Honoka's Bizarre Adventure: µ's Is Unbreakable
Chapter 11: Wonder Zone (Part 2)
Previously on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!
This is Minami Kotori speaking! I… I'm a part of this now, too! I've spent my whole life doing what others think I should do, without my own free will! Even when my own friends were under attack I almost ran away, before remembering my papa's words! So, I'm not going to run away… I'll fight too! I won't ever run away or be weak ever again!
I'll show them all what I can do! The gentle wind… has allied with me!
A healing Stand! Nico thought in amazement, her legs restored. The injuries she had just obtained should have crippled her for life. The insects eating her alive should have ensured she would never walk without a crutch at a minimum, but she felt good as new now! She reached for the back of her neck though, narrowing her eyes as she felt the bite. It must be the venom of the Stand… so Kotori's Stand can't heal everything, she thought. If nothing else, this was a good start, though. Nico's eyes widened however as she noticed the ant swarm began to approach again. "Kotori!"
"R-right!" Another gust of wind from her Stand's wings sent the bugs flying once more, and the three girls grinned.
"What the hell!? That's not fair!" Kobayashi complained, as her insects tried to regain their composure. A few flew at high speeds to try to attack, but this time「Circus」whip was easily able to destroy the few that tried to head over. "How am I supposed to fight you like that!?"
"Fair!? You're the one attacking us with a Remote Stand that can cover friggin' Shibuya!" Nico shot back. "If you want fair, why don't you tell us where you are!? You and your creepy, ugly bugs can bite my ass!"
"Why you...!"
"N-Nico-senpai, don't agitate her more!" Hanayo scolded. "M-Miss… Can't we call a truce!? We're at an impasse now… your Stand isn't a match against us now, and we can't find you… there's no point in fighting!"
"Screw that! You can only keep it up for so long… And then, you'll get tired. And then「Worker Bees」will finish you bitches off!" Kobayashi said. "This isn't just about the arrow now… this is personal! You hurt bugs and mocked me about it… just like all you humans always do!" She ranted. "The only one of you who has ever treated me kindly was my nana and Yanigihori! Every time I wanna believe in you worthless things, I regret it!" The other girls were silent. "That's why we Arrow Hunters gotta win… with the power we'll gain, Yanigihori will let me build the ultimate insectarium- the largest in the world! My dreams are right in my grasp, but if I fail… If I can't prove I'm worth keeping around she'll just throw me away like everyone else!"
"Insectarium…?" Kotori asked.
"Insectariums are museums about insects! People can see preserved insects, and insects are breeded and researched as well! I want to make an insectarium… one with every insect in the world! Where people will come to admire and respect them, and the ultimate paradise for entomologists where they can observe beautiful bugs and learn more about them! A shut-in like me has no chance of ever amassing the funds for it… but with the arrow all that will change! I'll make a beautiful place where people don't want to hurt insects, but appreciate them!" Kobayashi's tone was desperate now, ranting to herself without caring if the girls of Muse cared or not. "You bitch… you've really pissed me off! It doesn't matter how long the pursuit is... I'm gonna win, do you understand me!? I'll win!"
"Girls, run!" Nico commanded, the three sprinting off. 「Worker Bees」was hot on their tail, but now they had an advantage. If only I was by myself, Center of the Ring would be really useful here!
"What do we do!?" Hanayo asked. They had made their way back to the streets, bolting past other pedestrians on the sidewalk, ignoring the few who yelled at them. A few bugs made their way in front of them, but they were short work once「Momorio Clover」attacked them.
"This is a first step… We got out of that deathtrap allyway! And Kotori's Stand can blow them away!" Nico said. "We should try to get a hold of Honoka somehow… she's probably gone home though… we shouldn't try to put civilians at risk! That includes her family… if only we could call her somehow. There's got to be payphones somewhere! Wait… the arcade! There's one in the arcade where we were trying to determine who the center should be!"
"Its about twenty minutes by foot from here… but its our best shot! If we call a taxi it'll just put the driver in danger!" Kotori rationalized.
"If nothing else… w-we can heal, right?" Hanayo asked. But Nico shook her head.
"We don't know if there's limitations to that healing ability yet… we can't abuse it! Let's fight assuming she can't heal us again!" Nico suggested. "As gross as bugs are, it's a pretty amazing Stand… if Kotori hadn't come there Hanayo and I would've never walked right again!" Hanayo gulped. "The big problem is the inability to track down the user… its our infected bites for sure! They're homing onto us with it… if only Kotori's Stand had healed it!"
The bites… Kotori thought. "I think… I think I might have a plan, actually! We should still contact Honoka… but… I have an idea, but I don't know if it'll work!"
Nico's eyes narrowed. "How screwed are we if it doesn't work?"
"Really screwed, we'll be in a close quarter area again where「Worker Bees」will be able to gang up on us again," Kotori admitted. "I think… we should cut off the bites!"
"Are you serious!?" Nico asked. "There's are pretty big, there's gonna be a lot of blood…"
"Y-you're going to complain about that after what just happened!?" Hanayo asked. "They were eating us! That's way worse than cutting off one little part!"
"Dammit… I don't know what the best course of action is!"
"If we head to the maid café, we can use some of the knives," Kotori suggested. "It'll be open for another hour… its even closer than the arcade! We need to make a choice… You're our eldest and you've been a Stand user longer, president! So, it's your choice!"
"Oh God… Jesus… OK…" She thought about their options, even as「Circus」destroyed a few more bugs. What could Honoka really do? She could destroy more bugs, but she couldn't actually help them track down the user. She bit her lip, weighing her options. "Alright… to the maid café! We'll cut off our bites! And from there, we'll retreat! Kotori… if this doesn't work…"
"… Then we lose, we won't stand a chance in another contained space," Kotori said bluntly, facing the other two. "But we don't have any other strategies! We need to do something!"
She just hoped Kobayashi had no other tricks up her sleeve.
What would you say, papa? Kotori asked herself, charging forward. Everyone was counting on her strategy to work. Am I messing up? Am I putting everyone in danger? The doubt wracked her mind once more. There was only so much they could do given the situation. Papa, what would you say? Should I try something else? Am I risking everything for a gamble? I wish... I wish you or Honoka or Umi could tell me what to do! But she shook her head,
But the only path was straight ahead. Kotori knew there was no other route, or any other good alternative. The girls raced towards the café, bolting in through the front door.
