Hi! Thank you again readers and followers. Your comments, follows and favorites were greatly appreciated. To my consistent reviewers, you know who you are – two thumbs up to all of you.
Sorry. This chapter is long overdue.
A/N: There has been a rating change to 'T'. Please enjoy!
-x-
It was already late in the afternoon, the sea was getting rough, the waves getting dangerously bigger and strong winds blowing harder when a loud splash of water was heard as two figures suddenly fell from the speeding boat, followed by horrifying shriek of voices.
As she sank deeper, the first thing that registered in her mind was the ice cold water that pricked her skin like thousand knives, making it harder to breathe. She tried to open her emerald eyes but the seawater made it such a difficult endeavor, she could only peek from time to time. Small bubbles escaped her lips.
In the corner of her eye, she saw a movement and realized her friend, a little older than her, desperately flapping her arms and feet against the water currents, trying to reach above the surface and she followed suit.
However, her little paper-thin body only worked against her as huge splashes of water engulfed her, submerging her further deeper, her efforts of little or no avail. She could frantically hear the erratic pounding of her chest, angry blood rushing in her veins and her burning lungs screaming for air.
Her heart in her mouth, she willed herself not to panic lest fear would cripple her. She again scrambled back on her feet, propelling her body up as she kicked with her legs with all her might while her small arms did rapid front strokes.
From above, she could see the little rays of the sun already setting down and forced herself to focus on getting above the surface. She swam ceaselessly in what felt like hours of long struggle, ignoring the bitter cold that bit her skin. Up, up, up, she chanted to herself despite the grave terror that was intensely growing within her. Her arms moved left and right continuously, weaving her way through the undulating body of water. She firmly held her breath as she forced her green orbs to stay open despite the stinging sensation. Move, she urged herself.
And just when she thought she was near, another angry giant wave, larger than the first, enveloped her making her sway and roll like dust blown by the wind and this time, her body seemed to have reached its limit. With one last ounce of strength, she clawed her way up only that the wave currents were stronger than her sheer will.
Fatigue had started to set in. Her mouth slightly parted as exhaustion took over and the offending seawater slowly seeped inside her little body. Her fading consciousness was a dreadful memory of herself plummeting down the bottom of the sea, her throbbing pulse getting weaker by the second, her shoulder-length midnight blue hair sprawled behind her and those emerald eyes suddenly getting heavy as she let them glance a little longer at what blurry rays of light that penetrated the sea.
She knew she was going to die. The searing pain would slowly ebb away together with her remaining strength and consciousness. It was okay, she thought, at least she would not be alone anymore. She would at least be together with her loved ones, her parents. She knew she would never admit even to herself but the truth was undeniably and unmistakably painful – she hated to be alone.
Only she had one regret if she were to die now. She heard that when people were about to die or had near-death experiences, their lives flashed in their memory in lightning speed, recounting all their days. However, unlike what she thought she would experience, there was only one thing on her mind.
Shizuru.
She tried to remember the brunette's beautiful face, etching every detail in her memory. She saw her smiling sweetly at her, crimson eyes crinkled cutely. She recalled the sound of her pleasant voice and her fascinating accent, carried smoothly by the winds, calling her name teasingly. She reminisced her warm body, embracing her comfortingly, strong arms enveloping her protectively. Now, if only she could be allowed one wish, she desperately wanted to see her and express her feelings. And yet, it was a little too late.
Time was a cheater.
Above all, time was a liar.
Her heart ached with sorrow and regret. If only time machines existed, if only time could be bought, if only time could be stopped, if only time could be turned back. There were so many 'if only' scenarios and yet each was an impossibility with time on the other side of the equation.
Imbuing herself in solitude, she cried her heart out wishing the grim reaper to claim her sooner, at least there would be no more pain, when something warm wrapped around her, cupping her face as she felt her deadweight body being pulled up. She resisted the urge to open her emerald eyes and wished for whatever was disturbing her to just let her be. She wanted to die peacefully.
