ¡°Well you¡¯re being rude.¡± she scoffed. ¡°Why should I answer your questions?¡± ¡°I apologize.¡± I leaned away from her. ¡°I invaded your space without warning, all because I was bored at school.¡± She tilted her head. ¡°Bored¡­ at school?¡± I nodded. ¡°Yes. Autumn Mountain is a great school, but we have so many rules that it¡¯s become so hard to have fun.¡± ¡°Fun? The school prohibits a lot of things but ¡®having fun¡¯ isn¡¯t one of them.¡± ¡°Well, falling in love is fun.¡± I smirked. She blushed. ¡°Falling in love is a highlight of youth. But in Autumn Mountain, that¡¯s impossible.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I saw you hanging out with that guy with a jacket after your friends left and I couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous. Ah, but since you told me that you weren¡¯t an item, I now feel much better.¡± ¡°You told me that you were here because of a friend.¡± her lips curled downward. ¡°Well, my friend and I share the same dream. He¡¯s already in love with a wonderful girl, but alas, because of the school, the Supreme Student Council and Enforcer Company, a relationship with said girl has become impossible.¡± ¡°Boo hoo,¡± she said, sipping her coffee. ¡°That¡¯s so sad. Tell your friend to get in line. Plenty of people are on the same boat.¡± ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it be better if he could at least express his feelings?¡± It was at this moment that her eyes widened in realization. She then frowned, her eyes cast downward. ¡°I¡¯m the girl that your friend likes, is that it?¡± ¡°Hm. Yeah.¡± ¡°And you want me to hear his confession?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Not happening.¡± she said, slamming her fist on the table. ¡°Uh, what?¡± ¡°Your friend sounds spineless!¡± she threw her hands in the air. ¡°Why are you here, asking permission on his behalf? He could have just come here on his own if he really did like me.¡± ¡°He really does like you.¡± I replied. ¡°But do you even know who you are? The school president herself described you as this sorta unapproachable mountain on top of a flower or something.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s the other way around¡­¡± ¡°¡­regardless! My point stands. My friend can¡¯t just walk up to you because you¡¯re Autumn Mountain¡¯s school idol.¡± ¡°That didn¡¯t seem to stop you.¡± she gestured at my chair. ¡°Well that¡¯s because I don¡¯t care about school politics.¡± I replied. ¡°But I do care about my friend. Please, senpai. Just¡­ hear him out.¡± She watched me for what felt like two minutes. I half-wondered what was running through her head. She probably thought I was crazy. I probably was. But despite all the doubt in her eyes and despite the aloofness she radiated, she eventually relented, sighing in surrender. ¡°Very well. I will¡­ listen to your friend.¡± I smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°But it has to happen outside the campus. You know how the school is.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll get him out.¡± ¡°Get him out?¡± she tilted her head. I rubbed my fingers on my collar, avoiding her gaze. ¡°Er, he¡¯s a freshman and well, let¡¯s just say he¡¯s not allowed outside school that often.¡± She frowned deeply, as all the look of kindness and humanity drained from her face. ¡°Does he happen to be a C Rank?¡± ¡°Uhm, yes. He¡ª¡± Well shit. She suddenly rose to her feet, her hands almost shattering the glass table between us. ¡°Tell Yori to fight his own battles. I won¡¯t meet with him if it¡¯s through you.¡± she turned on her heel and made for the door, but I reached out and clumsily grabbed onto her sleeve. ¡°Wait, listen! He¡¯s your childhood friend, right? At least hear him out¡ª¡± ¡°Childhood friend?¡± she turned over her shoulder. ¡°Wha¡ªWhat?¡± I could practically feel the color drain from my face. ¡°Uh, well that¡¯s what he told me.¡± The plant in the middle of the table began moving. One by one, its small branches started wrapping around my forearm, like tentacles on an angry brown-green octopus. Her hazel eyes began glowing, transforming into a shade of leaf-green. ¡°Let go of my arm, Kimura-san.¡± ¡°No. At least tell me why you won¡¯t meet with Nakano.¡± ¡°Ask him that yourself.¡± I could feel the plant tightening around my arm. It probably didn¡¯t have the strength to break my bones, but it didn¡¯t matter. I didn¡¯t want to piss her off too much. Being antagonistic toward her was the last thing I wanted to happen. Eventually, I released my grip on her and slid back into my chair. She disappeared without a word, leaving the restaurant with sure, confident strides. I stayed in my place, in the very same spot where her jacketed friend sat, wondering to myself what went wrong. Or rather, what Nakano did to win her ire. I¡¯ll have to talk to him tomorrow. The waitress returned a moment later, with a cup of coffee on a tray. I enjoyed the cup, savoring in the taste of cocoa and mocha. --- A/N: It''s Christmas here, so uh, Happy Holidays everyone! Woo. Chapter Seven: Courier Blue Chapter Seven Courier Blue I came from a wealth family. Or rather, my father was wealthy. I grew up free. I was allowed to do what I wanted, when I wanted, without consideration. As long as I avoided getting myself killed or injured, it was fine. My father isn¡¯t an Overseer, but he wishes that he was. To him, my status as a rare S Rank makes me the proud jewel of our family. He gave me freedoms that kids could only dream of. But that freedom was not enough. Living under his shadow was like living in a gilded cage. Everything seemed sound and perfect, but nothing in my life felt¡­ mine. He pays for my high rise apartment here in Tokyo, as well as most of my expenses. Even still, I try my best to spend as little as possible. Just taking out my credit card, to pay for the expensive coffee I ordered, is enough to bring a wave of bitter memories back. The freedom my father gave me was immense. The resources he provided seemed boundless. But that mattered little because I only saw him once a year. He spends most of his time with his wife¡­ his second wife, a rich woman who seemed to be wealthier than he was. I felt little love from that greying old man. To him, I was nothing more but an investment. He¡¯d call, occasionally, to check how I was doing. He¡¯d send a gift every Christmas, a letter every New Year¡¯s, a new cell phone every summer. But our interactions ended there. I haven¡¯t even heard his voice personally in years. It¡¯s always through a phone, through a computer, never in person. He always talks about me to his friends, always addressing me as his ¡°Rank S Overseer of a son.¡± He¡¯d probably hate me if he found out I was helping out a C Rank with his problems. ¡°That¡¯s a waste of time.¡± he would say with a disgusted scoff. ¡°You¡¯re a waste of time.¡± I¡¯d reply in all my handsome wit. [¡ª On my stroll to class, I couldn¡¯t help but think about what the president said a few days ago. Kenta Yoshida was apparently the president¡¯s enemy once. Or, at least, he once acted against the Supreme Student Council. That explained why it sounded like he knew his way around the school. I considered turning to him for help, but eventually decided against it. He¡¯s helped enough. I¡¯m better off tackling this thing on my own, for a while at least. As I mingled with the river of students walking to class, I found myself so focused on the Oshiro-Nakano situation that I felt like I a machine running on autopilot. I was so absorbed that I almost failed to react when a student crashed into me. ¡°Aww!¡± the small girl yelped. Despite the suddenness of the crash, she still managed to stay on her feet. The entire collision lasted a second, and as I struggled to recover, I caught the girl pacing away, her form disappearing amidst the waves of taller students. I stood on my toes to search for her, but found her gone. I was still half confused when I realized that I was holding a paper envelope. Turning the brown envelope around, I saw two simple words, written in Japanese. ¡®OPEN ME.¡¯ I ripped it open as I continued my walk to class. Inside was a small, expensive-looking earpiece. After a bit of glancing around, I placed the device into my ear and tucked the envelope under my armpit. ¡°Hello, Kimura-san.¡± said a feminine, almost robotic voice. ¡°This is so cool.¡± I replied. ¡°I feel like a secret agent.¡± ¡°Keep your voice low and follow our instructions.¡± the voice said. ¡°May I first know who I¡¯m speaking with?¡± ¡°It has come to our attention that you are trying to help Yori Nakano.¡± ¡°You could say that. I¡¯m doing it for purely selfish reasons, though.¡± ¡°Regardless, you are doing good. You¡¯re trying to change the school, and that is something that my organization appreciates.¡± I continued to walk to my class, my eyes darting left and right, waiting to see if any Enforcers popped up to block my path. To my surprise, none came. ¡°Don¡¯t go to B Building. Make a right turn to L Building instead. Do it now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be late for class.¡± ¡°No you won¡¯t.