To Stand at the Pinnacle

by Baryon Lancer

#4 Miyuki is not a woman to be trifled with. She will not let slights and her fiance's desire to remain anonymous keep him out of the spotlight he richly deserves. The world will come to know the value of her Onii-sama, and she'll change the Nine Schools forever to do it. The events occur around the groups' Third Year Nine Schools Competition.

10. Chapter 10: So Very Far

"AHHHH!"

This high pitched scream was heard just milliseconds after a hard "thunk" sound as for the fourth time Erika sent the first-years women's solo representative flying from the make-shift Shield Down stage First High used for training.

The young lady in question was surely developing a whelp on her buttocks as Erika had repeatedly sent her out of the ring since training began.

Tatsuya was growing a bit concerned. Not for the young first-year. The harsh training Erika was putting her through would prepare her well for what she'd face in actual competition in a few weeks. The young lady had started today's practice using distant attacks on Erika. As a Course One student she naturally hoped to overcome Erika's Acceleration specialty with a variety of distant magic attacks.

Erika had avoided them all with ease and had made the young woman pay for her tactical selections through physical contact. Not only would her butt be sore tonight, but both arms and legs, plus her sides, had taken direct hits from Erika's shield.

Tatsuya wanted the young woman to learn the valuable lesson that someone who specializes in a particular magic, could be just as dangerous in the variety of ways they use that one magic to their advantage, as a more "talented" magician might be with using a wider variety of magic.

He also wanted her to come to terms with that fact that Shield Down was a competition that favored magic enhanced close action and physical contact over purely magical attacks. A few more rounds of Erika bouncing her out of the ring should get her mind into a state where Tatsuya's instruction on how to negate Erika's physical prowess would be receptive to the young lady's ego.

Tatsuya's concern was aimed instead squarely at her training partner.

Erika clearly wasn't her usual herself today.

He had only seen her in passing in the hallways before training started since they were both very busy and no longer shared the same classroom, but even then he could easily sense her anger.

Another dead giveaway was her silence. Erika wasn't what one would call a "motor-mouth", but she was as skilled with her tongue as with a sword and it was just as sharp too. Erika only used silence when she was sneaking up on an opponent, which for her was a rarity as well. Erika was a fan of head on confrontations and agitating her opponents with words. Silence and Erika were not two things Tatsuya associated with each other.

Normally she'd taunt her training partner mildly, or in this case provide advice to counter her moves. Yet today she was Silence itself. She barely even nodded to him when she entered the gymnasium.

Her opponent didn't know her well, but she knew enough about her to know her silence was ominous. As if to prove that point Erika was being borderline sadistic in her silent yet highly effective attacks. While Tatsuya was used to extreme harshness in training, he realized a high school competition didn't require that level of brutality.

Since this young first-year seemed to be particularly stubborn Tatsuya judged she could use a little "breaking-in" by Erika before they built her back up. Still, Erika was getting precariously close to crossing the line with her attacks. Had she had a sword in hand like usual, and not a shield, her young opponent would have been dead long ago.

"I thought she had recovered her normal mood yesterday."

She had been angry yesterday morning too, but apparently after publically exposing their friends' new romantic relationship her mood had improved. Her training yesterday, with this very same young woman, had been a positive experience for both of them and Erika had happily supplied teasing and advice in abundance.

With Minami off the training floor all week escorting Minoru, Erika's contribution to the first-years' training had been an invaluable contribution. Yet today, Tatsuya wasn't sure if her dark mood was a help,a hindrance, or a danger.

"That's really the only thing she's got ya know."

The young male first-year solo representative was watching the proceedings from the sidelines as Leo had yet to come in from his duties as Mountaineering Club President. While Leo wasn't exerting himself with physical club activities while also training for the Nine Schools Competition, he did have to make sure those that weren't training for the competition didn't slack off on their own club responsibilities.

So the young first-year watched his female counterpart spar with Erika from the sidelines. Beside him, his fellow first-years for the newcomers' pairs division listened to his running commentary on what he was seeing. By their expressions, he was causing them some consternation by what he was saying. By coincidence, all three were Course One students as well.

"If she'd just use her Gravity Nullification as an area of effect magic then that Weed wouldn't get anywhere near her."

He was whispering to his awkward looking companions, apparently under the impression that no one but them could hear him.

Tatsuya's ears had been fined tuned through training to pick out whispers even from a distance.

"There's always a few every year."

Two years ago it had been Hattori-sempai and Morisaki. Last year Shippou had come in with a similar, yet more indirect, attitude. Despite always eventually learning of their folly, there were always going to be those who thought that a petal emblem on their chest meant they were instantly better than those who don't have it.

Until someone proved them wrong.

Even a third-year Course Two who was easily laying waste to his fellow first-year Course One counterpart couldn't convince this one of his error.

Tatsuya had told Leo to put his full effort into training this one. He too needed a good "breaking-in" before rebuilding him, but for entirely different reasons.

As was his way though, Leo didn't put his full talent on display and that had let this one think he was still his better.

Today Tatsuya would make sure Leo laid into him. A few whispered words about what this one said about Erika should gain the results Tatsuya wanted.

"What did you just say first-year?"

"Or perhaps it wouldn't be Leo teaching this lesson to him after all."

Tatsuya turned around to see Morisaki and Shippou both glaring down with harsh eyes towards the errant young kohai. He looked back up at them with fear radiating from him.

"I…..I didn't…."

Morisaki was clearly not on Public Morals duty, as he and Shippou both wore their training fatigues. Having memorized the training schedule, Tatsuya knew both were headed to the artificial forest behind the school for Monolith Code training. Tatsuya briefly wondered why their team leader Mikihiko was not present. His mind wondered to the possibility that the Public Morals Chief might be distracting their Head Engineer from her duties, and then remembering the personalities of the two people he was speculating on, realized it was more likely Mikihiko was already waiting for these two in the training forest.

"You didn't what?"

This time it was Shippou confronting him. Tatsuya was downright impressed with how these two sempais where leveling their own unique forms of intimidation on the mind of this errant kohai. The terms "hot" and "cold" came to mind.

"I just….I didn't…"

His previous conversation companions had begun to strategically abandon their colleague by sliding further down the bench from him.

"It's painfully obvious you DIDN'T. Else you would have watched your tongue when speaking of a sempai."

Morisaki's anger was matched by Shippou's cold glare.

"Are you aware of that fact that Shiba-sempai is also technically a Course Two student?"

Suddenly looking back at Tatsuya directly, the young first-year's panic seemed to triple instantly.

"This is perhaps going a bit too far."

Tatsuya briefly wondered if this loud-mouthed kohai was more afraid of Tatsuya the Public Morals member, who had laid waste to others' errant activities during Club Recruitment Week his first year, Tatsuya the opponent, who defeated the previously untouchable Hattori in an official match his very first week of school, or Tatsuya the Yotsuba, son of the Demon Lady of the East.

"Hey Shiba-san, are Tomitsuka-san, Saijou-san, and you taking it easy on this kid or something?"

It was painfully clear from his now nearly tearful expression that it was Tatsuya the Yotsuba this young man feared the most just by looking at the terror in his eyes.

"How would you like Shiba-sempai to demonstrate to you the proper way to perform Shield Down in person?"

Even though he had to know where his angry sempais were going with this already, hearing the words began to make him panic even more.

"Oh, that sounds like a great idea. You got this handled, right kid? After all, he's just a Course Two, right?"

They were standing over him like cats about to pounce on a mouse. Tatsuya even began to feel sorry for this arrogant young man.

"I can speak from personal experience that you will find this particular lesson most illuminating."

"Wait, please! I…..I never…."

Finally finding his tongue again, he began to mount a feeble defense of himself. Tatsuya decided that the lesson was learned and sent him a lifeline.

"In my current role as Strategy and Training Chief, it would be inappropriate for me to neglect my observations of the participants in order to spar with them directly outside of my own competition training."

Both Morisaki and Shippou looked briefly disappointed by his response, but their mutual kohai looked as if he had just been pulled back from the ledge of a volcano.

"Is that so?"

Saying so, Shippou's eyes drifted towards the Shield Down training stage.

"Then how about you try your hand against the target of your slander?"

The young man's eyes again took on the look of abject fear.

"That's right, since you're a big bad Course One you can try your hand against Chiba-san."

"What do you say Chiba-sempai? Willing to teach this one a well-deserved lesson?"

Terrified eyes looked upward to see the cold and angry glare of a predator staring him down. The ruthlessness of Erika's gaze could have matched Miyuki's "ice eyes" for intimidation factor. The boy even tried to scramble backward under the intensity of her eyes, only being stopped by the back of the bench.

"Shiba-san, should we…."

Tomitsuka, the official division men's solo Shield Down representative had come up to Tatsuya's side with Kent, working as the engineer responsible for CAD tuning during this training, tagging along beside him. Crowd Ball training was happening on the other side of this gym, but everyone now had stopped to watch this drama unfold.

To Tomitsuka's half-asked question Tatsuya gave him a slight head shake. As rough as the sempais were being, this kohai had yet to show true contrition.

Tatsuya was also aware of the three sets of eyes watching this drama unfold from the shadows of the nearby hallway.

"He's not worth the effort."

With these words, Erika turned her back on their errant kohai, to which his visible relief was nearly comical to observe.

"You don't think this is the end of this, do you?"

Morisaki's angry question again returned terror to the face of the oblivious young man. Seeing his lack of understanding, Shippou rather calmly explained it to him.

"You owe some people apologies, do you not?"

Finally understanding, the young man bounded off the bench and dropped to his knees facing Tatsuya.

"Really?"

Tatsuya didn't embarrass easy, but he certainly didn't like to draw attention to himself.

"SHIBA-SEMAPI!"

Screaming out so everyone in the gymnasium heard him, his head hit the mat covering the training floor.

"PLEASE FORGIVE ME! I DIDN'T MEAN TO DISPARAGE COURSE TWO STUDENTS!"

Feeling all eyes now on him, Tatsuya moved quickly to end this.

"Consider yourself forgiven."

The young man rose back up to his knees and then nodded his gratitude again. Taking to his feet, he moved towards the training stage to obtain Erika's forgiveness as well.

Only then did the owners of the three sets of eyes emerge from the shadows of the hallway to stand behind the unsuspecting "corrections" duo of Morisaki and Shippou.

"Morisaki-san, Shippou-san."

They turned to face the speaker with stunned expressions, realizing the owner of that melodic voice instantly.

"President Shiba!"

They both called out to a happily smirking Miyuki, resplendent in her Icicles Break training outfit with the also smiling and beautiful Honoka and Shizuku on either side of her in similar outfits.

Faced with such lofty and shapely views of beauty, neither could manage to form any other words at the moment.

Beside him and several meters away, even Tomitsuka and Kent seemed dumbfounded to look upon such gorgeous women in outfits so form fitting. Even Tatsuya could feel an awkwardness developing within himself as he looked upon them.

He could also see Miyuki's pure amusement at what she had just witnessed. Her smile was positively radiant.

"My my! How far we have all come these past few years together. I cannot tell you how it fills my heart with joy and gratitude to see how well we have all come together here at First High."

Under the power of those three radiant smiles, these two could only make embarrassed looking head nods to acknowledge her praising words. Morisaki even scratched the back of his head as if he were trying to think of something profound to say in reply.