However, the force was insistent, whatever that was; it kept on squirming, tugging and lifting her up. Against her will, she lifted one eye open and despite the darkness that caved in underneath the monstrous sea, a pair of crimson orbs shone brightly, staring at her – mixed emotions of fear and anxiety, worry and relief registered in those eyes before her consciousness failed her.
From a distance, she heard a muffled voice that distracted her annoyingly from her slumber. She tried to ignore them as she felt extremely tired and restless. But much to her dismay, the inaudible voice was becoming stubborn and louder, she faintly and yet distinctively heard her name being called out followed by an excruciating pain that rippled throughout her body emanating from her chest, the compression done in a rhythmic pattern.
Then, she vaguely felt air from her mouth as her consciousness kept on zoning in and out when at the pit of her stomach, a pressure from within alarmingly needed to be released and she found herself vomiting a mouthful of water, dripping from the right side of her face.
She coughed relentlessly, her saliva mixing with the seawater as she spat them and the dizziness coupled by the throbbing pain at the back of her head doubled her agony, she could not keep her emerald eyes open. Then she heard someone speaking to her urgently, calling her attention, forcing her to come to her senses, yet she could vaguely hear the words, could only make few of them.
"Natsuki, Natsuki…" she felt someone, gently tapping her face "Listen, I'll come back… I'll have to find …" she could barely process whatever was being said when she felt someone hugging her, kissing her forehead softly. No matter how much she commanded her body to move, she was lying on her back uselessly, she could only squint her eyes as she saw the blurry image of someone retreating back, going at the edge of the boat.
Shizuru, is that you, she mentally asked herself as she blinked her weary eyes trying to focus on the moving figure. The aching sensation coursing through her body was enough proof to know she did not drown, the brunette must have saved her life. She groaned as she forced her arms to reach her and opened her mouth to call her back. And yet, no sound was coming from her mouth.
She saw her glancing back at her, giving her an encouraging smile and her mouth was moving, forming words she could not comprehend, partly muffled by the sound of winds and waves. She saw her jump off the edge of the boat, vanishing underneath the strong currents of water.
She thought she had another chance… a second chance, to make things right, to express her feelings. And yet, she didn't understand why at that moment, she felt as if it would be the last time she would see her again.
Come back, please don't leave me… come back, please come back, she thought desperately as tears welled up in those green eyes, her vision getting blurry and distorted; yet her voice only sounded a mix of gurgling sounds escaping her throat.
Shizuru, she tried to speak again, calling out to her, begging her not to go, but her plea was futile. You will lose her, a voice screamed inside her head and with a forceful effort, she willed herself to speak.
"SHIZURU!" Natsuki jolted out from her bed as she found herself screaming, little beads of sweat dotting on her forehead, her body shivering as if splashed with cold water, her breath short and strained, the worst of it was the sickening feeling of fear building from within her.
She blinked her eyes several times as her brain tried to process what had just happened. She glanced at her surroundings, noting the familiar corners of her small apartment. She glanced at her watch on her bedside table indicating it was half past three in the morning. She inhaled sharply as she calmed her heart hammering frantically inside her chest. I'm just dreaming, she convinced herself.
And yet no matter how much she persuaded herself not to worry, her instinct was acting devil's advocate, only adding fuel to the flame. She shuddered at the thought of reliving that painful memory of the past, it just felt so awfully real and disturbing. Her throat felt so dry and itchy as tears stung her eyes and she wept silently.
She realized that the upcoming competition this morning must have triggered her fear sub-consciously, appearing in moments of her weakness, especially during her sleep when she had no control of her conscious self. After few minutes, she again breathed deeply as she wiped her eyes with her bare arm, finally recollecting herself, emotions getting under control. With a resolved look, she muttered silently.
Shizuru, this time, I will protect you. That, I promise you.
-x-
It was finally the day everyone had long anticipated – the official start of the Tough Contenders. The twelve representatives were currently stationed in their own schools waiting for their headmasters to hand over the gems, signaling the start of the competition. Each gem had a tracker inside for the Board of Chairmen to monitor its whereabouts.
