Chapter 6

Festival Mayhem

Aaron, in spite of his best efforts to keep his balance, was knocked flat on his behind by an attack he had been too slow to counter. The wooden practice sword in his grasp accompanied him to the ground. He made no effort to reclaim it, groaning face first into the dirt and grass. His entire body was as stiff as board, and he came to the conclusion that even Shinigami weren't immune to pain. Still, he understood he couldn't just lay there. His pride wouldn't allow it. Trying to block out his anguish, he got to his feet ahead of picking up his weapon and retaking a fighting stance.

"Is that all you've got, CT?" taunted Kana, pointing her own blade at him. A snarl escaped him because of the way she was smirking, and it took everything in his power not to pounce on her. "Aw! What's the matter? Are you getting a little upset?"

"...You sure do talk a lot of smack whenever we're training," he answered. The sweat permeating his forehead increased as he added, "You're almost like a different person."

"Haha! I might sometimes come off as lazy, but I really hate losing, so I always give it my all in a fight! Then again, I guess I don't have to worry about something like that since it's you I'm going up against!"

Again, Aaron strained himself to remain calm in the face of her harsh words. She was usually able to get him off his game in this fashion, but he wasn't going to allow her to have her way this time.

Smiling, he said, "...Don't worry. I won't be losing to an old lady like you for much longer. I'm surprised your hip hasn't given out on you. Then again, maybe you aren't as run down as I thought. You can still yammer alright with those dentures."

An absolutely livid, scarlet-faced Kana replied, "Huh?! 'O-Old lady?!' 'Dentures?!' T-Take that back, you jerk!"

She charged at him hard and fast enough to give him quite the fright. It was clear she was ready to rip his head off, something that suited him just fine if it meant she was spending less energy running that mouth of hers. The two fiercely crossed swords, and for once, Aaron felt he was keeping up with her well enough.

"Aha! I guess I'm not the only one who loses focus when they're pissed off!"

"C-Can it, you scruffy lookin' nerfherder!"

It had been a number of days since the last Hollow sighting in Hino. During the interim, Aaron had been training diligently with Kana in an effort to polish his skills as a Shinigami. He had come a long way, although still nowhere near Kana's level. She often took full advantage of this, embarrassing him and flaunting her skills every instance she could. While irritating, he used her constant mocking to steel his resolve.

"Hey! You don't seriously think you can beat me, right?!" cried Kana. She half near took Aaron's head off with a high kick. "Because you're daydreaming if you do!"

"And I was really enjoying how quiet things had gotten!"

Aaron distanced himself from her, employing a backflip after Kana slashed at his nose. This caused a break in the action, one the two used to catch their breaths. Aaron didn't get it. He was a Shinigami, yet Kana could effortlessly keep up with him in that Gigai of hers. Per her words, she might have come off as goofy and uninterested most of the time, but she was a damn good fighter when she put her mind to it.

"Then again, I guess she's been doing this for hundreds of years. I shouldn't feel too bad that I can't keep up with her."

"Hey, what was that?!" Kana snapped. "Are you calling me old again?!"

"N-No. I was just noticing that you've slowed down. Getting tired, are we?"

Kana hesitated before replying, "...Y-You might be onto something! Kicking your butt really does take the wind outta me!"

That one admittedly made Aaron growl. "...If you've got time to make fun of me, maybe you have time to teach me something new for once."

One of Kana's eyebrows heightened. "Hmm? What do you mean?"

"I'm tired of learning swordplay! I realize it's important, and I still have much to learn, but there are other Shinigami skills I'd like to know about. Like Kidou for example. Teach me some of that!"

The response Aaron received from his mentor, a bout of uncontrollable laughter, was the last thing he had anticipated. Then again, it was Kana he was dealing with. He didn't bother to interrupt. He figured she would run out of steam soon enough.

'Soon enough' ended up being a whole ten minutes. Kana was now rolling on the ground, unable to breathe or even think straight in the midst of her giggling. Feeling thoroughly insulted, Aaron chucked his sword at her. It smacked her upside the skull. This was enough to drag her back into reality, much to his relief.

"Sorry, sorry!" she told him with tears welling in her eyes. A couple more chortles escaped her before she added, "I just couldn't believe you had the nerve to ask something like that! Kidou? You can't even use spiritual energy properly! You can't even Flash Step! You can barely even hold a sword without hurting yourself! Don't you think you should just take it easy for a while and master the basics first?"