Emerging from the same hallway as the three Beauties had just moments before, Mikihiko's eyes instantly fell upon the shapely legs, torsos, and from his angle buttocks before him. His eyes widened noticeably and then he embarrassedly turned away from that particularly intense view. Only then did he see the stupefied looks of his Monolith Code teammates. Now sighing with frustration he mildly shook his head. Tatsuya wasn't a mind reader, but he assumed Mikihiko had just deduced no real progress could be achieved on the practice field today when the minds of his two teammates would clearly be elsewhere.

"Please Chiba-sempai! I am truly sorry!"

At these words, all eyes turned with curiosity as steely-eyed Erika looked down on the prostrate young man performing dogeza before her.

"You're sorry you got caught. That's all you're sorry about."

Still in her obviously terrible mood, Erika was clearly proving harder to satisfy than Tatsuya had for this recalcitrant young man. The first-year was so terrified he didn't dare to look up at her. Her former training partner had retreated to the edge of the stage with stunned and fearful eyes aimed at Erika as well.

"Once a slug like you slithers off and out from the light of day and back into the hole you crawled out of you'll be spouting your 'Weed' garbage all over again."

Even Shizuku's hand shot up to cover her stunned opened mouth beside Miyuki and Honoka.

"Erika!"

Unaware of the events that had unfolded to precipitate this conversation before his arrival, the person who had known her the longest reacted in shock to her harsh words. Her eyes glared with so much anger that Mikihiko shrunk back from it.

Then her hateful eyes fell back on the helpless boy at her feet.

"I could make you truly sorry though. If I had a sword in my hand now..."

As if she did have that sword in her hand Erika drew her shield upward instead. If she chose to swing it down with force she could break this boy's shoulder blade or even his neck.

The look in her eyes indicated her killing intent was real.

"ERIKA!"

Stunned by his commanding voice, all eyes including hers looked now towards Tatsuya. His intense gaze focused squarely on Erika, they exchanged near hostile intent with each other. The atmosphere threatened to devolve into a showdown when Erika suddenly looked away.

"This isn't even worth the effort."

With these words Erika nonchalantly tossed her shield onto the training floor, making both her very scared companions on the stage twitch in surprise. The young boy, still prostrate on the ground, refused to budge from that position.

Erika, as if nothing had happened, walked off the stage with all eyes following her as if she hadn't a care in the world.

As she passed by the cluster of her classmates towards the hallway, both Miyuki and Mikihiko made as if to pursue her, but a sudden hand gesture from Tatsuya made them both stop in their tracks.

Then as she was about to enter the hallway a familiar figure emerged in his training fatigues.

"Oh, hey, you done already?"

Not having been in the room long enough to sense the strange quiet, or see the stunned eyes following the one person before him, Leo was like a drunken soldier who had unknowingly stepped into a mine field.

Looking up at him with an expression of pure emptiness, Erika unloaded on him.

"You really are a moron, aren't you?"

Her words were far too calm. It was clear from his expression that he knew that from her cold and distance words, this time "moron" really meant moron. None of their normal teasing banter was in her cold expression. Had she not spoke to him it would have been like Erika had never even seen him at all.

It was so evident that she had hurt Leo deeply that Honoka took in a stunned breath so loud the whole gym heard her.

Erika turned her disinterested eyes from him and walked away as Leo, stunned silent, watched her go.

All eyes were now on him as he watched her form retreat down the hall.

"Erika-sempai is…..she can be very harsh at times."

Tatsuya could only ponder Kent's statement as Tomitsuka reluctantly nodded his agreement.

Leo stood there staring helplessly back down the hallway.

Then his chest heaved a few times before he turned around to face Tatsuya.

"So….."

Everyone present had to admire Leo's restraint. Every movement of his body indicated he wanted to smash his shield to bits with his bare hands, or the first thing he saw next.

"…who's my partner today?"

With much sympathy, all eyes drifted to the formerly arrogant young man who only now had returned to his knees from his formerly prostrate position.

Only one set of eyes in the room looked upon him with cold and resolute intent. Seeing this forceful gaze, the poor boy's eyes widened in fear once more as everyone could hear Leo's knuckles crack as he tightened his grip on his shield's handle.

Tatsuya decided that Leo didn't need any additional incentive to give it his all today. Instead, like Erika before him, Tatsuya may have to restrain his "enthusiasm" instead.

---

They were all surprised to find Erika waiting in the Student Council Room with the awkward looking pair of Izumi and Shiina watching over her. Neither clearly knew what to do about this particularly vexing sempai. Neither seemed pleased she had helped herself to a seat either. Shiina looked particularly put off by Erika's presence for some reason.

With Minami off on "assignment" with Minoru, Miyuki had taken the opportunity to arrange for the entire "old gang" to once again head to their old post-school stomping grounds, Café Eine Briese.

She had done this in the hopes that it would be just like "old times".

Seeing Erika with her feet propped up on the Student Council Room table even Tatsuya had to send her a questioning expression.

"Are we going to Eine Briese like we planned or not?"

Her expression showed nothing but the usual trademark carefree attitude everyone expected from Erika. From her demeanor, you would have never guessed a little over an hour before she had nearly pummeled a defenseless first-year with her shield. When Leo walked in she didn't even acknowledge he was there. For his part, he too didn't speak directly to her.

Seeing Erika at least trying to make an effort to get over her anger, it was clear Miyuki still wanted to also try and salvage this trip down "memory lane".

After Kasumi showed up and successfully thwarted Izumi's last ditch attempt at interloping, the eight friends, five girls and three boys, all third-years, made their way down the hillside street that led from First High to the First High Cabinet Station, passing the shops along the way that mostly catered specifically to young magicians' needs.

Just like old times.

If not for the fact that all of them were somewhat taller and more mature it might have been impossible at first glance to know that it was 2097 and not 2095.

Still, if one knew these students well and looked hard enough, one could see the subtle differences.

For one thing, the three boys purposefully stayed a few steps behind the girls. One boy, in particular, looking less than thrilled with life at the moment as the other two attempted to engage him in discussion.

For another example, the girls in front were now clustered about the redhead in the middle who was becoming more animated and talkative as they proceeded further down the hill.

Only one of these eight had not witnessed or participated in some part of the controversial events less than two hours before in the small gymnasium. Having learned of the events second-hand she now brought her full force to bear against her best friend.

At first, Erika tried to play it off as if the others were exaggerating the events, but Mizuki wouldn't be put off by these denials or Erika's attempts to redirect the topic to Mikihiko's dinner with the Shibatas the night before. She found quiet support for her efforts to oppose Erika's diversion tactics from her other three female companions, who also normally would have rather pepper Mizuki with questions about Mikihiko's visit instead.

Then the other three women slowly joined in questioning the reluctant Erika with gentle but prying questions as well.

To Tatsuya's amazement before they even got halfway to Eine Briese Erika was pouring forth her anger and frustrations openly.

"He didn't even have the nerve to tell me beforehand! He did it behind my back and only after the fact!"

She was angry, but in a different way than before. Where in the gym she had bottled it up inside her till the point it almost exploded, now she was letting it blow out of her like a steam whistle.

An agitated and pissed off steam whistle.

"Is it normal for brothers to consult sisters about this type of thing?"

Honoka, as an only child, asked this of her own best friend. Shizuku, who had a younger brother, could only shrug in response.

A few minutes before Erika had also confessed the source of her earlier anger from the previous morning.

While Tatsuya surmised that Erika had left out some significant details, the fact that her father had basically told her she was going to join the police one way or another was a bit surprising to him. For everyone else, they couldn't believe that her father would force her into a career. Even Miyuki affected some shock at this, despite the fact she too had had her own future "career" mapped out for her too.

Tatsuya gathered this was somewhat stunning if not unexpected news for Erika though, where Miyuki had lived with this virtual fact of her existence for most of her life.

His own source of surprise though was from a different perspective. He was genuinely surprised another family besides the Yotsuba were so ruthless in mapping out their member's lives for them. He had truly thought that outside of arranged marriages, non-Yotsuba magicians had somewhat free will when at least picking career paths, outside of direct heirs, since personal interest was so important to success in a career field.

It never occurred to him that arranged marriages could be seen as even significantly more invasive to someone's personal life, since arranged marriages were just a way of life for almost all of Japan's numbered magician families.

"Erika-chan, why does this make you so angry?"

Mizuki's question brought Tatsuya back to Erika's source of anger for today.

"HE'S MY BROTHER!"

She said this for the third time in this discussion, each time getting louder and more agitated. Apparently this statement of simple fact was all the reply Erika deemed necessary to answer nearly a third of the questions the girls were fielding to her.

From the nearly entirely sympathetic looking Miyuki to the downright bewildered looking Mizuki, the other four girls showed varying degrees of understanding to Erika's frustrated answer. That they all showed some degree of understanding though perplexed Tatsuya, who like his two male companions listening in silence from behind showed facial expressions denoting a complete lack of comprehension.

Actually, two of the three males looked bewildered. The tallest of the three seemed downright angry at Erika with is arms folded over his chest and a scowl aimed at the back of her head.

Every time she said "HE'S MY BROTHER" Leo would shake his head and roll his eyes, then release a frustrated sigh.

Tatsuya began to think that if Erika didn't eventually smooth things over with Leo that the chances of First High winning Pairs Shield Down were going to decrease exponentially by the day.

She was clearly too worked up about her brother's engagement to realize she even needed to apologize to Leo.

"It's all Miki's brother's fault?"

"Huh?"

Multiple people released that questioning word at Erika's inexplicable pronouncement.

"First, my name is Mikihiko. You know this already!"

Seeing no reaction at all, Mikihiko sighed and proceeded in a calmer voice.

"Next, how can this possibly be Motohiko's fault?"

Erika didn't even look back to answer. Her posture and attitude now perfectly matched Leo's who was only two meters behind her still scowling.

"He had to go get engaged! Now Nao-Nee-san has to keep up."

"Erika…"

Miyuki looked like she wanted to stroke the angry Erika's head to comfort her as she continued.

"…you know that his a highly unlikely correlation."

Erika pouted a bit as if she were looking for a better angle to attack her frustrations from. Apparently finding one, she continued.

"But what kind of brother doesn't even consult his sister before something like this?"

Mikihiko rather foolishly stepped into this obvious trap.

"Motohiko didn't ask me before he decided to get married. You don't see me getting bent out of shape over it."

Four sets of female eyes looked back at Mikihiko now with varying degrees of sympathy. They understood what was about to happen to him.

"I had no idea you were a girl all this time Miki. I said sister, not brother."

"ERIKA!"

Mizuki defended Mikihiko with a one-word protestation.

"What does that have to do….."

Shizuku, Miyuki, and Honoka all shook their heads at Mikihiko, in a successful attempt to get him to stop talking before this situation escalated.

Between the two other males, Leo's sighs now began to sound like a growl. All four of the other girls seemed to finally notice how angry he was getting. Even Erika tilted her head back in mild curiosity, but not enough to see his face.

After a few moments of angry contemplation, Erika spoke out again.

"Fine, then I know exactly whose fault this is."

Erika's eyes flashed with anger.

"That damn father of ours."

They continued to move down the street but Erika's aura was giving off enough rage that the eyes of the passerby's for once didn't bore into Miyuki. After a quick and stunned look at Erika's enraged face, they would turn away quickly and follow up by moving out of her way, lest she turn that fury of hers upon them.

"To think he could have the nerve to allow something like this, after what he…."

Erika forcefully bit off her words with obvious effort.

"Something like what?"

Honoka's seemingly innocent question released a firestorm.

