It had certainly not been the first time. Koyomi was running, for how long she did not know. She hoped that someone, anyone would save her but her feet hurt, was short of breath, and had no idea where her attacker was. It was becoming all too common an occurrence: the depraved and lecherous Fukuyama was hot on her tail wearing that same old lecherous look on his face.
"Ooh Koyooomii, where did you go-oo?" Fukuyama called out rhythmically as he ran along a less crowded sidewalk near Mizuno's shopping district. He was close, Koyomi could feel it and it filled her with terror. She looked left and right only to see shoppers going about their business. She breathed easily feeling she had lost that terrible menace but in the back of her mind, she knew it was not over.
Fukuyama was her greatest fear not only because he was male but also because of his persistence and lascivious behavior. A man who cared not for personal space and only for his carnal gratification. Aside from Fukuyama, men were Koyomi's next greatest fear. She had spent enough time on Earth to be able to walk around in public but speaking with them caused her to break out in a nervous cold sweat and disruptive tremble. There existed exceptions: Koyomi's father who lived on Seiren was one. There was also Seiichirou who was from Seiren like her father. Koyomi did not understand her condition and perhaps the fact that Seiichirou was from Seiren was the reason he did not trigger her phobia. And finally there was Yukinari, an Earthling who she'd come to know as a friend and though he no longer triggered her phobia, Yukinari still made her feel nervously uneasy at times. None of that mattered at the moment however.
"Oh Koyomi, where are you? There's no need to hide, I can be a very friendly guy you know!" Fukuyama called out from around the corner of a building reminding Koyomi of the chase as she continued running hoping to run into either Kirie, Yukinari, or Seiichirou who could save her from her blonde predator.
"I've got to keep running" Koyomi urged herself as she looks behind her. "I think I've lost him, thank goodn-" Koyomi, not paying attention to where she was going, is suddenly interrupted by running into what she thought was another person. "I-I'm so sorry" Koyomi excuses stepping back.
"It's okay Koyomi. I got to feel your body pressing against mine! I can already tell your breasts are soft yet perky!" the man compliments.
"Kyaaaahh!" Koyomi screamed finding out to her horror she had run into the very pervert she was fleeing. That was another thing that made her skin crawl: Fukuyama had the uncanny ability to appear almost anywhere. It was as if he could teleport anywhere to torment Koyomi wherever she went whenever he wished. She broke out into a frantic run away from Fukuyama but it was futile. Fukuyama's arms wrap around her dragging her into his repulsive clutches.
"Koyomi, why do you run? How could you resist these lovely lips?" Fukuyama asks puckering his lips towards Koyomi's own.
"Nnnnooooo!" Koyomi screamed trying to hold Fukuyama's face away from her own but to no avail. She was weak, her thin arms no match against Fukuyama's strength. She shut her eyes and clenched her lips determined to resist to the very end.
"I don't think so" Yukinari's voice came from somewhere beside Koyomi. She opens her eyes to find Yukinari's hand over Fukuyama's face halting its encroachment, Yukinari's other hand gripping Koyomi's shoulder reassuringly. With a swing of his arm, Yukinari knocks Fukuyama back and away from Koyomi. "You've got a lot of nerve Fukuyama!"
"Punynari! How dare you!?" Fukuyama growled. "Don't deny me my woman!"
"I'm not your woman!" Koyomi protested.
"Just give it up Fukuyama. You're surrounded" Yukinari counters. Fukuyama looks around him and finds that Yukinari was right: he found both Seiichirou and Kirie standing nearby behind him, Miharu safe behind Seiichirou.
"You're surrounded you sick bastard!" Seiichirou growls cracking knuckles.
"Fukuyama, when the hell will you ever learn to give up?" Kirie demands angrily.
"You speak as if I do this constantly!" Fukuyama answers.
"This is the eighth time this week! And that's not counting the number of times you've gone after Miharu!" Kirie counters. "You've got your floozies! Why can't you just go pester them!?"
"Shame on you Kirie, you should know me better than that by now" Fukuyama says with a grin. "You should know part of the joy of this is the hunt!" he exclaims lunging forward toward Koyomi, a goofy, lewd grin on his conceited mug.
"Kyaaa!" Koyomi screams withdrawing behind Yukinari, Yukinari standing his ground between her and Fukuyama. It was not necessary, Fukuyama being stomped down flat by Kirie's kick.
"Knock it off!" Kirie barks kicking him further several times.
"Okay okay! I give!" Fukuyama cries waving a pocket-sized white flag. Kirie stops her attack allowing Fukuyama to painfully stand up before retreating. "This isn't over!" he shouts before he disappears behind a building.
"No, I didn't think so" Kirie moaned in frustration.
"This is the eighth time he's done this?" Seiichirou asked incredulously.
"The guy's stubborn, there's no disputing that" Yukinari remarks before turning to Koyomi. "Relax Koyomi, he's gone" Yukinari guaranteed with a warm smile. Yukinari, the boy who once had a girl-allergy and was often called 'Punynari' had turned things around. Through hard work, he had become stronger and had earned himself the respect of many around him. Standing behind him was Kirie, a short-tempered but well-meaning brunette who, with flashy martial arts moves, could take on men several times her own size as well as forces outnumbering her. And then there was Seiichirou, an aggressive and fearless individual who, despite his violent nature, had always held the safety and well being of Miharu as most important to him.
They were all capable of protecting Koyomi whenever anyone dared to distress her... But that was another thing: her reliance on people around her for protection. Whenever Fukuyama would give chase, it was someone else who would come to her aid and bring the chase to an end. It was frustrating having the threat of the blonde pervert hanging over her head all day, every day. But what could she do against someone like Fukuyama who was much taller than her and a man no less?
