Chapter 3, 'nuff said.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these franchises.
Taro entered the school and tried to find his classroom.
"3-2. Where's classroom 3-2?" Taro thought to himself while climbing the stairs
Taro finds a sign pointing to the classrooms. He follows the signs until he found the sign with 3-2 pasted onto it. He went to the classroom door, ready to enter. But a teacher comes out through the door and stops him.
"Mister Yamada?" she asked.
"Yes ma'am?"
"Please stay outside for now, we will introduce you to the class shortly."
While Taro stood idly outside, he noticed a familiar face walking towards him. It was Charlotte Weber, the Warden he met and fought at the Tokyo Expo. Taro could only wonder what the likes of her was doing in this school. He noticed that she was wearing the a school uniform, thus piquing his curiosity. He was about to approach her but the classroom door burst open.
"Ah! Madam Charlotte! Good timing! We're just about to start the introductions with Mister Yamada!"
Taro decided to leave questions for now and entered with Charlotte. He finds himself in a class, with different people his age. He could see a plethora of different hair colors and hairstyles. It was certainly interesting for him. He then heard the class say.
"Good morning Miss Kanon!"
"Good morning class, and as you can see, we have new students! So why don't you introduce yourselves?"
Taro Yamada walked up and bowed, saying.
"Greetings, my name is Taro Yamada. I am the grandson of Musashi Yamada. I am a practitioner of kenjutsu, jiujutsu and other martial arts. I also practice archery and craftsmanship in my free time."
The class fell silent at the short yet concise introduction of Taro, but he did not mind. He was mature enough to shrug off the awkwardness. He then steps back, giving the floor to Charlotte.
"Hi everyone! My name is Charlotte Weber!" Charlotte greeted in a peachy voice.
The boys were mesmerized by how beautiful Charlotte was while the girls just rolled their eyes and huffed.
"I am a daughter of an German engineer who is currently working here in Buraza! I am a HEMA practitioner and a mixed martial artist. I am also a hobbyist blacksmith and a decorator!"
Taro rolled his eyes at her sunny behavior. He knew the boys weren't even listening to her, just staring at her beautiful face. Taro noticed that Charlotte made a small wink at him. Oh, if the students and the teacher wouldn't there, he would have choked that insufferable lady. Who knew that the knights could be so mischievous. This Warden was certainly more eccentric than the other ones he met.
The teacher then clears her throat and says.
"If we're done with introductions, please take a seat you two! We're going to start with the lesson today!"
Taro takes a seat in the third row, first column, right next to the window. Charlotte takes the seat right next to him. The teacher motions to start the lesson, but the door opens, revealing a woman with exposed cleavage, saying.
"Sorry for the interruption but I have an announcement to make!"
Taro and Charlotte perked up at the mention of that. Taro immediately recognized the woman as Genka Kunahito, the counselor he saw a few days back. He saw her enter the room.
"Okay class, with the overarching concern of the safety of the school grounds, due to the large numbers of delinquents gathering; we have decided to hire a special security chief for the safety of our students!"
Genka looks at the door and whispers.
"That's your cue."
A very tall and burly man walked in. He was wearing a security guard's uniform but it didn't hide his obviously heavy build. He didn't look Japanese, he was obviously of a foreign nationality. He had brown hair that was styled into a crew cut. He had a goatee surrounding his chin, though it seemed shaved for the job. His face was heavily scarred, but wore a smug smile, indicating possible arrogance.
His clothing seemed normal for a security guard. He wore a cap with his grey polo and pants. He bore a badge on his shoulder, containing the school insignia. He had a baton holstered onto his belt, together with a walkie-talkie. But the most eye-catching feature was his shield. It was a transparent, plastic shield that bore the words "security" on it. Taro and Charlotte whispered to each other.
"Do you really think he could be…"
"We'll see."
"Go on! Introduce yourself!" Genka encouraged.
The burly man stood in front and folded his arms, showing off his runic tattoos.
"Nice to meet y'all. Name's Bjorn Ruriksen, though folks just call by the nickname of "Warlord"."
The class trembled in fear at his imposing figure. This guy was more than a foot taller than them and could easily wipe the floor with any of them with two hands tied behind his back. Only Charlotte and Taro weren't so scared as they eyed him warily.
"Mister Ruriksen here is from Iceland and came to Japan looking for some work. He was a former wrestler and club bouncer. He has broken up many bar fights and has a very straight win record."
"Yep, fights always got ugly back in Iceland. I've many scars to tell about some of the scraps I've been in. But if you ain't seeing me fighting, then I might be off doing some carpentry on special projects."
"Wonderful! And how do you plan on dealing with delinquents?"
"Those runts? They're nothing! I've dealt with men twice their size and strength!" Bjorn boasted, before eyeing Taro and Charlotte. "And besides, the real threats are the ones you least expect."
"Very enlightening introduction Sir Ruriksen! Please continue with your rounds around the school! Your work here is done!"