"Koto- Milanksy!?" One of Kotori's coworkers asked, watching her bolt by. "W-what's going on!? Is everything OK!?"
"No time to talk! This is an emergency, sorry!" Was all Kotori said as they rushed forward, making their way to the kitchen. "Come on, come on… there!" She rushed through the drawers, Hanayo gasping as she saw some of the ant's approach. "They're not steak knives, but they'll get the job done I think…" Kotori said as she handed her friends the knives.
"This sucks…" Was all Nico said, taking position. "Ok… ready!? Three… two… one!" All three girls winced as they sliced off parts of their necks, right where they had all been bitten. The pain they had just endured at the hands of the enemy Stand was several dozen times more painful of course, but the experience was still unpleasant to say in the least. They looked at the door, watching「Worker Bees」creep in, advancing towards the now removed bites… and then sniff it, before beginning to leave after two ate the infected bites.
"W-we did it! Kotori-chan, your plan worked!" Hanayo said with a big smile, hugging her friend. "We won!"
"Let's head back to Otonokizaka," Nico instructed. "Let's use this chaos to our advantage! She thinks she won— "
"I disagree!"
Nico blinked at Kotori's statement. "W-what do you mean by that!? The attack is over! We win by default! We should—"
"Look, they're not disappearing… they're retreating! They're going back to the user, I bet! Instead of running away, I think we should follow them and confront the enemy, Kobayashi Kaori!"
"Why should we do that!?" Nico asked. "If we're safe, then there's no need to continue. We should regroup and think of a strategy for the future! We know how her Stand works because she's a dumbass, so we should be in the clear!"
"What if she goes after the rest first!? What if she's already attacking them!?" Kotori asked, causing Nico to be quiet. "Her Stand is a really dangerous one… I don't think it's a good idea to just wait for her to attack us again! Even if we know how the Stand operates… I think its in our better interest to fight her directly! We should attack her, and make sure she won't attack us again! Otherwise we'll be living in paranoia about this forever!"
Nico bit her lip, thinking it over. But Hanayo spoke next.
"I agree with this plan," she said. "I don't think its worthwhile to just wait to be attacked again! If we can… I'd prefer fighting directly! We need to send a message we're not cowards... we should send a message that we will fight, and we will hunt them down! Maybe then they'll start backing off! And even if they don't, they'll probably stop using sneak attack tactics on us when they realize it won't work!" Nico was shocked by Hanayo's boldness. Its like she and Kotori were completely different people with their Stands out, ready to battle. "We… we should pursue our enemy so they know we're not somebody you can just push around! I'd rather fight the next enemies head-on instead of slimy tactics like this! Tracking them down will send that message!"
"… Jeez, I'm really outnumbered, aren't I?" Despite it all, a part of Nico was satisfied with this. "Alright! Let's rush forward! We'll track down「Worker Bees'」owner!" She declared, running after the ants. "Outta my way!" She yelled to a guest.
"Pardon me!" Hanayo said, rushing past the same confused man.
"Apologies!" Was Kotori's response.
"A… Are you Milansky?" The stunned man asked, with Kotori turning around to bow while moving backwards, still running out.
"Off the clock! Come back Tuesday, master!"
They raced outside into the streets of Akiba, trailing the ants until they arrived at a nearby park, at which point they took off into the air. "Dammit!" Nico exclaimed, a little relieved no kids were around. "Didn't think they'd start flying! Alright, we're going back to- Hey! What are you doing!? Don't just touch me like that!" Kotori had wrapped her arms around Nico and Hanayo, both resisting weakly.
"K-Kotori-chan? What are you doing?"
"I know what to do!" She yelled, her Stand materializing and grabbing hold of Kotori. "Hold on tight!"
"… Y-you're kidding, right…?" Nico asked. "I don't think this is- HOLY CRAP!"
Sure enough, a few moments later Kotori's Stand took to the air, holding onto the three girls, much to Nico's and Hanayo's dismay. With the added weight the Stand didn't appear to be able to fly very fast, slower than the bugs themselves: but she was able to keep up with her enemy.
"I HATE FLYING!"
"SOMEBODY SAVE MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
First year Kaori Kobayashi was what most considered to be a 'hikkemori,' a shut-in.
The young girl has embraced it, and seemingly so had her parents. Wealthy corporate lawyers, they had little time for things like bonding with the young girl. Sickly since birth and nearly-blind, they were pretty happy to set up an online school option for her.
Kaori didn't know what exactly 'went wrong' in her life. Was it the relentless teasing and bullying as a child? Her bitterness at being so sick? She never "fitted in" with other kids, cliché as it may have sounded. It was with insects that she found solidarity and happiness. They didn't tease or bully others. They didn't make others outcasts. They lived to serve their colony, together.
"You have no right to be depressed."
"You have no right to be this way."
They were the words of parents who did not care much for her own well-being, and her own words as she looked in her reflection countless times. But it was life. She had come to accept it. If nobody cared enough to help her, why bother helping herself? If her own parents were content to fuel it simply to make their lives easier, who cared if they were critical of it? The only time Kaori had ever felt truly happy and comfortable outside of her house were at places like the insectarium at Tama Zoological Park.
If nothing else though, her nana supported her. It wasn't every day her grandmother came to visit, but every time she did, her heart lit up a bit. Often when she would come she would bring little gifts; little photos of insects, articles cut out of magazines about insects, and her favorites; little candies with real insects in them! Her parents found them revolting, but Kaori loved them... she didn't always eat them, sometimes instead just observing through their wrappers. The more Kaori reflected on it, those were the times the young her was happiest.
It was one of the few times people treated her with respect, and who actually paid attention to her interests. Her nana found bugs rather gross, but for her granddaughter's sake, put those feelings aside to make the child feel good. Nobody else, not even her, might have shared her passions, but at least she had someone who seemed to care for her mental health and well-being. She got into fights with her son and daughter-in-law often, and the relationship was strained, almost always because of her support for Kaori's "gross" habits. Eventually, Kaori recalled she stopped showing up altogether, although she would secretly call her granddaughter often.
One day the calls stopped, and it would take Kaori four months to learn that her grandmother had passed on naturally in her sleep. Her family had elected not to attend the funeral. When she reflected on it, Kaori reflected that was around the time she stopped going to school as well, when her transformation into a hikkemori was finalized.