"Well, this outing is off to a rocky start" Kirie remarks annoyed.
"How did you guys even become associated with that man?" Seiichirou queries as they all make their way to a local grocery store.
"He was a presence at school long ago and still is today. You just couldn't avoid his tyranny. No one could" Kirie explains vaguely. "I mean even going to a grocery store is threatened by his existence!" As Koyomi followed the others, Yukinari, Kirie, Miharu, and Seiichirou, toward the store she stared at the ground in front of her, that familiar feeling of inadequacy weighing on her shoulders. At the store, Koyomi followed the others close behind fearing another visit from Fukuyama but thankfully, the shopping went smoothly and Fukuyama did not appear. With their shopping done, they all headed home.
"Welcome home!" Tomoka greets the incoming party at the Sasaki residence.
"Hey Tomoka" Seiichirou greets. Yukinari, Kirie, and Miharu greeting similarly and they all make their way in, shopping bags in tow. Tomoka did not join the others in their outing, a more urgent 'Poyon' marathon keeping her indoors. As for Ebi, she was currently in the care of Kirie's mother next door, a task Kirie's mother was eager to take on after just one look at Ebi.
"Hello Tomoka" Koyomi greets apathetically and sets the shopping bag she had been carrying down on the kitchen floor. She makes her way to the living room and sits quietly on the couch feeling exhausted.
"So? Did Koyo get it?" Tomoka asks excited.
"Yes" Koyomi sighs with her head resting on the couch. Immediately, Tomoka plunges her hands into the shopping bag by Koyomi and pulls out a box of cereal. Within it was a limited-edition 'Poyon' scepter which Tomoka wasted no time in extracting.
"Got it!" Tomoka squealed. "This is great!" she exclaims waving the scepter around. "...Hey Koyo? Something wrong?" Tomoka asks noting the worried look on Koyomi's face.
"No, nothing's wrong" Koyomi excuses. "I'm just a little tired. Actually, I think I need some fresh air" Koyomi said as she stood up and proceeded out to Yukinari's backyard.
"Oh, okay" Tomoka accepted. "...Oh no! Look out behind you!" she squeaks turning back to the television screen. Outside in the backyard, Koyomi approaches one of the small bushes next to the base of Yukinari's back fence. Almost as if on cue, the head of her snake pokes out from the entrance of a burrow deep underground. Koyomi extends her arm down toward her pet and it slithers out and up Koyomi's arm.
"Hello Hebi. How was your day?" Koyomi whispered as the recently-named snake wrapped around Koyomi's body. Most would have been afraid to have an animal that kills by squeezing its prey as a pet but Koyomi trusted Hebi, he having defended her from Fukuyama in the past. "Have a good rest Hebi? It must be so nice to be able to go underground and get away from the world huh?" Koyomi says smiling at and petting her snake. The snake simply looks back at her and flicks his tongue. "Would you like to go with me somewhere tomorrow morning? If the pervert shows up again, you can protect me from him. Will you come along?" she requests as her pet's gaze wanders around the backyard. "...Listen to me, I'm talking to a snake" Koyomi ponders embarrassed at herself. "Have I truly sunken so low?" she sighed.
The next morning after Yukinari and Kirie had set off to school and Koyomi prepared to set out somewhere as well. "Tomoka, can I trust you to look after the house?"
"Tomo's not a kid anymore! She can look after herself!" Tomoka protested. "Tomo can even look after Ebi but no one lets Tomo especially the paranoid boob monster!" Tomoka added referring to the fact that Koyomi had decided to take Ebi with her.
"Yes well I don't want to burden you with taking care of Ebi" Koyomi explained.
"Yeah whatever" Tomoka grumbled crossing her arms. With that, Koyomi exited with Ebi walking alongside her, a harness wrapped around Ebi's tiny frame that Koyomi was using to make sure they didn't get too far from each other. This was especially important considering Koyomi was pulling Hebi along behind her in a wheeled pet carrier.
"Okay, off we go" Koyomi declares setting off. Several moments later after dodging groups of men and keeping a look out for the blonde pervert, Koyomi arrives at the UFC. Not long after, Koyomi stood before the front counter holding Ebi's hand as Nina examined Koyomi's pet snake inside the pet carrier.
"Koyomi, what were you doing carrying your pet snake around with you?" Nina asked. Koyomi hesitated before answering.
"I was afraid the pervert was going to attack me. I took Hebi with me for protection."
"Hebi? So that's its name?"
"I named him recently after he saved me from Fukuyama" Koyomi responds.
"And this little cutie" Nina says turning to Ebi who was sitting on her desk flipping through Nina's book. "Why'd she tag along?"
"I brought her along because I didn't want to leave Tomoka with such a big responsibility" Koyomi explains.
"You don't trust Tomoka?"
"Well, it's just that Yukinari and Kirie leave me in charge of Tomoka and Ebi when they go to school. I think" Koyomi continues with a hint of guilt, "Tomoka can take care of herself if she's left in the house but if something happens to Ebi, I'll be held responsible" Koyomi says knowing Tomoka would be shrieking in protest if she were there to hear such dialogue.
"Hmm" Nina gestures in acknowledgement. "Okay, so what business do you have with my club?"
"Well" Koyomi starts uneasily, "I-I've seen what Yukinari has done with hi-himself when he decided to join s-so... I..." Koyomi paused hoping Nina would get where she was going.
"So you'd like to join us?" Nina inquires, Koyomi's unfinished request coming through. Koyomi nods weakly. At this, Nina approaches Koyomi and begins to pace around her. "I'm surprised. I never expected you to be interested in my club."