"Glad to be of service madam." Bjorn said while tipping his cap and leaving the classroom.
The counselor turned back to the class and announced.
"Class, that will be all for today. Please continue with your lessons!"
Miss Kunahito leaves the room, thus allowing the teacher to continue with the lesson.
"Now class, open your Japanese Culture textbooks, we'll be covering Japanese Mythology."
Everyone quietly takes out their textbooks and opens them to the aforementioned lesson.
"Now to get our lesson started, we'll ask one of the top-notchers of the Japanese Culture exams, Taro Yamada!"
The whole class quickly glanced at Taro who was confused at all the attention.
"Mister Yamada here has earned the highest score in Japanese Culture out of all high schools across the country."
"I did?" Taro asked blankly.
"No need to act so modest Mister Yamada! Your achievement is well-recognized! Now explain to us how you seem so knowledgeable with Japanese culture!"
"Er, well…" Taro trailed off while scratching the back of his head. "I don't really have much to say. I was raised in a household that was dedicated to tradition. The culture is something I just kept to heart."
"Very well said! Class, I hope you're paying attention because it is quite obvious that many of you are failing this subject!"
Many students looked sheepish and avoided the disapproving look of their teacher.
"But anyway, we will first start with the major gods in the Shinto pantheon! Class, get your notes ready and pay attention! Because after this, we will have a pop quiz!"
The class groaned as they forced themselves to look at the board. Taro was quick to take out his notes. He needed the knowledge if he were to survive in his world.
Few hours later…
The first few classes were over and Taro was a bit taxed from trying to absorb so much knowledge. But now it was Physical Education and he had the chance to finally stretch his legs. He gets his uniform ready as he entered the shower rooms. He quickly took off his normal uniform and began changing into his Physical Education uniform. He didn't notice the few boys who looked at his figure with jealousy.
Being a trained warrior, of course Taro's body was very well developed. Though his figure was slim, he had very visible muscles and abs. His body was covered with scars, which added to how intimidating and strong he looked. Of course, Taro paid no heed to what the others thought of him; he was just excited to finally stretch his legs. He puts on his plain, white shirt with blue outlines and navy blue shorts.
He exited the shower rooms to see the females wear the same colored outfit as they stood in front of the gym teacher. Taro saw that the teacher had medium length blonde hair. Her eyes were a turquoise blue and she had tanned skin. She wore a red tracksuit with white stripes. A silver whistle hung around her neck. The class shouted.
"Good morning Miss Kyoshi Taiso!"
"Good morning class! Now as you know, we are now starting our self-defense program for today! So you can finally learn to stand up to those delinquents!"
Some people groaned, others were a bit smug that they knew a little martial arts, others were a bit happy to know that they wouldn't be so helpless anymore.
"And it's good to see that our new students will be joining us for today!'
Everyone glanced at Taro and Charlotte, who were at the back of the class.
"Now to formally welcome you to our training program…" Kyoshi said while gesturing to the arena of training equioment on the side. "Let's start with gauging your fitness!"
Kyoshi walked up to the training bars and said.
"We'll gauge your upper-body strength by how many pull-ups you can do in a minute!" Kyoshi said while bringing out her stopwatch and record. "Who wants to go first?"
Taro politely raised his hand, together with Charlotte.
"Alright! Our new students would like to go first!"
Taro glared at Charlotte, who just gave him an innocent smile which irritated Taro even further. Taro went first on the bars. He jumped onto the bars and grabbed them.
"Okay! Your time starts now!"
Being at peak physical condition, Taro wouldn't give such mediocre results. He went up and down with rhythm and consistency, the fatigue barely catching up to him. The class watched in amazement as Taro did not seem to tire at all A minute passes by quickly as the teacher announced.
"Okay, that's enough!"
Taro quickly got off the bars and asked.
"So how was my performance?" Taro asked.
"Pretty impressive! Forty straight pull-ups, and I bet you can do more if you tried!"
Taro was a bit dissatisfied at that, he usually did a little better than forty, but this could be just one of his worse days. Charlotte goes up next and she looked so graceful as she jumped onto the bars. The girls watched with jealousy as the beautiful foreigner did her pull-ups, with the boys admiring her physique.
"Amazing! You did forty-two pull-ups!" Kyoshi said while writing it down.
Charlotte walked past Taro while giving him another smile. Taro glared back at her. This woman really liked peeving him so much. Taro then decided to sit down and watch the other students do their turns.
A few long minutes passed by and the students finally finished their tests.
"So from the results, I can tell that most of you are pretty weak in terms of strength, which isn't good when you get caught in a fight. Now we'll gauge your stamina by running one lap around the track!"
The students groaned as they got into position. But Taro, he was ready. Every moment of his life was leading up to this. Running. His main forte outside of fighting. He gets into position with the other students. The coach then blows the whistle and off they go. But Taro, he takes off in a burst of speed, he stays in the outer lane as he kept running and running.