School activities in all participating universities were suspended giving way for the students to participate and support their Presidents. In Rojoh University particularly, half of the students were acting as school defenders surrounding the whole campus serving as the first line of defense. Their mission was simple, defend and attack – not to allow any forthcoming infiltrations by throwing paintballs and water balloons made of reeking sewage water to any invaders, the very idea coming from the proud redhead mischief-maker.
Some were part of a platoon divided into three squads to attack other schools, but mainly targeting the three elite universities – Miyu Greer of Pronte, Akira Okuzaki of Ashika and Natsuki Kuga of Zaffiro. In the end, Shizuru of Rojoh had joined forces with Tomoe of Shenden, a powerful ally and a formidable opponent.
Haruka was the platoon leader commanding all the squads consisting of ten students per group. Being a strategic leader she was, she already had snipers with tranquilizer guns positioned in three schools whereas spies and double agents were also deployed to obtain real-time information and spread disinformation. Decoys were also on a standby, in case the need arose.
In other universities, different battle tactics were also employed, including the use smoke grenades emitting very foul odors, strong sticky glue guns, smoke screens, camouflage attackers, booby traps and other deception strategies. In only a matter of minutes, each school would soon be turned into a battleground, the whole town of Fuuka soon to be a battlefield.
Inside the Student Council Room, Shizuru was gracefully sipping on her green tea, enjoying the moment of peace and serenity that consumed the whole office, the calm before the storm. She was dressed in comfortable clothes, blue jeans and a simple white shirt that further defined her body's curves, emphasizing her front and back assets in plain view.
"You seemed very relaxed or should I say, overly complacent, Kaichou-sama?" The redhead eyed her curiously, walking towards the window overlooking the campus where most of the students ran in circles as the blonde leader, hands on her hips, was barking orders.
The brunette sipped another from her cup then stood beside the redhead, both of them watching the lively action transpiring before them. They watched Haruka complained to the scrawny-looking secretary who could only sigh and shake her head in agreement as she followed the blonde around.
"Ara, everyone seems so energetic. I believe there should be nothing to worry about, unless Yuuki plans to betray me?" She again drank from her cup and in the corner of her eye, observed her friend who suddenly got tense but covered it up quickly, brushing it off with her maniacal laugh.
"Betray you? Where'd you get that idea from? Ah, I bet from the crazy teal-haired girl you allied with. Looks like she wanted to break your trust on your team." The redhead rubbed her chin, her green eyes having a distant look in them, her lips turning into an enigmatic smile.
"Hmm… Looks like Yuuki will not answer my question with a simple yes or no. I wonder why?" Shizuru glanced sideways, her beautiful face masked with a soft smile and yet behind it, worry and confusion swam in her head.
"Shiz, would you agree with me that the end justifies the means?" Nao returned the brunette's gaze, a smirk now visible on her face as she answered it with another question.
The brunette glanced back at the window view, thinking over what to say, wondering why the redhead was suddenly getting mysterious and strange. Her thoughts kept on lingering about yesterday when she saw Nao riding on the motorbike driven by none other than the blue-haired woman, Natsuki Kuga.
She knew both of them must be friends from before, and yet, she could not ignore the nagging feeling that the redhead was not being entirely truthful about her intentions and that was somehow linked to the blue-haired woman. Nao had been her childhood friend, or so they said, as her memory was a clean slate, blank and vacant, since the accident occurred.
Everything that happened before then was gone, as if deleted from her memory. They consulted doctors and specialists, all coming to a conclusion of having traumatic brain injury, resulting to retrograde amnesia where the brain unconsciously repressed and shut down those events leading to the traumatic injury.
In order to further avoid any brain damages, they advised not to overload and bombard the brain about the past and let it recover on its own pace, lest they risked a permanent brain injury. Unfortunately, recovery period was boundless, it could occur quickly or could even span for few years.
When the brunette did not respond, as if lost in her own thoughts, Nao suddenly became concerned and tapped her on the shoulder, grinning with her perfect white teeth. "It's all right. You don't have to answer me." Shizuru glanced up at her, partly relieved to see the gleam of mischief in those green eyes.
"You should get going Kaichou, headmaster must be waiting for you." Nao leaned on the windowsill as she crossed her arms, her back facing the window.