"Let my brother, now heir to the House of Chiba, the greatest sword magician in the world…"

For some reason Tatsuya couldn't explain he tensed up. He didn't really believe he had a powerful intuition ability, nowhere near Miyuki's on excellent intuition, but he tensed immediately.

Always aware of Miyuki's mood, perhaps he reacted in sympathy to her own intuitive reaction. He could see that even before Erika finished her statement Miyuki's eye's had widened and her neck pulled her head back as if she could sense an incoming blast forming around Erika.

"…marry a numberless nobody."

In her anger, Erika didn't realize everyone around her now had stopped dead in their tracks with gaping open mouths.

"As if….THAT WOMAN…..could ever be worthy of the Chiba Kirin!"

She kept moving forward when all her companions had stopped and were now staring at her with stunned open eyes.

"To think that…SHE…..could ever be worthy of the son of one of the great numbered houses. Oh, he has some nerve…"

To hear Erika utter such horrible prejudices was stunning enough on its own. Only a few years before she wasn't even allowed to bear her own father's name. In addition, Erika was one of the last people in the world one would ever expect to here say such horrible things.

"ERIKA!"

For Miyuki to rarely raise her voice in anger was enough to break Erika out of her malevolent mood. Even Tatsuya could see by the perplexed and stunned face on her that she hadn't realized what she had done.

"THAT IS ENOUGH!"

Miyuki, who up to this point seemed the most sympathetic to Erika's case, now was in full "Ice Queen" mode as she leered with anger at the suddenly bewildered Erika.

"Wha….what…."

It was plain on her bewildered face Erika didn't understand what had just happened.

Then they could hear sobbing from one of their companions.

Mizuki had her hands on her face and was heaving up and down with every sob.

Tatsuya sensed a sudden flash of anger to his right, but this time it was from Mikihiko, who quickly moved forward to Mizuki's side.

"MORON!"

Now embracing the still sobbing Mizuki, Erika's childhood friend aimed anger toward her bewildered expression.

"What….what did I do?"

It was rare to hear desperation in Erika's voice, but she clearly didn't understand what she had done to cause this reaction from her friends.

Now, with his handkerchief in Mizuki's hand, and the very concerned Honoka and Shizuku rubbing her back, Mikihiko turned towards Erika with his anger still flashing in his eyes.

"Because of your issues with your father, your fury at Naotsugu-san, and your dislike of Watanabe-sempai, you allowed that loud damn mouth of yours to run off unchecked! The results are here!"

Mikihiko indicated angrily with his right hand back towards Mizuki, now dabbing his handkerchief at her eyes from behind her glasses.

"What…..what did I…..what did I say?"

"SEE! My point exactly! You don't even know!"

After Mikihiko screamed this at her she turned her eyes towards Miyuki.

"You basically said that Watanabe-sempai was unworthy of your brother's hand in marriage because she was a numberless magician."

Miyuki's tone was firm, but the earlier anger was gone now. Tatsuya judged that Miyuki also realized Erika didn't mean to say these words.

Erika's already concerned eyes grew even wider now that she comprehended what she had said.

"OH GOD!"

She covered her own mouth with both hands.

"Oh God! Mizuki-chan…"

She turned towards her still sobbing best friend, who like Mari, and also technically Honoka, Shizuku, and Leo, were all from numberless houses, and began to approach her.

"I…I never….I didn't mean….."

Mikihiko angrily stepped between them causing Erika to flinch back a bit.

"…go on."

Hearing Mizuki practically whisper this response, Mikihiko reluctantly stepped out of her way so she could speak to Erika directly.

"I….I'm an idiot."

"You got that part right."

Several of the girls sent Mikihiko sympathetic looks that also indicated that he had done enough in defense of his woman. He seemed to understand and remained quiet after that so the two could talk.

"You know I don't believe that way, I'm just….just…"

"...lashing out recklessly?"

Erika sighed contritely as she pouted over Mizuki cutting to the heart of the matter.

"….yes…..like an idiot. Can you please forgive me Mizuki-chan?"

This was the first time Tatsuya could remember seeing Erika tear up. Luckily for her, unlike herself, Mizuki had a naturally gentle and forgiving disposition.

"You didn't mean it?"

"Of course not! Who am I to judge a person by the circumstances of their birth?"

The awkward look on Erika's face matched several of their companions. She never really discussed her family history but they all had a sense that it wasn't a straightforward affair. They all basically knew that Chiba-dono wasn't married to Erika's mother, and that her siblings did not share the same mother with her.

"Then…"

Erika looked upward, her head bowed down, to look into the tear stained eyes of her best friend.

"…of course I forgive you."

With that Erika pounced into a bear hug of Mizuki as everyone looked on with smiles.

"I'm sorry Mizuki-chan, really! I'm sorry everyone!"

While Mikihiko attempted to maintain his angry expression, seeing all the girls join in the immediate return to happiness and exchanging kind words with Erika, even he broke and smiled now.

For Tatsuya though his smile was more about relief. He knew Erika had only been venting her anger and frustrations and never meant to hurt anyone. Now that all was forgiven perhaps their afternoon journey to the café would indeed feel like "old times".

Sadly though, all had not been forgiven.

Sensing movement to his side, Tatsuya instantly regretted his false hopes of a return to normalcy.

Not all the targets of Erika's wild shooting off at the mouth today appeared to be capable of recovering so quickly.

"Leo?"

Seeing his friend suddenly move to go back up the hill towards the school, Tatsuya called out with concern for him.

Leo stopped with his back towards Tatsuya, but only for a second. Proceeding onwards he gave Tatsuya an excuse.

"I….left something back at the school. I need to go get it."

"Do you want me to go with you?"

Leo shook his head lightly.

"No….it's no big deal."

Tatsuya spoke as he began to review the Eidos log of the last few minutes.

"Then we will wait for you before ordering."

As he spoke he saw them once again all stop in sudden shock at Erika's prejudiced statements.

"No…um…by the time I get there and back you guys will be halfway done. I'll just head on from there."

As Leo replied to him awkwardly Tatsuya focused on Leo's face from the replay of the Eidos log.

"You are certain?"

He could see that where everyone else had reacted to Erika's hurtful words with dismay or anger…..

"Yeah….see you tomorrow."

…..Leo had…

"Okay, see you then."

Mikihiko stepped up beside Tatsuya with a bewildered looking expression. Apparently personally satisfied that the girls had made up, Mikihiko turned to see Leo walking away from Tatsuya.

"Where's he going?"

Tatsuya turned his eyes towards a concerned looking Mikihiko.

"He said he left something at school."

Sadden by this, Mikihiko seemed to understand the problem instantly.

"Damn."

Slightly angry again he turned that expression back onto Erika, who was still happily rebounding with the other girls.

Sensing Tatsuya's eyes on them, Miyuki turned to look. Shizuku also looked up in their direction. Both then looked with surprise towards the retreating form of Leo, and shortly returned their eyes to the other two boys for a non-verbal explanation.

Mikihiko instantly turned his angry eyes back towards Leo.

Tatsuya sent the two girls a look of helplessness, but when they both moved as if to come up the hill, he lightly lifted his palm to tell them to stay. Understanding spreading across both girls' faces, they turned away with concern showing back toward the other three girls still making up.

Tatsuya again turned his eyes up the hill toward the retreating Leo, who was now fifty meters from them.

"Should we go…."

"No."

Tatsuya stopped Mikihiko's suggestion immediately.

"He wants to be alone."

After a few seconds of contemplation, Mikihiko gave one head nod of reluctant understanding. Then both of them moved to rejoin the ladies.

What Tatsuya had seen within the Eidos log forming in the corners of Leo's eyes, he swore in his heart to his friend to never mention to another soul.

---

"Hey, where did he go off to?"

Erika said this only after she got her drink order and took her first sip. Apparently, she had only just now noticed.

"Yeah, where is Leo-kun?"

Honoka was bringing up the rear on noticing Leo's rather conspicuous absence.

After the group began moving back down the hillside, once they turned down the side street that leads to Eine Breise, Mizuki's head swiveled around in unspoken confusion. On the verge of saying something out loud about Leo's sudden disappearance, Shizuku quickly whispered into her ear. Sudden understanding spread over her face, then concern. Looking back to Mikihiko, he could only give her an unhappy shoulder shrug in reply. Tatsuya tried to impart a reassuring smile towards her, but she still turned a disappointed look onto her best friend again, who was too engaged in her conversation with Miyuki and Honoka to notice.

"You FINALLY noticed?"

From their place at the café bar, where they had been chatting about the upcoming Nine Schools Competition with the always interested proprietor and waiting for their orders, both young men turned slightly surprised eyes toward the speaker of that surprisingly sarcastic sounding question.

Mizuki took a sip of her tea afterward with a very cool looking expression, which made Erika furrow her brows at her in confusion.

Tatsuya, Mikihiko, Miyuki, and Shizuku all wore entertained smiles at Mizuki's intended verbal jab towards the dumbfounded Erika. Honoka looked on in mild confusion over the whole affair.

Tatsuya provided the answer both young ladies had originally been looking for.

"He forgot something back at school and went to retrieve it."

"Oh?"

The look on Erika's face when she registered this information was interesting for Tatsuya. He admittedly wasn't an expert on emotions, but for a fraction of a second Erika seemed both concerned and disappointed. But being Erika….

"Moron would forget his feet if they weren't attached."

Her usual teasing tone when calling Leo "moron" had returned, yet her words immediately compounded an issue she didn't seem to know, or at least acknowledge, existed. More than a few disappointed expressions aimed in her direction once again. Her best friend seemed to be the most frustrated with her at that moment. For a split second, Tatsuya thought Mizuki was going to stand up and smack Erika on the head. Erika seemed oblivious to all of them.

"So, he's coming back here?"

She asked this in a nonchalant fashion and took a sip of her beverage as she awaited the expected answer.

"No, he said it would take too long and he'd see us tomorrow."

Her smile drifted off her face and again Tatsuya thought he could see concern and disappointment in her expression.

"…..oh."

After a few seconds where Erika looked to be thinking about something very serious, she immediately returned to her normal carefree attitude.

About twenty-five minutes later Erika had finally succeeded in getting the topic back onto Mikihiko's dinner the previous night with Mizuki and her parents.

Both the young man and woman in question seemed very embarrassed by the fuss being made about it, especially as Erika couldn't help but tease them as she mercilessly pried further into their personal affairs. As for the other three ladies present, their interested and jovial attitudes indicated this was clearly a much more desirable topic than Erika's previously atrocious words and anger related venting.

Listening in only half paying attention, Tatsuya couldn't help but wonder if Leo was alright.

"So we'll all go shopping Saturday after practice. A real girl's day out."

Erika, who usually wasn't what one would call a "shopper", seemed quite excited about the idea of shopping for her best friend's sake.

"I…don't know. Is it really necessary?"

Mizuki, the person in question, seemed less sure.

"It will be alright Mizuki-chan. I'm sure you have a lot of nice things, but it never hurts to get something new."

"Especially when you are meeting your boyfriend's parents for the first time."

Miyuki and Shizuku were trying to reassure her, but Shizuku calling Mikihiko her boyfriend made both of them suddenly blush profusely.

"It will be great fun! We'll all want to shop too so it won't be a true five on one type of deal."

The fifth girl was going to be Minami, for obvious reasons to Tatsuya, even if Honoka had a completely different reason for including her in her calculations than he did.

"Really?"

"It's a promise!"

Miyuki and Shizuku both nodded to let Mizuki know they agreed with Honoka's proclamation. For some reason he couldn't explain, Mizuki seemed to feel better about it after they said they'd do some shopping for themselves as well. Tatsuya judged that like himself, she wasn't too fond of being the center of attention.