¡± I followed the voice¡¯s instructions and made a sharp right. The school had thousands of students, so it was easy to blend in. Doubly so because I still didn¡¯t have my rank halo stitched on my uniform. Unbelievable. In contrast to B Building, where my classroom was, which resembled a stereotypical building you¡¯d see in a Japanese school, L Building instead looked older and more worn out. The exterior of the building was wood, and even from afar I could tell that the paint on its walls were starting to decay. It had the same automatic doors that the other buildings had, but it still didn¡¯t appear as polished and modern as the other parts of the school. I joined the crowd of students walking inside, still waiting for the Enforcers to show up. ¡°Find shoe locker A301. The code is 875112.¡± It took me a while to navigate the corridor of lockers, but I eventually found what I was looking for. A holographic display popped up when I raised my hand to the locker. After punching in the code, the locker opened with a light hiss. Inside was a small envelope, sitting atop a pair of indoor shoes. ¡°Get the envelope and find a quiet place to open it.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± I left the building and performed a series of Saltus across the school¡¯s rooftops. I eventually settled someplace random, on top of a building overlooking the sports field. ¡°Is this good?¡± I asked the mysterious stranger. ¡°Uh¡­ we lost you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes.¡± I opened the envelope. Inside was what looked like a flash drive, but its port didn¡¯t resemble a USB¡¯s. After looking over the memory stick, I realized that it was small and compact enough to connect with my phone. ¡°This looks really high tech.¡± I connected the stick to my phone and waited for everything to process. The files inside were mainly photographs, but a few were documents. The photos were taken without the targets¡¯ noticing, from far away, with a high grade camera. The photos were shot around the school, but it took me a while to recognize the two people on the photos. ¡°Nakano and Oshiro-senpai? This is some weird paparazzi shit.¡± ¡°That was taken over a year ago.¡± my mysterious friend said. ¡°Nakano-san went to a nearby junior high. His mother was an instructor in this school and he would often come to visit.¡± ¡°Most of these shots were taken while they were hanging around a garden. Can¡¯t say I recognize the place.¡± ¡°The academy¡¯s old greenhouse. Nakano-san¡¯s mother was in charge before she left for Kyoto. That greenhouse was the place where Nakano and Oshiro first met.¡± ¡°So much for childhood romances.¡± ¡°Yes. They would often spend their time in that greenhouse after class hours¡ª¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Spare me the details of their relationship, I¡¯m not interested. Why are you doing this? Why help out a stranger like me? In fact, you haven¡¯t even introduced yourself.¡± There was a delay before I got my reply. ¡°Like you, Kimura-san, we are interested in changing the school. We are a multi-campus organization specializing in the transportation of goods and information.¡± Great. I never really planned on being involved with something big, but it¡¯s unavoidable. I already got in a scuffle with the Enforcers. Other groups were sure to take notice of that. ¡°Fancy. What should I call you guys?¡± ¡°Courier Blue. We are willing to aid anyone who seeks to hamper or overthrow the efforts of this school¡¯s student council. Your willingness to engage Enforcer Company is proof that we share similar ideologies. And while, like you, we hold no personal attachment to Yori Nakano¡¯s attraction to Yuuka Oshiro, we still firmly believe in the idea that an Overseer¡¯s feelings should never be held back.¡± I clasped my hands together, nodding my head. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll bite. What do you want in return? You can¡¯t just be doing this for free.¡± ¡°That is true. The truth is despite our resources, our personnel are not who you¡¯d call competent fighters. We are spread out and united with our cause, but we lack the power to directly resist the forces of Enforcer Company or the Supreme Student Council.¡± ¡°I thought there was a silent war going on between the school¡¯s many factions. Can¡¯t you ask help from the archery club or something?¡± ¡°It would be useless. Enforcer Company is entirely composed of powerful A Rank and B Rank Overseers. The other groups are mostly composed of B¡¯s and C¡¯s. Not to mention Enforcer Company directly trains its members in combat.¡± ¡°What about the council?¡± ¡°Only the president is a competent fighter, but the vice president and secretary have access to resources that not even we can touch. You may not know this, but they also have a faction under their control that specializes in gathering information.¡± I flipped through the images on my phone and scoffed, crossing an arm over my stomach. ¡°So in return for helping Nakano, you guys want to recruit me?¡± ¡°You are the only other S Rank Overseer in this school. There are others but¡­ well, they are studying in other schools. We can¡¯t just ask them to transfer to Autumn Mountain for our cause.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you guys favors.¡± I replied sternly. ¡°But I¡¯m not interested in joining Courier Blue. Consider me a freelancer or something.¡± The delay seemed to last for two minutes. I considered running off to class, but the voice returned soon after. ¡°That is acceptable.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nice to hear. Now. Let¡¯s get down to business. How do we get our shy kohai to confess to our confident senpai? Tell me everything about their relationship and why she¡¯s so mad at him.¡± [¡ª Two days passed. The sky was turning grey. I stood in front of the old greenhouse as the sun began to set in the faraway horizon. Hands on my sides I watched as the Enforcers took their position in the distance. Row after row of sheathed swords stood in perfect lines. They watched me with steely eyes as the sky continued to darken. A crowd was gathering around us. Students from every rank and every year level came to watch the spectacle. A girl pushed her way through the ranks of Enforcers. Her hair was fire and her eyes were ruby-red jewels from the pits of hell itself. Her tall frame accentuated her confidence in herself and in the proud power she possessed. Rina Miyamori. The Enforcer Company¡¯s captain. An A Rank Overseer with no peer. ¡°Second year, Hideaki Kimura!¡± she bellowed. The red sword on her hip swayed. ¡°The Supreme Student Council orders you to stand down and leave. This area is restricted.¡± ¡°Restricted?¡± I shouted back. ¡°Are you kidding me, it¡¯s a dilapidated greenhouse.¡± ¡°A dilapidated greenhouse scheduled for demolition! Get out of the way.¡± she replied, her fingers touching the tip of her sword. ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡± I replied. ¡°I have a friend inside trying to recover something precious to him. You¡¯re kinda ruining the moment with all your shouting. So, I¡¯m going to have to ask you to leave instead.¡± She scoffed, her eyes narrowing like a predator¡¯s. ¡°You saw what I did to your men.¡± I said again. ¡°What makes you think you¡¯ll stand a chance?¡± I half expected her to come rushing at me, right then and there. But instead, a delicate hand came upon her shoulder. The lady¡¯s mere touch seemed to evaporate the anger brewing in the captain¡¯s eyes. The president stepped forward just as the first droplets of rain began to fall. She almost seemed to glow amidst the dimming sunlight. A pair of pure blue eyes focused on me from behind her spectacles. ¡°Kimura-san, don¡¯t do this.¡± ¡°President.¡± I smiled. ¡°I thought you said you¡¯d keep Enforcer Company out of this.¡± ¡°The first instant was an accident. Miyamori-san here acted without my approval. But now¡­ you¡¯ve made things difficult.¡± ¡°Sorry to say this, prez, but I¡¯m not stepping aside, even for you. Bribe me with your expensive fried squid all you want, but I¡¯m not letting you stop Nakano from doing what he needs to do!¡± Ayane tilted her head, looking incredulous. ¡°I¡¯m not bribing you with anything!¡± ¡°Sure you¡¯re not. But you will be.¡± She sighed, her long fingers rubbing her brows. She took another step forward, as the rain continued to patter on her hair and blazer. ¡°This is my last warning, Kimura-san. Please, stand aside.¡± ¡°No.¡± I spread my feet apart, my fists clenching on their own. ¡°I¡¯m asking you to stand side, bish¨­jo president lady. I don¡¯t want to humiliate you in front of your school.¡± ¡°So be it.