"I trust you, Yuuki." She whispered softly as she slowly turned on her heels, walking towards the door, placing the cup on the table on her way out.
As the door clicked shut, Nao heaved a deep sigh, shaking her head slowly. Trust me, eh?, she muttered to herself. Be careful who you trust, Shiz. Not everyone is who they seemed to be.
-x-
In each school, the Presidents were all waiting outside their headmasters' offices, currently surrounded by women in black having the emblem of Fuuka, a shining red star, marked on their armbands. They were the Board's eyes and ears, stationed everywhere, monitoring the progress of the competition, reporting any happenings and overall, ensuring the safety of everyone.
Five minutes before the contest, the doors to the headmaster's offices were being unlocked however securely blocked by those Board's watchdogs, Shizuru could only smile at the tight security and seriousness of the situation. While she was somehow anxious about the letter, she was determined to enjoy and make the most of this event.
Right on time, the doors were being opened in all schools, the watchdogs making way for the representatives to go through. The brunette was trudging her way towards the headmaster's office when a loud explosion blasted from inside, the impact sending the brunette and some watchdogs flying backwards.
Shizuru could have sworn she saw a shade of blue blur of movement, behind Mashiro Windbloom, Rojoh's headmaster, before the deafening detonation occurred. She was coughing blood and dust staining her white shirt, as she tried to stand up, her blistered hands using the cracked wall for support. Her crimson eyes stung with the powdery dirt scattered everywhere when the once pristine white wall turned into crumbs of granular sand and gravel.
Horror struck her as she glanced over the headmaster's office – Mashiro was in a pool of blood, lying unconscious, her legs trapped under the pile of fallen wood chunks, which used to be the ceiling. Another woman in black, not too far away from the headmaster, was also lying face down. She inhaled deeply and tried to calm her panicking heart, looking around, assessing her situation.
She walked slowly and instantly regretted as she wobbled in pain, only realizing that her right leg had been punctured by a large piece of wood, smearing her jeans. She sat down, her back against the wall, inspecting her body for any other injury. She felt a blob of thick, red liquid slowly flowing on the side of her head and wiped it with her arm, wincing slightly in pain. She thought it must have been the impact from the blast, hitting the side of her head on the wall. Aside from these, there were only minor cuts from all over her body.
Around her, the watchdogs, those who were not badly injured which were only a few, were rushing towards the unconscious headmaster and their other colleagues. A few rushed to her side however, she brushed off any help, asking them to quickly attend to the principal's aid.
She wrapped both her shaking hands around the injuring wood, took a deep breath and pulled quickly, making her gasp in pain as blood trickled down her leg. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth as she felt the sting on her leg wound increasing tenfold. She knew she had to hurry and make the blood flow stop, but the discomfort was overwhelming, making her disoriented and she felt as if the world was slowly spinning.
"Shiz! What happened?" The brunette opened one eye and saw the rushing redhead, her small face bathed with fear and worry. Nao was quick to her side and stole the medical kit from one of the watchdogs.
"Stay with me, Shiz." Nao muttered as her hands worked briskly, cutting a chunk of the shredded jeans, cleaning the wound with water and wrapping a bandage around the leg wound. She did the same for the head injury, adding gauze pad to stop the bleeding, securing it in place with skin tape.
"Thanks Yuuki." Nao offered a tight small smile, as she hovered her emerald eyes around, assessing the intensity of the damage, then glanced back at the brunette. "How are you feeling?" The redhead roamed her eyes over her friend, her mind suddenly filled with rage. This has become a bloody combat, she thought darkly.
"Better. Much better, at least, I don't see two Yuuki's anymore." The brunette forced a laugh, trying to relieve her friend of worry, and yet failed miserably as the redhead stared at her profoundly.
"This freaking competition has to stop. Someone had just harmed you. This is a complete violation of the rules." She stood up and grabbed one of the watchdogs by the collar, angrily commanding her to direct the call to the Board of Chairmen, almost punching the scared woman for her initial denial. Call or Die?, Shizuru heard the redhead making threats, clearly annoyed and distressed about the turn of events.