"I-I'm sick and t-tired Miss Nina" Koyomi reveals nervously. "I'm tired of feeling f-fear whenever I get cl-close to men. I'm sick of ha-having to rely on everyone else to p-protect me! Most of all, I hate it when the s-sick blonde pervert shows up and a-always chases me! I'm fed up with it all a-and I want to be s-stronger!"
"A worty cause" Nina remarks.
"Y-yes" Koyomi agrees.
"Now question is do you believe it's in you?" Nina asks standing behind Koyomi and grasping her shoulders firmly.
"I, I do" Koyomi answers hesitantly.
"Very well... I will take you under my wing but I will not go easy on you."
"No Miss Nina, I wouldn't want you to" Koyomi says feeling relieved that Nina had agreed. "Thank goodness" Koyomi thought to herself believing this decision would be a turning point for her. As glad as she was, she failed to notice the viciously sadistic grin stretching across Nina's face.
-TRANSITION-
With his classes done, Yukinari was headed toward the club but as he was crossing a street, he was spotted by Masashi walking in the same direction. "Yukinari!" Masashi calls approaching Yukinari. "What's up man?" he greeted.
"Oh hey Masashi" Yukinari greets back. "Headed for the club too?"
"Yeah, like usual. So you going alone?" Masashi asks.
"Yeah, Kirie's almost done with her two-week detention though. Thankfully."
"Two weeks? That's pretty hefty!" Masashi comments. "What did she do again?"
"She attacked a guy for dumping a bucket of waste on me one day" Yukinari explains thinking back to when Kirie punched Shinichi. At that moment, he thought back to days that now seemed distant. It made him briefly wonder whatever had become of Shinichi: most likely playing baseball somewhere.
"So she got detention for sticking up for you? What a girl!" Masashi complimented. "You're really lucky to have met her."
"Yeah, I am" Yukinari agreed.
"And to think you almost lost her to Fukuyama" Masashi says. "There's a guy who is used to having any girl he wants. I mean he's got the looks and the money. And you took Kirie from him! Just think about it!"
"I didn't 'take' her. She broke up with him out of her own accord" Yukinari revealed. "And we ended up together after that."
"Well that's a compliment right there. She dropped a guy like Fukuyama and became your girl. You lucky dog you!" Masashi finished as they both arrived at the door to the UFC. Walking inside, they find a fellow club member behind the front counter.
"Oh, hey Gin!" Masashi greets the club member sporting shoulder-height silver hair. "Where's Miss Nina?"
"She's in the training room training a girl who came in today."
"Is that right?" Masashi responds.
"Yeah. The new girl asked specifically for Miss Nina's training. She seemed like such a sweet girl and she was turning heads when she came in: she was accompanied by a little girl and a large snake and she even had a marking on her forehead. Strangest and cutest sight I've ever seen!"
Yukinari did not hesitate. The description given by Gin sounded like it was describing Koyomi. He was afraid that if Miss Nina was training her, she was dragging Koyomi around with a leash as well much like she did to Yukinari! Miss Nina then may force weights on Koyomi's fragile arms! Poor Koyomi wouldn't be able to take it. He immediately proceeded toward the training room where he would come to find Koyomi doing punishing push-ups, ab-burning sit-ups, pumping iron as her biceps bulged ferociously, a headband worn around her head that read 'power' all the while Miss Nina barked orders at her, a leash held in one of her hands. Koyomi's body would be turned into a freakish mass of pure muscle ready to break the pervert Fukuyama in two if he even dared to show himself at the club... Or at least that's what Yukinari's fearful and overactive imagination thought. In reality, Koyomi was simply running laps around the training room and Nina observed all the while busying herself with entertaining Ebi. Koyomi was still a weak-looking girl opposite Yukinari's previous wild speculations.
"Miss Nina, what's going on?" Yukinari asked watching as Koyomi, dressed in the club uniform, continued jogging. Masashi joins them both silently, he too watching Koyomi.
"Koyomi came here intending to join the club. I agreed and at first I was going to get one of the boys to introduce her around but she insisted on my assistance" Nina explained. "She's got a phobia of men according to her."
"Yeah, that sounds like Koyomi" Yukinari says as Nina hands a yen to Ebi to play with. Ebi simply stares at it not knowing what to do with it.
"Moments ago, we were doing yoga and then after that a short meditation session" Nina recalled. Yukinari stared on in amazement at Koyomi who was in surprisingly good shape. "She told me that she was a table tennis champion of sorts back in Seiren so she should already be in decent shape" Nina says as Yukinari breaks away from her and Masashi and approaches Koyomi.
"Hey Koyomi" Yukinari greets jogging alongside Koyomi who was slowing down from fatigue. "Never thought I'd find you here."
"Yu-Yukinari!?" Koyomi exclaims in surprise. She immediately stops in her tracks, her breathing heavy, her hands on her knees.
"Decided to give the club a try?" Yukinari asks.
"Y-yes I did..." Koyomi answers replenishing her oxygen.
"I don't get it though. What for? Are you hoping to get into shape? You're already a pretty slim girl" Yukinari said. Koyomi began nervously fidgeting with her ponytail as she replied.
"No, the thing is... Yukinari, I'm really grateful for all the times you, Kirie, and Seiichirou have helped me in the past whenever I was in need or being harassed by the blonde pervert but..." Yukinari looked at Koyomi not sure where she was going with this. Yukinari's gaze made Koyomi fidget with her ponytail more and look away. "I, I want to be able to help myself rather than relying on you guys all the time" she reveals to Yukunari's surprise. "I, I want to be stronger and deal with the pervert myself!" she says suddenly feeling a little encouraged.