¡± her reply was cold. Her gaze changed. Her eyes turned sharp. I knew, that in that moment, in her eyes, I became someone else. In that brief second, I stopped being a student in the school; I stopped being her on-and-off friend. Instead, I became nothing more but a target that she wanted to eliminate. I readied myself, flaring my senses for her attack. She disappeared in a flash of blue light, displacing the droplets of rain that fell around her. But before I could summon my own powers, I felt it right then and there, the signature feeling of a fist on the side of my face. Before I knew it, I was already sailing through the air like a cruise missile. I crashed hard into a nearby tree, snapping the trunk in half. As branches and leaves fell around me, only one thought crossed my mind. So that¡¯s what it feels like to get blitzed. Chapter Eight: Afterschool Romance Chapter Eight Afterschool Romance Once upon a time, there was a fourteen-year-old boy. This boy had no talents, no dreams, and no passions. His grades were mediocre and his looks, even more so. His mother worked in a prestigious school for gifted children. He did not have any friends not because of spite or resentment toward the world. No, he simply had no friends because he was shy. Because of this, he never hung out with his classmates in arcades or bookstores once classes ended. He never confessed to a girl, nor had he ever received a confession in return. He lived alone with his mother. And their house, a great distance away from his school, was often a lonely place. As the sun would set and as the bell rang in his school, Yori Nakano would walk eight blocks to his mother¡¯s workplace. But his mother was a busy woman and he would often find himself alone. He did not have the confidence to speak to the students in his mother¡¯s school, and so he would often wonder off, to explore the vast campus of Autumn Mountain Academy. Yori found enjoyment finding far-off, hidden places in the campus. Abandoned school buildings in particular were his favorite. One day, on a warm summer afternoon, he stumbled upon an old greenhouse. Its walls were laden with moss and its glass ceiling was cracked and broken. The grass around the greenhouse was overgrown and wild. But as he stepped inside, he found nothing but a cultivated garden. Its interior was clean and tidy, with plants arranged in neat rows and orchids and flowers in perfect display. As his eyes adjusted to the afternoon light, he saw, standing in the heart of the greenhouse, the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. Only now, in the present day, he saw someone different. ¡°Senpai?¡± Yori Nakano asked. The brown-haired boy was kneeling in the dirt, a spade in his hand. As he felt Nakano approach, he stopped and grinned at him. ¡°Nice of you to join me, kohai.¡± He stabbed the spade into the ground and stood, dusting off the dirt from his pants. Before Nakano could ask what was happening, the greenhouse¡¯s backdoor opened and in walked a pair of girls, each one holding a pot filled with dirt. ¡°Kimura-san, where do you want these?¡± ¡°Just place those with the orchids, we¡¯ll plant some I dunno, stuff in them later.¡± Kimura-senpai said with a gesture. The two girls nodded and complied. Both of them were second years and B Ranks, judging by the halos on their uniform. With a sigh, Kimura-senpai wiped the sweat off his brow and got right back to work. Yori, in all his surprise, could not fathom what was happening. ¡°Senpai¡­ what are you doing here?¡± Kimura continued to cultivate the ground before he gave a response. Sweat was gathering at his brow and his eyes looked red and tired. Behind him, the two girls got to work. One knelt and began picking off weeds from the ground with her hands. The other picked up sheers to cut the wild vines that had taken over the greenhouse¡¯s walls. ¡°What am I doing here?¡± Kimura asked. ¡°What are you doing here? I just discovered this place randomly. Figured I had nothing better to do, I decided that I might as well fix it up a little.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Yori looked at the ground. ¡°¡­this¡ª the school¡¯s getting rid of this place. You¡¯re just wasting your time.¡± ¡°How come?¡± Kimura tilted his head. ¡°The greenhouse looks fine. It¡¯s not like the roof¡¯s going to collapse or anything, right?¡± he asked the girls, who were diligently working behind him. ¡°The school is setting up new greenhouses by the northern gate. This place has been abandoned for months now.¡± Yori said. ¡°Why¡ª I mean where did you even get these plants? And why, why are you doing this? Wh¡ªWho are they?¡± Kimura sighed and stood back up. He didn¡¯t look irritated or annoyed, but Yori felt like he was still bothering his senior. ¡°They are Megumi and Misaki.¡± Kimura gestured with his dirty hand. ¡°They¡¯re part of my harem.¡± The two girls shot him a death glare. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m kidding. But they¡¯re friends, sorta. They¡¯re here to help me fix this place up.¡± ¡°But why?¡± Yori asked. ¡°I told you, this place is abandoned by the school¡ª¡± ¡°Well, what are you doing here, then? Don¡¯t tell me this just a coincidence.¡± he took a step forward, his taller frame intimidating the smaller boy. ¡°And why do you sound so defensive, like you know more about this place than you¡¯re letting on. Me suddenly deciding to fix this place up shouldn¡¯t be bothering you so much. That is, unless you want me to leave.¡± Yori took a step back and looked away. His hand curled into a fist. His thoughts froze. ¡°This place is special to you, isn¡¯t it, Nakano-san?¡± the person who spoke wasn¡¯t Kimura. It was one of the girls. She smiled warmly as she wiped away the sweat from her brows with the sleeve of her blazer. He didn¡¯t know how to answer. He didn¡¯t know what to say. He always had trouble talking to strangers, worse still with girls. But with Oshiro¡­ things were different. ¡°In two days the school is going to demolish this place.¡± Kimura said, turning around and going back to his spade. ¡°We¡¯re going to return this place to its former glory.¡± ¡°And when things are sparkling new.¡± the second girl said. She spun on her toes before stopping beside Kimura, her hands landing atop his head. ¡°You¡¯re going to confess your love! Aww~¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Kimura added, looking annoyed at the girl who was using his head as a desk. ¡°That¡¯s the plan.¡± He pointed at something beside Yori, his eyes empty of the usual humor they possessed. ¡°I won¡¯t ask you to help.¡± he said. ¡°The student council and Enforcer Company will want to stop us. They¡¯ll want to fight. You, Nakano, don¡¯t have to.¡± Yori looked at where Kimura was pointing. There he found a spade, lying on the overgrown grass, half buried in leaves and roots and dirt. ¡°But there¡¯s a free spade there, if you want to help out.¡± [¡ª The president lunged at me with all the strength and speed of a space marine. Her hands moved in a flurry of blows. Each impact was strong enough to stagger a fully grown man. But despite her speed and aggression, I could not help but notice how graceful she seemed to move. I blocked each of her attacks in return. Whenever her hand connected with mine, a shockwave would ring out, blasting away the raindrops that fell around us. She glared at me from behind her glasses as she rushed forward, her fists racing like a rockets. She disappeared in a flash of blue light, reappearing a meter and a second later. Her fist slammed against my chest with enough force that I mistook it for a sledgehammer. Air left my lungs as I flew through the air a second time. I crashed hard into the bark of another tree, splintering the surface and nearly uprooting the tree in its entirety. The crowd of students watched in awe before breaking into a cheer as I slumped against the ground. I looked ahead, the rain clouding my vision, at the figure of the president. Ayane seemed so proud and unimpressed. She scowled. Behind her the captain of Enforcer Company looked on, grinning confidently. I rose to my feet, my chest sore. A stabbing sensation sent shivers through my abdomen. She must have shattered a few ribs. ¡°That¡¯s it¡­¡± I whispered. ¡°¡­I almost felt that¡­ president.¡± She raised an eyebrow before lowering herself back into a fighting stance. Without warning, I sprung up and rushed toward her. She narrowed her eyes as I began my charge. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Time froze as I threw myself forward. I replicated her trick and performed a short-range Saltus, amplifying the force of my attack tenfold. When I reemerged a foot from her face, I sent my fist racing toward her chest. She raised her arms to counter, but in the last second I performed another Saltus. I appeared behind her, kneeling on one knee, my arm immediately wrapping around her abdomen. I could imagine her eyes widening in surprise as I performed my third Saltus. Reality warped around us as we emerged hundreds of feet in the air, flying straight toward the half-open windows of classrooms. The students inside quickly scattered as I threw the president forward with all my strength. Her lithe form crashed through the glass, shattering the surface into thousands of tiny diamonds. I followed quickly after her, landing in a crouch as her body slammed into wooden chair after wooden chair. ¡°President¡ª!¡± some of the students screamed in worry. Some moved to help, but the president, lying in a pile of broken chairs, held up her hand to stop them. ¡°I can¡¯t believe¡­ you just did that, Kimura-san.¡± she replied as she got to her feet. ¡°I expected you to go easy on me.¡± ¡°Go easy on you?¡± I asked. ¡°You punched me into a tree, lady! Twice!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good point.