Chapter 11, First day in an Alliance
( fate ost ougon no kagayaki )
After going to bed and rest with a healed limb, he decided to not worry about some subjects such as who rider's master is but still...he wondered why archer said all that stuff
(it...felt like he knew my family, no... he said Vermillion had books about my family, so is he using this knowledge to confuse me?) He thought to himself
He got up from his bed to start early "I can't slack off know, I'm now on a temporary team with Vermillion" he starts to get dressed and finds his outfit folded as he had time to prepare last night despite the ordeals he's experienced
*beep beep*
He looks at his phone and finds texts "Oh right aunt kushi and Viola are visiting again, I guess I should wake the others...sigh and tell them of my alliance" he says nervously "I'm sure I have time to explain to them before they arrive...I hope"
Two hours have past, and kushina and naruto who had a doctors appointment so he had no school today, Viola had arrived on timeas well as Ashura had prepared a simple meal with Viola aiding his endevors With Ruler who was eating at a calm and quick pace sitting next to Kushina whos still bummed about losing the sword challenge before
While they were eating Ashura was thinking about his digimon and Gatomon said when they found out
flashback
"So in other words you ran flying in blind again" Gatomon grits her teeth
"I wouldn't exactly call it that but sure"
"Why didn't you use your command seal?" Saber said "Rider could have killed you"
"But she didn't"
"That's not the case Ashura" Gatomon stepped in "it was pure luck that Mavis was there or you would have be here right now"
Saber gets back to talking "Anyway I was certain we talked about this already that I'm want to help you"
"I know Saber but not as a living shield"
"I said that agree with your terms and should protect myself as well, but I expect you to follow your part too...also you should tell me before forming an alliance in such a short matter of time"
"I guess I kinda rushed things, but do you think it's a right choice?"
Agumon was about to answer when Gatomon interrupted "Of course rushing into an alliance with the enemy is a bad thing"
"You don't like her?" He questioned
"Hmm...actually this may benefit you so quite the opposite" she said as she went into her ruler mode
"A smart magic user such as Mavis would be able to teach you about the use of magic and...possibly get you to shape up"
"I'm not out of shape?"
"You know what I mean" D'Arcmon said
"I know I was kidding" Ashura said with a smile
"Plus I was observing her and looks like she is smarter than she looks"
"Why's that?"
"Well think of this, you rely on force and survival instinct while she reads the situation and thinks ahead" She explained "You should learn from her example"
He realizes this yet he also realized tgst she also took sudden risks like saving his life from berserker and rider
"Maybe I'll ask her for some tips next time I see her"
flashback end
"what's ya thinking about"
Ashura snaps out of his flashback as his little cousin asked him a question "Oh just...minor issues I'm dealing with" he then looks at Kushina who got intrigued "oh?...something bothering you...?"
He looks suprised (oh geez she's always snooping in other people's business?! I have to think of something) but sees Ruler eating quickly "Aunt Kushi you should probably hurry"
"Huh I have no rush, works not until 7:50"
"Not what I meant" Ashura said with his eyes closed
She didn't know what he was talking about until it was too late and saw Rulers heap off empty plates and no food"GGAAAH!" She cried out in emotional pain "You ate everything including the ramen and nato!"
As Ashura and Viola get there shoes to go out, He had a suggestion he hadn't considered for awhile "So Viola it's been awhile since we walked to school together so want to go?"
"That's sounds like a pleasant idea senpai" she nods
He sweatdrops (again with the senpai name?) He thought then looks at Ruler still there looking like she's going somewhere. "Um where you going?"
"I was quite worried and a friend of mine (Saber) believes I should come with you"
He gets wide eyes(uh no, the enemy might detect her for sure if...wait is that even possible since she's not my digimon?) He had a confused thought but rremembered the matter at hand"Sorry Jeanne but you don't go to school here"
"Irrelevant to me, I'm just going to observe your day"
"Is she really going with us?" Viola questioned
"I already said she can't" he said as he opens the door but in a suprised twist Mavis appears behind the door with a happy posture "Good morning to you all"
He just blinks now three girls in the same room make it awkward.