"I bet Miyuki and Shizuku will be a great help with picking out your new furisode. Afraid I wouldn't be much help at all in that department."

Erika said this in a very matter-of-fact manner, but Mizuki's eyes widened.

"A furisode? I need a furisode?"

She asked the two people who Erika acknowledged to be the kimono experts in their group who both nodded back to her with reassuring smiles.

"I don't know."

Mikihiko waded into the previously all-female discussion with a look of serious contemplation. Mizuki's eyes turned to her "boyfriend" immediately.

"I think a nice dress would be fine."

Tatsuya wasn't too familiar with the protocol among the higher Ancient Magic families for such occasions. Even among the Ten Master Clans, a furisode for an introductory dinner with a loved one's immediate family would have probably been seen as a bit of "overkill", but it may be different for the Ancient Houses.

"You think so, do you?"

Mikihiko's lips twisted in irritation at Erika's sarcastic sounding question. She plowed into her next question, never having desired him to answer the first one in the first place.

"Tell us this then. What will Kaa-san be wearing to meet her future daughter?"

Mizuki and Mikihiko's eyes both widened in shock at Erika casually assuming a marriage between them was a certainty. None of the other girls objected to Erika's words, so natural was the conclusion that these two were meant for the other among them.

As usual, Tatsuya was looking at this new turn in the conversation from a completely different angle than his companions. Erika referring to Mikihiko's mother as "Kaa-san" at first threw him for a loop. By her tone, it sounded like Erika was used to calling the Lady of the Yoshida "mom", as if she would do so naturally with the lady in person.

Tatsuya assumed that Erika was familiar with Mikihiko's immediate family members from their childhood friendship. Erika's own mother had died a few years before, so perhaps Yoshida-san had attempted to offer Erika a mother figure after her own mother's death.

Of course it was equally possible she was one of those mother's that naturally "Kaa-san'd" for her own children's friends, or perhaps she was just informal enough to want everyone to call her "mom", but that certainly didn't fit Tatsuya's preconceived notions of how a temple high priestess would behave, even with her familiars.

"….future daughter?"

Tatsuya was pulled back into the conversation after only a few seconds of deviation by Mizuki's stunned sounding question.

Mizuki now looked nearly petrified, but Mikihiko seemed to recover quickly and answered Erika's question with a defeated expression.

"She'll be wearing a furisode."

The fact that Yoshida-san would wear something relatively formal to meet her son's love interest seemed more in line with Tatsuya's previous conception of how a temple priestess would act, but admitting to himself he was no expert and didn't know the woman personally, he returned his attention to the others.

Erika smiled very satisfied with Mikihiko's reluctant answer, then turned her smile on Mizuki.

"So what must we get you to wear this Saturday?"

Mizuki reluctantly nodded her understanding, but then brought up a very valid concern.

"But…..they're so…"

"Expensive" was the word Mizuki was reluctant to supply.

A furisode isn't the most formal of female kimono styles but, depending on sleeve length and accouterment, they could run into the hundreds of thousands of yen to procure. Tatsuya understood that Mizuki's family wasn't destitute by any means, but having a custom-made garment of this caliber produced could represent a major financial investment for her family. The opportunities for someone like Mizuki to wear such an almost impractical garment of such value were very limited. In Tatsuya's estimation, a regular kimono would suffice for this situation.

By the other ladies' reactions, he judged his opinion on this subject was claerly in the minority of his present company.

"I, of course, will pay for it."

Mikihiko didn't hesitate at all. He was even smiling at the idea of buying Mizuki something so nice.

"…..Mikihiko-kun?"

Mizuki seemed like she was about to protest, but Mikihiko cut her off with his gentle smile and a slight head shake.

"I insist since I hope to get to see you in it often in the future at our temple."

Mizuki turned away from him but not for lack of happiness. She smiled profusely as she tried to cover her blushing face.

By the way Mikihiko had said "our temple", he could have as easily meant Mizuki and his own "temple" as he did the temple presided over by the Yoshida Clan. Tatsuya judged he had said it that way on purpose.

"That is very generous Mikihiko-kun, but Mizuki-chan's expenses on this shopping expedition have already been covered."

Mizuki and Mikihiko looked at Miyuki with stunned expressions.

"As expected."

Tatsuya couldn't help but smile as he drank his coffee that Miyuki said with a relative ease that she would pick up the tab for the whole affair, as he had fully expected her too.

"Miyuki-san?"

Miyuki effortlessly ignored their mutual concerns.

"I have already taken the liberty of contacting my preferred kimono maker. She has arranged for us to come in for the fitting and production of your garments. Luckily they have a facility in the shopping district that we were already planning to go to, so everything has aligned perfectly for Saturday. We'll stop there first for the material selection and measurements, then once we're done shopping elsewhere we'll go back for final adjustments."

Shizuku seemed as stunned as Mizuki by this news, a rare sight on her normally unreadable face.

"They'll have it done by the end of the day?"

Miyuki smiled with pride as she answered Shizuku's question.

"Yes, and by hand. They don't use sewing machines. They do it the old-fashioned way."

All the other girls and Mikihiko too seemed astoundingly impressed by this news.

"By hand?"

"In just one afternoon?"

Tatsuya could only smile at Miyuki's amusement.

"Yes, they have reserved the entire shop for Mizuki-chan's furisode fitting and production. They will work on nothing else until it is perfect."

Erika let out a low whistle to this news, then spoke her own astonishment.

"As only Miyuki-san could accomplish."

Tatsuya now knew, from Miyuki's just supplied information, that her "preferred kimono maker" was Shirakawa-dono. They would most likely transport a large portion of the Yotsuba's own garment makers under Shirakawa-dono's supervision from the mountains to a space rented and outfitted in the shopping district specifically just for this purpose and just for this one day.

Since going this far for one garment would be extravagant even by Yotsuba standards, Tatsuya suspected that all the girls will be walking out that day with their own custom hand-made furisodes.

He smirked at Miyuki's willingness to please and help her friends as he sipped at his coffee.

"That is very generous, but I can't allow you to do that Miyuki-san."

As the man in the new couple attempted to protest her generosity, they received unexpected support.

"Mikihiko-san is right Miyuki-san, you cannot pick up the bill for this entire shopping trip."

Everyone turned interested eyes on Shizuku, but only Honoka seemed to have a knowing smile on her face.

"That is, unless you allow me to pay half the bill."

"Shizuku-chan!"

"Shizuku-san, I can't allow…"

"Very well…"

This time Miyuki cut off the couple's attempt to protest.

"…then it is agreed."

Miyuki and Shizuku raised their cups to each other to symbolically seal the arrangement.

"...Tatsuya?"

Mikihiko, suddenly remembering that Miyuki wouldn't go against her beloved fiancée's express objections, turned to Tatsuya for help.

Tatsuya knew that Miyuki wouldn't have to pay for the furisodes, but only the regular clothes they'd have made at "non-Yotsuba" shops. Since they'd have to work very hard to buy enough "normal" clothes to even get near a fraction of the actual cost of the furisodes, he had no issue with Miyuki paying the whole amount, or letting Shizuku foot half of that much lower bill. Though he did wonder how Miyuki would explain away the costs of the furisodes to Shizuku's satisfaction. Since everyone knew they were Yotsuba now, Miyuki could even tell them the truth behind the one-day kimono shop.

"It is a done deal, Miki, can you not see that?"

Erika chided him mildly from the other end of the table.

"Once these two have made up their minds, there is no use opposing them."

Miyuki and Shizuku both silently acknowledged Erika and Honoka's correct assessments of the situation with head nods.

Turning to his one final option for help once again, all Tatsuya could do was cement the previous situation for Mikihiko.

"There's no helping it."

Mikihiko sighed with resignation before speaking again.

"You really are far too generous, both of you. My thanks."

Seeing Mikihiko submit, Mizuki gave in too.

"Thank you very much!"

They both lowered their heads.

"Please, think nothing of it."

Miyuki was followed by Shizuku.

"We're happy to get this chance to contribute."

"See….."

Erika smirked at her two friends as they returned to the upright position.

"…that didn't hurt too much, did it?"

A few minutes later and the five women were deeply involved in planning their activities this Saturday while looking at maps of the shopping district on their hand-held terminals. It was strangely reminiscent of a 101 Battalion pre-operation planning session, but the smiles and occasional laughter were the defining differences.

A second round of drinks had been procured and the two males present watched and listened in different stages of amazed bewilderment as the woman effortlessly planned and discussed their "attack plan" as Erika so aptly named it.

Then Tatsuya noticed Mikihiko seem to become surprised. A second later he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his hand terminal.

["Master, can you hear me?"]

Tatsuya was certain he had shown no outward reaction at suddenly hearing Pixie's voice inside his head.

"I'm here, proceed."

Pixie had strict orders not to use telepathy, even with him, unless it were an urgent matter. Otherwise, she would have sent a text to his terminal instead.

Tatsuya had set her up to have full access to all of First High's systems on a twenty-four hour a day basis. Needless to say, this was a secret kept from everyone but Miyuki. From her inconspicuous place in a corner chair in the Student Council Room, Pixie could monitor and control every system at First High.

["Seismic monitors in the training forest have detected vibrations indicative of large objects being dropped with force. There has already been three…..correction…four such incidences. Monitoring devices have indicated only one person has entered and not exited the training forest."]

Tatsuya had already identified a prime suspect in his mind from only the first half of Pixie's information.

"Third-year Class F, Saijou Leonhardt."

The line went quiet for a few seconds before Pixie replied in an excited voice.

["Correct Master! That is amazing! How did you know this?"]

Tatsuya fought down a smirk as he thought about how more and more Pixie was becoming like her "mother" Honoka every day.

"I'll explain later. Is Public Morals Committee member Yaguruma Saburou aware?"

Tatsuya hadn't been on the Public Morals Committee for nearly three-quarters of a year now, but he knew Mikihiko ran it almost on the exact same lines as Kanon and Mari before him. Every day one member was designated the "clean-up and close down" person on a rotating basis. Essentially that person's job was to be the last student on campus outside of Student Council members and those with special permission to stay late. They would make a general sweep of the entire campus and leave only after verifying anyone left had permission to remain behind.

Of course, First High had overnight hired security and other overnight personnel on campus performing work that couldn't be done while the student body was fully present, but if a student was caught doing something forbidden by these adults, the punishment would no longer be up to the Student Government, but the authorities. This final sweep was to find these errant students for their own sakes. Once the matter was beyond Student Governments' hands there was no turning back from permanent consequences.

["Yes, he informed Student Council Secretary Mitsuya-san and Public Morals Chief Yoshida-san that he was approaching the training forest to investigate."]

Tatsuya looked across the table at a worried looking Mikihiko. He suspected that Mikihiko was trying to formulate a good reason to leave without alarming their companions. That probably meant either Yaguruma had identified Leo already, or Mikihiko also thought Leo was the prime suspect.

["Against his recommendation, Mitsuya-san has left the Student Council Room and is approaching Yaguruma-san's location."]

Tatsuya sighed to himself when he heard this.

"Of course."

At that second Mikihiko drew his eyes again by standing up and speaking.

"My apologies, I have to check in with Yaguruma-san in person. It shouldn't take too long."

["Of course what master?"]

He sometimes forgot that his thoughts were not his own when Pixie was in direct contact with his mind.

Shizuku looked with concern to her Committee Chief before asking if he needed her help.