She slept, she ate, she did her online schoolwork with flying colors, and she repeated the process. Her room had become like a tomb, and she came to peace with that reality. One day she'd probably just wither away and die or something. She accepted that too. She stayed in her room all day, only leaving to microwave TV dinners before returning online. She had a strong online presence on Japanese insect forums, especially ones related to raising ants. At least there she felt happy, she could not lie when she said she felt pride that people considered her someone to go to in order to ask about help with their own home ant colonies.
It had happened one day. She wanted beef jerky. She usually simply had it delivered to her, either from the shop itself by foot or by some local highschoolers she paid to run errands to her (such as bringing her video games on their release), but for some reason she wanted to leave her house. It had been the first time in nearly a year. Something inside her called out for her to leave her house, and against all odds, she did so.
She did not know why, but something inside her called for her to leave her house. To make this take of buying something for herself on her own two feet. It was somewhat scary to her, embarrassing as it was to admit. As she did, she thought of her dreams. Her insectarium. A place where every insect under the world could live under one roof. A dream that kept her alive, a dream that gave her reason to keep living, no matter how trite it was.
She had finished her bag of jerky and was going back to buy more before an arrow had pierced her lung, collapsing to the ground in pain. And then soon after, she appeared.
"Ah man, I almost had that 'Pink and Black Stand…' Oi, girl! You look like shit! Well… we all are after that happens to us…"
Kaori whimpered in pain and agony, the tears still falling.
"Whoah, whoah! Come on, don't cry! You look big… how old are ya?"
"… 14…"
"… Ok, maybe not too big, and that's kinda rough! But as shitty as that was, don't be sad! You may not understand it now, but that's the best thing that's ever gonna happen to you!"
"Eh…?" Kaori wiped away her tears as she looked up, watching a green aura surround the other girl.
"I'm Emi! Emi Suzuki! And from now on, you're an Arrow Hunter, like me!"
"Arrow Hunter…? O-Oh! I'm, uh, Kobayashi Kaori…"
"We only use our last names in our organization… except for me, anyways. Jori-chan gets really mad at me when I don't call her Yanigihori… so I guess from now on, you're Kobayashi to me!" Emi said with a chuckle, unwrapping a lollipop. "Say, tell me, girlie. How would you feel about all your dreams coming true?"
"What's… what's going on…?"
"All you need to know is this; all of your wildest dreams are soon going to come true if you take my offer."
And so young Kaori was taken to Shinjuku Kabukicho; which she knew well as a red-light district. Several older men made uncomfortable passes at them, but every time Emi scared them off; even punching one in the gut at one point. She had never seen someone so strong before! And eventually they passed by a small restaurant, with a wooden sign hanging above it, barely visible in the darkness of the night even with the illuminating lights from other facilities around; Yanigihori's Booze and Food.
It was the shadiest dive bar she had ever seen, and Kaori was confident that every man inside had to have been a hardened criminal just by looking at them. But at the corner sat a group of girls. They all dressed like girl delinquents, wearing masks and having dyed streaks in their hair like Emi; except their ringleader, without dyed hair or a mask.
"That's her, right?"
"Yup! The newest awakened Stand user... I don't even know what her Stand is yet, but! She withstood the arrow, so she's worth keeping around, Jori-chan!" The girl seemed very annoyed at how she was addressed, but paid no mind otherwise.
"What do you want?"
"H-huh? I-I was just following Emi-san..."
"What do you want from this world?"
"... Huh?"
Yanigihori stood up, staring her down. "If you could have one wish, what would it be? Anything in the world?" Kaori blinked a few times. "When I obtain the arrow that pierced you... I'm going to obtain incredible power. With that power, I can remake this country the way I see fit... and to those of you who will help me, I will make your wishes come true."
"Our wishes...?"
"I'm not like the yakuza. This is not some glorified gang. By being part of us, I will protect you, and if you so desire once per day I will personally give you free food and drink under this, my parent's roof," Yanigihori explained. "I won't abandon my girls just because they failed a mission... that will include you. In return for your loyalty, I will grant you a wish. And if I cannot fulfill that wish of yours... then I will repent by being your servant for the rest of my life. All of you too. I will go from your boss to your servant. You have my word," Yanigihori declared.
Kaori went quiet, wondering if this was a dream or not. A wish? She could have a wish granted? She bit on her lip, and thoughts of her nana supporting her interests flooded back. "I... I want..."
"Go on. Don't be afraid. I'm not your enemy."
"An insectarium! A place dedicated to insects! I want... I want a place in this world, in this country, this Japan, with every insect in the entire world under one roof!"
There were mumurs around the girls, but they stopped when Yanigihori nodded. "It will be done. Welcome to the Arrow Hunters, Kobayashi."
From that day onward, Koari decided to discard her first name, and to live only as Kobayashi.
"I… its huge!" Hanayo exclaimed as the three made their way towards the Kobayashi mansion, landing in its backyard. It wasn't the size of some of the Western-style mansions she saw in movies, but she had never seen a house this large in person before! "T-the user really lives here!?" After fighting Akeno and Miano she didn't expect a house this big, or anything for any members of the Arrow Hunters. But here they were, at a real-life Japanese mansion!
"Focus!" Nico said as Kotori let go of her at last as they hit the ground, rubbing her head. "Man, I hate flying… Ah! Over there!" Nico noticed several of the「Worker Bees」slip into an open window, the girls nodding at each other as they headed in. "Don't make a sound…"
"W-what do we do if someone's here?" Hanayo asked.
"We got no choice… knock 'em out! Don't touch anything either, try not to leave fingerprints on stuff! We were never here, OK?" The two other girls nodded in agreement, following the bugs until they reached a single room, crawling in under the crack of the door… and sure enough, there came that voice.
"N-n-no! You're back!? But I… I didn't recall you back! Oh… oh no…!" Kobayashi's voice was panicked, and even from outside her room they could tell she was scurrying around in her room. "D… Did I really kill them by accident!? If they withdrew before I gave the order, that means… oh nononono! This wasn't supposed to happen!" The girls glared from outside the room. "Boss said not to kill them… it wasn't supposed to kill them! What do I do, what do I do!? They know where I live, and the boss' Stand will be able to track me down if I run away! And I can't just tell mom and dad 'hey, I fucked up and killed somebody, we gotta move!'"
"… She really likes talking to herself, huh?" Hanayo asked, earning a nervous chuckle from Kotori despite it all.