While on the of the room Naruto sees this and sighs (serious cuz? Looks like I have to help ya out by distracting mom) he thought to prevent his mother from seeing this "Mom! Can you check for beetles the bathroom? Because I thought I saw one!" And hears his mother sprint to the bathroom making noise (Problem solved, now it's up to you cuz)
Back to the door entrance, "Mavis hat brings you here so early?" Ruler question his new ally
"Just came to..." she looks at a familiar face "Viola's here too" (Shoot, that's right) she thought to herself in a slight problem But couldn't she worry couldn't worry about that know "You don't remember? Ashura agreed that we walked to school in the morning from now on" She said as she pats rulers arm at ease
While he 'what buy we never' he stopped thinking and notices her wink "Oh right, Vermillion has done this often since we got to know one another"
With all the women Viola starts to sigh "Maybe I'll go on ahead" while Ashura was suprised "huh?" He questioned her as that wasn't what she usually does but left in a rush.
So Mavis now knew the coast was clear "honestly didn't you predict something like this would occur?"
Ashura now felt betrayed at that part "How was I supposed to know?"
"Don't you know about the term 'a sitcom cliche'!" She brought up a reference "It was so obvious" she said Now Ashura looks away now could not think of a good comeback for it he felt too oblivious to such a threat knowing she's right
"Are we still going" Ruler asks
Now he remembered todays first problem of the day "Forgot about her..." he mumbled while Mavis saw his problem "Don't fret, let me speak to her"
He scoffs "good luck, I've tried to reason to her daily and...
.
.
.
"I can't believe she listened and stayed back!" Despite now walking to school with Vermillion he was suprised she was capable of consirting with Gatomon. Sure she was ruler but stil Gatomon
"Really? It was simple to convince her"
"Probably because of your inteclect"
"Being smart has little to do with this issue. You know you have to be more firm with them otherwise they will be out of your control" she lectured "But if you really want to know, I simply told her that she and saber staying would benefit your safety?"
"Benefit my safety how?"
"Well if the enemy doesn't see you with your spirits besides the chance they may think your an open target...but at the same time there's the possibility that they think your spirit is hiding his power making you intimidating."
He whistles in an impressed expression 'She is one scary but brilliant girl'
as the finally reached school grounds they see Roger standing by as he notices him "Oh hey Ashura your..." he then notices his natural predator "WITH THE MASTERMIND!"
"Nice to see you also Roger" Vermillion innocently smiles
"Ashura why are you near her?"
"We walked together."
"Y-you what?" He shakes in fear "this isn't over witch!" He says as he runs off maniacaly
While she giggles "such a funny guy!" While Ashura does not understand 'I can only imagine what she did to him'
As he walks into the school gate but feels a sudden force overwhelm him "uh!" He grunts and lands on his knees as Mavis sees this "So even you notice this now. The energy drains must have been multipled by others" she walks in carefully "But I can barely feel any drainage" she looks confused
"I have noticed this but I thought it was just sleep deprivation"
"It's probably best to split up for now, let's meet up at the roof during break" she says as he nods
Ashura's class starts to end but he rarely notices it as he's too focused on what to say for there meeting then Roger shows up at his desk "Hey again sorry for running" While Ashura looks at him strangely 'shouldn't he apologize to her?' "So we eating at the same spot as usual?"
"Sorry man but I already have plans"
While Roger was shocked "Eh! Is it with Vermillion!"
"Yup"
"Dude cancel those plans! She's a devious she devil with who acts like a witch!"
This makes Ashura laugh a bit "Don't worry about me, I've met her shortly and she seems really nice" he defends her character" and if you get to know her you might feel the same way"
While Roger turns purple in shock "Ah No I'm too late...she got to you!" He falls back on his back in an over dramatic way
With class over "I have just enough time to meet with her" he says as he reaches the end of the hall that reaches the stairs "I just hope she appreciates that I make it on ti..." before he can finish that sentence as he walks on the steps he looks up and sees Viola upi
"Senpai?"