The wind blew against his face as he sped through the whole track. The coach soon came to view and that caused Taro to stop. He was panting from all that running, but boy, did he feel alive.
"How did I perform?"
"A…" Kyoshi stuttered, before declaring. "AMAZING!"
Taro was caught off-guard by the sudden enthusiasm of the teacher.
"What was my time?" Taro asked.
"Forty seconds! You covered the whole track in less than a minute! You even left the others in the dust!"
Taro looked behind himself to see that the other students were barely half-way through the track and some were already tiring, except for Charlotte, who was a little far behind Taro.
"That's good to know, I'll just sit down for awhile."
"Okay, just wait for the other students to finish."
Taro sat down as he watched Charlotte also reach the finish line. She looked clearly tired as she went to her bench and grabbed her water. He just sat idly before he felt someone tap his shoulder. Taro looked behind him to see
"Yo! You're Taro Yamada right?"
"Yes I am." Taro replied.
"Yeah, so my name's Midori Gurin, nice to meet you!"
"Likewise."
"I've been meaning to ask you, what's your relationship with that German lady?"
"Her? You could say we had some history together." Taro said while trailing off. "Not good history, I can tell you that."
"Oh, is she your ex-girlfriend or something?"
"What's an eks-girlfriend?" Taro asked while tilting his head, before hearing the whistle.
"Okay class!" Kyoshi declared, interrupting conversation. "Now let's get to the grittier part!"
The coach then pointed to a white circle drawn in here.
"What I want you to do is have a friendly spar with a partner. Just push them out of the circle, nothing too rough!"
The class felt a bit hesitant to do it, while Taro and Charlotte rested in the back. The coach frowned at the hesitation and said.
"Okay, since no one is volunteering, I will have to call names!"
Taro then watched with amusement as he watched the inexperienced students then tried to push each other out of the circle. There was mostly pushing and light shoving. Watching the girls go at it was amusing as they went really soft on each other and they fought more like children than actual grown-ups. Kyoshi had to break up a few spars that got a little out of hand. But soon, it was only Taro and Charlotte left.
"Okay! Looks like our new students will be the last for today!" Kyoshi declared while gesturing to the white circle. "Please step in the circle."
Taro and Charlotte stepped in the circle and stood across each other. Taro got into jujustu stance while Charlotte entered a boxing stance. Taro takes a breath and closes his eyes. He exhales and opens his eyes. He once again enters the Orochi state of mind. Taro and Charlotte eyed each other before Kyoshi then shouted.
"Okay, begin!"
Taro and Charlotte circled each other, waiting for one to make a move. Taro then lunged and started a barrage of light attacks. His goal wasn't to hit Charlotte, but to make her back up until she went out of bounds. Charlotte blocks his attacks as she went on the defensive, backing up from his barrage. Taro thought he had finally cornered her, but Charlotte suddenly catches his fist, and she puts him into a lock. Charlotte then uses a sacrifice throw as she then drops and uses the momentum of her fall to throw Taro.
Taro could see that Charlotte was throwing him out of bounds, so he adjusts his footwork and relaxes, allowing him to change the trajectory of his landing. And much to everyone's shock, he lands on the very edge of the circle, just inches from being out of bounds. Both fighters quickly recover and get back into stance as the intensity causes them to lunge immediately at each other.
Charlotte charges with her shoulder, knocking Taro back. Taro then jumps back in and tries to throw a punch. Charlotte ducks under his punch, grabs his am, and tries to throw him out. Taro goes with the throw and lands perfectly on his feet. Taro then throws a hook which Charlotte blocks, who then throws a punch at his face. Taro feels the full force as he gets knocked down by the jab.
The coach suddenly blows the whistle as Charlotte realized her mistake. Taro slowly gets up, his mouth a bit bloody from that strong blow. Taro looked ready to kill, before he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, exiting the Orochi state of mind, finally calming down. The teacher then runs in and screams.
"Enough! Stop fighting!"
Kyoshi then rushed to Taro's aid as he got up.
"Mister Yamada, are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Taro calmly replied while spitting blood from his mouth, before bowing to Charlotte. "You fought well."
"Do you wish to report this to the guidance counselor?" Kyoshi asked.
"No, it was my fault for getting hit. I'll walk it off." Taro replied while wiping more blood from his mouth. "I'll just go to the clinic."
"Do you want someone to bring you? Charlotte should be obliged to help you."
"Thank you, but I will decline. I can manage on my own."
And with that Taro walked past the crowd of classmates, with everyone making way for him. Though he was the obvious loser in that fight, the fact that he shrugged off his injury spoke volumes about how tough he was. He paid no heed to the stares of awe and fear his classmates gave him as he then entered the school and tried to find the clinic.