"Keep listening, in case she reveals anything…" Nico said, pressing her ear to the door, careful not to make noises. "I think we're almost there…"
"I can't believe it… agh! Probably complications with that Minami girl! How did she get a Stand out of nowhere like that!? Was she pieced by the arrow earlier and we just didn't know!? Oh man, I gotta figure out a way out of this! Damndamndamndamn... Uhh... t-they killed themselves? Nono, my bugs probably ate them to death... I don't get it, Worker Bees has never killed someone like that before! Agh! Stupid Stand users, all of them!
"Im not stupid!" 「Circus」cried out, swinging the door open. "... Oh, oops."
"Y-you useless Stand!" Nico swore, before glaring at the enemy. "W-we got you surrounded!"
"You're alive!?" Kobayashi exclaimed, before letting out a breath of relief. "Oh, thank God, you're alive! I... I didn't kill anyone after all!" Kobayashi was smiling at that point. "Oh man, I'm not going to hell after all! Or at least not for that reason! And the boss won't be the one sending me there!" The awkward girl rushed forward, wrapping her arms around Kotori in happiness, much to the girl's confusion.
"... Umm..."
"... Wait, you're still my enemy!" Kobayashi remembered, jumping away and falling down, picking up her glasses before staring them down. "D-don't underestimate me... I'm still an Arrow Hunter, you know!"
"We got you surrounded three to one!" Hanyo said. "This fight is over. We came here for your surrender! Your promise you won't attack us or the other girls of μ's again!"
"Why the heck would I do that!?" Kobayashi asked. "I'm part of the enemy team! If my boss gives an order, I'll do it, heck what you say!"
"Because if you don't, we'll beat the living snot out of you!" Nico yelled, earning a gulp from Kobayashi. "You're completely surrounded! Just admit you're beat and do what we say!"
"I... erm... f-fools!" Kobayashi's demeanor had changed once more, now smirking. "... You fell into my trap! I wanted you to come right to me so I could fight you in my own house! The home-field advantage is mine!"
Hanayo gasped. "W-we fell into a trap!? Really!?"
"Did she get one over on us!? Friggin' really!?" Nico replied, her Stand gasping as Kotori sweatdropped.
Really...?
"Mwahaha... that's right! Fools! Haven't you realized!? 「Worker Bees」works best in close corridors like this! That's right... I brought you here to defeat you!" She said, adjusting her glasses. They're really falling for it!
Kotori stomped on the ground. "Kobayashi! Just promise you won't attack us again and that'll be the end of that! We know how your Stand works, even if you bite us again, we'll know what to do! The best thing you can do is just surrender!"
"C-can't do that! I have a mission to fulfill in order to build my utopia, my bug sanctuary! Now... Because you're here, I'll offer an alternative! Instead of crippling you nuisances, I can take you back to our base unharmed!" One thing was for sure now; she did have a home-field advantage. And in close-quarters in a narrow space, that bug swarm was nothing any of them wanted to deal with. "I won't harm a hair on your bodies! I'll let my boss decide what to do... How about it? All your other bandmates or whatever you call yourselves will be fine, too!"
"Idols! We're an Idol unit, and we're all Idols!" Hanayo corrected.
"Whatever! You get the point! So, what's it gonna be!?" The three girls glared, and Kobayashi glared back. "Alright... don't say I didn't warn you!" She rose her right arm, the grotesque holes forming on them.
"Ewww..." Nico said with a shutter, while「Circus,」ready to fight back raised her whip, the other girls' Stands out and ready as well.
"Here we go! My... 「Worker Bees!」"
And as she rose her hair, a grand total of five ants crawled out of her arm, flying towards them. However, 「「Momorio Clover」」made extremely short work of them. It only took a few more seconds for a few more bugs to fly out, this time quickly dispatched by 「Circus」' whip.
"..."
"..."
"..."
The silence was tremendous and awkward, as Kobayashi blushed in embarrassment. "... I-I can only make a few of them at a time. I was building up the army overnight after I bit you all. I kind of withdrew them already..."
"Are you for real!?" Nico demanded, stomping her foot. "We came out here for nothing! Alright, bitch! Don't screw with us again, got it!? Girls, we're going home!" The thee turned away, not wanting to waste any more time with the enemy first year, but Hanayo looked back.
There was a grin on her face as she rose her arm once more. Its now or never, Kaori! You can do this!
"Girls! S… she's about to do something!"
Kobayashi roared in pain as her arm violently shook, an armada of insects making its way out of her arm. So great was the pain she felt the tears well up in her eyes, a teardrop falling a moment later. It hurts like hell, forcing myself into overdrive like this… but I can't lose! Get it together, Kaori! Eyes on the prize!
"H-Holy shit!" Nico yelled. "HANAYO! CLOSE THE DOOR!"
Hanayo jumped and slammed it shut, feeling the insects slam against the door a moment later… and before long, were eating through her door. "S-she really did get us in a trap…!"
"Get some distance!" Kotori instructed, as the ants soon ate through her door. As they entered the hallway her Stand easily blew them away, but it did not change a problem; they were coming back, as tenacious as ever.
"How am I going to explain that to mom and dad…? Ah well! It'll be worth it once I have my insectarium!" Kobayashi declared, laughing. "Blow 'em away all you want, in terms of sheer numbers, I've already won! I just gotta hold myself out from here… and I'm making a few more bugs every few seconds! You might as well just submit entirely! It's not too late to take up my offer, you know!"
"Screw you, bug lady!" Nico yelled. What were the options? Could she use Center of The Ring now? The user was right around the corner… but what if she couldn't defeat Kobayashi in those precious few seconds? It's not like「Circus」had good offensive power. She could easily go for a killing blow, but that's the last thing she wanted to do.
"Why you…! Just watch! When in close-range, I have control over「Worker Bees」even without needing you to be bitten! And you'll find… My Stand is just as deadly as ever!" As Kobayashi made her bold declaration Nico yelled in pain, her Stand attacking an ant that had landed on her leg. "You're kidding me! How did… Shit! Everyone, the heating! She sent some ants into the heating system too!" As the girls looked around, they saw some「Worker Bees」crawl out of heat ducts. "Its dangerous to stay in here! We need to bail, immediately! Get outside!" Nico gritted her teeth at the understanding that they had once again misunderstood their strange enemy. She could no longer deny the facts; when in a close corridor or a hallway, there seemed to be no way for them to really combat the multiplying threat.