"Do you want me to come too Chief?"

Tatsuya knew he had to terminate the conversation with Pixie before he could react to what was going on around him effectively.

"Never mind. Inform me of any further changes in the situation. I am on approach."

["Understood Master."]

With that, the telepathic connection went dead. For a split second, it sounded like Pixie was relieved to hear that he was going to handle the situation in person.

"No, it's nothing like that. I'll be back shortly."

Mikihiko reassured her and a very concerned looking Mizuki both with these words and a warm smile.

"I'll go with you."

Tatsuya said this as he too stood up. Mikihiko flashed him a strange look but quickly nodded his head with a smile.

Where before Miyuki, Erika, and Honoka only seemed interested in Mikihiko's sudden need to leave, Tatsuya joining him now increased all three's concern and interest to the same level as Mizuki and Shizuku.

Seeing each direct questioning eyes to them both, and Miyuki asking for an explanation from him with her eyes, he smirked and waved a hand over the table.

"Alone here, I will not be of much use in the present conversation."

Miyuki knew him well enough to know that without Minami present, he'd never leave her side over something trivial. She also understood him well enough to know that he would only do such a thing if he thought it was absolutely necessary. Knowing now that she would learn the reason later, she acquiesced with a smile.

"If you are certain, Tatsuya-sama?"

"Yes, we'll come collect you afterward."

Tatsuya and Mikihiko both smiled to the girls and left by the main door. As they left, eyes of various concern levels followed them.

"I hope everything is alright."

"I'm sure it is."

Miyuki tried to reassure Honoka, and the visibly concerned Mizuki too.

Erika's eyes showed more of a light of questioning intrigue as she followed the boys' movements away from the windows.

"Huh…..now those two too? I wonder what that's all about?"

Not even Miyuki had an answer for that question, but she had her own suspicions. A tall, strong, and broad-shouldered young man came to her mind, who also had a particular sensitivity where a certain temperamental redhead was concerned.

---

Once they had left Café Eine Briese Mikihiko turned towards Tatsuya, who had already been looking at him.

"What's the issue?"

Tatsuya knew well enough what the issue was, but he had no desire to explain how he was using Pixie to Mikihiko at this time.

"There's a disturbance in the training forest. Saburou-san is going to investigate."

"Are you sure that's wise?"

Mikihiko looked perplexed by Tatsuya's question. Tatsuya elaborated for him.

"He is new to the Public Morals Committee. Depending on who the perpetrator is, he might not know how to handle him."

Tatsuya hoped Mikihiko got the message. Pulling out his terminal, Tatsuya suspected he had gotten the unspoken message clearly enough.

"Saburou-san."

Mikihiko had chosen to make a direct call.

"Have you entered the training forest yet?"

After a few moments of listening, Mikihiko nodded with an impressed look.

"Good, our ETA is five minutes, continue monitoring from your current location until we arrive."

Once he placed his terminal back in his jacket pocket he explained to Tatsuya.

"He said since I had already informed him that I was on the way, he was monitoring from the gate until I arrived."

Tatsuya suspected the real reason Saburou didn't go into the training forest was that Shiina had shown up before he could and would have demanded to accompany him.

Either way, it worked to their advantage.

"Good instincts."

Mikihiko nodded agreement to Tatsuya's assessment as they stepped off the sidewalk and into the roadway.

Enough folks remained in the area that should they try to use magic to reach First High along the sidewalks they would have encountered a few of these people on the way as obstacles. By contrast, there were only three cars on the roadway at this hour, and they were all in the lane heading away from First High.

"At least one is sure to be a teacher. Oh well, can't be helped."

Considering the neighborhood, at this hour all three were likely to be teachers leaving First High for the day. While Tatsuya and Mikihiko have well-known faces at First High, even they might face uncomfortable questions about why they raced back to school so late down the middle of the road using magic.

Tatsuya judged the situation was worth a teacher-lead interrogation if it came to that though.

"You are right. Let's go."

Mikihiko nodded reluctant agreement to Tatsuya, then closed his eyes.

Contrary to his reluctance to use electro-mechanical based Casting Assitance Device's before Tatsuya designed his "fan" CAD for him, understandable for an Ancient Magic user, Mikihiko had fully embraced the new FLT thought-activated CAD "Taurus Silver" had designed the previous year.

Tatsuya could sense the psions projecting from Mikihiko's mind activate both the thought-activated CAD on a chain around his neck and his fan-shaped CAD attached to his left forearm simultaneously. Then he read the activation sequence for Acceleration transmit from the thought-activated CAD to the fan CAD. Next, the fan CAD produced the magic sequence for Acceleration and projected it back into Mikihiko's body, altering the phenomenon needed so that Mikihiko could move at superhuman speed back up the road.

Watching his friend dart up the road in a sudden blur, Tatsuya performed the exact same procedure, except his main sequence production CAD for Acceleration was a gun shaped custom Silver Trident under his right arm.

As he trailed behind Mikihiko he couldn't help but wonder if his friend realized how comfortable he had become with CADs these last two plus years. Even his fan-shaped CAD only looked like an ancient magic talisman. The underpinnings were all modern CAD.

Before reaching the top of the hill First High sat on, Tatsuya had scanned the entire area, especially the three cars moving in the opposite direction. Only two were faculty members. Though both looked at them fly past with surprise, both instantly seemed to recognize them and more or less dismissed their activity.

Tsuzura-sensei seemed amused to see them pass him at full speed.

As for the other teacher….

"I can bribe or threaten her into silence if I have to."

As she scowled at him he wondered when she found time to investigate for Public Safety if she stayed at school this late. She also had a report he was paying her for to present to him soon.

Finally stopping at the guard gate beside Mikihiko, the guards seemed more relieved than surprised at their sudden arrival. Their faces were known well by this point, as were their assigned duties.

Allowed in without preamble, they used normal running speed to reach the other side of the academic campus. There they found Saburou and Shiina waiting at the training forest gate.

"Chief…..oh, Shiba-sempai too?"

Mikihiko cut right to the chase.

"Report."

"Yes, five more have fallen since I last spoke to you. That makes eleven total."

Mikihiko looked on his Public Morals subordinate with mild confusion.

"Eleven…..what?"

Shiina pointed towards the treetops as she spoke with an eerie calm about her.

"There's number twelve now."

Everyone directed their eyes towards the treetops, which looked different to Tatsuya than normal. Resisting the urge to use Elemental Sight around Saburou, whom Tatsuya hadn't fully determined yet if he was capable of detecting Elemental Sight with his own Vigilance, Tatsuya watched in normal vision as the sound of a high-speed impact reached his ears. After a split second later he saw the top of one tree shake violently.

Then they all watched in amazement as the top of that tree swayed in one direction and downward. A few moments later the distinct sound of a tree falling was heard as it apparently hit the ground. The slight vibration that reached their feet a few milliseconds later confirmed this.

"I had no idea Saijou-sempai was interested in forestry."

For such a young girl, Shiina had a surprisingly dry sense of humor.

Sharing a concerned look, Tatsuya and Mikihiko turned to their respective "subordinate" kohai.

"You both did well. We'll handle it from here."

Tatsuya followed Mikihiko in speaking to them.

"We ask that you discuss this with no one. If you feel the need you may address this matter to the President. She will clarify it for you."

"I see…"

Shiina smiled at them both.

"…it's a cover-up to protect your friend."

Saburou looked mortified at Shiina's statement, and Mikihiko looked downright guilty.

"Yes."

They both turned stunned eyes at Tatsuya's way too truthful answer.

"Very well then."

Shiina shrugged nonchalantly back at him.

"We'll keep our mouths closed about it."

Despite looking a bit lost now, Saburou bowed to them to indicate he too would keep it to himself. Then when he stood back up, they could see his perplexed expression.

"I just…"

He shook his head as if he planned to abandon the question he wanted to ask.

"Yes, go on?"

Being told to do so by his Public Morals Chief, Saburou nodded after a short moment of additional thought and then spoke.

"How….what are you going to do about the trees he's knocked over? It's going to be hard to explain what happened to twelve….."

He paused and his eyes widened as again the sound of a high-speed impact reached their ears. Behind them, Tatsuya and Mikihiko could hear the rustling of leaves and this time the distinctive sound of wood snapping. A second or two later the ground shook lightly again as the sound of another tree impacting earth also reached their ears.

"…..um…I mean…thirteen trees?"

"Don't worry about it."

The cool and simple words from Tatsuya made Saburou stop with a stunned look on his face. To his side Shiina giggled a bit and shook her head with a smile.

"As expected of Shiba-sempai."

Tatsuya didn't feel Shiina knew him well enough to say such a thing about him, but since her attitude indicated they would leave things well enough alone, Tatsuya didn't see a reason to correct her attitude.

They bowed to their sempais and headed back towards the school building as their sempai's made their way to the training forest gate.

"That's got something to do with Chiba-sempai, doesn't it?"

Turning back, Tatsuya and Mikihiko could see that Shiina was indicating with her face towards the direction where Leo was performing impromptu forest clearing.

For some reason, Saburou looked very uncomfortable beside Shiina now.

"Never mind, no need to answer. It's none of my business. Please forget I asked."

She turned and began to walk away. Saburou, again uncomfortable now looked at her with surprise. He bowed to them again and then moved quickly back to the retreating Shiina's side.

Tatsuya watched them for a second, then Shiina glared upward at Saburou with a disappointed expression.

"Of course, it's because of HER."

Saburou flinched at Shiina's angry expression as they walked away.

Tatsuya knew that Shiina had begun to show a slight hostility towards Erika but he didn't know exactly why. He did know Erika was training Saburou in magic swordsmanship, which was on hold for the remainder of the Nine Schools Competition since both were busy training for their respective events instead.

Since this training under Erika was clearly for Saburou to become a better escort for Shiina's protection, Tatsuya couldn't formulate the reason for Shiina's hostility towards Erika from the currently known information.

At that moment tree number fourteen hit the ground hard.

"We'd better get a move on before he clear-cuts the whole forest."

Tatsuya nodded in reply to Mikihiko and they entered the forest.

---

The pain felt good.

At least SOMETHING felt good today for him.

Both his specialized CAD gauntlets were in use this evening. He was taking turns with each fist.

The gloves were fine, their molecules forced into rigid alignment by Fortification magic a split second before contact with the tree trunks, there wasn't a tear or a dent or even a smudge to be seen on them.

He couldn't say the same for their insides though. His fists were bleeding so badly now that blood was dripping out the ends of the gauntlets almost in a stream. A few of his fingers were clearly broken. He even suspected his left hand was fractured.

That felt good too.

Pain felt good.

At least pain that he could understand felt good.

That other type of pain though….

"AWWWWW!"

His thought-activated CAD obeyed his wishes. His wrist generalized CAD infused his body with the magic sequence for Acceleration. One step and he was flying at full superhuman speed to the nearest tree trunk.

"Number fifteen, odd numbers go to the right fist."

He pulled back his entire right arm. Then only three meters from the tree he flung his fist forward with authority.

"PANZER!"

He no longer actually needed the voice activated feature of his specialized CAD gauntlets, which was why he could wear both at the same time now. The thought-activated CAD knew exactly which side to send the activation sequence to.

Impact.

He could feel the resistance as his right fist shattered the tree trunk.

"DAMN!"

A glancing blow. Only two-thirds of the trunk was shattered. He preferred the full on power of striking the tree trunk dead middle, shattering the whole thing in an explosion of wooden shards.

He was moving too fast under Acceleration's influence to even see the hundreds of wood chips flying through the arm.