Later on…
The nurse was a fascinating woman, very caring and compassionate to all her patients. The moment Taro walked in with his bloody mouth, she went haywire and rushed to get Taro to his bed and grabbed him an ice pack. People of this world were too soft. Taro has taken much worse blows than a mere jab. A Centurion's punch did much more damage than that blow by Charlotte. He sees the nurse approach him as she leaned forward and asked.
"Are you okay? That was quite a lot of blood coming from your mouth!"
"I will do okay for now."
"How did you get injured?" The nurse asked with much curiosity.
"Self-defense program. I got hit really hard in the face."
"Oh you poor thing!" The nurse said with much sympathy. "Do you need anything?"
"Maybe some water will do for now. Thank you." Taro replied curtly with a nod.
Taro then rested for a bit. That fight with Charlotte was really something. She was a good if not better fighter than he expected. He really had to give her props for being able to counter his attacks with grace and efficiency.
But his thoughts are interrupted by someone entering. He leans past the curtain to see who it was. Though he was expecting Charlotte, it was actually Osana who came in. He leans back in his bed and smiles at Osana who enters.
Though Taro couldn't remember Osana when he first saw her. He actually began to recognize her when he dug a little more into his past. It seemed that Osana was also his childhood friend back in his world, though the way she looked now was much different than how she looked in his world.
"Am I bothering you?" she asked timidly.
"No, not all. I appreciate the company." Taro replied politely.
Osana then sits down by the bed and hands Taro a box.
"I made you some lunch."
"Thank you." Taro replied as he grabbed the box and began eating.
"Taro… There's something I need to ask you." Osana said.
Taro then puts down the lunchbox, realizing the gravity of the situation. Osana was normally cold towards him. He could tell from her behavior during their last encounter that Osana had a crush on him. But this time was different, Osana sounded sincere and solemn, something that wasn't normal for her.
"What is it?"
"What happened to you while you were gone?" Osana asked. "You're completely different from the timid and quiet boy I grew up with. I need to know what changed you."
Taro couldn't say that he was actually a samurai who fought with knights and vikings, so he had to make something up.
"When I ran away from home, I learned to become independent. I had to look after myself and I learned to become strong. My life was always a battle of survival and I had to fight for my life most of the time. As soon as I came back, I became a different man, one who no longer shuns himself from the world."
Osana's eyes widened as she looked a bit teary-eyed from what Taro had said.
"I-I didn't know you had gone through so much." Osana said as she hugged Taro. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you through those times."
Taro smiled and returned the hug, and patted her on the back.
"Don't be so hard on yourself. You couldn't have done anything. It's not your fault."
"But there's something else you need to know Taro. Before you ran away, I wanted to confess something to you."
"That you had feelings for me?" Taro asked with a smirk.
Osana's eyes were wide with shock as Taro chuckled at her dumbstruck face.
"It's something I learned along the way." Taro laughed. "Don't be so surprised."
"Yes… But seeing the person you've become… I don't think things can go back to the way they were. You've become a complete stranger to me, and I think those feelings of mine died after seeing what you have become."
Taro couldn't blame her for thinking like that.
"I completely understand Osana." Taro said. "But we can still be friends, yes?"
"Of course you dummy!" Osana chided, her mood completely changing. "I may not LIKE you anymore, but that doesn't mean we should stop being friends!"
Osana quickly became bashful at her outburst and sat down while sulking.
"So, friends?" Takayama asked while extending a hand.
Osana then glanced back at Taro with a smile as she then grabbed his hand and shook it.
"Friends."
"You should pass by ojisan's house every now and then. He'll be happy to see you."
"I'll be sure to do that!" Osana returned with a smile before hearing the bell. "Oh! That's the bell! Bye Taro!"
"Bye Osana." Taro replied.
"Oh Taro, before I go. Let's walk home together after school, for old times' sake. I'll be in Class 2-1."
"Of course."
Taro watched as Osana skipped away. He sighed in relief as he had finally settled things with her. Her old feelings did not die as hard as Taro expected and that was a good thing. Taro genuinely cared for Osana because he knew the other Osana back in his world, someone who desperately needed a friend.
A young Taro passes by a crying girl in the middle of the road. Her clothes were all dirty and muddy, tattered and torn. Her hair was not like that of other Japanese, it was orange and tied into twintails. He felt obliged to help her as he bent down and asked.
"Hey, why are you crying?"
"The other kids called me a weirdo and a bastard!" the girl cried. "They said my mommy was a whore and a traitor for giving birth to me. And then they beat me up!"
"Why?"
"Because of my hair you idiot!" the girl erupted before sobbing. "My hair isn't like the others so they call me a half-breed disgrace!"
"What's wrong with your hair?" Taro asked.
"It's orange! It's not like the black hair you have!" the girl screamed at Takayama before pulling his hair.
"Ow!" Taro squeaked as he tried to release himself from the temperamental little girl.
The girl then realizes her mistake, recoils in fear and curls up in a ball.
"P-Please don't hurt me like they did!"
"Why would I hurt you?" Taro asked.