"Everyone, outside!" Kotori instructed, the other two girls agreeing as they raced through the mansion, making their way to the courtyard. We should flee now, Kotori rationalized. They knew the name and face of their enemy and where she lived. The full scope of her Stand, and so on. If they went back to Honoka and the rest, couldn't they simply easily defend themselves with the knowledge they had gained? Kotori thought about, then shook her head. The girl was… odd, and not that bright in strategy. But such a dangerous ability couldn't simply be left unchecked! Unless she was beaten into submission, she was sure that her friends would be under constant danger. Even knowing how her Stand worked she had almost gotten one on them!
"Up there!" Hanayo pointed at a window, as the girls noticed Kobayashi grinning at them as she opened the window, hundreds of insects pouring out; and with another scream, many more coming out of her arm in that instant. There couldn't have been less than a thousand, coming at high speeds! "T… this is bad! Kotori! … Kotori!? Blew them away!"
Kotori's eyes were shut, thinking to her father's words. She thought to that day in Egypt years ago, and the words her father imprinted onto her.
"Go forward with pride Kotori. And don't ever back down."
Those two words he had once said, in the face of danger, that she repeated to herself so much were beginning to take new meaning in her. Those words that ever since she was little that filled her with determination was now filling her with strength. Her Stand's wings began to glow a slight green, taking off the ground.
"What in the world?" Nico asked, looking between the approaching enemy and Kotori. "Whatever you're gonna do… Kotori! It's all or nothing! If this doesn't work, we're screwed, so… so… as your club president I'm telling you, Minami, don't let us down!"
"I believe in you, Kotori-chan!" Hanayo yelled. "I didn't think I could fight either… but Honoka showed me the way! When I was in danger…. All I could think about was protecting Rin and Honoka! You can do it! Whatever you're going to do… you'll win!"
"And in the face of danger... let those fists fly free, and with hallowed vision, Kotori..."
Kotori took a deep breath, finally facing the horde approaching. I'm not a little bird who can only do what she's told… that's not the kind of girl my papa would want me to be… no, more than that! That's not the kind of person I want to be! Me, myself… I want to be like him…
"Stand proud!"
I can do this… it will carry me to victory! My Stand… Kotori was speaking only to herself now, her fists balled. "This is my Stand… the gentle wind,「Kaze ni Notte.」"
"Doesn't matter what it is… because regardless, I win!" Kobayashi's voice roared through the ants as they zoomed in, as Kotori finally announced those two words. The two words he had shouted to the thieves in Egypt, the words that to her above all else symbolized the power she would need to defeat her enemy. And so, at the top of her lungs, she yelled the words:
"EMERALD SPLASH!"
With a flap of her mighty wings, 「Kaze ni Notte」produced her strongest burst of wind yet, enough to repel all the insects in front of her and even shake the house. And then, like the Strygians of legend, its now green feathers launched from the Stand's wings, launching the hardened feathers and obliterating most of the insect swarm in front of her.
"W… what the hell!?" Kobayashi screamed, her concentration broken and unable to control her ants as one of the hardened feathers smashed into her forhead as she watched, sending her flying to the other side of her room. Such power… from someone like that!?
Kotori gasped for breath, falling to the ground and landing on her hands, Hanayo helped her out, as Kotori wiped sweat off her brow. For now at least, the attack had taken a lot out of her. I should train with this power… 「Kaze ni Notte」was also grounded, as it was now featherless. Defenseless as well, but the battle seemed to be over… or at least, Nico intended to end it. Nico smirked; while everything in her purse had been destroyed, her enemy hadn't thought about her backpack. Reaching in for one of her hidden weapons in her secret compartment she raced towards her enemy's room, ready to end this battle.
Nico raced towards the door, bolting to her enemy's room. She wasn't going to let this even remotely drag on; this fight would come to an end, and it would end now. "You!"
"Owww… s-shit!" Kobayashi rubbed her head, screaming as she saw the irate third year. The holes on her arm opened once more, but it would be interrupted as Nico used one of her throwing knives into her shoulder, breaking her concentration and earning a scream from the first year.
"It's over, you creepy-ass bug lady," Nico said with a glare before, noticing she wasn't ready to stop. A few bugs came out still, but this time, Nico could go full-out. "「Circus!」 You know what to do!"
"Center of the Ring!"「Circus」yelled, her whip connecting with her desktop. Kobayashi's head turned, and she and her「Worker Bees」could only look at the computer, unable to do anything else. "I think its time you got brought down a few pegs… right, Nico?" Her prehensile whip grabbed one of the fire ant colonies, giving it a rough shake, and then using the whip to shatter it… all the ants falling all over their master. For the remaining seconds the true ants could only look at the computer as well, but then the distraction wore off. "We're not as fragile as bugs… we may not have a hive to back us up, but we're strong just on our own! We don't help our friends because of a hive mind, we do it ourselves, with our own strong resolve! Stomp on us, and we fight back!"
Nico smirked, making her signature gesture with her hands before walking out. She didn't feel much of a need to run at the moment; the battle had been won. Kobayashi could only whimper as she saw her precious ants crawl all over her, extremely angry at the destruction of their home.
"W-what was that… h-hey… oh no! Nononononono… I-I didn't… o-owww! Ow! OW! OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWWOWOWOWOWOWOW-!"
It was like music to Nico's ears, honestly.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
All the way in Hokkaido, however, a man felt something. A businessman's head shot up as he bolted upright in his office, sensing something. A green aura surrounded him, but nothing came from it. But he had felt… something. Hundreds of miles away, something had awoken. And from across that space, the shockwaves had reached inside his soul, and without words he knew what had happened.
"… Kotori, you…"
Stand: Worker Bees
User: Kaori Kobayashi
Status: RETIRED
Honoka had been the most excited to learn that the girls of μ's had yet another Stand user among their ranks, although Umi had been the most skeptical.
"It's still so totally cool!" Even after a week and a half had passed, Honoka was still so riled up. "That makes FOUR of us Stand users on the same Idol team! And I bet Umi'll gain a Stand any day now, since she got pierced by the arrow too!"
"Why do you want me to have a Stand so badly? I don't want to have anything to do with this fighting!" Umi snapped, but bit on her lip. These Arrow Hunters had attacked Kotori despite not having been awakened at the time. The revelation that people did not need the arrow to apparently awaken Stand powers was a major revelation to μ's, but it put them all on-edge. They felt Kotori was unique somehow, to be able to awaken the power within without the need for the arrow. Rin and Maki had no hopes that such a thing would happen to them either, nor did Maki wish for such a thing to happen to her as well. Rin seemed more… forlorn, but nobody knew how to approach it. "Still… That's at least one more enemy down. That's three already. How many more do they have?"