Fifty meters past the tree he came to a stop after thought-activating Deceleration. A second later he felt the tree trunk vibrate the earth as it collapsed to the side he had just passed it on.

"I'm fast, faster than I was….."

Then he remembered who had taught him how to be that fast.

"...but not as fast as….."

Thinking of her, he looked for a new "victim" for his left hand.

"Damn."

The sound of a stunned voice from behind him interrupted his search. Registering the familiar voice instantly, Leo let out a sigh of frustration.

"I thought I said I'd see you guys tomorrow."

The sound of a less impressed voice found his ears next.

"You told me that, not Mikihiko."

Leo sighed again before replying.

"Let me guess, someone noticed?"

Instead of the previously stunned tone, Mikihiko's reply was nearly exasperated now.

"Of course someone noticed! You're back here felling trees man!"

Leo resisted the urge to sigh again, realizing he had done that a lot this afternoon. He turned around to send his two friends an irritated expression.

"I was going to clean up after myself."

Tatsuya closed his eyes and smirked at this comment while gently shaking his head from side to side. He probably knew the reaction Mikihiko was going to have to this statement.

"Clean up after yourself? Are you serious?"

The bewildered look on First High's Public Morals Chief's face was amusing. Despite his anger, Leo began to chuckle, which only made Mikihiko more animated.

"You think this is funny?"

Then he turned a look of betrayal towards his side, where even Tatsuya appeared ready to laugh now.

"You too, huh?"

Tatsuya, still stifling his obvious amusement, held up a palm and shook his head.

"No, it's a very serious matter indeed."

This comment made Leo burst out loud.

Then a few seconds later even Mikihiko began to laugh.

"Damn you….guys!"

All three now chuckled openly at the absurdness of the situation.

Once they regained their composure, Tatsuya took a seat on the nearest recently felled tree trunk. Mikihiko followed his example on one opposite him.

Finally, and reluctantly, Leo sat down on the same log as Tatsuya. When he did it was only then that they noticed the blood nearly pouring out of his gauntlets.

"EWWWW! What the...?"

Mikihiko's disgusted and concerned reaction was understandable.

Leo looked down confused at first but then realized the issue.

"Oh, sorry."

"Sorry?"

Mikihiko gave him an incredulous expression.

"Doesn't that hurt?"

Leo looked at his hands with a vacant expression as he replied.

"Not much, not really."

Mikihiko shook his head in bewilderment, but then a light flashed near Leo's hands and all three knew a magic had just been activated.

"What the hell Tatsuya?"

The beneficiary of that magic knew exactly what had happened and who to thank for it, not that he was in a particularly thankful mood. Looking a meter and a half to his right, Tatsuya was opening and closing his own hands as if they bothered him.

"Impressive. That stung a bit."

Leo directed an angry look at him as he replied.

"I didn't want you to do that! I know what it takes for you to do that!"

Tatsuya shook his head with a completely unbothered look.

"It needed to be done. You may heal faster than a normal human, but unless you planned to wear gloves all day for the next week, there would be no way to hide your damaged fists."

Leo forgot not to sigh and did so again in frustration.

"Do you feel better now?"

Mikihiko's question confused Leo at first, who then looked at his still gauntlet covered hands.

"Of course, he fixed them."

It was Mikihiko's turn to sigh in frustration. He then sat his right elbow on the corresponding knee and planted his right cheek in the corresponding palm. Sending his friend a look of tiredness, he spoke to him again.

"You know that's not what I'm asking you about."

Leo turned away with a pouting expression.

"Sure…I guess."

Mikihiko shook his head at his friend's reaction.

"I have known her for years. I honestly can't believe it took you this long to really get upset over her."

Leo then took a deep breath and after a few more began to reply.

"I'm actually not mad at her."

He then turned his eyes onto Mikihiko.

"You know the kind of crap she has to deal with at home."

Mikihiko turned away while nodding his understanding. Leo kept speaking.

"That she vents sometimes? That's just the price of doing business with Erika. She can be rude as hell and more cantankerous than a viper, but….."

Another long sigh from Leo happened here. Tatsuya and Mikihiko looked at him with sympathy. What came after that "but" even someone as emotionally stunted as Tatsuya could understand.

"Why her though?"

Mikihiko broke in with this question. Both Tatsuya and Leo's eyes drifted to meet his. Seeing the incrudulous looks on their faces Mikihiko realized that they were questioning his ability to see.

"Looks aren't everything!"

Mikihiko proclaimed in defiance of those questioning looks.

"If they were, you would have fallen for Miyuki-san instead. No offense Tatsuya."

"None taken."

Mikihiko returned his gaze to the downtrodden look on Leo's face.

"Yes, she's extremely beautiful in her own right and I can see that a certain type of guy might find her…"

Mikihiko clearly looked like he was having trouble finding the words to describe his childhood friend without sounding harsh.

"…..energy level…..appealing."

Satisfied he had neither offended Leo nor Erika with that description he continued.

"But she's always abrasive, she can be downright crude at times, and…"

Here Mikihiko paused as if dreading what he had to say next.

"….frankly, from a certain light she's nearly abusive towards you."

Leo surprisingly chuckled at this statement.

"I can't deny that. Though I allow it to happen to a certain extent."

Then his eyes turned sad again and a hang-dog expression overcame his face.

"Still, you can't help that kind of thing once it's in your bones. You know what I mean?"

From the look of reluctant sympathy on his face, Tatsuya surmised Mikihiko understood what Leo was trying to explain him. Tatsuya felt that Erika deserved some defense at this point though.

"Mikihiko can correct me if he feels I am wrong, but Erika seems to be the type of person who does not open herself to others easily."

Mikihiko smirked wickedly at Tatsuya's statement.

"A bit of an understatement really Tatsuya, but given the circumstances of her life that is understandable."

With the last half of his statement, Mikihiko seemed to become troubled when he thought about Erika's life at home up to this point.

The melancholy shown on Leo's face had yet to change.

"Yeah, I agree, and?"

Tatsuya continued his statement about his observations of Erika's personality.

"My point is she spends most of her free time with you. That would seem to indicate that you at least have a closer connection to her than anyone else that I am aware of."

It was a reasonable assumption to make and also why so many who encountered them together initially thought they were "together". That, and the fact that they bickered constantly like an old married couple.

Leo only slowly shook his head before replying.

"And it does me not one bit of good."

"What do you mean?"

Mikihiko asked this of Leo with concern etched into his features.

"Erika has never once expressed interest in me as a man. Not…one….time."

Tatsuya fired off a rapid retort to this question.

"Has she not? Are you certain of this? I was completely unaware of Miyuki's romantic interest in me before she informed me of it personally, though more than a few of our friends have commented on its obvious nature to them since."

Mikihiko and Leo both sent him smirks at this comment.

"These looks from you illustrate my point well. It may be difficult for Leo to see Erika's affections for him from his current vantage point just as it was for me to see Miyuki's affections."

Leo shot them both a sour look then.

"Alright, so have either of you noticed something in particular from Erika that I am oblivious to to indicate she's interested in me as a man?"

Seeing them share an awkward look between them and then try to search their minds, Leo sighed again.

"See, it's nowhere near the same as you and Miyuki-san."

"Well Miyuki-san was a bit more obvious about these things than Erika. No offense Tatsuya."

This time Tatsuya raised his eyebrow slightly before nodding his understanding to Mikihiko.

"Erika also doesn't express her feelings like most normal women either. I know she cares about me, even though she can be ruthless about teasing me and Mizuki-san."

"I have come to the conclusion teasing people is how she shows affection."

After these two statements from Mikihiko and Tatsuya respectively Leo released a derisive snort.

"Well damn! I was wrong the whole time! If Erika expresses love through being mean, then I'm shocked she's not already pregnant with my baby!"

His sarcastic tone indicated he doubted the veracity of their assessments of Erika's mental processes and the way she expressed herself to others.

Tatsuya decided to reboot the conversation into a different thought path since without Erika's direct input on the matter Leo was likely to continue to find ways to dismiss their theories on her intentions towards him.

"Have you shown her your interest in her as a woman?"

Leo perked up for a second and then deflated like a popped balloon again.

"Please, if I did…."

Seeing him defeated again, Tatsuya pressed on to try to relieve his doubts.

"You cannot rationally make the assumption she does not view you with potential romantic interest if you have not expressed an interest in her first. In general, it is my understanding that most women tend to want the man to make the initial expression of interest in that regard."

Tatsuya was mildly surprised at Leo's dismissive response.

"What does that matter?"

Seeing Tatsuya and Mikihiko look at him with frustration, Leo sighed and explained his position in more detail.

"Come on guys. You heard what she said back there. Did you not?"

Both turned away with awkward looks. After a few seconds, Mikihiko tried his hand again.

"Yes, it was a terrible thing to say, but she profusely apologized for it. I believe she is sincere in her apology."

Tatsuya immediately supported Mikihiko's conclusion.

"As do I."

Leo just shook his head again at their words.

"Well, even if she doesn't truly feel that way, and I don't really think she does, she's just pissed because she doesn't want her precious Nee-chan marrying Watanabe-sempai, and letting her mouth run off the rails like usual, let's face facts….."

He turned sad and angry eyes towards them.

"...that old man of hers WILL care."

Mikihiko blinked in confusion for a few seconds before responding.

"That doesn't seem to be the case though. Naotsugu-san IS being allowed to marry Watanabe-sempai, a member of a non-numbers family."

Leo clearly understood Mikihiko's point, but still, he sighed again in resignation.

"Yeah, but Watanabe-sempai is an excellent magician that stood toe-to-toe with Saegusa-sempai and Juumonji-sempai, two of the best Ten Master Clans magicians in the nation. Despite what Erika thinks of her, she's also an excellent swordswoman and highly intelligent."

He shook his head again as he continued to speak.

"Those two together will have obviously talented magicians and swordsmen as children, bringing further honor to the Chiba name. There's practically no chance for their union to produce a freak or a defect."

"Leo…."

Mikihiko was almost angry with his friend's defeatist attitude and looked ready to have a go with him over it, but Leo standing up made Mikihiko stop speaking and look on with curiosity.

"It's about time you knew, watch this."

"Knew what?"

Mikihiko asked this with confusion and turned his eyes towards Tatsuya as Leo walked away. From long experience, Mikihiko could tell from his facial expression that Tatsuya had a good idea of what was about to happen next.

Then he heard a noise behind him and turned in curiosity back to where Leo had stepped up to one of the fallen tree trunks.

What he saw next made his eyes go round in astonishment.

Leo had wrapped his arms around the trunk of a tree with the right arm below and the left above. Using his legs from a squat position Leo lifted the trunk off the ground from the shattered end as if it was nothing. Once straight upright again, Leo adjusted his arm lock on the trunk and shifted his weight to his left as he moved his right arm upward while pushing down on the trunk at his left elbow.

To Mikihiko's increased astonishment the entire foliage end of the fifteen to twenty meter long tree lifted off the ground to the sound of its rustling leaves.

"My God! Leo…..how? You didn't even use magic!"

As a practiced and skilled magician, Mikihiko would have detected if Leo had used magic to assist him. There had been no indication of it.

Mikihiko jumped slightly as Leo dropped the tree back down, shaking the earth again under its enormous weight.

Turning around with the front of his school jacket and pants in shreds from where the tree's bark had bit into them, Leo looked disinterested in the whole thing and moved back to retake his seat next to Tatsuya.

"I'm not really in the mood to explain, you mind?"

