Edited 27/6/17: Correcting spelling and grammar errors. Also, Linimal should be Liminal, only just realised this after 11 chapters, oops.
7 years ago…
Not long after the end of school, two boys, both sixteen years of age, were making their way back home. It was only a few weeks before summer break, and the pair were chatting about anything that came to mind.
'So, have asked out Suzuki from 2-C yet?' The blonde boy asked his classmate teasingly.
''It's not like that, Yuuto! Just because we're both in the cooking club doesn't mean I feel that way about her!'' The other boy with messy black hair protested as his friend laughed at his reaction.
''Okay, so she's not your type. How about Mori?''
'No!'
'Nakano?'
'No!'
'Then who is your type, Kimihito?' Yuuto continued as he calmed himself down.
''I don't know.'' Kimihito replied as he calmed down too. ''I didn't join the club to find a girlfriend.''
''How could you not? You're the only guy in the club. It's like your personal harem.'' Yuuto continued to tease his friend.
''Like I'd want a harem!'' Kimihito shouted in annoyance as Yuuto started to laugh again.
The pair were still in their school uniforms, Kimihito was wearing a white short sleeved button-up shirt, brown trousers, and a black tie, as well as a typical pair of school shoes. Yuuto was wearing similar attire, except that he wore a pair of white trainers, and had his shirt unbuttoned with a red t-shirt underneath, and his tie was missing. They were both carrying their school bags, but Yuuto was also carrying a long, slender, carrier bag over his right shoulder, that contained a bamboo kendo stick. They stopped on a bridge that went over one of the local waterways in the city as the continued their conversation.
''Fine, fine. There must be someone you like though.'' Yuuto said as he rested his arms against the railing of the bridge.
''Honestly, there's no one in particular, and I'd rather focus on my studies right now. You know what my dad's like.'' Kimihito complained as he did the same.
''Yeah, 'Captain Killjoy' right?''
''He just wants me to succeed career-wise, that's all.'' Kimihito said unconvincingly.
''Well, you could really use the distraction, especially with summer break coming up.'' Yuuto replied trying to cheer his classmate up. ''I'm sure Ikeda from our class would love to hang out with us and Kyouka.''
''I don't know if I'm comfortable with going on a double date.'' Kimihito said dejectedly.
'So, you like Ikeda that much, huh?' Yuuto teased again.
'Well, I mean,'
'SOMEONE, HELP!'
The pair were suddenly interrupted when they heard a scream from under the bridge. They saw a young boy with black hair being taken by the currents below, with his brown-haired friend running after him from the embankment.
''PLEASE! ANYONE! MY FRIEND'S GONNA DROWN!'
'Kimihito, take these.' Yuuto said in a serious tone as he handed him his school bag and kendo stick. He then stepped up onto the railings as quickly as he could.
'Wait, what are you- '
Kimihito couldn't finish his sentence before the blonde boy jumped from the bridge, into the waterway.
'Yuuto!'
He hit the water hard, and it hurt like hell, but he was more focused on saving the young boy that was some distance in front of him. He began to swim as fast and as best he could in the currents, the boy in front of him barely able to keep his head above water. Yuuto continued to swim with all his might until he caught up with him and grabbed hold of the child.
''It's okay, Kid. You're going to be okay.'' He tried to reassure the boy who was gasping air.
''BUT WHAT ABOUT YOU?! YOU'RE STUCK HERE WITH ME!'' The boy panicked as he struggled to keep afloat.
''Don't worry, this is nothing. I'll get us out in no time.'' Yuuto replied as he started to make his way to the embankment with the boy in tow. On the embankment, Kimihito and the other young boy were running to keep up with the pair riding the current. Yuuto was surprised that his friend could keep up with them while carrying both their school bags and his kendo stick. Ahead of them, Yuuto noticed a dead branch that was sticking out of the waterway, onto the embankment.
''Looks like we've got our way out, Kid.'' Yuuto said confidently as he made his way towards it. With the young boy in his left arm, He grabbed the branch with his right hand, and started pulling them towards the shoreline as Kimihito dropped the bags and made his way to the pair.