With his pride trampled to pieces, Aaron remained deathly quiet as Kana's phone suddenly vibrated. She sharply gasped when she got through reading a text message.

"Agh! S-Sorry, CT! Looks like we're gonna have to cut our date short! I totally forgot I had work today! Uh...I'll see you when I get home!"

"Huh? Wait a sec! You can't just…!"

Kana hastily grabbed her things, waved goodbye, and departed. A strong breeze swept past Aaron, and he couldn't help but feel bitter at how things had turned out. He supposed that made him a sore loser, though he failed to think of anyone who would be happy to have an opponent that was stomping them into the mud simply walk away out of the blue.

"...Dammit! I'm tired of her treating me like a kid!"

#

"Looks like the wind is picking up. Don't tell me it's going to rain?"

Sasune Ishida sighed at the prospect. Holding a bouquet of roses, he knew the flowers would be ruined if a downpour really did opt to rear its ugly head. The weatherman called for total sunshine, but the cloudy skies led the Quincy believe he had once again been misled by the news.

"I swear I'm gonna file a complaint with that stupid channel one of these days. I still remember the time I was the only idiot stupid enough to go to school in a thick, winter coat after they said it was gonna be the 'blizzard of the century!' Blizzard my ass! It was a balmy eighty degrees that day!"

He caught himself in the midst of his rambling. Today wasn't the day for him to be flying off the handle over nothing. He had far more important things to attend to than the weatherman, he reminded himself.

With that in mind, he entered Hino's local, and sole, cemetery, wandered his way around, and then ended up in front of a plain-looking grave. While it might have appeared that way to others, for him, it was the most important headstone there. It read, 'Here lies Meiko Sawada. Loving mother and friend to all.' He gazed at these letters in silence for what felt like ages prior to him placing flowers onto the grave.

"Hey, Ma. Happy Birthday! Told you I wouldn't forget about ya!" he said, sounding wooden. "Ugh. I'm getting all emotional, aren't I? Guess I'm still a little pissed at the weather guy. Don't worry, Ma. I don't cry or anything like that anymore! I'm a man! One hundred percent man!"

His declaration echoed through the area, prompting him to empty his throat and speak in a much quieter tone.

"Uh...what else is there to talk about? Oh! I've been doing pretty good in school! I've got some of the best grades in my class! I'm taking good care of myself at home too! Don't worry, I've been brushing my teeth three times a day and making sure I get plenty to eat. You'd probably still say something about me looking like skin and bones though."

He paused.

"Sorry. Why in the heck am I just talking about myself? It's your birthday! ...I really hope you're doing alright wherever you are, Ma. I know you'd want me to stay outta trouble, but I'm honestly not doing a really good job of that. I've nearly died a couple times these past few weeks in fact! Don't sweat it though! I know you're probably fretting over me, but it's seriously okay! I managed to make a new friend in the meanwhile. I don't think you'd like her much. You always warned me about hanging around blondes. Worse of all, she's a Shinigami! Yeah, that one seriously threw me for a loop. She isn't a bad person though, Ma. She isn't like other Shinigami."

He again became quiet while another powerful gust of air rolled through. He could smell rain, though the clap of thunder that sounded just then was a better indication of what was to come.

"Always come prepared," he stated, opening an umbrella. Droplets of rain quickly transformed into a downpour. "Looks like I was talking about myself again, Ma. Heh. I guess that's one thing that hasn't changed over the years. I really used to drive you nuts, didn't I? Well, I don't want to do that on your birthday, so I guess I'll just..."

Close-by footsteps plodded through puddles of water on the ground, attracting Sasune's attention. His eyes fixed themselves on a tall, bespectacled man possessing silver hair. He wore a gray business suit, leading Sasune to believe he had just gotten off work. The man exhaled a black cloud of smoke before taking another drag on his cigarette. He then met Sasune's stare wordlessly. Sasune, becoming rather upset at first, softened his expression and even laughed.

"Well, well, well. You actually remembered her birthday. ...I didn't think someone like you would bother with something like that."

"...I find it strange you would say such a thing," the man answered, blowing out another cloud. "Your mother was also my lover at one time."

"Yeah, I...try not to remember that little tidbit. You two broke up right after I was born, right? Heh. Guess you couldn't be bothered with a kid like me."

"...You're trying to pick a fight with me, aren't you?"

Sasune held up his arms defensively. "Relax! Relax! I wouldn't dream of such a thing! Not in front of Ma anyway. Besides, I'm actually quite grateful my dear, old father decided to pay us a visit like this! I guess this means you haven't forgotten about my mother after all. Look at us right now! One big, happy family!"