¡± she deadpanned, picking up a chair to her right. She sighed, adjusted her glasses, then swung her arm around, throwing the chair right at me. I responded by kicking it with enough force to break it. As the wood splintered before me, the president disappeared in another flash of light. I turned around by instinct, raising my hands over my face. Her leg moved in a blur before slamming into my arms. I dug my foot into the floor as she sent a flurry of kicks aimed at my face. She moved like a tornado, spinning and kicking, her feet slamming into me. My arms struggled to keep up with her speed, but luckily no hits connected. ¡°Why are you even doing this!?¡± she yelled, pirouetting before sending a blow to my solar plexus. ¡°What does it matter to you if Nakano confesses or not!?¡± I grabbed her arm and twisted her into an embrace. The world warped around us as my Saltus brought us outside. She escaped from my grip, spun around, and sent a kick to my chest¡ª a kick that was easily blocked by a kick of my own. As we flew away from each other, the ground came upon us. We landed on the earth explosively, kicking up the dirt. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to take Nakano under my care.¡± I declared, pounding my fist on my chest. ¡°That¡¯s all you need to know.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going against school rules, Kimura!¡± she shouted, launching herself at me. ¡°You¡¯re the one who sent sword-wielding psychos at the poor kid!¡± Her fists moved in a quick and disciplined fashion. Her skill with mixed martial arts was incredible. Every attack, every approach was calculated and precise. My hands, in turn, could barely respond to every blow. ¡°That wasn¡¯t on me!¡± the president said. ¡°Miyamori acted on her own!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that shit.¡± I replied, grabbing her arm and throwing her over my shoulder, slamming her into the ground. ¡°You allow Enforcer Company to exist. You allow those things to happen!¡± I slammed my foot down for her chest, but she performed her version of a Saltus and disappeared again. I raised my left hand as I felt the air stir beside me, blocking her knee as it came. We continued to exchange blows for a time, the rain falling around us. Crowds of students watched from afar, in awe at our display. ¡°Enforcer Company is necessary!¡± she said, ducking low as her fist connected with my stomach. ¡°Autumn Forest has standards to uphold!¡± ¡°Screw your standards!¡± I grabbed her arm and pulled her close. My arm wrapped around her hip as I pushed her forward. We disappeared in a black blur, moments before slamming into the wall of a distant school building. I pushed her hard against the concrete, my hand tight around her wrist. ¡°What kind of broken school are you running¡ª to think that you¡¯re trying to justify what happened to Nakano?¡± She gritted her teeth and slammed her head into my own. But because of the height difference, her head instead slammed into my chin. ¡°What the hell!?¡± I shouted as I stumbled back. ¡°Sh¡ªShit.¡± she whispered, almost stumbling forward while she grabbed her forehead with her hands. ¡°Did you just swear?¡± I was dumbstruck. That was so weird, like witnessing a flower give birth to mushrooms weird. Even while fighting, the president moved with grace and disciplined strength. Though aggressive and powerful, she always seemed to maintain a level of elegance. Hearing her swear seemed so unusual. ¡°That has to be a first or something.¡± She scoffed and stared daggers into my eyes. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who head-butted me, bright-eyes.¡± Her power is similar to mine. But I just don¡¯t know how similar it is. Overseer powers are divided into three main categories; offense, defense, and utility. In theory, Overseers with offense-based powers should be the best fighters in the world. But that isn¡¯t always the case. In terms of sheer destructive potential, Shirou Hamasaki has me beat. But as evidenced by our first encounter, that didn¡¯t necessarily mean that he was the stronger Overseer. My utility-based Saltus allowed me to bypass his greatest advantage¡ª his overwhelming destructive potential. While he was an artillery cannon capable of demolishing entire towns, I was a precision bomber, too fast to see and strike down. My greatest strengths are my speed and maneuverability. It doesn¡¯t matter if my opponent can throw suns in my face, summon giant monsters, or erect massive stone barriers. Saltus allows me to approach any situation in my own terms and attack from practically any angle. But with the president, it¡¯s different. She once again disappeared and charged. We exchanged blows rapidly, swiftly, like two opposing hurricanes slamming into each other. We supplemented our blows with short-ranged teleports. Our scuffle took us everywhere, in classrooms and out, down hallways and through the sky. Teleportation was not an uncommon power. But each method of teleportation was different. Most people had limitations to their powers. Some could only teleport short distances, or after a long casting time. Others could not teleport if other people were close by. And some could only teleport once a day. I gained my S Rank because of how often I could perform my Saltus. And as I exchanged blow after blow with the president, I realized that may also be the case for her. ¡°I¡¯m just doing my job, Kimura-san.¡± Ayane said, gasping for breath as she put distance between us. ¡°As the president of the council, it is my¡­ my responsibility that¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t care about your excuses.¡± I replied, my breathing just as ragged. ¡°If you really wanted to stop me, then you¡¯d just perform a Saltus into the greenhouse and ruin their romantic moment.¡± Her eyes widened and her cheeks turned red. ¡°What? That¡¯s the same as running away! That¡¯s the same as letting you win.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± I sighed. ¡°From what I can tell, your version of a Saltus doesn¡¯t seem to have a limit in range.¡± I spread my arms toward the open sports field around us. ¡°We were indoors just a second ago! Inside some kind of room without windows! I don¡¯t remember teleporting us into and out of that place.¡± She grinned, an odd sight considering her normally calm expression. ¡°So that¡¯s the limit of your power. You can¡¯t perform a Transilio through walls.¡± ¡°Uh, no, it¡¯s called a Saltus. Get your terms right.¡± ¡°Regardless.¡± she smiled. ¡°That makes you weaker.¡± ¡°Hmph. No it doesn¡¯t.¡± She smiled, putting one leg in front of the other. Her uniform was wet and dirty. She didn¡¯t seem to mind as her slender form was outlined in the fabric. Her breathing slowed and steadied, her eyes focused like a pair of blue marbles. ¡°It looks like you¡¯re enjoying yourself.¡± I said, mirroring her posture. ¡°Don¡¯t get the wrong idea. I¡¯m going to pound you to the ground, Kimura-san. And I¡¯m going to put a stop to your nonsense.¡± ¡°Pound me into the ground?¡± I said, dusting my hands. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like something the reserved and noble president of Autumn Mountain would ever say.¡± She frowned, her eyes narrowing into slits. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No one¡¯s going to find out.¡± My heart was beating loudly in my chest. I watched her ready herself for another assault. And as I did so, my eyes could not help but wander toward her face, toward her shoulders, toward her chest as it bobbed lightly in sync with her breathing. For some reason, as the sky continued to cry, I found myself wanting more. I was enjoying this. I have never felt so alive. [--- Author''s Note: Sorry for the long delay, hopefully this chapter made up for it. I''m thinking of opening a small patreon, but I dunno if we''re even allowed to do that, nor will people even support it. Haha. Chapter Nine: Afterthought Chapter Nine Afterthought Yori Nakano was nothing but a boy in the eyes of her friends. Word eventually got around of her everyday rendezvous in that old greenhouse. She was always a girl who stood out. In the eyes of her classmates, in the eyes of her friends, Yuuka Oshiro was someone beyond reach. It was always hard for her to make friends. People were always so willing to introduce themselves to her, but few were ever genuine in their intentions. Yori Nakano was an outsider. He was two years her junior and he was ignorant of who she was. In his eyes, she was nothing more but a senior who happened to share the same passion for gardening. The old greenhouse was her sanctuary, her escape from the world of Autumn Mountain. In her second year, she was the most popular girl in school, practically a figure of myth. Yet here he was, in all his shyness and awkwardness, not caring at all for who she was. [¡ª The cascading noise of rainfall on glass echoed across the greenhouse. In the center of it all, stood the boy she fell in love with. He held nothing in his hands and his head was down, shyly looking away, as he always does. The greenhouse was in perfect condition, as neat and beautiful as it was on the last day she left. They stood in silence for a time, the noise of the late afternoon rain buffeting around them. She did not know what to say. Her confident demeanor melted away. [¡ª ¡°So, Yuuka-chan, when are you going to introduce us to the lucky guy?