"..Keh, hehehehe" Yukinari begins to chuckle. "Hehehahahaha" he continues.
"W-w-what's so f-funny!?" Koyomi demands blushing heavily. "S-stop!"
"I-I'm sorry Koyomi! Hahaha! It's just that you say all that as if you were a burden on myself and the others. Koyomi, we don't mind helping you at all!" Yukinari finishes.
"B-but I do!" Koyomi retorts. "I feel like I burden all of you with my problems!" Koyomi says distressed.
"That's not true Koyomi!" Yukinari says firmly, his eyes finding hers. "You listen to me and you listen well: I am confident that I speak for myself and the others when I say that we don't mind helping you and we would never hesitate to protect you whenever you're in need! Kirie, Seiichirou, and I would go the distance for our friends and loved ones and you know it! Understand?"
"Yes" Koyomi answers swiftly, Yukinari's gaze making her cheeks burn even more.
"Good" Yukinari says. "And I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh at you" Yukinari apologizes referring to Koyomi's deeper shade of red. "You sort of reminded me of myself, actually. I didn't want Kirie's help either."
"You see that Ebi?" a crouching Nina whispers to Ebi out of earshot. "Yukinari's an oblivious idiot who doesn't realize the kind of effect he's having on poor Koyomi."
"Nyah?" Ebi sounds back not knowing what she was supposed to be looking at or what exactly Nina was saying.
"Lucky for you, you're too young to be susceptible to his charm" Nina says caressing Ebi's hair.
"Hello Ebi, hello Miss Nina" Masashi greets with a friendly smile.
"Hey, didn't see you there" Nina answers as a crouching Masashi proceeds to shake Ebi's hand.
"Would you like to join our club too?" Masashi queried.
"Nyah nyah" Ebi answers.
"So I'm guessing Koyomi is a member here too now?" Masashi inquires.
"It seems so" Nina replies simply.
"The club continues to grow!.. Well, off to start my routine" Masashi says proceeding toward the boys locker room.
"Sure" Nina returns and she then lifts Ebi into her arms and approaches both Yukinari and Koyomi.
"You know Koyomi, if you'd like, I can help you with your training" Yukinari offered.
"N-n-no! Miss Nina is t-teaching me!" Koyomi stutters back.
"That's right, she's 'my' student" Nina says. "And on that note Koyomi, enough rest. Get back to your jog!" Nina commands.
"Yes ma'am!" Koyomi replies and resumes her run.
"Nice try Yukinari but Koyomi might not be ready to be put under your tutelage" Nina said.
"Yeah but she's got to face her fear and seeing as how I'm a guy who she knows, I was thinking it would have been a good start" Yukinari said watching as Koyomi dodged some of the male club members on her jog around the training room.
"It's going to take some guts before Koyomi can ever hope to stand up to the likes of Lisa's older brother, Kazuharu I believe his name was?"
"Yes Miss Nina, his name is Kazuharu Fukuyama and he's notorious" Yukinari replied.
"And we will build up her confidence by making her confront her worst fear: Kazuharu Fukuyama himself!"
"I agre-Miss Nina! You can't be serious!" Yukinari exclaims alarmed.
"I'm dead serious" Nina answers, sadism in her voice and grin. "And you're going to help me do so!" Yukinari was about to continue protesting but he understood it was futile. Miss Nina had a look in her eye that she had made up her mind.
"F-fine Miss Nina, I will help" Yukinari surrendered. "Just promise me that Koyomi will not be hurt!"
"Of course not" Nina answers swiftly, almost offended that Yukinari would think that such a thing would be a possibility. "As a matter of fact, she will be taken good care of... Okay Koyomi, that's enough" Nina announces across the training room to an exhausted Koyomi.
"By the way Miss Nina, Koyomi gets meditation and yoga when I got dragged across the floor wearing a dog collar tied to a dog leash?" Yukinari asked.
"That's only because you could take the punishment. You needed it more than Koyomi did too! You were a beaten dog when you showed up here at the club."
"...Okay" Yukinari agreed feeling beaten down.
"You were thinking of Koyomi in a leash and dog collar weren't you you sick bastard?" Nina accused.
"No!" Yukinari denied as Koyomi approached Miss Nina.
"O-okay Miss Nina, what now?" Koyomi asked regaining her breath.
"That was very good Koyomi! You did better than Yukinari did when he started" Nina praised.
"I did?" Koyomi asks surprised.
"She did?" Yukinari repeats.
"Yep!" Nina says happily.
"S-so Miss Nina! What next!?" Koyomi asked eagerly. For some reason, she almost felt like she could take on Fukuyama right then and there and it filled her with delight.
"For today, we are done here at the club. Yukinari will be helping you with the next part" Nina said draining Koyomi's fleeting determination.
"Am I? How so Miss Nina?" Yukinari posed.
"M-Miss Nina! I want 'you' to train me!" Koyomi protested.
"Relax Koyomi, he won't be training you, someone else will" Nina said to Koyomi and Yukinari's confusion. "Get yourself dressed Koyomi and I'll explain in the entrance room."
Koyomi proceeded to the girls locker room as Nina, an Ebi in her arms, and Yukinari walked towards the entrance room.
"Lisa Fukuyama!?" Yukinari gasped reacting to Nina's revelation moments later.
"Yep! Lisa Fukuyama will be mentoring Koyomi next" Nina repeated.
"Miss Nina, what makes you think Lisa will agree to help Koyomi?"
"The fact that you, her 'soulmate', will be asking her for the favor" Nina explained.
"And what if she says no?" Yukinari asked.