'Yuuto! Are you okay?!' He yelled to his friend in panic as he reached them.
''I'm good, just take him from me.'' Yuuto said calmly as he pushed the boy in front of him towards his friend.
Kimihito knelt to the ground and grabbed the hand of the black-haired boy and pulled him out of the waterway. The young boy was on his hands and knees, coughing, as the brown-haired boy made his way to the group. Yuuto was making his way to the shoreline on the branch, until suddenly, it snapped. He was swept away by the current again as Kimihito and the boys looked on helplessly.
'YUUTO!'
That was the last thing he heard before he was dragged under by the current, and before he knew it, his head collided with something hard, and blacked out.
When Yuuto regained consciousness, he found himself laying down on the ground. He saw the wide blue sky, and as he looked around, he saw that he was in a field full of flowers on many different colours, with a river cutting through the field.
'Where am I?' Yuuto asked no one in particular, trying to come to his senses.
''Ye be on the cusp o' life and death, Mortal.''
Yuuto looked up to see who the voice belonged to. He saw a girl with long, white hair that reached her lower back, blue skin, and golden eyes with black sclera. He then only just noticed that his head way laying on her lap. Yuuto jumped up in a panic at the sight of the strange girl and sat up straight across from her. She was wearing a white sleeveless dress with a turtleneck collar, as well as a pair of white thigh-high stockings.
'Ok, this has got to be a dream.' He muttered to himself.
''Believe what ye will, it does nay change the fact that ye are here now.'' She replied flatly.
Yuuto pondered for a moment, trying to figure out what was going on.
'Who are you exactly?' He asked calmly.
''I am a knight o' death, a guide for lost souls, though ye would better know me as a dullahan.'' The girl said in an overly dramatic manner as she placed a hand over her face.
'I thought that dullahans were headless.' He replied with a look of confusion.
'Do ye not believe me, Mortal? Very well.'
With that, she placed her hands on either side of her head, and lifted it from her shoulders. Yuuto's eyes went wide with surprise at how easily she removed her head. Satisfied, the girl placed her head back where it was with a smile on her face.
'Okay.' He replied as he recomposed himself. 'Do you have a name?'
'My name is o' little importance, I exist only to ferry souls to the afterlife.' She said drearily, the smile disappearing from her face.
Yuuto frowned at that statement. 'It must be a lonely existence.' He said in a very sad tone.
'It does nay matter. I do what I must, and I am content with that.' The girl continued, her eyes never breaking their gaze from his.
The pair sat there in silence for what felt like an eternity as a breeze passed over the field, rustling flowers and sending petals flying in the wind. After a moment, Yuuto stood up and walked over to the blue-skinned dullahan. Once by her, he crouched down and placed a hand on her shoulder. The girls flinched at his action, and looked away in embarrassment, her cheeks red.
''W-w-w-what is the meaning o' this?! Ye d-d-dare to touch an agent o' death?!'' She stuttered in a panic, seemingly losing the gravitas befitting a reaper of souls.
Yuuto started laughing at the hilariously adorable sight in front of him. As he calmed down, he spoke. 'You remind me of what my friend was like back in middle school. He was a major Chuunibyou too.' He said with a massive grin on his face.
'P-p-p-preposterous!' The dullahan exclaimed with her eyebrows furrowed as she stood to her feet, but she stood up so quickly, that her head fell from her shoulders. Her eyes widened in shock as her head race towards the ground. In an instant, she found herself in the young man's hands. She looked up to see a smile on his face, his hands on her cheeks. He stood up as he lifted her head and turned her to face him.
'That was close.' Yuuto said with a sincere smile.
Before he could continue, he was tackled from the front by the girl's body, sending the pair tumbling to the ground. Yuuto landed on his back while her head landed next to him and her body holding him in an embrace on top. The girl's face flushed an even brighter shade of red as she looked away in embarrassment of her body's actions towards the human, while Yuuto's own cheeks went red at the embarrassing position he found himself in. He sat up as the dullahan's body still held her arms tight around his chest while she knelt between his legs.
''I guess your body doesn't lie.'' He said jokingly as he rubbed the back of his head.