Turning back towards Tatsuya, Mikihiko's eyes were still wide in amazement.

"If you are certain?"

At Leo's tired looking and listless nod as he sat back on the tree trunk, Mikihiko turned slightly angry and accusatorial eyes onto Tatsuya.

"You knew about this already."

A statement of obvious fact, given his own calm reaction, but Tatsuya nodded to him as if it were a question as he began to explain what had just occurred.

"You are aware Leo's maternal grandfather was a Fortress-series magician developed in Germany earlier this century?"

His arms now folded over his chest, Mikihiko squinted in suspicion at Tatsuya.

"Yes, the only one to survive."

Tatsuya nodded without any indication that Mikihiko's angry look bothered him at all.

"You remember the conversation we had after winning Newcomer's Monolith Code?"

Still angry and suspicious, Mikihiko's eyes widened again at the mention of this awkward and confusing past moment between the three of them.

"About Leo having a motorcycle slam into him and he laughed it off that he wasn't very injured by it? I certainly remember you two acting if such a thing was perfectly normal."

Tatsuya continued to ignore Mikihiko's obvious anger.

"It is not normal, except in Leo's case."

Now both looked towards Leo, who was resting his face in his right hand.

"Leo has apparently inherited all of his grandfather's Fortress-series characteristics."

Anger now apparently gone, only intense interest was showing on Mikihiko's face now.

"What exactly does that mean?"

Tatsuya elaborated for him in his usual steady and calm voice.

"His bone density is nearly four times a normal human's, translating into a tensile strength of nearly six times that of normal human bone."

Mikihiko was so put off by this initial information he shook his head as if trying to get something out of it through his ears.

"What, but…that means his bones are virtually…..unbreakable."

Tatsuya nodded in agreement and continued his explanation.

"In addition, he has five times the muscle density of a normal human, and his tendons are nearly four factors of elasticity stronger than normal. His skin has three times the elasticity of normal skin as well, making him somewhat superior in resistance to cuts and abrasions. His metabolism is nearly three times higher than a normal late-aged teenager's as well. His immune system functions at a much higher rate, and he also heals wounds at nearly twice the rate of normal."

Leo broke into the conversation about him now.

"You guys should see the needles they have to give me shots with. Nearly as big as my pinky finger."

To illustrate the point, he held up his left pinky finger as an example.

"Good God! Leo, you're practically a Superman."

Leo shrugged off Mikihiko's wide-eyed proclamation as if it were about someone else.

"I guess."

Mikihiko could only look back and forth between his two companions in continued astonishment.

"It's amazing! Tatsuya the super-magician and Leo the super-human. I feel downright plain beside the two of you."

Leo grumbled out an unhappy retort.

"Yeah, well don't feel that way. I'd trade places with you any day."

True to form, Tatsuya self-deprecated in an analytical fashion.

"I wouldn't say I'm a good magician at all, much less a 'super'-magician."

Then Mikihiko began to smile and turned excitedly back towards Leo.

"But….Leo, don't you see? These are all reasons Chiba-dono would WANT you to be Erika's husband."

Again, nothing seemed to break through the dark clouds hanging over Leo. He turned slightly irritated eyes onto Mikihiko now.

"Um, but you forgot to ask what else did I inherit from Ojii-san?"

Seeing his confusion at this statement, and that Leo didn't plan to elaborate further, Tatsuya answered Mikihiko's confusion.

"I believe Leo is referring to the noted history of failure for the Fortress-series magician development program."

Leo vacantly nodded agreement as he spoke.

"Literally ONLY my grandfather survived the modifications. Out of hundreds."

Sitting back into an upright position on the tree trunk, Leo crossed his arms across his chest and looked outward at nothing in particular now.

"Those rare few that actually survived the modification procedure either died in combat, succumbed to crippling modification rejection, or later went completely insane and had to be put down."

"PUT DOWN?"

The mortified Mikihiko clearly understood this euphemism for execution. Tatsuya elaborated further for him.

"With the modifications they received, plus the ability to use magic, having someone that powerful go insane isn't something simple confinement can rectify."

Mikihiko turned a look of pure sympathy towards their mutual friend.

"God Leo, I had no idea."

Silence hung over them for nearly thirty seconds as all three of them contemplated the terrible history of magicians in the early half of this century in general, and particularly of the Fortress-series that Leo was at least a partial product of. The prospects for Leo's own future weighed heavily on both of his friend's minds now, as it had always on his own.

Despite his sometimes withdrawn attitude though, Mikihiko at his heart was an optimist.

"But…..you are the second generation descendant of the only successful Fortress-class magician, and your grandfather lived a normal life span. There's every reason to believe that you have inherited nothing but the positive aspects, is there not?"

Mikihiko thought he had reasoned well enough to improve all their moods, but seeing their continued silence and sullen attitudes, he couldn't understand what he was missing.

Tatsuya provided him with the critical piece of information.

"Leo's mother, his Fortress-series grandfather's daughter, suffers from a debilitating and unexplained neurological condition that keeps her confined to a wheelchair. It is possible that eventually, it will affect her internal functions as well."

His mortified expression said that Mikihiko finally understood Leo's terrible predicament fully.

"….Leo….I…."

Leo was in no mood for pity though.

"But hey! Even if I turn out to be healthy as Ojii-san, I could still lose my mind one day."

Mikihiko didn't know how to respond to his friend's terrible assessment of his own future.

"Leo…."

"So you see now? Papa Chiba won't be giving this numberless magician his stamp of approval ever."

Even Mikihiko knew that Erika's father had probably already found out this much about Leo's family history just from the fact that Erika had previously trained him to use Usuba Kagerou in the Chiba dojo. Chiba-dono wasn't the type not to know who was learning his family techniques, especially for free.

"Leo…..I…."

Suddenly Leo smiled and held a reassuring palm up to his friend to stop him.

"Calm down Mikihiko. I have lived with these issues hanging over me my whole life already. All I can do is live for today and hope for the best. Take life on full steam ahead."

"Except for Erika."

Leo was clearly perplexed by what Tatsuya had just said.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Tatsuya calmly explained.

"Your personal philosophy is 'carpe diem', to 'seize the day', because tomorrow may not come, except where Erika is concerned. With her, you keep delaying, hoping tomorrow will change the situation between you two for you without your direct intervention."

Leo swallowed hard with a bitter expression on his face.

"Well damn. As expected of Tatsuya. A quick strike that cuts all the way to the bone."

"He's right though…"

Mikihiko forcefully supported Tatsuya's position.

"…..and you know it. Waiting for Erika to come to you is not who you really are. And it's not what she would do, despite her usual bravado."

Leo looked to be contemplating their words, but then he smirked towards Mikihiko.

"Says the guy that waited two years to admit his feelings for the girl that was obviously in love with him?"

"HEY!"

Mikihiko turned away angrily with his arms crossed, blushing a bit at having been called out so ruthlessly.

"I'm not trying to make you angry or insult you by pointing out this inconsistency, just hoping you will recognize that it does not suit you or your goals."

Tatsuya said this with a serious expression aimed right at Leo.

"But…."

Again Leo deflated before their eyes.

"….why make it a thing when it could never possibly happen?"

Mikihiko blurted out a frustrated statement

"It's as if he doesn't even know her! And after all this time together."

Leo sent him a crossed look with furrowed eyebrows to match.

"What do you mean?"

"I believe Mikihiko is pointing out that Erika is the type to deceive herself about her true feelings."

Tatsuya spared them both a slight smile now as he continued.

"But once she has made up her own mind, she is relentless in pursuit of her goals."

Mikihiko added on to Tatsuya's words.

"Even her father will not stand in Erika's way once she has set her heart on a path forward."

"But…"

Now Leo looked like a cornered animal, looking for an escape route.

"…..if she doesn't….see me that way…I…"

"Fear of loss will not serve you well in this situation."

Tatsuya's words clearly struck home for Leo by his facial expression. Mikihiko again supported Tatsuya's position.

"Even if Erika rejects your feelings for her, she is not the type to ever turn her face from a friend."

Warring thoughts could be seen competing across Leo's expressions.

"….maybe."

A few seconds later Leo shook his head as if to clean out his errant thoughts and gave them a weak smile. He stood up and stretched out.

"Well…..enough of this. It's getting late. You'll both be in trouble if you don't head back now and I have a lot to clean up here."

Leo moved towards a tree trunk as if he were going to pick it up and move it. Both Tatsuya and Mikihiko stood up then. Before he could reach the nearest tree the whole area around them began to glow with a static-like pattern flowing over the tree trunks. Leo and Mikihiko both brought their arms up to shade their eyes. Realizing what had occurred a second after the brightness ended, Leo rounded on Tatsuya with a frustrated look.

"What? WHAT THE HELL TATSUYA?"

The forest around them had been restored to its original condition. The fifteen trees Leo had shattered the trunks of once again stood tall and majestically around and above them. Mikihiko couldn't help but look around him with his jaw dropped open. Even Leo's previously tattered school uniform was now restored to pristine condition.

Seeing Leo's consternation, Tatsuya realized it was for his sake and not some strange desire on Leo's part to clean up his previously made mess.

"Tress do not have pain receptors, thus restoring them or any non-animal object causes me no discomfort."

Both of his companions seemed mildly surprised to learn this fact about Regrowth, but soon they seemed relieved to hear this as well.

"We should get a move on."

At Mikihiko's advice, the three young men moved back towards the training forest gate, and let the restored trees rustle their leaves in the breeze of the approaching night air.

---

Along their way back down the main street from First High Tatsuya received a message from Miyuki that the proprietor of Eine Breise had generously offered to stay open later for them to await the boys' return. Realizing it was past the normal closing time already and the owner was simply being nice to loyal customers, Tatsuya suggested they just meet up at the First High Cabinet Station instead. From here he could easily monitor Miyuki's safety in Elemental Sight and if needed eliminate any potential threats.

The sun was down with only the faintest hints of orange above them in the mostly purple cloudless sky. The street lights had winked on while they walked down the sidewalk just as the stars above seemed to wink on from east to west. Being summer, this was an indication of a very late evening. Almost all the shops along their path had already closed, their storefronts now dark.

Even though the First High Cabinet Station served the whole surrounding community as well as First High's students, as a mostly residential area by this time of the evening the station was usually quiet. The lively sounds of female voices were easy to discern just seconds before the five ladies could be seen around the corner.

"I'm…not ready for this. Not now."

Tatsuya and Mikihiko both turned to see Leo staring with an irritated look towards the gaggle of girls standing and talking near the boarding platform. They could see his eyes were focused on one girl in particular.

Mikihiko was about to say something to him but Tatsuya mildly shook his head at him.

"See you two tomorrow."

With that Leo went to move toward the far end of the platform on the other side of the concessions area.

"Try to get some rest tonight."

Leo raised his hand to acknowledge Tatsuya's friendly advice without looking back at them.

Mikihiko shook his head in mild frustration over the situation, and then both moved toward where the girls were waiting for them.

"Onii…..Tatsuya-sama, welcome back."

Miyuki was obviously delighted at their return, as were Honoka and Mizuki. Tatsuya nodded in acknowledgment of her greeting and then asked a question of her.

"Did you get Saturday's arrangements all squared away?"

Miyuki smiled with a satisfied expression and answered him.

"Of course."

The unspoken body language between these two indicated to Miyuki that whatever had made the two young men return to school had been handled to Tatsuya's satisfaction. She, of course, knew she'd hear the details once they boarded their cabinet car.

Erika was not privy to this unspoken knowledge.