Ryuken Ishida could hear the sarcasm buzzing in his son's claims but chose not to offer them any sort of retort. Expecting this, Sasune placed his free hand in his pocket and went back to leering at his mother's headstone. It was beginning to chip and crumble here and there. He would have to raise some money to buy a new one soon.

"By the way, 'Dad', how's your other kid doing? I haven't seen him in some time. Considering it's you we're talking about here, I figure it's the same for you."

Again saying nothing, Ryuken strolled past his son and placed flowers of his own by Meiko's grave. Sasune, tempted to stop him, allowed the man to do as he pleased. Without looking at his son again, Ryuken readied to take his leave. He stopped however, making Sasune raise his head.

"Hmm? You want me to thank you or something for dropping by?" Sasune asked. "Heh. I guess I can do that much. Thanks, Dad. I'm sure Ma really appreciates it."

"...Then I'm sure she would also appreciate it if you would stop wasting your time on fruitless endeavors." A stern-looking Ryuken faced his son. He then pointed to the red cross dangling from Sasune's wrist. "You have your whole life ahead of you. Don't waste it upholding outdated ideals. The Quincy race died with your grandfather. I don't get why you and Uryuu can't understand that."

A flash of lightning was trailed closely by a second burst of thunder. Meanwhile, the rain kept pouring, showing no signs of slowing down.

"Tsk. You've got a lot of nerve saying something like that considering you're a doctor that smokes. Don't you know those things aren't good for you?" replied Sasune with a grin. "Anyway, it's not like I'm doing anything else with my pathetic life, so I might as well put it to use by killing a Hollow here and there. Isn't it the same for you? You work at a hospital to save people, right? We may have different methods, but our intentions are the same. Since when have you been so worried about me anyway?"

Sasune smacked his lips when Ryuken gave him no answer and walked out of the cemetery as abruptly as he arrived.

"Well, looks like he hasn't changed much!" he humorously informed his mother. "I'm shocked though. I was rather confident he wasn't going to show. Looks like I'm out twenty bucks."

The torrential rain made it hard to be sure, but Sasune was positive someone was watching him. By the time he became aware of this, the person was gone.

He frowned, saying, "I think I've got a stalker, Ma. Strange. I'm usually the one being accused of that by the girls at my school. Speaking of which, I should probably cut all that crap out. I've already got someone trying to get a restraining order against me. How was I to know a guy can't just stroll into the women's locker room?!"

#

A dawning of a new day led to another excruciating morning of school for Aaron Higuchi. As he yawned at his desk, he glimpsed at a nearby clock in his classroom, instantly regretting his choice afterward. It wasn't anywhere near time to go home. Even worse, the president of Class 2C was standing at the head of the room. He and his peers knew that meant only one thing: they were about to be yelled at. Aaron couldn't recall him or anyone else doing anything wrong this time around, so he supposed he would just have to wait patiently to see what this was all about.

"Alright, listen up, everyone! As you all should know by now, the annual sports festival here at school is coming up!" said the girl with brown pigtails and freckles. She was known far and wide throughout Hino Municipal High School as Momoka Yoshida, the no-nonsense president of Class 2C. There weren't many amongst Aaron's classmates that could say they really liked her, yet no one would dare say such a thing out loud unless they pined to have their ear nagged off by the very vocal and very volatile Momoka. "I don't know about you guys, but I have no desire to get embarrassed by the other second years again! This year, we have to be completely serious with our preparations if we don't want to be left in the dust!"

Evidently, there weren't many that shared her enthusiasm. Hushed complaining began spreading across the room like wildfire. Aaron in particular never did get the appeal of sports or physical activities in general. Why the school felt it necessary to have an event centered around these very things, he hadn't the foggiest idea. It all seemed like a tremendous waste of time to him.

"Quiet down already!" Momoka snapped. Everyone did so post haste, not wishing to incur her wrath. "I'm serious here! I can't take anymore of everyone else in the school making fun of us for coming in last place for every single event at last year's festival!"

Without warning, Sasune Ishida got to his feet. "Miss President, you needn't worry about such a thing this year! You can count on us getting the job done!"

The class once more descended into griping, this time doing it loud enough that Momoka would have had to been deaf not to hear. Someone threw a piece of chalk at Sasune to get him to shut up, making him sniffle and retake his seat. Aaron had no sympathy for him.