¡± one of her friends teased. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± she barked back in her usual confident self. ¡°You know, the guy you keep meeting.¡± another of her friends said, circling behind her. ¡°The guy who makes your heart go doki-doki~¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have you know,¡± Yuuka huffed. ¡°That there¡¯s no such thing.¡± ¡°But you look a lot happier lately.¡± her friend¡¯s reply was accompanied with a sly, playful grin. That made Yuuka freeze up. ¡°Ahhhhhh~¡± swooned her friend. ¡°I bet he¡¯s really cute~¡± ¡°What do you mean you bet he¡¯s really cute? Of course he¡¯s cute!¡± her other friend said, finger pointing accusingly. ¡°This is the great Yuuka Oshiro we¡¯re talking about, Sanae! Of course the boy she¡¯s seeing is cute!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not seeing anyone!¡± Yuuka protested, to obviously no avail. ¡°Well what else is making you so happy?¡± Sanae said, frowning. ¡°And that¡¯s not typical happy I see, Yuuka-chan. That¡¯s ¡®I just met the boy of my dreams¡¯ happy you got going on.¡± ¡°Since when were you an expert on love?¡± ¡°Since forever. Duh. I¡¯ll have you know that I have over 200 hours clocked as a love doctor.¡± ¡°You ripped that quote straight out of a TV drama!¡± Her two friends continued to talk, laughing childishly. Yuuka leaned against her palm, watching them with a small smile on her face. Is he cute? No. He was plain and simple. In a manga he¡¯d be the ultimate background character. His face wouldn¡¯t even be drawn by the artist. Was he smart? She didn¡¯t know. Yori was two years younger than her, and she had no idea how he was doing in his school. Was he tall? No. But again, he was still pretty young. He¡¯s bound to grow taller in the next few years. [¡ª He grew an inch taller, and that was it. As she stared at his small form, she felt nothing but a sudden longing. She did not know what to say or how to act. Despite the familiarity of the greenhouse around them, the boy who stood across from her was no one but a stranger. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she uttered through gritted teeth. A student approached her this morning. She introduced herself as a member of the gardening club. Some tools were missing, she said. No one had the key to the old greenhouse, she said. Her classmates and friends leered at the junior¡¯s audacity to approach the great Yuuka Oshiro over such a trivial matter. But Yuuka, in her perfect grace, told her friends to relax and volunteered to help the girl. ¡°I was¡­ helping with the repairs.¡± Yori said. It was weird hearing his voice again. The rain battered at the ceiling and windows. ¡°Why?¡± she asked. ¡°This place is going to be demolished soon.¡± Yori¡¯s hair hid his face. ¡°I¡ªI wanted to apologize.¡± He sounded braver now. ¡°For what.¡± ¡°¡­f¡ªfor giving up.¡± [¡ª When I was a kid, I always thought that girls were fragile. My opinion of course changed the first time my half-sister kicked me in the face. And now, as I watched the president sail through the air before crashing into the hood of a car (and denting it), my opinion that girls are made of the same sort of metal that giant robots are made of is further reinforced. ¡°Listen, president, I didn¡¯t mean to do that.¡± I explained, huffing as I landed on the wet grass. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you forced my hand and¡ª¡± The sight of a flying scooter ended my thoughts. The damn thing crashed into my face, sending me rolling into a nearby school van. Fighting in the parking lot was not a smart idea. ¡°Apology accepted!¡± I could hear the faint trace of her voice, mingling with the sound of her feet, splashing in the rain as she ran toward me. I raised my hands by instinct. Her shoe came crashing into my forearms, tossing me back and bending the car¡¯s steel door. The president roared uncharacteristically, as her fists came slamming down. Blow after blow came after me, an endless landslide of punches and kicks pummeled my body. She grabbed me by the collar and hoisted me up, squaring me right in the jaw with enough force to send me sailing to the side. My body, dirty from the mud and rain, skidded across the ground. Ayane Tsukino huffed with visible effort, her slender form kneeling on the ground. I punched the ground, lifting myself up, ever so slowly. ¡°Pl¡ªPlease¡­¡± she said, eyes watery. ¡°Stay down, Kimura¡­¡± I scoffed, chuckling to myself. There was blood on the ground right in front of me. It took me a while to realize that it came from my mouth. ¡°You pack a punch, president.¡± I said, my shoulders curling from the pain. ¡°They should make a figure after you, well, after Madhouse makes an anime about your exploits¡ª¡± ¡°What are you even talking about?¡± she said, sighing. I rolled my shoulders back. ¡°Or maybe Trigger is a better fit for an anime about a school pres¡ª¡± Her blue eyes narrowed in focus, before a look of determination crossed her face. She started walking toward me, in long confident strides. Her walk transformed into a jog, then into a sprint, and before I knew it, she disappeared in a flash of azure fire. A kick spun into existence two feet from behind my head. I ducked, my reflexes causing my body to let out a kick of my own. My knee came in contact with her own. She yelped as she fell of balance. My fist, wet from the rain, slammed into the side of her stomach. The force of the blow sent a shockwave of sweat and rain booming in every direction, tossing her into the ground. But she never hit the asphalt; she spun in the air and disappeared in a blur of blue at the last second. I caught her as she emerged on my left, her open palm outstretched. I locked her arm into mine. When she retaliated with her free arm, I maneuvered around to grab it, forcing her to stand back-to-back with my taller frame. ¡°Thank you, president.¡± I said, my voice weak against the patter of the rain. ¡°For what!?¡± she asked, incredulous, struggling against my strength. I laughed. ¡°I completely forgot what it felt like to bleed.¡± She scoffed visibly, her shoulders shooting forward, locking our elbows together. ¡°What a stupid, melodramatic thing to say.¡± We looked like two idiot lovers, standing back-to-back, arms locked in the rain. Neither one of us could move without dislocating the other¡¯s shoulders, or without tossing the other into the rain. It was an awkward situation to be in. We both felt in control and in the mercy of the other at the same time. ¡°Why are you doing this¡­?¡± her words were a whisper. ¡°I don¡¯t understand you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand myself as well.¡± I admitted, closing my eyes and letting the rain fall on my face. ¡°Truth be told, I¡¯ve already forgotten all about Nakano.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s just sad.¡± she sighed. ¡°Hm. He¡¯s probably already finished, you know. With his confession or apology or whatever. Those sort of things don¡¯t take very long.¡± ¡°And you would know?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°They still broke the rules. The school knows. They¡¯ll still be punished.¡± ¡°Like that matters now. Nakano already did what he had to do.¡± I could feel her arms straining against mine. I could feel her strength tightening around my arms. She was shorter, but just as strong. I applied force to keep her from lifting me off the ground, but not enough to provoke her to break the lock off. ¡°There¡¯s still the matter of you.¡± she said. ¡°What? Oh. Yeah. I guess I need to be punished as well. Picking a fight with the council president is probably, what, a violation of a bunch of rules, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I felt space curve around me. The world was instantly reduced into a rainbow of colors. When reality rebuilt itself, we found ourselves high in the open sky. The rain didn¡¯t reach here. Below us was an endless carpet of black-grey clouds. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.We spun in the air, arms locked, before settling on a head-first descent. ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± I asked, my voice raised to resist the noise of the wind buffeting against my ears. ¡°Oh. You¡¯re calm.¡± she sounded disappointed. ¡°Normally when I bring people up here, they usually find themselves screaming their lungs out, begging me to bring them back down.¡± I closed my eyes, appreciating the air on my face. ¡°Well I¡¯m used to heights, and falling off of high places.¡± She said nothing for a time, before saying. ¡°Well it was still worth a try.¡± We broke through the carpet of clouds fast enough to break a cloud formation apart. Beneath us the city reached from horizon to horizon, the buildings nothing more but legos on the ground, the people, nothing more but ants. Autumn Mountain was barely visible from the height. But the hexagon-shaped campus still stood out amidst the ocean of packed buildings and streets. It was at this point when she released me from her grip. She pushed herself away from me as we fell. I expected a forceful kick to the stomach, but her push was gentle. ¡°First one to teleport out loses!