The brunette then glanced over at her headmaster's direction where the wreckage was most visible and with great effort, she limped her way inside what once used to be the principal's office. As she neared the group of watchdogs attending to the principal, she was dreading every step she made, her heartbeat loud in her ears.
To her relief, they announced a very faint pulse and hurried to transport the principal to the nearest hospital. As they moved her to the stretcher, the brunette noticed something shiny dropped from the principal's hand. She dragged her injured leg moving further to her right, wincing in pain every so often, and searched the dusty floor filled with rubbles for the shiny object. The gem.
She picked the gem partially covered in dirt and dusted it off against her jeans. Upon further scrutiny, it was a garnet stone, which she remembered to be worth only one point. Just my luck, she silently cursed as she wrapped the gem in her palm.
Looking around the huge mess, her face suddenly darkened as she remembered the threat letter, the note now screaming inside her head, the threat turning into a nightmarish reality. Revenge is a dish best served cold. Be gone, Shizuru Fujino.
Mixed emotions displayed on her gloomy face – fury, vengeance and guilt. She was utterly in rage, despising how cruel and hideous the attack had been and she felt that she was the main target, unfortunately, involving innocent ones. She clenched and unclenched her fists, her crimson eyes shutting close as she took deep breaths – I need to control myself. I need to think properly, she commanded herself, repeating the mantra until her raging emotions subsided.
As she flicked open her dark red orbs, her features were partly covered in shadow, her lips pursed in a thin line, exuding a frightening aura. She knew what must be done, that there was only one option to choose, an invitation she could not refuse.
Heading towards the redhead who was busy talking, or rather screaming on the phone, she gently tapped her shoulder from behind, catching her attention. The redhead suddenly turned around, her glare intensifying in a flash only to soften when she saw the brunette, pointing towards the phone she was holding, asking to speak through it.
Nao willingly handed over the phone, satisfied that with the brunette on the line, they would believe her story and hold off the competition. However, eyes wide in shock, she felt her ears betray her as she heard Shizuru confirming for the competition to push through. Instinctively, she tried to grab the phone, however, the brunette had quickly ended the call, much to her frustration.
"Are you out of your mind!? You almost die, Shizuru!" Nao roughly grabbed the brunette's arm as she whirled her around, her voice loud and accusing, causing everyone to glance at them curiously. However, the redhead abruptly stopped, her hand dropping to her side, the anger in her emerald eyes quickly diffusing, as she stared at her friend openmouthed, a flash of hurt and guilt were painted on her weary face, her crimson eyes, dangerously on the brink of tears.
"Tell me, what should I do?" The redhead bit her lip as she averted her eyes, suddenly turning speechless. "People get hurt… because of me." The brunette continued softly, her voice a whisper, as she blinked back tears, recollecting herself again.
"Someone is seeking revenge on me. And I'm not going to give that culprit the satisfaction to see me as some pathetic and defenseless wimp." She slowly spun on her heels when a hand, now gentle and warm, stopped her and she glanced back, her crimson eyes directly staring into emerald ones.
"Let me help." Nao's lips curled into a small smile.
-x-
News about the violent intrusion in Rojoh University spread like wildfire. Various reports and claims had been made, some talking about few casualties, others exaggerating the story, having the whole campus was on fire. Nonetheless, one thing was certain – the competition was not called off.
In Zaffiro University, Natsuki had just left the headmaster's office when she immediately stopped in her tracks hearing the news of explosion from her spy. She fell on her knees, dropping the phone on the cement floor with a loud thud. Her lungs suddenly felt constricted, she found it hard to breathe while hot tears started to well in those emerald eyes. Her heart felt so heavy and painful, as if someone shot her, digging a burning hole inside.
Am I late?, she thought miserably, feeling lost and broken in her own thoughts when a voice from the phone crackled to life.
"Leader? Leader? Are you there?" the voice sounded urgent. "Affirmative – she's alive, though she looks hurt, do you copy?" The spy stationed in Rojoh whispered hoarsely.
The blue-haired woman blinked her eyes several times as the report slowly registered in her mind, her trembling hand picking up the phone, bringing it closer to her ears, recomposing herself before speaking. However, the next thing she heard was a blood-curdling shriek making the hairs at back of her neck rose, her adrenaline rushing.