"If she says no, use your charms to seduce her" Nina instructed without the slightest hesitation.
"Miss Nina, I have a girlfriend! I can't be doing that!" Yukinari countered swiftly. "And since when did I have charms?"
"Okay, fine" Nina retreated. "I'll write a letter for her to read where I'll explain Koyomi's predicament" Nina said as she pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and began scribbling away. "So you give her this letter and depending on her decision, we'll proceed from there."
"Okay... But why Lisa?"
"Because if there's someone who knows how to deal with the blonde pervert, it's her" Nina elaborated. "They are siblings after all. Lisa has experience dealing with her older brother and magic, two things I can't help Koyomi with" Nina explains finishing her letter to Lisa and putting it into an envelope. She then wrote 'For Lisa's eyes only' on the envelope.
"Well... If you say so Miss Nina" Yukinari said feeling somewhat convinced.
"Also, Koyomi isn't as weak as she looks. She doesn't need training so much as she needs confidence... And a little technology!"
"Technology?" Yukinari asked.
"Yes" Nina declared pulling out a black, metallic rod.
"What is that?" Yukinari asks just as Nina makes a crackle of electricity burst out between the two prongs at the tip of the rod making Ebi jump in fright.
"A stun baton. It's a gift for Koyomi" Nina says just as Koyomi was returning from the lockers. "Good timing Koyomi. Here, this is for you!"
"Miss Nina, what is this?" Koyomi asks taking the baton from Nina.
"Give it a try: shift and hold the slide by your thumb and then pull the trigger" Nina instructs.
"Kyaaaahh!" Koyomi screams taken by surprise, the sound of electricity snapping between the electrodes at the tip of the rod. "What just happened!?"
"Electricity" answered Miss Nina. "Use it to stun the pervert the next time he tries anything!" Koyomi said nothing and simply examined the weapon in her hand. "And Koyomi, Yukinari will be escorting you to the Fukuyama Estate where Lisa Fukuyama will be teaching you further!"
"Lisa Fukuyama?" Koyomi repeated warily. "D-does that mean I have to go to the perv's mansion!?"
"Yes, that's right. Are you scared Koyomi?" Nina asked. Koyomi swallowed hard but refused to back down.
"N-no!" Koyomi said firmly to which Yukinari couldn't help but feel proud for her. "I-I have to do this. Right Miss Nina?"
"Yes. You have to confront your fears if you hope to overcome them" Nina finished.
Yukinari and Koyomi, after saying their goodbyes and after Yukinari accepted Nina's letter, set off for the Fukuyama Estate. The trip did not take too long.
"Here we are" Yukinari announces.
"We are?" Koyomi asked surprised at how fast they had gotten there. Turning her head up, she realized they were standing before the tall front gates of the Fukuyama Estate and behind these gates stood two maids guarding the entrance. The maids were equipped with headsets and shoulder bags which Yukinari suspected were meant to conceal semi-automatic MP5s which all the other maids guarding the grounds were equipped with. From the looks of things, following Yukinari's intrusion into the grounds not too long ago, security had been stepped up.
"State your business" a maid with long blue hair demanded heavily.
"We're here to see Lisa Fukuyama" Yukinari answered.
"Name?" a maid with short, dark-purple hair asked.
"Yukinari Sasaki." There was a pause during which the maids read over a clipboard. The clipboard contained a list of people who were welcome to the Fukuyama Estate.
"Okay, you check out. And her?" the maid asked again looking over at Koyomi.
"Koyomi Hare Nanaka" Koyomi spoke up. Again the maids looked over the clipboard.
"She checks out too" the maid holding the clipboard said. "And we assume that is your pet... But what of the child?" the maid inquired referring to Ebi. "Is she your child?"
"Ch-child!?" Koyomi repeated in her mind.
"Are you two her parents? You two seem way too young" the maid speculated.
"No, she's..." Yukinari thought for a moment. "She's a friend's niece" he lied.
"I see... She's adorable!" the maid with the purple hair complimented. "Very well, you may pass." With that, the gates were opened and Yukinari walked through.
"Let's go Koyomi. Koyomi, are you okay?" Yukinari asked when he saw Koyomi's face had been overtaken by red.
"N-n-n-n-nothing! I, I-I'm sorry!" Koyomi squeaked as she hurriedly walked through the gates.
-TRANSITION-
Lisa made her way back to her room where she had been hard at work on a potion. Just as she was about to enter her room, she is intercepted. "A million pardons Mistress Lisa but you have visitors" a maid notifies her.
"My soulmate Yukinari is here to see me!? He wants to confess his undying love for me!? He's dumped Kirie realizing his grave error!?" Lisa asked amid fantasizing.
"Uh" the maid is taken by surprise. She had not even mentioned who the visitor was nor had any idea what Lisa was going on about. "Y-yes, I do believe he identified himself with that name."
"Well? What are you waiting for? Take me to him this instant!" Lisa demands excitedly. The maid leads her towards the entrance room where Yukinari is standing looking at the expensive decor of the room. An uneasy Koyomi and a bored Ebi are both seated on a sofa and Hebi is in his carrier flicking his tongue patiently. As Lisa enters, all she could see was Yukinari. "Yukinari!" Lisa exclaims tackling the subject of her obsession.
"L-Lisa, hello" Yukinari greets nervously. Though he liked Lisa who was currently pressing up against him, he didn't feel comfortable being embraced by her when he was currently in a relationship.
"So? Have you come to make love to me next?" Lisa asked almost making Koyomi fall off of her seat.
"Wha-what!? N-no!" Yukinari objected quickly. "Actually, Koyomi came here to see you!"