"Hey Viola" he waved At her but..."Excuse me" the black haired girl walked pasted him "Huh?" He sees her go down stairs "I should probably see what's wrong" but remembers he has to meet Vermillion "Maybe she'll wait a few minutes...?" He nervously questions as he follows after Viola
As for Mavis who already made it to the roof
She's been standing for about 10 minutes and a breeze makes her feel chilly
"He's late..." she mumbles with a eye twitch
As he walks out of the school building he scouts around by observing whats in his vision until he sees her sitting on a nearby bench looking upset so he walks to her
"Helllo again Viola" he gets her attention which makes her shake up a bit
"Um?"
He notices how she looks and realized it started because of what happened this morning "You know Vermillion and I are just walking to school, theres nothing crazy hidden behind it" he sits next to her
"But?"
"If your worried it might effect our friendship dynamic you have nothing to worry about" he asks her "Nothing will change I just have more people to talk to like Aunt Kushi for instance and you now how much of a talker she can be"
"I suppose so"
"So don't fret, hey how about helping me make something later on, for ild times sake?"
She now brightens up "okay senpai I feel a little better now" she walks away
"At least I have something to look forward to now"
"And where have you been" said a familiar voice that sounds upset as Ashura sweats a bit as he turns around and sees Vermillion she sit right to him with her eyes closed and srms crossed and right leg sbove the other like she came out of nowwhere "Oh right"
"You forgot and when I specifically mentioned this hours ago?" She said with a serious voice
"Sorry but I had a reason this time"
"Enlighten me"
"Well I saw Viola earlier and she looked upset so I decided to help cheer her up" he explains to her as she looks shocked 'She was sad, was it because she felt...threatened?' She thoughts but hides her shocked expression "I'll let it slide now follow me"
The two masters walk uo towards the roof. After that they leaned on the gates and had a drink of canned juice or tea"So what did you want to talk about?"
She now explains "I have news about a drained victim" Which made him serious at that point
"Really what did you find out"
"Only that the victim had a slight concussion and had no condition to speak and the state she wass in was in a state similar to being poisoned"
"That means..."
"Correct a servant has struck again, possibly the same one from before" she got out of her position "Now that even you noticed the area getting drained its possible thatvriders master is hasten there his or hers next move" she replies as she takes a drink "If we don't stop this soon, the whole school will be physical and mentally drained of the spirit mana and life energy"
"Then we have no time to lose" he stands up serious also while she looks she's got some hard deadline "Sigh I can only imagine how much sigels our enemy put up"
"Sigels?"
"Right your a beginner..." Vermillion said bluntly "Sigels are main marks often used in the form of sorcery and mage craft, often used as seals or certain types of runes witg there own ability such as draining life force as mana" she points at him "And because you sense it more recently, then it means riders master formed more sigel marks around campus"
"So how do we get rid of them?" Ashura questions her While she says "IIt's not going to be easy, until we can defeat who made the barrier we'll just have to take out one mark at a time, and it doesn't help that the marks return later on but it's the best we can do for now"
"Okay this sounds very difficult to let go so how do I help?"
"Well remember when you said you felt out of it when you walked in, then tha means you may feel to where they might be so you just need to wander around the school a bit to help find the sigels"
He gets it "Ohhh, you mean like this spot right now? " he points to a few feet from them"
She looks like there's more to it then that "It's not that simple Indian boy" she walks over to where he points "It's not like sigels can be found that easily it takes time and...*gasp*" she actually senses it which means they found one already. She now starts her chanting exorcism in order to break one of the many seals and manages to break one of many for now.
"Impressive, either this may be luck or you seem to be sensitive to major sources of power" she says
"Which means?" He puts his shoulders up in confusion "It means that your have a gift at sensing energy sources like a tracking dog" which made her think 'I wonder if hecan be trained like one' she giggles as she kept that thought to himself while Ashura shudders in fear 'Why do I feel like I've been planned for something I'm not looking forward to"
"Also don't worry if you fear of getting drained, I'll make sure me and Archer don't let you shrivel" she mentions her digimon which made him jump "Archer'shere too!"