"Because I hurt you and you might beat me up because of my orange hair!"
"Why? I think the orange hair looks pretty."
The girl then slowly uncurls as she looked at Taro with surprise.
"Y-You really think so?" the girl asked with a bit of awe in her face.
"I don't see anything wrong with having hair like that!" Taro declared as he then grabbed the girl's hand. "Come on, I'll bring you to my house to get you cleaned/"
"B-But what if they beat me up too?" the girl asked nervously while wiping her tears.
"Don't worry, I'll protect you if they do. I know how to use a sword!" Taro boasted as he pulled up the girl before asking her. "My name is Taro Yamada, but you can just call me Taro. What's yours?"
"M-My name is Osana… Osana Najimi."
Osana Najimi was a different girl in his world. She was the bastard of a knight raping one of the samurai women, resulting in a child that was mixed with both their blood. As soon as Osana was brought back to the Myre, she was shunned, discriminated and cast out from society. It was only through Taro that she found hope to integrate herself in society. Though many opposed Taro's efforts to befriend her, Taro vehemently defended Osana with everything he had and it paid off. Osana became a respected Nobushi, who fought for the people who shunned her years ago. Taro fondly remembered all the times he shared with her as a child.
This world was becoming more and more familiar to him. Not because of the culture or the places, but by the people he meets. Ayano, Musashi and Osana. Maybe there were more familiar faces in this world for him to meet. He just had to look a bit harder.
But for now, Taro had to settle with being friends with Osana.
Taro realized that he needed to get back to class. He stretches in bed and cracks his neck. He gets off his bed and gives the ice pack to the nurse.
"Thank you for the ice pack, I will be going back to class now."
"Okay, just come back if you need anything!"
Taro caresses his swollen jaw as he makes it back to class. Where the teacher was writing the lesson on the board. The teacher notices his presence and says.
"Well Mister Yamada, good to see that you're doing well."
"I'm in good condition sensei." Taro said while sitting down.
"Well, I hope you don't hold it against Charlotte."
"Keeping a grudge is immature. I assure you that I feel no ill towards her."
"Okay, good! Now we can begin on World History! Our next lesson will cover the ever-popular Viking Age of Scandinavia!"
Taro was ready to have a field day with this one, but so was Charlotte, as she was ready to answer everything the teacher threw at them. Taro gets ready too. Even if he lost in the spar, at least he should beat her somewhere else.
Few hours later…
Another few subjects later and Taro finally finishes his lessons for the day. Now it's club time. He remembers that he has to take pictures of the Gardening Club for Musashi as he then packs his stuff. Due to toying a bit with the phone, he was able to find out how to take pictures. He plans on exiting the room, but he sees Charlotte waiting outside.
"What do you want?" Taro asked.
"I will be joining you for awhile. I don't really have many friends here, so I'll just stick with you for now."
"I'm sure the other boys will be more than happy to take you in Warden." Taro growled, still remembering who Charlotte really was.
"But it will be much more satisfying to pester you instead." Charlotte countered as she walked up to him. "So, where to?"
Taro groaned. This Warden was really annoying him, but he knew that attacking her would be much more trouble than it's worth. He begrudgingly relents and lets Charlotte join him.
"I will probably observe the other clubs to see if there is anything interesting, then I will pass by the Gardening Club to take a few pictures of their garden."
"Sounds like a plan." Charlotte said confidently.
Taro grumbled to himself about how much he hated the Warden, much to Charlotte's amusement.
Taro heads down to the different club rooms as he sees the numerous choices. He sees the most interesting one being the Drama Club. He was no stranger to theater. He has watched Kabuki more times than he would like to admit. He and Charlotte enter the door to see Ayano standing with a bloody knife over the body of a girl with purple hair styled into twin tornadoes. Before Taro and Charlotte could react, the body suddenly moves.
"Oh! I have been stabbed, I can feel my life draining away!"
Taro and Charlotte stared blankly as they realized that the two were just rehearsing a scene. But what surprised Taro was that Ayano was a part of the Drama Club.
"Yan-chan, I didn't know you were a part of—"
Ayano suddenly burst out the door and ran away. Though she was fast, Taro could see the flustered look on her face. Maybe Taro shouldn't have barged in on them.
"What's with her?" Charlotte asked.
"She's really shy around me." Taro replied curtly, before turning to the purple-haired girl. "You, what's your name?"
"Kokona Haruka!" the girl replied enthusiastically. "You two must be the new students who fought each other!"
"Yes." Taro said sheepishly. "Though I'd rather not talk about it."
"So what was that girl doing here?" Charlotte asked.
"Oh, she was just helping me rehearse a scene! With the other club members absent today, I needed someone to help me rehearse a murder scene for the upcoming school play!"
"Oh okay, so this is what the Drama Club does then?"
"Yes, we really value the art of theater!" Kokona said eagerly, before asking. "Are you two interested?"
"Oh, we're just exploring, don't mind us!" Charlotte replied, before hearing a strange sound.