"Akeno and Miano won't attack us, but they probably won't sell out their allies either," Honoka reasoned. "The next time we're under attack, we should try interrogating them…" Honoka smiled. She had been training with 「All Star」 nearly every day when she wasn't studying, and despite the danger, a part of her felt excited to be able to enter combat with her Stand once more. "Maybe I'll even get a chance to show off 「All Star」's new attack!"
Kotori and Hanayo giggled at the enthusiasm, while Umi sighed. "If anything, I just hope this 'boss' is all that's left," but she knew there had to be more. "Still though, Kotori-chan... to think you were the legendary maid…"
"That was sooooooooo not cool to not tell us, Kotori-chan!" Honoka scolded. "We could have like, come during your shift and get free drinks and stuff!" Now she was just whining. "You know I'd never turn free drinks or food!"
That earned her a swat to the back of her head from Umi. "Keep that up and you'll get fat," she scolded. "And you didn't get in trouble after all that?"
"Nono, I got in trouble… If I wasn't so good for business I think I would've gotten fired…" Kotori said, rubbing the back of her head. "They said another incident like that and I'm out, though," no longer utilizing her Stand she seemed a bit more quiet once more as she always had, but there was still a different air around her. "Quiet" didn't mean the same as "submissive." And even in-class the girls had noticed more confidence in Kotori's actions.
"I wrote some lyrics," Kotori had told them on the rooftop several days prior. "It's… not really a song I imagined us singing as a group. But I wanted to sing it! I love Akiba, with all my heart. So I just… sat down and wrote everything about my feelings in once. I want to record it! I… I know we can't publish it, it's not fair if it's just me, but-"
"What are you talking about, Kotori-chan!?" Honoka had said, excitedly holding her friend's hands. "We'll post it online, we'll all have our own time to shine!"
μ's position in Love Live was still in danger. Not only did they have exams to pass, but more enemies were surely waiting to fight them. But for now, once again, they enjoyed a tentative peace. Their studying practices were solid, and Honoka, Rin, and Nico had even done well on a practice test in their notebooks. And a new routine had also been set in stone for the group's Stand users-
"FAITOFAITOFAITOFAITO FAITO DAYOOOOOOOO!"
Once their rooftop practices had ended, the Stand users of μ's would spar, honing their abilities to come. Umi, Nico, and Kotori watched on as 「All Star」 and 「Momorio Clover」 exchanged fists in the air, moving at such high speeds that human eyes could not closely follow the blows as the Stands' fists exchanged in the air. Honoka had been focusing on her capoeira-like dodging with her Stand, and Hanayo was getting used to carrying small objects on her at all times to combine with her Stand's swapping ability. Nico had started to try to combine more weapons with 「Circus」' whip, and 「Circus」 had become more willing to cooperate with following orders. Kotori was testing the limits of her Stand's healing powers, and using its wings as weapons, only sending out a few feathers at once instead of the entire barrage.
The group new Kotori was a new ace-in-the-hole, a kind of secret weapon that would surely be targeted by their enemies soon. And so they kept the secrets of her Stand to themselves; it appeared it could only hear the same person once a day, and seemed to have a limit of five times a week. A powerful ability, but one that had to be used as rarely as possible, the girls concluded.
They were growing, both as Stand users and as Idols, and they were determined to
Love Live awaited, and there would be nothing they wouldn't give to enter it. If dangerous enemies couldn't stop them, how could they possibly lose to something like a bad grade?
"See you tomorrow, everyone!" Honoka said with a wave, as the girls head on their way home. And Kotori smiled as she put on earphones, opening her phone to the School Idol Festival's website, letting the music fill her ears.
Wonder zone!
I was called to you and I came running,
Without a doubt a mysterious dream is beginning.
Meanwhile, having decided to leave for home early after school ended that day, Principal Minami made a call to a man she hadn't spoken to for a few weeks while sitting in her living room. No particular reason called for it, but she wanted to speak with an old friend.
"Hey, been a while," Kotori's father said on his end of the line, earning a smile from the woman. "How have you been, Kaede?"
"Pretty good. You know what our daughter is up to, right?"
"School Idols… remember those Idols from when we were teenagers?"
"How could I forget? One of those concerts was our first date," Minami said, remembering those carefree and pleasant days.
"The days of our youth… God, I feel so old just thinking about it."
Hi! It's beginning! (Wonder feeling!)
This special dream is so mysterious… (Wonder feeling!)
I want to give you some energy, tomorrow will be happy, too.
There's a ton to look forward to, I want to be excited!
"She's so big now…" Kotori's father's voice was a little forlorn. "Hell, her little brother and sister will be her age in no time."
"They do grow up too fast… And how is your wife doing? I haven't spoken with Melissa lately…"
"Same old, same old. She says she wants us to go to Tokyo for Christmas, have I told you that? She said she misses you and wants to see Kotori again."
"No, you haven't! Does Kotori know? She'll be so excited to have you all over for Christmas!"
"I want to do it, too. I feel… bad. I know it's hard with me being so far away, but I do feel bad I wasn't there to see her grow up. I just… I don't want her to think I love her brother and sister more than her just because I was there to see them grow up. They're all my kids, I love them all."
"You know Kotori. You know she doesn't think that. Sure, she might be a little… jealous of her siblings, but she loves them too. Just because you couldn't physically be here doesn't mean you weren't a good father. You've already done more than most men would in your position, I think," Minami assured, looking out the window.
Even after energetically overdoing it and falling over,
You should get back up quickly and smile!
No matter how painful things get,
To shine you just have to give it your all without crying!
"She's just like you," Kotori's father said. "She looks like you down to a T. She's even quiet like you used to be. That's how I know she's going to do great things growing up. I just wish I could see this Love Live thing myself, but my schedule…"
"If anything, I think she's like you," Minami said, much to his surprise. "She may be quiet and meek, but… she has your spirit. Your determination. It's inside her, even if she doesn't show it. That compassion you have and how brave you are… ever since that trip to Egypt she's idolized you, wants to be like you. And… that's why I think if anything, she'll be more like you than me," she said, closing her eyes and smiling. She thought of her daughter and her lifelong friends, the days and nights they'd spend at her house, the days engraved into her heart.