"Yes, he's just hiding in spirit form" she then notices his worried face " something bothering you" she ask while he brushes it off "O-oh it's nothing "
She wants tp push this futher but they have a job to do "Let's return after school to start our mission"
"Right" he agrees
(Fate ost Dashing Rivals Gunyuu Shisou)
They first start there search in the top floor clasrooms as Mavis follows Ashura's lead which finds a seal on the floor on the back of the class "here?" She asks to make sure "Yup I'm sure"
She then does her part and chants to release this area clean "Good job, at least I know you tracking affinity wasn't just a fluke" she praises him a little
"Thanks"
"Now lets go on to the next one" she orders
The two left to the bottom floors which they find a mark on a class chalk board as Mavis clears it and gives a thumbs up as a sign to continue the search
They left outside the school buildingas Ashura senses one at the schools toolshed for her to clear it.
Next on the list, they check in the digital world for super hidden seals in one of the village buildings such as a clinic and finds on the celing but gives her a ladder and boost because she's still...heught challenged, he may or may not have seen under her skirt by accident
Next was on a roof of a general store which was on the front so they he need to hold on to her arm as she attmpted to reach the matk without falling
The awkward part of this mission was that one of the seals was in a park bathroom...the boys bathroom 'boy was she red with anger and embarrassment' he thought as she stomps in as he makes apology gestures
They both returned to the human world in sweat and slight exaustion
"Do you believe we have them all?"
"I think so if not most of them at least" he answered
"That sounds suitable I bet the other master wouldn't believe how many sigal marks we disposed of in mere day" she now makes a slight glare like a true tactician would make making her pupils show with slight shadow on her upper face "It's only a matter of time..." she gives out a cold aura "the mere waits giving me chills"
Ashura looks suprisedas he hasn't seen this side of her before "Yikes what gives with the cold personality? " he commented as it reminded him of that Veidt guy while she broke out of her mood and noticed the cold wind "Ah! Why'd you jix it now I actually feel cold!"
Noticing she's back to normal he chuckles "Don't fret, I brought extra" he takes out non cold drinks in a can while she takes one "That's nice of you, at least your not a total clueless case"
"Muuu thats harsh" he mimics a whine
She smiles "Though next time, I prefer something not dull like that milktea, otherwise I take it all back"
"Yeah yeah" he retorts "It's uncanny though"
She looks intrigued "What?"
"That the smartest and popular student is some magic user with a dark backbone" he retorts
"It's natural for people like ud to hide our true nature" she answers
"So it's likely for everyone" Ashura makes sure he's on track
"It's the same as in my family as the heur to the Vermillion family, and it's what my father expected"
"Your father?"
"Yes, if I don't fit up to his expectations then I may never look him in the eye in heaven" she says as that shocks him "Hes dead?" His eyes widen at the sudden news
he didn't know she was in the same position as he was
"Aftaid so, died of natural causes, but... he lived a full life" she looks away" That's just how things are I got over it easily as such the life of a..."
"Your a terrible liar"
"What?" She looks at him
"when you say you family member dies it takes something import from youleavong a gapping hole" he looks at her "being a magic user doesn't change that, so please don't use that as an excuse to hide something so deep"
She looks at him in eye and stand down "Your right" she smiles sadly "I won't even deny it, it does leave me, a bit empty which makes me sad" she take a sip
..."That's lukewarm"
As they left the school grounds they say there goodbyes for the day as Ashura was about to go
"Indian boy"
Which makes him turn around at her "You better head straight home you hear me?"
He looks suprised that she cares "That's knew, what you finally care about me or something?" He teases with a smirk a fake blush
That shake her off a bitthat almost made her trip "Don't be foolish!" She stand up "If your a liability you'd only hold me back besides this is only temporary!" She yells because she's from a distance and leaves
Ashura scoffs in humor "Heh yeah right..." he turns to go but he suddenly stops "Huh?" He still feels drained so he looks back at the school
"Did I mess a seal mark back there?"
(End theme ost Teleportation Guy by MELL )