The strange sound was a ringtone that interrupted the conversation, Kokona picks up the phone and tells Taro and Charlotte.
"Give me a minute!"
Kokona goes into the back to continue her phone call. But Taro still had his sharp hearing, he listened in on the conversation.
"Why are you calling me now?"
"Hehehe, didn't you forget about our deal?"
"B-But today? I-I can't!"
"Either you come today, or no money for you."
"O-Okay… Where do you want to meet?"
"Shisuta Town, in the Heavenly Hearts Brothel."
"O-Okay."
Taro could feel something sinister behind that phone call. Overhearing the phone call, it seemed that Kokona was involved in some heavy stuff, though he felt it wasn't in his place to interfere. Taro just decided to let sleeping wolves lie.
Kokona returned to them and bowed.
"I'm really sorry, but I have to go!"
Kokona then rushes past them as she ran outside the school. Charlotte gives Taro glance of confusion at what had just happened, though Taro seemed unfazed. Taro realizes that he still had other tasks to complete.
He then goes to the garden where the plots of soil were. But he couldn't see any sign of the beautiful garden that Uekiya boasted about. All he saw was a badly trashed area, filled with dead leaves and scattered flowers. He sees Uekiya Engeika kneeling in absolute defeat as he then slowly approached her.
"Uekiya…?"
"Oh. Hey Taro…"
"What happened? Where is the garden?"
"The Karejji Delinquents came by and trashed it all… Because they wanted revenge for the humiliation they suffered at the hands of one of the students here…"
Taro grit his teeth, those bastards just wouldn't give up. He ended dragging innocent people into his business. He would have to pay them a visit soon, but his revenge would have to wait. He then kneels to comfort Uekiya.
"Don't worry about it too much." Taro consoled before he walked off.
Charlotte knew it wasn't in her place to interrupt Taro as he stomped away to find some alone time.
Taro's mood was ruined for the day. It seemed this world had problems of its own. If problems like these were rampant then this world wasn't as perfect as he had hoped. He sat down on the grass and reflected on what to do, almost forgetting that Charlotte was approaching him.
"I know a person who could help you with this."
Taro looked at Charlotte with a skeptical face. This person was offering to help him? The Warden who was trained to fight him for years? But considering his circumstances, he couldn't deny any help. Charlotte then hands him a card.
"Here's her number. She's the same person who gave me your phone number, so she should be able to help you."
Taro then took the card and read the name on it.
Info-chan
"Are you sure?" Taro asked humorlessly, making a very straight face at Charlotte.
"Absolutely. She's quite the genius with modern technology, making her especially helpful to primitive people like us who aren't so acquainted with technology and gadgets."
"I'll take your word for it Warden." Taro said with a nod. "My thanks."
A honk could be heard as Taro saw a car parked outside. The window rolls down to reveal a middle-aged man as the driver in uniform.
"Looks like my chauffeur is here! See you tomorrow Orochi!"
Taro nodded but couldn't help but wonder how the Warden was able to integrate herself so well in this world. If she had a personal carriage driver, then she must have had some form of wealth.
But he decides to investigate on a later date.
He decided to drop in on Osana. After all, he did promise to walk home with her. He goes to the second floor and prepares to enter the 2-1 classroom, but he hears Osana say.
"Fine! I won't call the police. Look, this is a bad time for me. We'll talk about this later. Just...don't do anything rash, okay?"
Taro couldn't hear the rest of the conversation, but it seemed that Osana was distressed about something. He then knocks on the door to catch Osana's attention. She jumps at the sound and chides.
"Don't scare me like that! I almost had a heart attack you idiot!"
"So, are you walking home with me or not?" Taro asked while folding his arms.
"Geez, okay! I'm going!"
Taro and Osana exited the school and went down the road in Buraza Town. He passed by the bakeshop he visited and decided to strike up a conversation about it.
"Have you tried the pastries there?"
"Of course, Amai makes the best cookies!" Osana said cheerfully.
"Yep, I do wish I could eat some more."
"She's actually the Cooking Club president, it's just that she had to take a leave from school to tend the shop while her mother was sick."
"Oh, so that explains a lot."
As Taro and Osana walked down the road to his house, with Osana being strangely silent. Taro knew it had something to do with that phone call she had earlier. It seemed serious, almost as serious as Kokona's phone call. Taro then decides to act on his curiosity.
"So, who were you talking to on the phone?" Taro queried.
"Y-You heard that?" Osana asked with surprise in her voice.
"It's a little hard not to hear you talk on the phone."
"I-It was just a prank caller!" Osana frantically answered. "You know people these days!"
Taro could tell that Osana was clearly lying but he decided not to push the issue further as he just decided to enjoy a moment with a friend. He will worry about the well-being of his friends tonight, but for now, he should enjoy the peace that this world offered. But that didn't mean he would let it rest for long.
As soon as Taro's house came to view, he then tells Osana.