"Koyomi?" Lisa said turning her head toward Koyomi. "Hello Koyomi. Didn't see you there. Or Ebi. Or a snake... What's going on?"
"Well, she's here because she needs your help" Yukinari said pulling out Nina's letter.
"Lisa, I went to the UFC to get Miss Nina's help and she told me to come seeking your help" Koyomi explained.
"With what exactly?" Lisa asks.
"Your older brother" Yukinari contributed. He presented the letter Miss Nina had prepared earlier in the day to Lisa who made quick work of opening it up and reading it.
"...Hmm, I see..." Lisa whispered to herself, her face concealed behind the letter. "Well then Koyomi, I shall teach you!"
"Really?" Koyomi queried feeling relieved. "Thank goodness."
"But only for one day!" Lisa said. "And you must refer to me as Mistress Lisa!" Lisa added stroking her ego.
"Only one day?" Koyomi asked feeling uncertain.
"I am a busy witch but I will do this one favor for Miss Nina! She helped my soulmate and thus I shall help her in return" Lisa said. "Also an excellent way to get back at big brother for all his interference!" she thought further.
"Will that be enough?" Yukinari asked.
"It'll be more than enough!" Lisa boasted smugly. "You underestimate the abilities of this witch in love!" Lisa said tackling Yukinari again. "Oh Yukinari, no matter how hard I try, I can't stay mad at you! Or keep you out of my mind! Hold me tightly you handsome devil and kiss me!" Lisa said pursing her lips, her arms wrapped around him.
"L-listen Koyomi, Kirie's almost done with detention so I'll be going now! I'll take Ebi off of your hands!" Yukinari said shaking Lisa off, lifting Ebi up into his arms and walking out.
"Come back soon my love!" Lisa sung amorously. As Yukinari walked off, Lisa sighed longingly. "...Love they say is the greatest of all spells" Lisa directed at no one in particular as she watched Yukinari walking out through the front gates. "...I'll make that ass mine one day!... Oh! I-I'm sorry Koyomi, I forgot you were there again!"
"I'm not that insignificant am I?" Koyomi wondered depressed.
"Come with me" Lisa commanded. Moments later, Lisa welcomed Koyomi into her room. Lisa's room was not a complicated room with an office desk near the wall opposite the entrance. The desk sat in front of what looked like an empty, red altar with currently extinguished candles and what looked like blue strands of hair. Along the walls of the room were bookcases lined with not only books but also jars and a few crystal balls. "So" Lisa began now sitting at the desk in her room, "Miss Nina's letter, she wants me to teach you some magic to help you deal with your male phobia and especially my big brother..."
"Yes, those are things I'd like help with" Koyomi answered seated before Lisa's desk. Her pet Hebi sat underneath her seat snug in the pet carrier.
"Learning magic takes years of study, practice, trial and error, sweat and toil... Lucky for you, what I'll be teaching you is how to deal with my brother as Miss Nina instructed! And we'll start with an ancient yet powerful piece of witchcraft that can trace its very foundations from the very beginning of humanity itself! Used by witches the world-over against the tyranny of men!"
"Really?" Koyomi voiced eagerly. "What, what is it!?" Koyomi asks leaning forward. Lisa paused before continuing.
"...Hitting a man right between the legs!" A moment of silence.
"...What?" Koyomi said confused. "...I don't get it..."
"It-it was a joke Koyomi!..." Koyomi only looked back at Lisa confused, the idea of a weak point on men both confounding and fascinating her. "I can see you're serious... You mean you don't know about hitting guys between their legs?"
"N-no" Koyomi answered feeling dumb.
"Oh, that's right! There are very few men in Seiren" Lisa recalled. "...Well at the very least now you know where to kick a man if he gets too close."
"Is that really magic?" Koyomi asked. "That's violence."
"Yes it's violence and it's something big brother understands perfectly" Lisa said as she proceeds to one of her bookcases and pulls a book out. "Let's see, let's see... This one seems promising!" Lisa said running her finger across a page in the book. "Come with me! I'm certain I have just the thing in my archives!" Lisa commands walking briskly out of her room.
"Have what? Wait! Please don't leave me here alone!" Koyomi wailed giving chase. She follows Lisa out into the hallway, the two proceed along it and make a right where Lisa and Koyomi halt finding a seemingly unconscious Fukuyama face-down, his clothes tattered and burnt, his hair singed in places. Long, thick carpenter nails jutted out from various body parts and one of his legs seemed broken in a few places. From the looks of things, Fukuyama had been crawling toward Lisa's room for a time.
"Oh! Hello big brother!" Lisa greeted as Koyomi shrieked from the sight, not from Fukuyama's injuries but the fact that he had finally shown up. "Wow, you're pretty beat up! But hey, you got through four of my ten curses this time so good for you! Let us continue Koyomi" Lisa said walking past Fukuyama. Koyomi followed, her back to the wall trying her very best to keep her distance from Fukuyama's body on the floor.
"Hhoooaaoohh" Fukuyama lets out a long and low, pained groan which only urges Koyomi's legs to catch up to Lisa. She rejoins Lisa who had entered a room populated with tall shelves that housed more books and bundles of paper, scrolls, staffs, wands, cauldrons, wooden chests large and small, and a number of sealed glass bottles.
"Lisa, Fukuyama is out there!" Koyomi said fearfully and moving quickly to shut the door to the room. "What if he gets in here!?"
"Relax, the doorway's enchanted so he'll get electrocuted if he touches the door... And it's Mistress Lisa!" Lisa corrected.
"Sorry" Koyomi apologized. Lisa then turns her attention to a tiara that sat in a glass case.
"Here's something special" Lisa said opening the glass case and retrieving the tiara.