'M-m-my body sometimes acts on its own will, w-which I have no control over.' The girl barely stuttered in embarrassment.
'Sure, it does.' He replied teasingly as the dullahan's body loosened her grip on him and rested her arms on his chest. He then turned his attention back to her body. ''I bet you're enjoying this, aren't you?'' It felt strange for him to talk to a headless body, but it responded by sitting up, removing the pressure of her breasts on his chest, and giving him a thumbs-up.
'Mortal, may I request yer assistance? I require ye to return me head to its rightful place.' The girl asked flatly, finally calming herself down after the moment of embarrassment.
'Oh, sure.'
He lay back down so he could reach her head, he grabbed it and lifted it as he sat up straight. Her body was waiting with her arms outstretched to receive her cranium, and he place her head in her hands. The girl's body then placed her head back on her shoulders, her face still flushed red.
''Never in all me time as a reaper o' souls have I ever met such a brazen spirit.'' The dullahan stated, a look of bewilderment on her face.
''I take it you're more used to ferrying the souls of the elderly?'' Yuuto joked with a smile on his face.
'Mayhaps, Mortal. Ye be a youth still.'
'Yuuto Kazama.'
'Beg yer pardon?' The girl asked, surprised at his sudden interjection.
Yuuto stood up to his feel and extended a hand to the dullahan. ''My name is Yuuto Kazama, I'm starting to get tired of being called 'Mortal'.'' He said plainly.
The girl stared at him for a moment, before a smile crossed her face, and she took his hand. Yuuto lifted her to her feet, careful as to not let her head fall from her shoulders again.
'Very well, Kazama.' She replied, still smiling at him.
''Okay, just in case this isn't a dream, I should ask. I'm I dead?'' Yuuto said with a hint of concern in his voice.
'Not quite.' She said as she made her way to the river's edge. 'It seems yer soul still has a strong connection to the mortal coil.'
''I'll take that as a no then.'' He replied as he followed her.
As the pair reached the embankment of the river, the girl stopped and turned to face him once more. ''Ye may nay be aware of it, but I sense that you are nay like other mortals. It seems that ye possess a power beyond human comprehension, a power to push aside death. I canna reap a soul that is still bound to the realm o' the living.''
Yuuto wasn't sure what this 'power' the dullahan was talking about, but if he wasn't dead, that's all that mattered. ''Okay, so I'm not dead. How do I get back though?'' He asked, visibly concerned.
The girl walked into the river until it reached just below her knees, she turned back to Yuuto and held her hands out towards him, a smile forming on her face once more. ''I am a guide for lost souls. It may be my purpose to guide souls o' the dead to the afterlife, but it is within me power to guide them back to the realm o' the living, if the bond is strong enough. If ye be ready to return, then take me hands.''
Yuuto hesitated for a moment, but soon after, he stepped into the river and held the girl's outstretched hands. As soon as he grabbed the girl's hands, several beams of light shot out from the river around him. As he looked around in confusion, the dullahan spoke once more.
'Fare thee well, Kazama. May ye live a long and fruitful life, and mayhap we shall cross paths again one day.' She said as her face flushed red.
'Wait! I still have more to ask you!' Yuuto exclaimed as his vision was blinded by the bright lights around him.
'Ye will know more when the time comes.' That was the last thing Yuuto heard before her voice faded from into the distance, and he was forced to close his eyes from the blinding light.
When he could open his eyes again, he found himself lying on the embankment next to the waterway, his clothes soaked and coughing up water from his lungs. He could see the buildings surrounding them, a bridge crossing over the waterway, and as he looked around, he saw a paramedic knelt next to him. She had hazel eyes and brown hair tied into a short ponytail.
'You okay there?' She asked out of concern.
'Yeah, at least I think so.' He replied, before he winced in pain from the throbbing from his forehead. He raised his right hand to where it hurt until the woman grabbed his wrist.
'Careful, you took a nasty gash to your head. Can you sit up?'