¡± she declared, the world was upside down around us. ¡°A game of chicken, then?¡± I grinned. ¡°I¡¯m way too exhausted.¡± she shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like trying to exert any more effort to beat you.¡± ¡°Excuses!¡± I laughed. ¡°You can¡¯t beat me and you know it!¡± ¡°I have things I need to attend to!¡± she defended. ¡°Unlike you, I have responsibilities, Kimura-san! This is a test of our wills! Prepare yourself!¡± ¡°So be it.¡± I said, defiantly crossing my arms. We approached the ground like missiles. Our bodies fell together, like two suns orbiting around one another. We fell with the rain, our soeaked forms dirty from all the fighting we did. Autumn Mountain always prided itself on the sophistication and beauty of its uniforms. The signature black blazers made the boys look neat and the girls look pretty. But right now, we were the complete opposite. The ground approached closer. I could not feel the cold of the rain. I reckoned we were about twenty seconds from impact now. Before me the president had her hands to her side. She watched me for any sign of hesitation. She was a porcelain doll, serious and cold, but not at all fragile. I¡¯ve never met someone like her. I¡¯ve met people stronger than me, got my body beaten so hard that I could barely stand up. But none of my fights have ever ended in a draw. I¡¯ve always either beaten people easily or have lost to an opponent way out of my league. But she seems to belong to neither category. Ten seconds to impact. A head-first fall at this speed would kill anyone, even the toughest Overseers. The school¡¯s buildings and the field were visible now. The president¡¯s gaze did not falter. Her hair danced, curling and twisting. It was an oddly mesmerizing sight. A smile appeared on her lips. She was enjoying this. And I was too. Seeing her smile caused me to close my eyes in contentment. I warped the world around me. I hit the roof of the building with enough force to crater the concrete. As I fell to one knee, and as I opened my eyes, her figure appeared a few meters ahead, cratering the concrete as she landed in the same fashion. ¡°I did it!¡± she yelled, springing her arms in a victorious pose. I watched her bathe in her joy. She smiled as the rain pattered on her glasses and down her face. Her eyes closed as she breathed out, steam escaping her lips, her hair a waterfall of black. ¡°I beat you.¡± she said, pride in her voice, and her hands on her hips. ¡°Congratulations.¡± I said, standing up. My tired legs carried me to the edge of the building. I leaned out into the school below, trying to get a bearing of where we were. Eventually, I found what I was looking for, and performed a Saltus toward a nearby rooftop. I landed on the roof of a building that gave me a perfect view of the back of the greenhouse. There were still some students milling about, along with the majority of Enforcer Company. But for some reason, everyone kept their distance. I felt the air stir beside me and the president appeared. She didn¡¯t try to confront me or stop me. She just stood, sparing me a glance before following my gaze. Yori Nakano and Yuuka Oshiro emerged from the back of the greenhouse, walking together. My lips smiled on their own. ¡°Well,¡± the president said. ¡°There you go.¡± ¡°Hmmm. Yeah.¡± She gave me a weird look. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to go check on them?¡± I mirrored her expression. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to arrest them or something?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll¡ª¡± she turned away, scratching her arm. ¡°¡ªget to that tomorrow.¡± ¡°Hah.¡± I huffed. ¡°Sure you will.¡± [¡ª The rain stopped. Ayane watched as the boy performed another Transilio, or whatever he called his power. He disappeared from existence in a static haze, to reappear a moment later, on the ground, right in the path of Oshiro-senpai and Nakano. The world warped around Ayane as she followed after Kimura. She stood beside him as the boy raised his hand in greeting. Yori Nakano nearly shrunk when his eyes accidentally locked with Ayane¡¯s. ¡°Kimura-sen-senpai¡ª¡± Yori stuttered, looking down, flustered. ¡°Looks like you did, it.¡± Kimura said proudly, walking toward the pair. Ayane followed after him. Oshiro-senpai acknowledged Ayane with a small nod, but her attention was mainly on Kimura. She eyed the sophomore with a mix of irritation and another emotion. Respect, perhaps. ¡°You¡¯re that second year¡­¡± she said. Yori instantly looked up. ¡°He¡¯s, Kimura-senpai, Yuuka. He¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°A friend.¡± Kimura finished on Yori¡¯s behalf. He puffed his chest proudly. ¡°Gotta hand it to Nakano, this idea of his was really¡­ something.¡± He flashed a bright, handsome smile. Ayane¡¯s eyes widened when she realized the weight behind Kimura¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯m all for grand romantic gestures and stuff,¡± he spread his arms, ¡°But this is something straight out of a Makoto Shinai movie.¡± The irritation in Oshiro-senpai¡¯s gaze wavered. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± she all but whispered. ¡°¡­Nakano was always so¡­ considerate.¡± Kimura shared a look with Nakano before he nodded slightly. ¡°He worked hard to build this place back up, just so he could confess or apologize or do anything that was necessary to get you back.¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m impressed.¡± Ayane¡¯s eyes lingered on Kimura for what seemed like ages. Her mind was blank. She only broke her gaze when she heard the sound of wet footsteps approaching. Four members of Enforcer Company approached, led by their captain. Beside her jogged the tall figure of the vice president, struggling to keep up. ¡°President, are you alright?¡± Miyamori shouted, concerned. She placed herself between Ayane and Kimura protectively, her hand already on the hip of her sword. Kimura regarded her with the same attention someone would give to a lawnmower. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Rina.¡± Ayane replied, placing her hand on the captain¡¯s shoulder. The vice president walked up to Ayane, breathless from her brief sprint. Hikari was never athletic. She looked completely out of her element. But seeing the look of concern in her eyes warmed Ayane¡¯s heart. ¡°Pre¡ªPresident, please don¡¯t¡ª please don¡¯t just run off like that!¡± she protested between breaths. ¡°We had no idea where you went! And¡ªand you left your phone in the office¡ª!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Hikari-chan.¡± she said gently. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Kimura-san to give me too much trouble.¡± she admitted, eyeing the towel Hikari was holding. Hikari pouted and puffed her cheeks. If people regarded Ayane as a noble lady, then Hikari might as well have been a princess. If Ayane was refined, Hikari was elegant. The girl was the walking definition of rich, powerful, and ladylike. Seeing her hand out a dry towel was the weirdest thing in the world. ¡°Thank you,¡± Ayane said, wiping her face and hair with the soft pink towel. ¡°Oh and Rina,¡± she added hastily, glancing at Oshiro-senpai and Nakano. ¡°I¡¯ll handle things from here. You guys are free to go.¡± It was obvious that Rina was not happy with her command. But the captain was loyal and obedient above all. She did not resist. She merely clicked her heels together, stood straight, and saluted. ¡°Yes, president!¡± As Hikari began berating Ayane with all the care and concern of a mother, Ayane nodded in meek surrender. There was no point in defending herself before the silent scrutiny of her best friend. She half-listened at Hikari¡¯s words, before her eyes fell on Kimura¡¯s back. She watched him walk away from everyone, in the opposite direction from Oshiro and Nakano, and away from Miyamori and her Enforcers. He was confusing. He was strong. Ayane did not know what motivated him or what made him tick. She did not know what drove him to act out against the school¡¯s rules with neither consideration nor fear. But most of all he was interesting. Rolling the towel into a ball, the president sighed and tossed it high. It landed on the transfer student¡¯s head with an audible smack. Ayane smiled, turning around before she could see Kimura¡¯s reaction. [--- A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the delay. Hah. I''m getting a bit busier with work and whatnot lately. However, from here-on out, I promise to update the fiction once a week, on a consistent basis. On Mondays or Sundays, preferably! I have also started a Patreon page, if I dunno, you guys are willing to support in any way you want. Regardless, the fic and everything about it will always be free for everyone in the world! Enjoy. Chapter Ten : The Ethics of Freelancing Chapter Ten The Ethics of Freelancing This school is weird. Hold your ground against the president one time and suddenly everyone changes their opinion on you. Though it probably also has something to do with the new rank halo sewn on my chest. Ah I feel so weird. But a bit more confident, for some reason. I sat in my seat, trying my best to ignore the not-so-subtle glances that everyone was giving me. Almost immediately, as if the universe was transpiring to make him my sidekick, Kenta walked up and sat on the desk beside me. ¡°You¡¯re making waves, Kimura.