"Irina, copy. Report, over." Natsuki's husky voice was filled with worry as she waited for a response and yet, the connection had become intermittent, the radio phone creating drastic static noise, the voice on the other line was broken and inaudible. She could only pick a few words from the message. Ambush. She's here – To. Then, the signal was completely lost, only the loud mocking sound of the radio static could be heard.
'Tomoe! That little rat, I warned her not to trust that deranged woman.' She mentally winced, anger suddenly boiling in her blood, her hand balling into a fist, as she turned off the radio phone and pocketed it.
If only she could fly towards the brunette, she would do it in a flash, only she knew better than to let her emotions take control of her. For now, she just had to suck it up and hope that the brunette would be fine. She also took comfort on the fact that there was no distress call yet from her main spy, which meant things were still under control. Protect her, Nao.
However, there was a nagging feeling at the back of her mind that bothered her right after picking up the call and yet she could not put her finger on why she felt something was amiss. As she checked her watch, noting she was running late for the meet up with Mai and Mikoto, she quickly dismissed the idea, thinking that she must be getting overly worried and paranoid. She shoved her hands on her jeans pocket, her palm enveloping her own gem, emerald which was worth four points, before she jogged her way outside the campus using hidden passageways.
-x-
There was a nonstop vibration of her phone, the caller clearly being persistent to be answered, yet she only smirked and was determined to prolong not to pick it up. However, she was getting increasingly annoyed and so she turned around the corner, entered an empty room and controlled her flaring emotions before pressing 'accept'.
"What the crap are you doing, you bastard! That's not part of the plan!" A voice filled with rage erupted that she had to remove the phone away from her ears, flinching in the process. Only when she was sure that the tantrums from the other line had died down did she bring up the phone closer to her ears and speak in her gentlest voice.
"I'm sorry I took you by surprise, I thought you've been informed of the change in plans." Her lips curled into a crooked smile, her amethyst eyes having a menacing look. "But I thought you'd be happy, I took revenge against that headmaster on your behalf. I know you don't like her." She spoke somberly, her voice sounding weak and terrified. However, the sneer spreading on her face said otherwise.
"But that was so stupid and reckless! That was even against the rules. And… and.." the caller's voice suddenly faltered, turning speechless.
"Actually, that Shizuru was just so lucky. If only I got the timing perfect, it's like hitting two birds with one sto~"
"Shut up!" The caller butted, suddenly turning agitated.
"I-I'm sorry… I thought you wanted revenge against her… After everything that you have suffered because of her, she deserve th~"
"I said shut up. You got nothing against her. Don't touch her. I am the one seeking revenge, so let me be the one to do it, I've waited so long for this. I've waited so long…and yet, it still hurts." The caller had turned emotional, the voice sounding guttural.
"I'm really sorry, my dear. You know I'll do anything for you. I love you." She spoke tenderly after which the caller dropped the line, and she removed the phone from her reddening ears, flicking her teal hair in the process. Yes, revenge is the sweetest of all.
-x-
There was a hurried shuffling of feet then a movement behind the bush on the side of an abandoned building causing two heads to glance over that direction. Their senses heightened to a maximum, their hands and feet turning into a fighting stance as they backed away from the scuffling noise.
The two were about to deliver a combo attack when the blue-haired woman suddenly popped into view, her hands on her knees, catching her breath.
"Natsuki! Where have you been? We've been waiting for ages. Did anything happen?" Mai exclaimed, dropping her hands to the side and walking closer to her friend, her hand resting on Natsuki's shoulder. The black-haired woman also edged closer to them, though still cautious, darting her eyes left and right, in case the blue-haired woman had been followed.
"Surprisingly, I encountered… no one on my way… here." She spoke in between breaths, standing straight and meeting their worried eyes. Then, her expression turned deadly serious as she heaved a deep sigh. "Anyway, sorry I'm late, I was trying to get more updates from my spies after the explosion occurred. However, they got ambushed."