"That idiot just wants to ruin things for the rest of us, doesn't he?!"

With a sigh, Momoka said, "...I certainly hope so, Ishida. Anyway, now that we've gotten that out of the way, it's time to start handing out jobs! If we're going to get this done and take first place this year, we all have to work as a team! Alright, who wants to prepare the lunches?"

There were grumbles and whispers but no definite responses. Momoka grit her teeth at this.

"Hey, isn't something like that up your alley?" Sasune whispered to Aaron.

Aaron waved him off. "No thanks. I'm no master chef. I only cook out of necessity."

Fortunately for him, another student volunteered for the job. Momoka handed out other tasks such as who was to wash everyone's gym uniforms, who was going to bring the sports drinks, and figuring out who would have all the towels ready in time for the big day. All the while, Aaron held his head down, hoping he would be spared from having to do anything. His plan appeared to be working, just like it had for most of the year. The class president had been pestering Class 2C about the event since the beginning of the term, yet now that it was fastly approaching, she was kicking things into overdrive. There had been practices and meetings on the subject beforehand, ones that Aaron had managed to steer clear of miraculously. Nevertheless, he had a sinking suspicion he would have to get off his lazy behind sooner or later, later preferably.

"Hey, Miss President! I wholeheartedly volunteer to wash the girl's uniforms for the festival!" bellowed Sasune. His 'sincere' gesture wasn't well received by the ladies; they began pelting him with whatever blunt objects they could find. "H-Hey! Knock it off already!"

"Nice try, Ishida!" said Momoka. "Like we'd fall for that one again!"

Aaron's worse nightmare came true when Momoka zeroed in on him.

"...You're being awfully quiet back there, Higuchi!"

With droplets of sweat rolling down his pale face, Aaron meekly muttered, "I-I don't know what you mean..."

"Don't play dumb with me! I know you've been missing rehearsals and the like! You were doing the same kind of crap last year! Don't you feel even a little bad you haven't done the slightest thing to contribute in our efforts to win at the festival?!"

"Not really," Aaron said without really thinking. Immediately, he added, "Uh...I've been...er...busy! Yeah, busy!"

That much at least wasn't a lie. Covering for Kana's Shinigami duties had eaten up much of his spare time. Of course, there was no way he could explain all this to Momoka without coming off as a lunatic.

"I mean, do you ever take anything seriously, Higuchi?!" Momoka continued, oblivious to the fact Aaron was banging his head against his desk. He figured giving himself a concussion would be a suitable excuse to go to the nurse's office. "I'm really starting to…!"

Aaron silently gave praises to the heavens when Momoka was cut off by someone entering the classroom. However, his smile soon became a frown upon him realizing that someone was Kana. For whatever reason, she was dressed in her maid attire from the café, something the many boys present greatly appreciated. In fact, they were practically drooling over her. Kana, paying them no mind, hummed a pleasant tune as she scanned the classroom for something or another. Aaron suspected she was actually looking for someone, so he lowered his head, praying she wouldn't notice him.

"You've gotta be kidding me! What the hell is she doing here?!"

"Um...excuse me? Can we help you with something?" Momoka asked Kana, her voice coated with ire. "We're in the middle of something here, so if you don't mind..."

Kana shot her hand up, signaling she had no desire to be spoken to. Being unaccustomed to being ignored, Momoka was rendered speechless, and she angrily snapped a pencil in her grasp in two.

"CT! There you are!" Kana happily declared as she made her way to him. Aaron palmed his hand over his face at being discovered so quickly. His dark skin did him no favors in a well-lit classroom. "Oh, you're here too, Sasune?"

"You bet, Miss Mitarashi," said Sasune. "You're looking ravishing as always."

"Oh, you!" Kana giggled ahead of facing Aaron again. He was doing his best not to meet her eyes. She didn't take heed of this, smiling warmly and holding out lunch box wrapped in a peach-patterned cloth. Cautiously, Aaron accepted it. "You forgot your lunch, silly! Since I worked so hard on it, I didn't want to let it go to waste!"

Weakly, an embarrassed Aaron replied, "T-Thank you."

"Hmm? What was that?"

"Yeah! A lovely lady goes out of her way to bring you a lunch, and that's all you have to say to her?" said Sasune, appearing genuinely offended. Aaron yearned to slug him in the jaw.

Instead, he said in a much more audible tone, "T-Thank you, Kana! Thank you for going out of your way to bring me this delicious lunch! I will treasure every bite like it's my last! There! Are you happy?!"