"So what made you go back then?"

She was trying to affect only slight interest in the topic with her usual flippant attitude, but anyone who had come to know Erika well could see her deeper interest level by looking at the intensity reflecting in her eyes.

"Is everything at school alright?"

Mizuki didn't bother to hide her concern as she asked Mikihiko this question. His Public Morals Committee subordinate Shizuku also was looking forward to hearing his answer with interested eyes.

"Oh…um….yes, just something minor really."

Tatsuya appreciated Mikihiko's honest nature, but at times like these, it would be more convenient if he could develop some ability at dissembling in conversations.

Then he sensed Erika's aura intensify suddenly. Following her squinting gaze, he realized what she was seeing.

Who...she was seeing.

"Hey…..what the…"

She instantly started to move down the boarding platform towards the far end.

"Erika, wait…."

Mikihiko tried to reach out to grasp her arm, but Tatsuya placed his hand on Mikihiko's forearm and shook his head when Mikihiko sent him a questioning gaze.

All the women present now could see what had drawn Erika's sudden attention, and instantly understood what was going on. All followed her as she moved down the platform with various looks of concern.

"You! Why are you way over here? I know you can be slow, but it's plain we are all over here. You can clearly see us."

Erika called out in an irritated voice. The target of her irritation wouldn't even look at her.

"Yes, and?"

Leo's own irritation at having been spotted attempting to board a two person cabinet car was evident even from where their friends were anxiously watching the scene unfold.

"And what? What do you mean by this cryptic and simplistic answer? You can plainly see I am over with our friends waiting on a cabinet. Why are you over here when you can just get on one with me over there like normal?"

Erika and Leo, not a couple according to either party, almost always rode alone together back towards their respective homes in the evenings, Leo's home station being on the way towards the Chiba dojo. Neither usually rode to school together, but often one party could be seen waiting at the station for the other to arrive as well.

It was such a normal everyday occurrence that Erika was somewhat justified in questioning why Leo had suddenly changed the arrangement without a word to her about it since she clearly didn't understand how her behavior earlier had affected Leo. The fact that he had apparently tried to sneak away without being seen only intensified her agitation level and suspicions.

If this type of situation still caused their own friends confusion about their true feelings for each other even after two years, then a casual observer could be easily forgiven for assuming what they were now witnessing was an obvious lovers' quarrel.

"I'm not heading home. I'm heading south."

Leo still wouldn't look at her as he replied with his arms crossed and a defiant expression on his face. This news made Erika frown with additional confusion. She replied with obviously angry indignation at him.

"South? What for? It is already half past eight in the evening. What can be to the south that is so important that you need to go there this late? Are you not tired?"

Leo rolled his eyes and sighed in frustration before replying.

"Oh, I'm tired alright."

Leo said this in a low tone, but Erika clearly couldn't understand the sarcasm behind his words.

"Then go home Moron!"

Leo finally rounded on her and flashed her an angry expression.

"You're not my mother! What do you care where I'm going anyway?"

Erika's eyes went wide in surprise for a second, and then true to form she began to yell back at him."

"Huh? What do you mean by this? Why are you pitching a fit like a child?"

Leo looked like he was about to explode at her, but then he closed his eyes, took in three deep breaths, and turned away from her again.

Then he landed a highly effective verbal blow to Erika's ego.

"Don't worry about it, not like it's something important enough for a 'Numbers' Princess to concern herself about."

As Erika's jaw dropped open and her eyes bulged in disbelief, Leo calmly turned away from her and walked towards the nearest crossover platform to the other side of the tracks.

Erika's stunned eyes followed him as he ascended the stairs that led up to the crossover platform bridge. Only then could she begin to form even incoherent words.

"What…..what the…"

Leo stopped briefly without turning around and spoke in a surprisingly calm and strong voice.

"I'll catch a cabinet south on the opposite platform like I'm supposed to."

Even at peak times, the First High Station was rarely busy enough where courtesy would necessitate the need to cross over to the other platform to catch a southbound cabinet car. The two parallel tracks heading in opposite direction had turn-around tracks to send a car in the correct direction only meters from the ends of the boarding platforms.

At this time of night, with virtually no passengers around, Leo choosing to cross over to board from the proper side could only indicate to Erika that he wanted to get away from her.

As she stared at him in disbelief as he went over the platform, not a few of their friends looking on this drama secretly prayed that she would find it in her heart to finally go after him.

Erika's pride wouldn't let her do that though. Instead, anger beat out concern.

"Fine stubborn! But I won't take notes for you when you oversleep tomorrow!"

Leo, now at the open door of a south-bound two-person cabinet car, looked up with an unreadable expression that made the stubborn Erika finally show a concerned look towards him directly. Then, as if he had only heard the wind blowing, he entered the car without another word to her. Within seconds it sped down the tracks that would take it to the south of Hachioji…..

….and away from a surprisingly pitiful looking Erika, whose unreadable eyes followed Leo's cabinet car till it disappeared from sight. She then stood there for nearly a whole minute more, just looking where Leo's car had disappeared from and even rubbed her arms as if she were cold despite the season. Perhaps she was cold. The summer evening breeze could be seen pushing at her tied-up read locks and the hem of her school uniform skirt.

The girls, in whispered tones, began to debate whether they should go retrieve her, with obvious concern for her.

Then Erika slowly turned around and walked back toward them equally slowly as if she were searching the ground before her for the answers to what had just happened.

Her anxious friends tensed as she finally returned to their side. As if finally realizing she was not alone anymore, Erika suddenly turned angry eyes up at Tatsuya and Mikihiko. In an accusatory tone, as if they had somehow caused the issue, she demanded answers from them both.

"What the hell is wrong with Moron?"

Tatsuya and Mikihiko were in no position to betray their friend's trust, so both rather unconvincingly shrugged in their defense.

Then Erika turned curious eyes towards Mikihiko's side as her best friend Mizuki let out a frustrated sound with a rare bit of irritation showing from the normally calm and placid young woman's face.

Erika could only respond to that with a strange expression on her face.

"….what?"

---

Several minutes later Erika rode alone in a two-person cabinet car speeding off to the northeast and home. The home where even her most beloved brother had now "betrayed" her. She now had no hope for the future in her heart. She had to fight back a strange and rare urge for her.

For some reason, she wanted to cry.

She acknowledged that today had gone poorly for her on multiple levels. She certainly hadn't meant to take it out on either of the first-year Shield Down competitors, though the arrogant boy probably deserved it. Even more so, she didn't mean to insult and hurt her friends just because she was angry at her family. Especially not Mizuki.

For some reason she couldn't explain her threatening tears didn't feel like they were about her heartless father, her terrible sister, her thoughtless brother, or even about how badly she had acted towards her friends this afternoon.

This confusing and oppressive sadness followed her home on the walk from her local station and continued to dog her well after she crawled into bed. For some reason, she felt as if something precious had died for her, and that she couldn't even put her finger on what it was only added frustration to the sadness.

That night Erika had to use a sleep inducer to go to sleep.

In a rare form of self-indulgence, she allowed herself to sob quietly into her pillow as she awaited sleep.

For some reason...

---

After his cabinet car passed by Chigasaki, Leo got off at the station nearest to where the Sagami River emptied into Sagami Bay. He then walked from the station to the beach in front of the old Yanagishima Camping Grounds beside the river.

The time was 9:30.

The last time he walked this beach had been well over a year before and much later in the night. Really, it had been more morning than night then. It had also been at the height of winter. Then, not a single person had been on the beach but himself.

Now, though it was well after dark, many people were still walking up and down the beach. During the day this place would be crawling with summer beach goers frolicking in the waves or absorbing the sun's rays on the sands.

Off to the east in the far distance, Leo saw the Enoshima Sea Candle glowing.

He took his shoes off and stuck his socks in them, tossed his uniform jacket over his shoulder, and then headed east.

Three hours later he was standing in the shadow of that brightly light tower staring at the sea through the small framed structure that held up a bell.

The bell was supposed to be rung for good luck in a relationship. The associated legend around it involved a five-headed dragon that gave up his evil ways to marry a goddess. Nearby a place where people had been putting old-fashioned mechanical locks on a rusty fence for over a hundred some years stood. That was supposed to be for luck in a relationship too.

Leo left thirty minutes later without disturbing that bell or the fence.

None of the local cabinet stations were open at this early hour on a Friday morning, so he had to splurge for an AI taxi all the way back home. Crossing the threshold of his residence when the clock was closer to two in the morning than one, Leo was surprised to see the light on in the living room.

"Welcome home."

His sister's voice greeted him from that area, instantly bringing up a swelling feeling of guilt within him.

Turning the corner into the room, Leo sent his sister a contrite expression.

"Why did you stay up? I told you I was taking a walk."

Kaya smiled at him.

"Usually you at least let me fall asleep before you sneak out. I figured that if you went for a walk right after school something must be really bothering you. Figured you might need to talk about it afterward."

"But…"

Leo now felt really bad.

"…..what about school tomorrow?"

Kaya smirked at him.

"That's more your problem than mine. I don't have classes on Friday till afternoon."

Kaya attended University and her schedule on Fridays only had classes in the afternoon. Where she had plenty of time to sleep in late, Leo had to be at his desk at First High almost six hours from now.

"And she'll be there waiting."

To cover his sudden facial expression change he apologized to his sister.

"I'm sorry."

She just shook her head side to side.

"It's not me you have to apologize to. Kaa-san was a bit disappointed when she called."

Seeing on Leo's face that he forgot about their mother's scheduled call, his sister moved to alleviate his concerns.

"Don't worry, I told her you were busy with your upcoming competition."

She then smiled indulgently towards him.

"She's really excited about it. She was disappointed she missed it two years ago. She and Oji-san are talking about coming home for it."

Leo's level of concern shot upwards immediately at this news.

"But her treatments! She can't…"

As a result of her Fortress-series legacy, their mother suffered from a debilitating neurological condition. She and their father had basically moved out of the country so that she can receive cutting edge treatment. Leaving for even a week could result in a major setback for her.

"You'd have a hard time stopping her if she wanted to."

His sister, who shared his concerns, knew exactly what was bothering her brother.

"She misses us…she misses you. You're her baby."

Leo could only look down contritely now. His sister knew as well as him how powerless their mother's children felt in the face of her near-paralyzing condition, and how the possibility that they too could face the same or worse one day hung over their entire family.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Kaya was skilled at diverting the topic when talking about their mother became too heavy for either of them to bear.

"Thanks….but no."

She also knew when not to pry.

"Okay, well, you know where I am when you change your mind."

He nodded his understand to her.

"Thanks Nee-san. Again, sorry."

She waved at him dismissively to indicate he needed to go to bed.

After a quick shower to wash away the sweat and beach sand, he collapsed on his bed and reached up to turn on his sleep inducer. He knew couldn't sleep without it tonight.

As he waited for the effects to take place, his mind once again drifted to the snide yet sultry voice he had kept hearing in his head all night long.

He began to paraphrase her words from earlier inside his mind from the moment he had first heard them.

"As if….THAT MAN…..could ever be worthy of a Daughter of the Chiba."

He shut his eyes and tried to drive these thoughts from his mind.

"To think that…HE…..could ever be worthy of a daughter of one of the great numbered houses. Oh, he has some nerve…"

To hear the voice of the woman he desperately loved say the words that disqualified him forever from her side was too much to bear.

"You really are a moron, aren't you?"

That morning his dreams were all nightmares, and all ended in an emptiness he could feel in the pit of his stomach, even as he slept on.