"What is that?" Koyomi asked.
"It's a tiara of course but not just any tiara" Lisa said affixing the tiara on Koyomi's head. Instantly, a cloud of smoke engulfs Koyomi's body then almost just as quickly dissipates. With the smoke gone, Koyomi's conservative outfit of a long dress and long-sleeved top had been replaced with a light blue sleeveless sailor fuku uniform and white skirt, white gloves that reached the elbow, and red boots that stop just short of the knees. In one hand was what looked like a ping pong paddle.
"What is going on!?" Koyomi asks in alarm.
"It's a magical tiara! It assesses one of your talents and turns you into a magical girl with talent in mind" Lisa explains. "No magical transformation sequence though. Serious oversight."
"Why am I wearing this?" Koyomi asks still bewildered by her outfit and pulling on her skirt finding it a bit short.
"Traditional magical girl uniform" Lisa answers. "You're a ping pong champion of sorts right Koyomi?"
"Y-you could say that" Koyomi answers, Seiren pan pon ping championships backing her word.
"Very good! How's a game of ping pong sound?"
"O-okay, a quick game sounds okay but not sure what it will have to do with my training" Koyomi said.
"It'll have plenty to do with your training! What you need is confidence and what better way to boost it than to remind you of something you're good at!" Lisa explains. "So how about it?"
"Okay, let's do it" Koyomi said agreeing she could use some confidence.
"Excellent! Then let us play in our ping pong room!"
"You have a ping pong room?" Koyomi asked as she followed Lisa to another room in the estate.
"Of course we do!" Lisa declared opening the door to a plain-looking room equipped with a ping pong table.
"It's a little empty in here" Koyomi comments walking in and looking around: no sign of Fukuyama was a welcome sight.
"We'll be expanding this room soon enough" Lisa explained as Koyomi began to dribble a ping pong ball on the table. "Oh big brother! Care to play a game against Koyomi?" Lisa shouted in the direction of the almost-lifeless body several meters away. At once, Koyomi's heart sinks. The body formerly known as Fukuyama springs to life and sprints to Lisa's location.
"Of course!" Fukuyama answered excited, his body miraculously free of any blemish or curse, the work of Fukuyama's freakish ability to recover from seemingly anything.
"M-Mistress L-Lisa! What are you doing!?" Koyomi thought urgently too frightened to speak.
"Here you go big brother!" Lisa said handing Fukuyama a paddle. "Get in there and try your luck!"
"Sure will!" Fukuyama answered entering the room with Koyomi, his eyes assaulting Koyomi as the door to the room was closed and locked audibly. "Well well! Nice to see you again Koyomi! I love the outfit" Fukuyama says softly, his eyes devouring his victim's frightened figure. Fukuyama takes a step forward, Koyomi takes two trembling steps back.
"S-stay away" Koyomi breathed walking backward fearfully. "Stay away!"
"Where are you going Koyomi?" Fukuyama asked keeping up with Koyomi. "We have a game of-" Fukuyama pauses to take a disinterested glance at the paddle in his hand, "who cares!?" he says shrugging dramatically. "The fact of the matter is I need someone to play against and you're the other person with a paddle!" Fukuyama tosses a ball upward and as it falls back down, taps it lightly. The ball floats forward and simply bounces harmlessly towards Koyomi and rolls away behind her. "Oops! Looks like Iiii loooose!" Fukuyama sings, his hands up in the air. "Now, let me reward the winner... with my body!" he exclaims opening his arms, the top of his uniform shredding away into nothing revealing his bare chest. He crept towards Koyomi who he expected to start running and the fact that there was nowhere to run in the room encouraged him greatly. He followed as she backed away terrified until her back touched the wall.
"S-stay away" Koyomi whimpered again. "Stay away!" She had nowhere to run but through Fukuyama himself. She collapses near the wall, tears welling up in her eyes. "I can't do this! Yukinari! Kirie! Seiichirou! Anyone, please help!" she plead quietly rolled up into a ball.
"Koyomiii" Fukuyama sung completely oblivious to Koyomi's anguish.
"Koyomi, fight back!" Lisa shouted re-entering the room. "You've got to fight back! You've done it before!" Lisa continued recalling the ping pong match several months ago but to no avail. Perhaps the fact that no ping pong table nor Lisa separated the two had caused Koyomi to break down not making a sound, not making a move to fight back against an encroaching Fukuyama. "Koyomi, you're failing" Lisa thought to herself as she watched the frightened Seiren girl curl up.
"Kyahahahahaha!" Fukuyama cackled perversely. Not able to take much else, Lisa finally raises her skull staff intending to halt her brother from getting any closer to Koyomi but she stops herself at the last second.
"No" Koyomi said, the ping pong ball in her hand after she had found it at her feet. "No! Nooo!" she shouted tossing the ball up and with one of her best serves sends the ball flying forward fast and hard toward Fukuyama hitting him directly between the eyes and then flying back toward Koyomi.
"Gah!" Fukuyama shouted in pain grasping at his face but he was not allowed time to recover. Koyomi strikes the returning ball in defiance sending it flying back.
"No!" she shouted again as the ball hit Fukuyama's ribs. "No!" she repeated, the ball striking Fukuyama's stomach. Again she hit the returning ball, again it striking Fukuyama on the thigh, the knee, an arm and again a rib. Back and forth the ball flew as Koyomi used Fukuyama as target practice who by now was using his hands to try to catch the ball and his arms and legs to shield the softer parts of his body.
"Stop, stop!" Fukuyama shouted. "Stop! I surrender!"