Yuuto nodded to her, before he sat himself up as he felt blood trickle down the side of his face. He looked behind the paramedic and found Kimihito, as well as the two young boys from earlier, standing there in shock. Meanwhile, a male paramedic with brown eyes and short black hair, came running past the group and knelt to the other side of him.
''Thank goodness, you're awake. You're lucky to be alive.' He said with worry as he pulled out a roll of bandage cloth from his bag.
'What happened?' Yuuto asked, his voice hoarse.
'Your friend called for us and said you were drowning. We got here as fast as we could, but by the time we arrived, we found you lying where you are now, and your friend and the two boys panicking around you. I was about to resuscitate you myself, but you were already coughing up water by the time I got to you, like you just sprang back to life.' The woman said as the man was wrapping the bandage around his head.
'Was that a dream?' Yuuto thought to himself, recalling the meeting he had with the dullahan. 'It had to be.' He continued to ponder as the man finished tying the bandage to his head.
'Yuuto!' Kimihito exclaimed as he made his way to his friend and knelt in front of him. 'How are you feeling?' He asked with worry all over his face.
Yuuto noticed that Kimihito's clothes were soaked as well. 'Did you dive in to save me?' He asked.
''Couldn't let you drown now, plus Kyouka would kill me if I didn't.'' Kimihito replied nervously as he rubbed the back of his head.
'Thanks man, I owe you one.' He replied as he grinned at him. He then looked towards the female paramedic. 'And thank you, miss...'
'Suzu Tamura. And the man next to you is Kenji Saito.' She replied as she gestured towards her partner.
'We should get you boys into some dry clothes before you get hypothermia.' Kenji stated plainly. 'Can you stand?'
Yuuto nodded again before standing to his feet. Just then, the two young boys rushed to him.
'Thanks for saving me, Mister.' The boy with the black hair said before bowing to him.
'Yeah, thanks a bunch.' His brown-haired friend said as he did the same.
'No worries. Just doing what anyone would do.' Yuuto replied with a smile on his face.
'We should get you to the hospital as soon as possible.' Suzu spoke up to get his attention. ''You're going to need stitches for that gash.''
With that, the group made their way to the ambulance. Just before Yuuto got into the vehicle, he caught something from the corner of his eye. He saw a black figure turn the corner of the street, looking like it had some long pole attached to their back. Before he could do a double-take of the figure, he was ushered into the vehicle with Kimihito and the boys. Once the doors were shut, and the paramedics in the front of the vehicle, it drove off towards the nearest hospital, sirens blaring.
Present day…
'Yuuto. You okay there, Yuuto?'
The blonde MON agent was pulled from his thought as he was snapped back into reality. He saw Kimihito and Lala standing in front on him, their faces filled with concern.
'Yeah, sorry about that.' He replied with a smile on his face, trying to reassure the pair.
The other girls looked on in concern, but as Yuuto spoke up again, their worries were alleviated, they returned to what they were doing.
'What was that about?' Kimihito asked, still worried about his friend.
'Oh, just thinking back to the time I saved that kid from drowning.'
'Yeah, and you nearly drowned yourself in the process, if I remember correctly.'
Yuuto just rubbed the back of his head nervously at his statement. ''Well, it didn't go exactly to plan, I'll admit, but no one died at least.''
Kimihito then turned to face the dullahan next to him. 'I suppose you had something to do with it, Lala?' He asked to girl, slowly putting the pieces together.
''As I said before, I am merely a guide for lost souls. I canna choose whether someone lives or dies, I can only guide them to their rightful place.'' Lala replied as her scythe dissipated into thin air.
''Well your guidance is the reason I'm here today.'' Yuuto interjected as he put a hand on her shoulder. 'I never got chance to say it, but thank you.' He continued as a sincere smile formed on his face.
Lala's eyes went wide and her cheeks flushed crimson at the gesture as a smile crept onto her face. 'I only be fulfilling my purpose, Kazama.' In a move that surprised everyone, she wrapped her arms around Yuuto's chest, and pulled him into a hug, resting her head against his chest. 'But I am glad to see ye doing well.' She continued as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment. All Yuuto could do was stand there, his eyes widened and his cheeks flushed red at the sudden affection he received from the girl.