"You should have dinner with us!" Taro encouraged.
"No thank you, I still need to do things at home!" Osana replied stubbornly.
Taro then opens the gate for her, inviting her in.
"Come on, ojisan will be delighted to see you again!" Taro encouraged once again.
Though Osana was sulking and huffing, Taro knew that she really wanted to enter. Osana makes a hesitant glance before finally admitting.
"Okay, fine! Just for one visit!" Osana said with a huff.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Taro asked while opening the door.
Osana enters through the doorway, to see a smiling Musashi serving dinner.
"Ah, Osana! It's been quite a while!"
Osana takes a deep breath and enters too. While her feelings for Taro have died, their friendship lives on. Even if she did not crush on Taro, that was no reason not to pay him a visit every now and then. Even though Taro had changed, for better or for worse, she was finally happy to have her old friend back in her life. It was better than walking the shady streets at night.
At night, in Shisuta Town…
Bjorn walked down the shady streets of Shisuta Town. Thanks to an anonymous tip, he should be able to find those troublemakers who trashed the school garden. The school had video evidence, all Bjorn needed to do was get those little runts. He was getting close to the hideout of the delinquents but he hears a scream.
"N-NO! D-DON'T DO THIS!"
Bjorn immediately runs to the source of the noise, a dark alleyway. He ran as fast as he could until he saw a corner where he saw an old man trying to undress a young purple-haired girl. Bjorn took a closer look and realized the girl was Kokona Haruka. The old man was acting very perverted as he began caressing Kokona.
"Come on~ You know you want to!" the old man said invitingly.
"NO! PLEASE! THIS IS TOO MUCH!" Kokona screamed while thrashing.
Bjorn stuns the old man and then slams him against the wall with his shield. The old man was briefly stunned by the attack, but then growls at Bjorn.
"How dare you attack me! Don't you know who I am!?" the old man asked, enraged at the stranger's interference.
"Like I'm going to let a dirty old man touch a little girl." Bjorn growled before stepping forward to take down the old man
The old man futilely tries to punch Bjorn, but Bjorn catches his fist. Bjorn then headbutts the old man, putting him down for good. He takes out his handcuffs and chains the man. He then goes to Kokona and crouches down to her, asking.
"You alright?" Bjorn asked while examining Kokona's clothing, which was torn and tattered. "He messed you up pretty good."
"Y-Yes… Thank you Mister Bjorn." Kokona stuttered, surprised that the scary security guard saved her out of all people.
"No problem." Bjorn said while standing up. "I'll go call the police, you just stay here."
"O-Okay…" Kokona timidly replied as she relaxed.
Bjorn takes out his emergency device with a police hotline shortcut. He didn't give a damn on who this man was. He was threatening the safety of this young woman. It reminded him of how much he valued the protection of his own people. That was one reason he became a Warlord, to lead the charge to protect his people. Though his people were no longer around, he still had students to protect.
"This is the Shisuta Town Police Department, how may I help you?"
"Ah, officer. I caught a man attempting to rape a minor. I have performed a citizen's arrest and I await your assistance."
"Thank you for being a responsible citizen. We will be there shortly. Please watch over the minor and the suspect."
Bjorn hung up the phone and frowned. It seemed that he'll have to call off his search for the Karejji delinquents. For now, he had to ensure the safety of the Akademi students as he went back to Kokona and tried to comfort her. Bjorn couldn't help but feel something was off, like another potential disaster was soon to happen, he felt it. Maybe the gods were trying to tell him who was the next threat to school safety.
Aishi Residence
Ayano looked at her desk proudly, her senpai shrine was finished. For the day, she collected his bloodstained bandage from the fight with Charlotte. She collected a photo of him, courtesy of the Photography Club. She collected the ice pack he used to caress his bleeding jaw. She even found a small piece of Taro's tooth that fell out after Charlotte clocked him right in the jaw.
But her work wasn't finished. Though she couldn't stalk Taro, she had other problems to deal with. She had been assessing all the threats and though she had concluded that Osana was no longer a threat; Charlotte, on the other hand, she was problematic. If Ayano wasn't careful, Charlotte could swoop in and take away her senpai from her. She picks up the phone and dials a number.
"This better be good Yan-chan. I've got a lot on my plate already."
"You still owe me that favor." Ayano clarified.
"Okay, fine. But make it simple."
"I want you to give me a file on a woman named Charlotte Weber."
"Done, check your email. Now leave me alone. I'm expecting a very important call from someone and I can't have you jeopardizing it."
Ayano snaps her cellphone, wondering what could be so important for Info-chan to be so dismissive.
Yamada Residence
Taro sat in his bed and stared at his phone. He wondered if he really could do something about those damned delinquents, or Osana's phone problem. Hell, there were so many people in need and yet he felt so helpless in trying to reach out to them. If Info-chan is really as good as that Warden said she was, then she should be useful. He took the phone and dialed the number from the card. He then puts the phone to his ear and waits for someone to pick up. As soon as the dial tone stops, he asks.