"What?" Mai and Mikoto uttered in unison. However, all their attentions shifted to the beeping noise from Mai's phone and the orange-haired girl quickly picked it up. As their conversation continued, Mai's eyes turned as wide as saucers, her hand flying to her mouth in shock, the other two briefly glanced at each other despondently. Bad news.
When the orange-haired girl dropped the call, her face turned sullen, the shadow of the building covering her face almost gave her an eerie appearance. "Apparently, there has been more explosions happening in Rojoh."
Natsuki silently cursed, her heart hammering inside her chest, her mind instantly brimming with negative thoughts, she didn't realize her body was trembling. Only when Mai held her arms did she stop shaking, her troubled emerald eyes staring into deep purple eyes. "She'll be fine." Mai reassured her, her smile radiating with hope.
"But don't you two find it weird?" Mikoto spoke innocently, her hands scratching the back of her head, causing the two to glance her way. "Why don't they stop this mess? Clearly, this is against the rules."
"Right… unless…" Natsuki's eyes widened in fear as realization hit her. "Unless this competition is rigged."
"But why? Who would benefit from doing that?" The orange-haired girl asked, confusion masked in her face.
"To be honest, I don't know… I just got a really bad feeling about all this." Natsuki sighed, her hand unconsciously rubbing her temples.
"So, what's the plan? Do we still go after the brunette and kick her out?" Mikoto inquired matter-of-factly.
"I want her out of this terrible game, yes. However, her safety is paramount." The blue-haired woman answered, her gaze turning to each one of them.
"Got it." Mai responded.
"Roger!" Mikoto exclaimed.
After their conversation, the three split out moving in different directions, all heading to Rojoh University, to avoid gaining attention from other schools' spies. Natsuki had mentioned about the little secret garden located at the farthest end of the campus where they would regroup in about an hour. Mai reminded them to give a beep if anyone needed any rescuing.
-x-
"Miya, this is just so wonderful! The chess pieces are now all moving." The brown-haired girl cringed as she listened, her shoulders turned rigid, she glanced sidelong to her companion. She could only nod her head slightly, her eyes suddenly trained on the floor.
"Now that the white queen is in danger, this will lure all the chessmen in this place. Rojoh University will soon be turned into a massive chess board. This will be a masterpiece!" Her companion continued talking, dazed and amazed by her own plans, the brown-haired girl could only look despicably in the corner of her eye.
She bit her lower lip from trembling, wanting desperately to voice out her plea. She did not want any of these. She wanted no involvement in any of this madness. And yet, she could not find the strength to go against this brutal woman. She was a puppet, strings attached to her, making her move against her will.
Her companion looked at her curiously. "Do you know how to win in a chess match?" Her smile turned devious, her teeth seemed longer and pointed in her mouth.
Miya stole a quick glimpse at her companion before speaking. "A checkmate." Her voice was almost a hoarse whisper.
"Correct. When the King has no escape and he cannot make a move, that's automatically checkmate. But that's not the only way. You can also force them to resign, take away all its important pieces, leaving them no option but to surrender." She continued explaining, clearly enjoying her monologue.
"Those are the two common ways to win. Which do you think will I use in this competition?" Her companion eyed the brown-haired girl again, patiently waiting for a response.
"Uhm… the second one? Take away the officials, leave the King defenseless?" Miya offered, trying to make it sound as if she was interested in the conversation when in fact, she felt sick at the pit of her stomach.
"Ah good point. But wrong. There's one last option to win the game. And that's through the use of the power of time. And that's where things get even more interesting." Her creepy smile was enough to make the brown-haired girl shiver unconsciously, the hairs at the back of her neck rose uncomfortably, giving her goose bumps.
"Miya, you are my dark knight. You will lead them. This will be our victory." She spoke so proudly and confidently as she cupped her companion's face with her hands.
"Yes, as you wish, my dark queen." The brown-haired girl responded, her voice emotionless.
-x-
Natsuki was silently trudging her way, her mind occupied with the turn of events, she did not realize someone was following her from the shadow. While she was moving soundlessly, eyes darting left and right for any sign of movement, her perturbed mind still gave her a disadvantage. She could not stop worrying about the brunette, her dream or rather a nightmare, all the more boggling her mind.