Unbeknownst to the pair, Blare and Rachnera came into the living room, in a fresh change of clothes. Blare was wearing a black t-shirt and a pair of grey shorts that seemed to belong to Kimihito, while Rachnera was wearing a grey sweater and a black skirt over her pedipalps. As Blare spotted the pair in the middle of their one-sided embrace, she couldn't help but tease them.
'Having fun with your girlfriend, Stud?' She said in a sultry voice.
Yuuto flinched at Blare's sudden appearance, and Lala's eyes shot open as she realised what she was doing. She suddenly pulled away from the embrace, but in doing so, her head fell from her shoulders, towards Yuuto. Thankfully, he was quick enough to react, and caught her head with his free hand. Lala looked up at him in awe as he sighed in relief.
'That was way too close.' He said, calming himself down. 'You okay there, Lala?' He asked, looking down at the girl's head he was holding.
Lala looked away from Yuuto in embarrassment as her body hurriedly stepped forward to retrieve her head. She then placed her head back on her shoulders before she replied. ''I-I-I am well. A knight o' death is nay so easily harmed.'' She stated as she struck one of her dramatic poses, though it wasn't as impactful as she hoped, seeing that her cheeks were still flushed red and she was avoiding eye contact with him.
''Well, that's good to hear.'' Yuuto replied before taking another sip of his coffee. He then turned his attention to Blare. 'Was that really necessary?' He asked his co-worker with an annoyed look on his face.
''Aww c'mon, Stud. I was just having some fun.'' She said with a massive grin on her face.
'Okay. Anyway, we should get started on these one-on-one chats with the homestays.' He took the file that Blare had and skimmed through it. 'Alright, we might as well go in order that the girls joined the household, so let's start with- '
'NOOOOOOOO!'
He was interrupted by Miia's yelling. He saw that she was hunched over in defeat as Papi and Suu were high-fiving each other.
'Nice going, Suu!' The little harpy exclaimed as the slime girl raised her arms in victory.
'Congratulations, Suu. That was indeed an excellent use of the blue shell.' Mero commented with a smile on her face.
''C'mon! I was practically at the finish line, and now I'm in last place?!'' Miia complained in frustration at losing the race at the last second to the adorable slime girl sitting next to her.
'Miia.' Yuuto spoke up to get the lamia's attention. ''If you're finished, can you come into the kitchen with me? I just want to check to see how you're adapting to human society.'' He continued as he made his way to the kitchen table, with Blare in tow.
'Sure thing, Kazama-kun!' Miia exclaimed as got up from her seat and slithered her way towards the kitchen, her mood doing a 180 from frustration to excitement.
Throughout the visit, Yuuto and Blare talked to each of the girls about their time in Japan, and more specifically, their time living at the Kurusu residence, and how they were handling their new lifestyle. They all seemed to be easing into it quite nicely, though there were still a few bad habits that the girls couldn't shake, like Miia's over-possessiveness regarding Kimihito, Suu's tendency to grope the other girls when she's dehydrated, and Rachnera's habit of tying people up in her webs. Yuuto was surprised at how well Kimihito was handling things, despite the chaotic nature of the household, but if he wasn't complaining, Yuuto saw no reason to disturb the peace. He did want to have a one-on-one with his old friend before he would be satisfied with the situation, just to make sure. It was now just the two of them in the kitchen, as the girls were busy watching TV, and Blare had gone to get changed back into her now clean work clothes.
'Are you really okay with things as they are?' Yuuto asked in concern.
'I guess.' He replied flatly with a blank look on his face. 'Why do you ask?'
''Well, think about it. You say you never applied for the exchange program, and Smith, from out of nowhere, dropped Miia onto you without your consent. She then continued to force more homestays onto you, even though hosting one liminal is a challenge it itself, and then tell you to marry one of them, just for an experiment of hers. Despite having to care for seven girls, one of which isn't even registered on the program, you continued to look after them, despite nearly dying more times than you can remember. Honestly, if you were anyone else, you would've either filed a lawsuit against the exchange program, or you would already be dead by now. So, I got to ask, why are you still doing this?'' Yuuto was genuinely perplexed as to why someone would willingly put themselves through so much bullshit.