"Hey, hey! Kotori! Do that thing with your tongue again!" She remembered a seven year old, after she had finished serving the three dinner. Umi complained, saying it was freaky, but Kotori was more than happy to do it to impress Honoka. She ran to the kitchen, grabbing one of the cherries from the fridge and running back, placing it on her tongue.
"Reoreoreoreoreoreoreoreoreoreo~! My papa taught me how to do that!"
"Ewwwwwwww!"
"Cool!"
Wonder zone!
A future where I can become strong!
Let's look for it together, I'm OK!
I was strongly called to you, and I came running!
Without a doubt, an ambitious dream is beginning!
"Maybe she inherited my looks… but it's your spirit she inherited, Kakyion."
"Come on, even after all these years, you're not gonna say my first name?"
Minami giggled. "What can I say? I still think it sounds cooler than Noriaki," Minami admitted. "Always will, to be honest."
And so Noriaki Kakyion laughed, prompting Minami's giggling to intensify. "Well, I guess that's a fair enough reason as any," he reasoned. "I'll give her a call tonight. Don't tell her about the Christmas thing, OK? I want it to be a surprise for when I tell her. I wanna hear her reaction."
"Of course. Ah, I hear the door, that's probably her. I'll talk to you later, Kakyion."
"And you as well. Until next time, Kaede," Kakyion said before hanging up, Minami getting up as she saw Kotori enter the house.
"Mama! You're home early!" Kotori was surprised but happy, smiling as she went over to hug her mother, earning a hug back in response.
"Yeah. It's been stressful with everything going on with the closing… how are you?"
"Never better!" Kotori replied with a big smile, giggling.
"You've been in such a good mood for nearly a week now… is something going on with the Idol Study Club? Is everyone studying hard?"
"You bet!" Of course she couldn't reveal the truth to her mother, but her mood was good, so what was the point? "I'm gonna go study now!"
Minami smiled, watching her daughter make her way to her room, closing her eyes and sitting down. "I know you girls will save the school, I just know it."
Hi! It's beginning! (Wonder feeling!)
This special dream is so mysterious! (Wonder feeling!)
"We underestimated them."
Emi looked from her phone to look over at Yanigihori, having just finished texting with Kobayashi. "To think they used her own bugs against her... ouch. We completely overestimated them... She doesn't have any major injuries though. She said she'll be ready to fight again soon. She seems really scared. She knows she's not a gangster like the rest of us, so she's probably afraid she thinks you'll kick her out or something..."
"No," Yanigihori said, sitting atop her throne-like lawn-chair in their warehouse. "Kobayashi fought valiantly. Let her know she should heal from her bites for now. One day she will fight again... but not today. She fought well. I'll call her tomorrow to let her know I'm still pleased with her. Once we obtain the arrow, her insectarium will become a reality one day, regardless of this one failiure," Yanigihori declared. "It is not the results I care for... but rather their loyalty. I will not discard her or her「Worker Bees」so easily."
Emi smiled. "And that's why ever since we were kids I've followed you... You're the only person in the world I could completely trust, truth be told."
"Call me a demon or a monster... I simply wish to be loyal to those loyal to me in return," Yanigihori said, advancing towards her. "And that leads to our next problem..."
"Wakaki..." Emi said. "I called her telling her there was an emergency, but she brushed me off and said she'd only talk to you..." It was often hard to get a hold of her, but this time, she hadn't heard from them since they sent out Kobayashi. "Do you think she's bitter we didn't send her out instead?"
"No," Yanigihori said. "I think its just her true colors showing... she's the only one of us who had a Stand before we were attacked by the arrow. She came to us, instead of the other way around..." She gritted her teeth. "Keep an eye on her. Hopefully she's just being a bitch, but if not..."
"I'll try to figure her out," Emi declared. "For now though..."
"Treat her as a renegade until further notice, don't tell anyone else. This is an order. Am I clear?"
"... Yes, Yanigihori."
Rin was pretty content with her life, to say the least.
Things could always be better, but they couldn't be worse. She was a happy and energetic girl, and now she was a part of μ's. Who would have thought someone like her could ever be an Idol? It was like… something out of an anime or story for the internet! How exciting!
But still, something always felt wrong. Like, she was the odd one out.
The least cute member. The least important probably, too. Rin was good at hiding her insecurities and doubts, but ever since the incident at Hanayo's house they had grown more severe.
Hanayo had saved her. Hanayo, who she promised she'd always defend from all harm, Hanayo who she always wanted to defend had been the one to save her from an enemy she could not fight against. What was even the point of her being here, anyways? She had never intended to join μ's. She just wanted to encourage Hanayo to follow her dreams.
The least useful, the least cute, the least deserving of everyone to be an Idol. It was for the best. Part of being an athlete was taking one for the team. So, if it'd support the whole team…
Club Resignation Letter
Her secret alone could destroy μ's if it leaked out. The secret that only Hanayo, Principal Minami, and her teachers knew. She never intended on becoming an Idol, anyways. She just wanted to support Hanayo and get her to follow her dreams. And now, Hanayo didn't need her anymore. Hanayo didn't need to be saved like in the past. Ever since obtaining the power of the Stand, Hanayo was rushing headfirst into battle. Rin had gasped in horror at the realization her friend had been eaten alive by insects, and she wasn't even aware until after the fact. Even Hanayo didn't need her anymore, and neither did these fledglings Idols.
Nobody needed some fake girl dragging them down. Now, everything would be as it should have been. Rin gave a sad smile, mulling it over.
It'll be for the best if you do it, Rin told herself. Nico and the others probably wouldn't want to talk to her anymore, she reasoned, but she knew Hanayo would still have her back. But did she want to quit? Not really, but what was the point? Her role in this club had been served, and it was time for her to accept it.
"You look troubled."
She jumped as she heard a stranger's voice talk to her. She had been walking home from practice, still mulling over this decision. She saw an older woman standing over her, locking up a door behind her. "I… I… um…"
"The look of your face… You look quite stressed," the woman said, frowning. A hand gripped her face to inspect her, causing Rin to jump back.
"H-hey! No touchy!" She backed away, ready to bolt into a run if necessary. She'd call the police if she had to!
"Now now… it's my job to deal with this. I'm a firm believer, you see, a makeover can cure any girl's woes."