¡± ¡°Hm, yeah.¡± I replied lazily. ¡°Feels good acing the last exam miss Fujioka gave us. I¡¯ve never been prouder of myself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about! I¡¯m talking about what happened between you and the president!¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t phrase it like that. People might misunderstand what you¡¯re trying to say.¡± Kenta grinned, pounding his fist into his palm. ¡°Everyone in school saw it man! Well, the first thirty seconds of it, at least. After that you guys just sorta disappeared and did god-knows-what in who-knows-where. But by the end, it looked like the fight ended in a tie, yeah?¡± I turned to Kenta, tilting my head. ¡°That never happened before!¡± ¡°The president said it ended in a tie?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but that¡¯s what everyone is saying.¡± he shrugged. ¡°I guess that¡¯s what you¡¯d expect. From what everyone saw, you sounded like you were just as good as the president.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that. She landed a few good punches and threw me into a tree, once or twice.¡± I touched my chest with my palm. The pain was gone, but it still stung in some places. She also broke a couple of ribs, but an overnight sleep was enough to heal those. ¡°Everyone is waiting for a rematch.¡± Kenta said eyes afire with interest. ¡°Well don¡¯t get your hopes up. It won¡¯t happen any time soon.¡± ¡°Oh come on, don¡¯t say that. I¡¯m sure there are plenty more freshmen out there who want your help.¡± ¡°Very funny.¡± The president mentioned that you were something of a faction leader last year. I wanted to ask him this, but my curiosity was the size of a match light. I wasn¡¯t curious enough, nor did I care. I made a mental note, however, that Yoshida was obviously not as ordinary as I once thought. [¡ª A small letter was on placed inside my shoe locker, the envelope sealed with blue wax. I sighed. It was creepy how these guys had seemingly unlimited access to people¡¯s shoe lockers. The message was written in fine print, in English, in big, black letters. ¡®WE¡¯LL CALL YOU.¡¯ Ah. Sounds like something a creepy admirer would write. Turning around, I realized that I¡¯ve failed to notice that someone¡¯s been standing behind me. She must have moved like a shadow to completely bypass my senses like that. Or maybe my guard was down. It¡¯s probably a combination of both. The girl gave me a beaming smile and tilted her head, her curled locks bouncing on her shoulders. She was standing uncomfortably close, but I didn¡¯t mind because she was beautiful. Her hair was short and her eyes and hair were a deep shade of violet. The halo on her chest indicated her status as an A Rank, and the mechanical bow slung over her shoulder immediately gave me the impression that she was some type of archer. ¡°Kimura-san.¡± she said, beaming. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to finally meet you.¡± She offered her hand, which I gently took and shook. ¡°It¡¯s uh, nice to meet you too, miss?¡± ¡°Megumi Fujino.¡± she said, bowing slightly. ¡°I¡¯m the captain of Arsenal Sol.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± I bowed in kind, before turning away and walking off. ¡°Sorry, never heard about you guys.¡± I already know where this is going. ¡°See you around!¡± ¡°Wait!¡± she cried out, grabbing my sleeve. ¡°Yo¡ªYou¡¯re not even going to ask what I want?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not.¡± I replied. ¡°Sorry, but this isn¡¯t the first time this happened.¡± She stood there, dumbfounded before releasing her hold of my sleeve. ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m sorry. This was inappropriate.¡± she grasped her skirt. ¡°I¡¯m not really good with¡ª with people.¡± Well. That¡¯s a complete one-eighty. Wasn¡¯t she just confidently smiling a second ago? Still, she¡¯s cute. And I guess that¡¯s all that matters in the grand scheme of things. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I understand.¡± I said. ¡°People have said in the past that I can be difficult to approach.¡± She looked up, with big, pleading eyes. ¡°So¡ªSo does this mean you¡¯ll listen to what I have to say?¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± I laughed heartily, pounding my chest. ¡°Of course not!¡± [¡ª ¡°Arsenal Sol¡¯s president approached personally?¡± Ayane asked with an incredibly incredulous, confused, and downright offended look on her face. Clouds flew past behind her, sending her long hair curling in the wind. She picked at her expensive bento, her eyes glued to my own. The subtle howling of the wind is our only companion, here, far above the school, Tokyo, and the world. ¡°Yeah. I was hoping you could tell me what they¡¯re all about.¡± Ayane narrowed her eyes and immediately frowned. ¡°You didn¡¯t even ask her?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°What about Yoshida-san?¡± ¡°Come on. I don¡¯t want to bother him over something like that, hahaha.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re perfectly fine with bothering me. You do know who I am, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yeaaaah, you¡¯re the school president. That makes you the best person to ask about these things, right?¡± She slumped her shoulders, dropped her chopsticks and fried pork chop, and sighed. ¡°Arsenal Sol was formally the archery club.¡± she said in a deadpan. ¡°They¡¯re composed exclusively of A Ranks. They mainly offer protection services to people who are willing to pay.¡± ¡°Protection services?¡± that¡¯s crazy. ¡°That¡¯s a thing in this school?¡± Ayane nodded, picking up a shrimp and stuffing it in her mouth. ¡°Yeah. The school encourages student duels¡ª to I don¡¯t know¡ª cultivate a more competitive atmosphere or something.¡± ¡°Ahhh, so that¡¯s why we haven¡¯t been disciplined for flying around everywhere, destroying property, and wrecking people¡¯s cars.¡± ¡°Mmm-hmm. The school paid for all the damage we did.¡± ¡°Great. My bank account and I love this school already.¡± ¡°It¡¯s necessary, considering all the fighting that happens here.¡± Ayane said, sipping from a box of juice. It was weird seeing someone so refined drinking from a bright orange box. ¡°In any case, I¡¯m not surprised that Arsenal Sol attempted to talk to you. Powerful Overseers are a valuable resource in this school, especially to a combat-centric faction like them.¡± I turned my gaze away from her and focused on the distant cityscape. ¡°Well, she wasn¡¯t the first. There were two others, but I didn¡¯t even bother learning about their organizations.¡± ¡°Has Yoshida-san told you about Hanta Paragon and Sonata House yet?¡± I leaned away, taken aback. ¡°Are you spying on me? How did you know that those two are dogging for me?¡± Ayane shrugged. ¡°Of course I am, I wouldn¡¯t be the school president if I didn¡¯t have my own spy network. Don¡¯t be surprised, those groups are known for their very active recruitment campaigns. I actually feel bad for the freshmen this year.¡± she glanced at me and grinned. ¡°Oh and before you say anything, yes, I¡¯m also aware that you¡¯re working with Courier Blue.¡± ¡°Wrong. I¡¯m not working with those guys.¡± ¡°At the very least, you worked with them.¡± she closed her eyes. ¡°Whether or not you plan to work with them again in the future, is something yet to be seen. Regardless, there¡¯s no real way to prevent you from communicating with them.¡± She opened her eyes slowly. She seemed to cast her gaze at the entire world at once. A gentle breeze blew and the collar of her uniform moved with her thoughts. ¡°Hey Kimura-san, why don¡¯t you come with me for a bit.¡± [¡ª ¡®STUDENT COUNCIL OFFICE¡¯ I stared at the sign on top of the double wooden doors, wondering if I¡¯m in the wrong place. I glanced to my right, seeing Ayane poking through her pocket for her keys. ¡°Why is it locked?¡± I asked. ¡°Hikari-chan and Natsumi-chan seem to be out. We have to lock it for security reasons.¡± ¡°Ohhh.¡± I leaned on a wall, crossing my arms. ¡°So a simple door lock is the only thing protecting your precious office? I expected the home of the supreme student council to be more protected.¡± She glanced at me as she gingerly held her keys. ¡°There are cameras monitoring the office at all times, along with alarms and other precautions. I can teleport inside to instantly address any issues. I¡¯m all the protection the office needs.¡± She opened the door before confidently stepping inside, not even bothering to usher me in. After a cursory glance at our surroundings to make sure that no one was around to misunderstand what we were doing, I invited myself in. For all the power the student council possessed, their office was surprisingly sparse and simple. A single long table sat in the middle of the room, stacked with paper, books and writing materials. Cabinets and drawers lined the sides of the spacious room, decorated with even more writing material. Ayane disappeared into an adjacent room, only to appear a moment later with two cups of tea. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. She sat down by the long table, near a spot that was clear of papers and ushered me to sit with a nod. ¡°I apologize for the mess,¡± she said, pushing the cup toward me as I took my seat. ¡°And I apologize for the drink. It¡¯s uh; it¡¯s from a tea bag. I was never good at preparing anything more¡­ genuine.¡± I took the cup in my hands, smelling the aroma. ¡°Thanks. Though I am a bit surprised that someone as refined as you doesn¡¯t know how to make a proper cup of tea.¡± She huffed and puffed her cheeks. ¡°You don¡¯t have to drink it if you don¡¯t want to.¡± I placed the cup to my mouth and took a small sip. ¡°It¡¯s passable.¡± ¡°Ugh. You don¡¯t have to be so blunt, idiot.¡± she frowned deeply. The president¡¯s cell phone rang the moment I gave my incredibly handsome thumbs-up. A happy, but monotonous tone played from inside her blazer pocket. She gave me a sly grin as she pulled out her phone and placed it to her ear. She spoke in her refined, ¡®presidential voice¡¯, in an even-handed, yet authoritative manner. She sounded like a completely different person. I didn¡¯t bother listening in and instead opted to stare at the ceiling fan that slowly spun above us. ¡°Why¡¯d you change the ring tone?¡± I asked when the call ended. ¡°What?¡± she tilted her head innocently. ¡°What are you talking about, Kimura-san?¡± ¡°Oi, don¡¯t play dumb with me. Aren¡¯t you some kind of reincarnation of a kid from the ¡®90s?¡± ¡°Ahhh, you mean that song? No, no, you see that was merely a mistake, a bug on my phone that caused my ring tone to be changed.¡± ¡°A bug. Okay.¡± ¡°Hmm, yes. I am a fan of modern music, not that drivel from the past.¡± ¡°Man, and here I was, thinking of using your music choice as leverage the next time we fought.¡± Ayane froze and narrowed her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t test my patience, Kimura-san. Don¡¯t give me a reason to murder you in your sleep.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome to try. Hahaha.¡± I saw her tighten her fist and I half-expected her to throw a punch. But she held her temper and instead simply sighed. ¡°Wait here.¡± she stood up and retreated again into the back room. While she was gone, I considered snooping around their office, but eventually decided against it. She mentioned that they had surveillance here. It would be impossible to do anything without implicating myself. Ayane emerged a moment later, holding a big folder in her hands. She plopped it down in front of me with a visible smack, causing a nearby stack of paper to collapse. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Details on all the factions inside the school.¡± she said, sitting back down. ¡°Uh,¡± I picked up the dusty folder and examined it. The folder was fat from the massive stack of paper it tried to contain. ¡°You guys have heard of computers right?¡± ¡°Hardcopies are easier to manage.¡± Ayane said. ¡°Feel free to read through those files. After our scuffle last week, people have started to take a particular interest in you and I believe that you should be acquainted with each group.¡± ¡°That¡¯s uh, that¡¯s surprisingly very thoughtful of you.¡± ¡°Like I said, people like us are a precious resource.¡± she leaned back and crossed her long legs. ¡°You¡¯re better off getting an unbiased opinion on each of the factions before deciding to join one.¡± ¡°Well, rest assured, president because I¡¯m not planning to join any of these organizations.¡± I returned the unopened folder to her. The president took the folder back, dumbfounded. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Plus, I don¡¯t think I have the time to read all that. Classes start in fifteen minutes.¡± The president was about to reply when the office doors opened. The person who walked inside was a small redhead, a freshman probably, with a completely blank look on her face. She ignored both of us as she walked inside and disappeared into the same room that Ayane kept going to. ¡°OI. WHAT THE FUCK?¡± The voice that screamed from within was like that of a hobbit¡¯s. But angrier. ¡°We¡¯re out of tea bags!¡± The tiny girl emerged enraged, her breaths short huffs. Her gaze immediately fell on Ayane, who instantly shrunk in fear. ¡°Sorry, Natsumi-chan. We have a guest and well, Hikari-chan wasn¡¯t around to make us some real tea.¡± It was only now that the little devil paid any attention to me. ¡°Oh.¡± she said. ¡°I didn¡¯t see you there.¡± ¡°And I almost didn¡¯t see you too, shortstuff.¡± ¡°What the hell?¡± she recoiled, hands up defensively. ¡°What did you just call me?¡± ¡°Shortstuff.¡± I blurted out. Ayane gave me a murderer¡¯s glare, which I promptly ignored. ¡°Sorry,¡± I said to the girl. ¡°It just kinda came out.¡± She huffed and walked over to us, taking twice the steps necessary because of her short stature. ¡°Why are you here?¡± she demanded. ¡°Ayane invited me over to look at these files you had on the factions inside the school.¡± I replied instantly. ¡°And why are you giving a stranger access to our files?¡± she demanded, this time to Ayane. ¡°Because I don¡¯t want him joining a group without knowing the full extent of their intentions.¡± ¡°Ah. Is that the only reason why you brought him here?¡± ¡°No.¡± the president frowned before reaching out and covering the girl¡¯s¡ª Natsumi¡¯s¡ª mouth. ¡°Stop using your power on me, Natsumi-chan.¡± The girl tried to complain, but her words transformed into muffles and groans. She tried swinging her arms at Ayane, but between her small size and Ayane¡¯s superhuman strength, she practically had no chance. ¡°Kimura-san, I¡¯d like to introduce you to Natsumi Akiyama, the SSC secretary.¡± Ayane frowned. The redhead gave me an angry look, causing me to lean away from her. ¡°Nice to meet you, mini-secretary. Mind if I ask what her power is, president?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible to ignore her or lie to her when she asks questions.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± that¡¯s why my lips have been moving on their own. ¡°Having a conversation with her must be a pain.¡± Natsumi, the little demon that she was, reached out and punched the president in the abdomen, to the latter¡¯s minor annoyance. Eventually the president surrendered, sighed and released her. ¡°Ahhh!¡± she exclaimed, gasping for air and turning to Ayane with a snap. ¡°What is wrong with you!?¡± Natsumi¡¯s power seemed to trigger immediately, causing Ayane to reply without missing a beat. ¡°I overthink too much about, well, everything. And sometimes I think I get too competitive when it comes to academics. I also take abnormally long showers¡ª¡± the president frowned and her eyes narrowed before she turned to me. ¡°I¡¯m going to get us something to eat.¡± The president left swiftly, her braided hair trailing behind her, the double doors slamming shut in her wake. ¡°Well¡­ I think I should be going.¡± I quickly said, slamming my hands on the table as I stood up. ¡°You should stay.¡± Natsumi replied, pulling a chair for herself and sitting down. ¡°Ayane-chan said she¡¯d be back. She¡¯ll be disappointed if she found out that you ditched her.¡± ¡°We have class in a few minutes. You guys are probably allowed to skip a few lessons, but I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Why? Are your grades so bad?¡± ¡°No, I have excellent grades, actually. I just hate missing classes.¡± ¡°Why do you hate missing classes¡± she grinned. ¡°I hate being idle.¡± I frowned. Her power is definitely something. I can¡¯t even feel myself being influenced. Natsumi sighed and stretched, arching her back as she let out a long extended yawn. ¡°Well, suit yourself.¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll just tell Ayane that you had to go.¡± I nodded, my hand on the doorknob. ¡°Of course. It was nice meeting you, Akiyama-san.¡± The building that housed the student council office was found in the heart of the campus, near the administrative offices. The hallway that greeted me as I left was mostly empty, save for the stray teacher or student that walked about. There were more people here on our way in, but I guess everyone evacuated since classes were about to start. After heading down two staircases, I once again find myself alone in a long hallway. I could probably get to class in a flash if I used my powers, but even I appreciate the value of a walk, once in a while. After rounding a corner, a most peculiar sight caused me to stop. Two girls were facing off, standing ten meters apart. Like any other healthy male my age, I always appreciated a good catfight. But as I walked closer toward the pair, I slowly come to realize who they are. The girl on the right, with the fiery red hair and haughty attitude was without a doubt the captain of Enforcer Company, Rina Miyamori. She was without her usual posse of abusive amateur swordsmen, but she still looked as intimidating as ever. Across from her was the purple-haired girl from before, the socially-awkward, but eccentric captain of Arsenal Sol. I frowned inwardly. I shouldn¡¯t be here watching. But I can¡¯t help but be curious. Neither girl seemed to have noticed my presence. I stopped in my tracks and keep my distance. I don¡¯t know anything about either combatant. This is the perfect opportunity for a bit of research.