Kimihito was left speechless at Yuuto's astute observation of his current situation, and he could tell that his friend was visibly annoyed by how Ms Smith was taking advantage of someone so kind-hearted. After a moment, Kimihito smiled as he turned his gaze towards his homestays.
''I'm doing it for them.'' He replied as Yuuto also looked towards the group.
They saw that the girls were happily chatting with each other. No fighting, no bickering, just peaceful idle chat. It was obvious that they were all happy here, despite the feuds they've had in the past, and from the talks that Yuuto had with each of them, it was obvious that they all cared deeply for Kimihito. The only possible exception was Lala, saying that she was merely intrigued by how a 'mortal' could survive so many near-death experiences, but she did say that she enjoyed living here.
Kimihito continued. ''It wouldn't be fair to pass any of them on to anyone else, just for my own selfish reasons, plus I couldn't bear to part with any of them.''
''You're a crazy man, Kimihito, but then again, you always have been.'' Yuuto stated with a grin on his face. 'Though there is one more thing I wanted to ask.'
'What is it?' He replied flatly.
'Who are you going to marry?' Yuuto whispered as to avoid getting the attention of the girls in the other room.
Kimihito's eyes widened at his friend rather forward question. 'Not you to…' He replied drearily.
''Oh, c'mon. I won't tell Smith if that's what's bothering you.''
''That's not the problem.''
'Then what is it?'
Kimihito looked away as his cheeks flushed red. ''I can't decide.''
''This isn't something you can be indecisive about. I know they're all great in their own way, but this harem situation can't last forever you know.'' Yuuto replied lecturing his friend. 'Seriously, if you had to pick one of them right now, who would it be?'
Kimihito pondered for a moment as his eyes shifted nervously from side to side. After a moment, he replied. 'If I had to pick one of them right now, I would say,'
Their conversation was interrupted as Yuuto phone went off. 'Excuse me for a sec.' He said as he whipped out his phone, and Kimihito let out a sigh of relief. Yuuto checked the caller I.D. and saw it was from Zombina. He then answered the call.
''Yuuto here, what's up, Zee?''
''Beesh! We've got a situation here!'' Zombina yelled over the phone, almost loud enough for Kimihito to hear. ''It's Scorpia, she's gone ballistic! We need you and Blare here now!''
''I'll be right there. Hold tight.'' He replied calmly.
''Will do, I'll text you the address.'' She replied before hanging up.
'Sorry Kimihito, but I got to go.' Yuuto said as he got out of his chair.
'Is everything alright?' Kimihito asked with worry in his voice.
'Just another day on the job.' He replied as he walked out the room.
As he entered the living room, he found that Blare was waiting in there for him with the girls.
''What's up, Stud?'' She asked with her ears twitching.
'Zombina and Tio need back up. We need to get going.'
Blare's ears perked up as her flame lashes ignited. 'Sure thing.' She replied as she followed him into the hallway.
''We'll see you guys later, just got an urgent call from work.'' Yuuto stated as he made his way to the front door.
''Alright, feel free to come down anytime.'' Kimihito said with a smile as the girls said their goodbyes to the two MON agents.
As the pair left the house, the started running towards the SUV.
''What's the situation?'' Blare asked in a serious tone.
'Angered girtablilu. We need to rendezvous with Zombina at the Sato residence.' Yuuto replied as he unlocked the car with the key fob.
They opened the doors and practically jumped into their seats and buckled their seat belts. Yuuto's phone vibrated as he received a text with the area code for the Sato residence. He passed his phone to Blare so she could operate the sat-nav as he placed a siren on top of the SUV and turned it on. With everything set, he drove off with the siren blazing as they made their way to help Zombina and Tio. There's never a dull moment working for MON.
A/N: That's another long chapter down, but hopefully the flashback segment was worth the effort. As always, hope you enjoyed the latest chapter of MON - Squad Bravo, feel free to follow and favourite, make reviews, and make any suggestions for the story, and finally thank you so much for reading.