"A makeover?" Rin blinked a few times. She had never had the confidence to really experiment with makeup or anything like that, and she looked up above her. It was a new beauty salon, she remembered people from school talking about in the school.
Cinderella Beauty Saloon
"We just relocated from Morioh," the woman said.
"The town by S City?" Rin asked with a blink. That's where her grandma lived!
"Yes," the woman said with a smirk. "Tell you what… come here before school tomorrow. I'll give you a free touch-up. Just spread the word, I want to get my business going."
"W… why should I trust you? Miss… uh…"
"Aya. Tsuji Aya," Aya said, beginning to walk home. "Just look it up online. I have a lot of five-star reviews back in Morioh… you won't regret this," and with a sigh, she began to walk off.
"…" Rin was quiet as the other woman walked away, looking up above. "Cinderella…"
From the top of a nearby building, Wakaki of the Arrow Hunters smirked, watching the affair with a pair of binoculars as she held her cell phone with another hand.
"Yeah, she's going for it… don't worry, Yanigihori-san. I'll be keeping an eye out on this one. Don't worry! I'll give you all the updates as it goes on… it's just a beauty salon though. Honestly, I don't think it's gonna be that big a deal. But I'll let you know if something happens, alright? Jesus, what's the problem!? I'm talking to you now! ... Fine, fine, I'll stop brushing Suzuki off!" She grumbled as she hung up her phone. "Fucking bitch..." She was rather annoyed to see it ringing just moments after she had just finished her call, but smirked as she noticed the caller ID:
Kira Yoshikage.
She flipped open her phone again a moment later. "Yeah?"
"Status report on the Otonokizaka School Idol group."
"Oh, I think something very interesting is about to happen, boss."
"You're not on the payroll to keep information. Spit it out."
"It's concerning the Stand owner of the Cinderella salon, and the one tomboy Idol whose medical records we dug up…"
Next time on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!
Chapter 12: Rin Wants to Be Like Cinderella
Stand profile: KOTORI MINAMI
Stand Name: Kaze ni Notte (Janne Da Arc song)
Type: Long-range Stand
Stand Cry: None
Appearance/Personality: Kaze ni Notte appears like a harpy of old legend, standing slightly larger than Kotori herself. Unlike harpies of legend, it appears as a rather beautiful figure. It has the upper torso and head of a woman, with wings in place of arms and the lower body of a bird, possessing snow-white feathers. It wears an outfit similar to the ones worn by Honoka, Kotori, and Umi during their first performance, in white. It has golden hair in a tight bun, white eyes and no mouth.
Kaze ni Notte has no known personality, but does occasionally coo like a bird does when seemingly happy.
Abilities:
· Healing feathers: Kaze ni Notte, being a healing Stand by nature, is distinguished not by its offensive power but it's ability to heal others. At will, Kaze ni Notte is slashing somebody with its wings, healing them of all injuries, even regaining lost body parts from recent wounds. When rubbed over wounds and injuries, they will close and heal. Even fatal wounds can be easily healed as long as it was a recent wound, but it does not cure death from natural causes. However, there is a limit to this power: an individual may only be healed once per 24 hours, and the full extent of how many times it could be used still has yet to be seen.
· Razor-sharp feathers: However, as an offensive technique, Kaze ni Notte can instead sharpen its feathers to be like knives, making deadly slashes with its wings or using these feathers like throwing knives. Like the Strygan birds of Greek legend, these feathers can be hardened until they become green and become harder than stones, and can then be launched at opponents. Her most powerful attack, Emerald Splash (inherited from Hierophant Green) can be utilized by hardening all feathers at once and launching them. While these wings do start growing back after a few minutes, using all at once will render Kaze ni Notte grounded until they recover.
· Wind creation: By flapping its wings, Kaze ni Notte can create strong winds. These can be "charged" to produce a more powerful effect: more than capable of sending foes flying. At its strongest, these winds can potentially match hurricanes, albeit at a strain on the user.
Stats:
· Power: D
· Speed: A
· Range: A
· Precision: C
· Durability: E
Development Potential: B
Stand profile: KAORI KOBAYASHI
Stand Name: Worker Bees (Billy Talent song)
Type: Stand Colony
Stand Cry: None
Appearance/Personality: When originally manifested, Worker Beess creates several holes in the user's hand. From these holes Worker Bees manifests itself as an army of golden siafu ants with red heads, each with four antennas that mercilessly hunt down its target in a swarm. There does not seem to be a limit to the number of insects that can be summoned.
The ants themselves have no personality, although Kaori can speak through them and hear what they hear, she cannot see what they see, further hindering its precision.
Abilities:
• The Swarm: Once a target has been marked by the user, the ants of Worker Bees will never relent. Although they can be easily destroyed, they will forever home-in on their target. No matter how much distance has passed the ants can easily track down its target to devour them alive. While Kobayashi can usually only summon a few per second without difficulty, she is capable of spawning nearly hundreds in moments; but doing so causes tremendous strain and incredible pain on the user's arm.
• Acidic venom: The ants all contain venom that is highly corrosive, able to easily melt through steel in a matter of seconds when concentrated on one area. Combined with the fact these ants can already bite through sturdy oak makes it highly difficult to resist its attacks, especially when combined with their vast numbers.
• Marking: Most terrifying of all is that if a person is bitten by a "queen ant" (that usually stays within Kobayashi's arm), the bite becomes inflamed and infected with venom. This then serves a "tracking beacon" of kinds, allowing the ants to remotely attack the target even when the user is not around to directly control them. While the precision leaves much to be desired, they will follow basic commands like "do not kill the enemy." If this inflamed area is no longer on the target, however, the ants return back to the user.
Stats:
• Destructive Power: A
• Speed: A
• Range: A
• Precision: D
• Durability: E (as easy to squish as any bug, provided its attacked by a Stand)
• Development Potential: E
Holy shit, that took forever. Sorry about that. Real life got complicated for a bit, and then in a more embarrassing note, I accidentally... deleted a few pages while trying to back it up.
As I'll be going on vacation late February, I'm going to try really hard to finish up the next major arc before then, especially since I'll have midterms not long after. I'm also going to the gym more now, which does cut into my time for writing fics a bit.
I still want to TRY to aim for weekly updates. In a worst case scenario, it might be biweekly. I still want to deliver content on a consistent basis, though. I know that Rin's body issues are an S2 thing, but I do need Aya to be introduced... so! We're taking care of a two-in-one next chapter!
Take care, everyone!