"Nooo!" Koyomi answered having long learned to not trust the blonde pervert. Her fear turned to anger, she swung hard and fast against the returning ball.
"Enough!" Fukuyama snarls powering through Koyomi's assault and advancing on her grabbing hold of her wrists to stop her attacks. "I've had enough! This is no way for my woman to behave!" he criticized.
"I am NOT YOUR WOMAN!" Koyomi screamed kneeing Fukuyama perfectly in his most precious of possessions.
"AAAHHH!" Fukuyama let out in terrible pain grabbing at his crotch.
"I have had ENOUGH!" Koyomi let out and recalling what she had seen Yukinari do up in the ring, she drew a fist back and drove it forward straight into Fukuyama's exposed face.
"GGGHHHAAA!" Fukuyama let out further falling back and grasping now at his face as well as his crotch.
"Leave me ALONE!" Koyomi shouted kicking Fukuyama square in the stomach, his breath exploding out of his lungs. With every ounce of her strength, her Seikon mark shining brightly, she lifts the ping pong table up above her head. "Leave me alone FOR GOOD!" she finally demanded angrily bringing the table down violently on a weakened and helpless Fukuyama.
Lisa was stunned, Koyomi was breathing heavily, her face still twisted by anger, her Seikon mark glowing, and Fukuyama lay perfectly still under a heavy ping pong table.
"Umm, big brother?" Lisa said taking a peek under the table only to find Kazuharu completely knocked out. "Looks like you got him pretty good Koyomi" Lisa observed. Koyomi said nothing, she too shocked by what she had just done. "Koyomi? Are you okay?" Lisa asked approaching Koyomi who had collapsed on the floor feeling exhausted.
"I, I'm okay" Koyomi confirmed as she relaxed and her Seikon mark went dim.
"You freaked out there for a moment" Lisa commented. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"I'm sorry, I was all on my own! My phobia took over and I panicked!" Koyomi excused.
"Don't apologize. In fact, congratulations! You stood up for yourself!" Koyomi says nothing still feeling overwhelmed by the ordeal. "You did quite a number on my brother actually" Lisa added looking over a still Kazuharu. "Miss Nina was right. All you really need is a little confidence" Lisa said. "That was the point of this game: to imbue you with some confidence by showing you that you could help yourself when cornered." Koyomi, still processing it all, says nothing. "Come on, get up! Gonna call it a day after this" Lisa said offering a hand. Koyomi receives it and is pulled back up to her feet. Lisa then takes the tiara off returning Koyomi to her conservative outfit after another cloud of smoke.
"W-what was the point of that?" Koyomi asked.
"I just thought you would look cute in that outfit" Lisa admitted.
-TRANSITION-
Koyomi was accompanied by Yukinari, Ebi, and Kirie as she returned to the UFC from the Fukuyama Estate with Hebi in tow.
"Lisa let Fukuyama loose on you!?" Kirie gasped in shock as Koyomi recounted her experience.
"Yes, she did" Koyomi confirms.
"That sounds like something Miss Nina would do" Yukinari said. "How'd you get out of that?
"I'm not sure" Koyomi surrendered.
"Not sure? What happened?" Kirie asked.
"I think I beat him up" Koyomi recalls.
"You did?" Yukinari asks.
"Good for you!" Kirie praised. "Wish I was there to see it! How'd you do it?"
"I hit him between his legs" Koyomi said.
"Ah, the classic" Kirie confirmed.
"Ouch" Yukinari said grimacing.
"Then I kicked him and dropped a table on him" Koyomi said with increasing confidence.
"You did? A table!?" Yukinari repeated incredulously.
"Koyomi" Kirie says grabbing hold of Koyomi's shoulders, "I'm very proud of you!"
"I'm proud of you too Koyomi" Yukinari adds.
"Nya nya" Ebi suddenly adds in agreement tugging on Koyomi's arm.
"Th-thank you guys" Koyomi said fighting back tears. Knowing she had indeed fought back the advances of the pervert imbued her with a confidence that for so long had proven all too elusive. It also gave her hope that her run-ins with the perv could start to change for the better going forward.
"I believe this is yours by the way" Kirie said handing the stun baton back to Koyomi.
"Yes, thank you" Koyomi says accepting the weapon.
"It may come in handy" Kirie said as Koyomi made sparks snap between the stun baton prongs. Koyomi nods and hides the baton away but still within reach, ready to dispose of any attackers that may come her way.
-TRANSITION-
Later in the day at the entrance room of the club, Nina had Lisa standing across the front counter somewhat impatiently.
"I'm here to collect on my end of the deal" Lisa said confidently. "I trust you've heard back from Koyomi."
"Indeed, she was here earlier" Nina confirms. "She told me about the visit..."
"Then I trust I have fulfilled my end of the deal... Well?" Lisa voiced impatiently. "I've done my part, now you do yours" Lisa says before Nina sighs.
"This remains between you and me" Nina said as she retrieved a plastic bag from within the front counter. Placing it atop the counter, Lisa makes quick work of pulling out an article of clothing from the bag. Lisa eyes the clothing, a club uniform top, and smells it briefly.
"...Yes, this is authentic! Definitely my soulmate's!" Lisa said taking a deeper smell before rubbing the shirt on her cheek.
"...Wish I hadn't seen that" Nina thinks to herself.
"Smells so much like him" Lisa praises. "Thank you very much! Pleasure doing business with you!" Lisa almost sings.
"Yes" Nina said shaking Lisa's hand. Nina wasn't too worried about Yukinari finding out about the pilfered shirt having replaced it with a new one. "It's just a shirt, I'm sure" she told herself. "It was for a good cause" she reassured herself as a smiling Lisa ran out of the club.