She knew it would take twenty minutes by foot to reach Rojoh if she used the main street, however, with the scattered spies and attackers everywhere, she would not risk being caught. So she was forced to use the narrow side streets which were rarely being used and she estimated it would probably take her additional ten minutes. Her decoys, dressed to mimic her appearance with midnight blue hair, were also on their way to give her the diversion she needed to infiltrate the school.
As she was closing in, roughly a hundred meters away from the side of the campus, she was already hearing loud commotions, she assumed the invaders and defenders were already warring against each other. In the distance, she could see other students from different schools, lying unconscious, as they were hit by flying tranquilizers. Paintballs were also splattered everywhere while her nose scrunched up, smelling a reeky odor. Natsuki crouched further down, hiding in the bushes, knowing that there must be snipers nearby, hitting tons of students already.
Another wave of invading students flocked near the campus, however, they were being downed in a matter of minutes. Natsuki who was watching cautiously tried to follow the trajectory hits until she spotted two snipers plopped on a huge branch of a tree, their suits amazingly camouflaged with leaves. She silently moved closer, her hands pulling two small dart guns filled with sedatives from her belt.
She aimed her right gun on one sniper and carefully pulled the trigger. Instantly, the sniper dropped its huge gun as its body slumped on the branch. She smirked at herself and then aimed her left gun on the other one, her hand concentrating.
She confidently pulled the trigger, seeing the sniper in shock then went down. However, the next thing she knew was the excruciating pain at the back of her head then suddenly everything started to blur, she lay sprawled on her back. She felt someone going through her body, searching for something.
She was groaning in pain and tried to move but her body would not budge, she could only slowly glance at the intruder. However, she could only see a vague figure of someone holding her emerald gem, its laugh taunting. Goodbye to you, white king, the figure spoke in between sneers. Her face contorted with anguish and before everything blacked out, her mind was screaming one name. Shi. Zu. Ru.
-x-
Shizuru was slowly walking, half dragging her injured leg while she was surrounded by other students, armed with guns, all serving as her bodyguards with the redhead's persistent request. She asked Nao to regroup with Haruka and investigate the other explosion in the campus however, the redhead would only agree to leave her with defenders around her in her absence.
After a while, the brunette seemed to get used to the throbbing pain on her leg as she was regaining her strength. Nonetheless, the brunette felt as if she was walking baby steps and the trip to the Student Council's room seemed like forever.
Despite her calm demeanor on the outside, her brain was working overtime, trying to connect the dots and thinking of the possible culprits for the explosion, the origins of the threats. Her mind was recalling the scene for anything that would give her a clue. She was almost certain she saw a blue blur, dark as the ocean, and she was reminded of someone. Natsuki.
Could it be possible, this was her plan all along? Did she set up everything? Was the threat letter originally from her? Did she cause the explosion? Was Natsuki the one seeking revenge… on me? Who are you really, Natsuki Kuga? Questions plagued her mind doubting the blue-haired woman's intentions. As much as she tried to eradicate the silly idea, remembering the sincerity in those emerald eyes, it just fitted the picture perfectly.
She tried to analyze things deeper, separating the facts from her assumptions. It was a fact that Natsuki brought about the threat letter. She wanted me to drop the game. When I don't, she said she'd kick me out. Then, there's the explosion and I'm almost certain I saw a dark blue hair. Was it possible that I dropping the game was her initial plan of revenge? And since I disagree, she was forced to resort to violence just to scratch me off the game?
Questions after questions still whirled inside her head, she felt lost in her own thoughts, causing her side head injury to throb slightly. Only when one of the bodyguards informed her that they were nearing Student's Council room did she shake her mind off her predicaments and focus on the present.
Her bodyguards stayed put a few feet away from outside the room, giving space for the brunette to enter. Shizuru was about to open the room when someone from inside beat her to it. In a flash, the intruder enveloped her in an embrace, surprising the brunette.
"Oh Shizuru!" The intruder almost sounded on the verge of tears. "Glad you are safe! I'm so worried about you!" The voice croaked.
"Tomoe…"
-x-