"Er… Is this Info-chan?"
There was a bit of static, but the following words sent chills down his spine.
"Taro Yamada, I've been wanting to talk to you for a long time."
That's it! Drama everywhere! Geez, I feel bad for jamming so much into a single chapter, but I'm just rushing to get the pace going! Anyway, some of you might be curious as to how the Warden and the Warlord also entered the world of Yandere Simulator.
Omake#1: Brief Summary of Charlotte's Arrival
Charlotte didn't think that this was the end. Sinking to the bottom of the ocean, dying to the Shugoki that knocked her into the water. She couldn't breath, the light was getting dimmer and dimmer. She felt her body freeze from all the water entering her body as her eyes began to close forever.
But she wakes up, in a strange white room, filled with strange objects and people surrounding her. She could feel the soreness of her body as she tried to move. But somehow, something restricted her from moving too far.
"Oh my god! She's awake!" one nurse screamed.
Charlotte could only wonder what those people were doing there. She weakly asks.
"Quid?" (What?)
"You've been out for a long time sweetie. Just rest…"
"Meum armis…" Charlotte called out weakly. "Ubi est…" (My armor… Where is it?)
"What? Is she speaking Latin?"
OUR TOP STORY TONIGHT!
MISSING DAUGHTER OF FAMED ENGINEER AND ENTREPRENEUR FOUND AFTER DISASTROUS SHIPWRECK
"That's right folks, you heard it right! Charlotte Weber, the daughter of Heinz Weber has been found after being declared missing when her cruise ship sank near the coast of Italy!
Reports say that she was taking a cruise in the Mediterranean before a huge storm hit and sank the ship. Though authorities feared her to be dead, her body was found on the coast of Sicily, alive and well.
Though the most puzzling aspect of her survival was that her body was clad in knightly armor, with a longsword strapped to her.
After she was rushed to the hospital, doctors say that she has suffered amnesia from the trauma of the shipwreck and possible dementia, due to her sudden ability to speak Latin, which was something she never learned, according to her father. We still await further updates from the Florence General Hospital."
Charlotte had left the hospital. Though it took some time, she finally was able to trick the doctors into thinking her dementia was gone. Though she never really understood why the doctors thought that she was crazy for saying that she was a knight. Those painstakingly long days at the hospital taught her to be more secretive about her origins.
Charlotte's cover was so far and so good. She managed to integrate herself into society without much suspicion since many attributed her lack of knowledge and strange behavior to her dementia. But now, it was different. She was going to Japan, and based on her knowledge, it was just like the Myre, full of the samurai. Charlotte was ready to let go of her hostility, because she knew, she lived in a world where war and fighting were over.
Her father was taking a business trip to Japan and she had to go with him. Her father didn't want her to study in the mainstream schools in Tokyo or Osaka. Instead, he chose a school that was low-profile but still high quality for his daughter. It was in a town west of Tokyo in the countryside, named Buraza Town.
Strangely enough, as soon as she arrived in Tokyo, she received a strange call. A call from a girl who preferred to call herself Info-chan.
Omake#2: Brief Summary of Bjorn's arrival
Bjorn was falling. Being executed by the knights, he was pushed into a pit full of spikes, impaling his brothers and sisters. He could only close his eyes and wait for it to all end. He soon feels a sharp pain in his back and the world goes dark.
But he wakes up, in cold pavement, in a strange new land filled with stone buildings. He tries to investigate, though he felt tired from what he had experienced. He peeked out to see completely different people wearing different clothing. Through a bit of reconnaissance, he discovered he was in a land called Iceland, a place one filled with Vikings. Which was probably how he could speak their language so well.
Since he knew nothing of this world, he decided to make a name for himself the only way he could.
Through fighting.
Bjorn entered into many wrestling matches, coming out the winner in every single one. He made his living through beating the crap out of all the opponents he fought. And that was when he caught someone's eye. A club owner wanted him to guard the front door of his pub, promising much higher payment than these underground street fights.
And Bjorn did just that, guarding the front of a pub with his newly purchased riot shield and baton. His presence always ensured peace and quiet within the bar and if there were any fights, he was quick to shut them down. But that was until he knew the true nature of the bar.
The bar was home to illegal prostitution, something that Bjorn was opposed to. Being a man of honor, prestige and family values, he quit his job and reported it to the police.
Bjorn was left with nothing after that, his only hope was to find a job somewhere else. Thankfully, one of his old sparring mates talked of an easy job to grab in this nation called Japan. Bjorn only needed someone to take care of his papers and he would finally have a new livelihood. He arrives in the country, noticing its similarities with the samurai, but he let go of that a long time ago.
Thankfully, unlike the other Vikings, he knew how to speak Japanese and was able to find directions to Buraza Town.
Here are the brief explanations, I'll expand more on them sooner or later.