She was. "Aw! You're so sweet, CT!"

Everyone gasped when she planted a kiss on Aaron's cheek. Even the class president was left lost for words. Aaron himself, completely red-faced, felt his head ready to erupt like a volcano at any moment.

"Heh. No wonder you said you were busy, Aaron! You were clearly busy fooling around with Miss Mitarashi!" joked Sasune. As the boys in the classroom began to question how Aaron of all people could reel in a girl like Kana, Aaron shook his head and questioned why his friend had to open that big, fat mouth of his at a time like this.

"T-This is completely unacceptable!" bellowed Momoka, looking as flustered as Aaron. "W-We still have to discuss our plans for the upcoming sports festival in case you've all forgotten!"

"A sports festival? Sounds exciting! Uh...what's a 'sports festival', by the way?" said Kana innocently.

#

The day of the annual sports festival at Hino Municipal High School had at last arrived. Hundreds of students, staff, and spectators had gathered on the massive schoolyard behind the Hino High where numerous tents and other attractions had been set up. Excitement buzzed in the air, and most present could hardly wait for the festivities to begin.

"...What the hell is going on?"

The pink-haired Shinigami that had been spying on Aaron and the others at the behest of an unknown benefactor was presently observing the countless entities enjoying their time at the festival through a pair of binoculars. Confusion was etched into every crease on her countenance. Everything had been calm and quiet on the school grounds when she left to take a break, but now that the area was bustling with activity, she became somewhat unnerved.

"Looks like they're having a party or something. Tsk. What a pain in the ass..."

When her Denreishinki rang, she answered it, saying, "Yeah, Akira Akiyama here. I'd tell you everything is normal on my end, but I honestly have no clue what's happening. Uh...I've sorta lost the target in this mob of idiots, but I'll try to track them down as soon as possible. I'm positive they're still in the area at least. Uh...t-the reception in this area is actually kinda bad right now, so I'll call you back!"

Hanging up without delay, Akira sighed in relief. She then squinted and once more attempted to locate the person she was supposed to be keeping an eye on.

"Dammit. This really is a pain in the ass." She placed a cigarette in her mouth and readied to light it but paused at spotting Aaron Higuchi and Sasune Ishida walking side-by-side. "Well, well, well. It's the Shinigami kid and the Quincy. I guess they're part of whatever the hell this is too. That's weird. I don't see Mitarashi with them. Tsk. Just my luck."

#

Aaron, dressed in a somewhat wrinkled gym uniform, sneezed all of a sudden. As he sniffled and wiped his nose, he glanced around, thinking someone was speaking ill of him yet saw no one and shrugged.

"There must be a girl talking about you somewhere," Sasune told him. "You've become rather popular as of late, so I'm not surprised."

"...I'm not in the mood today, Sasune." Aaron, scowling hard enough to kill, dragged his feet against the ground lifelessly. "...Why did I even get out of bed today?"

Sasune raised an eyebrow. "Eh? What's the matter with you?"

"What do you think?!" hollered Aaron, gesturing all around him. His exclamation echoed across the area, prompting a number of people to look at him as if he were insane. "Today is the worst day of the year for sure! Seriously, this is the only country that puts so much pride in something as stupid as a sports festival!"

"Alright, alright! I hear ya!" Sasune patted his pal on the back. "This should be a time for celebration though, not depression! We'll sweat harder than we ever have in our young lives today! We'll learn the true meaning of teamwork and cooperation! Don't you see? We and our fellow peers are about to display the pride and honor of our fair school to the entire community, so we can't let anyone down! In fact, we should be honored the principal and everyone else here has placed such a heavy burden upon our shoulders!"

"Would you give it a rest already?!" someone in the crowd shouted just then.

"Thank you!" cried Aaron, eagerly nodding his head. "I don't care what you have to say about the matter, Sasune! I still think this whole thing is a complete waste of time!"

Shrugging, the Quincy gathered they had a point. "Well, don't worry about it, CT! You'll make it past this whole thing somehow! You managed to do so last year, right?"

A petrified Aaron quietly retorted, "...I wouldn't exactly say I got through last year's festival unscathed."

"Y-You're just exaggerating. I mean, it wasn't that bad! You only tripped a couple of times! W-Wait, you were also the reason our team lost the tug-of-war contest because you slipped. Huh. You were also the reason our human pyramid fell. Well, you've always been bad at keeping your balance, so I guess I shouldn't have been shocked."

"...Shut up already. I don't need to be reminded I suck at sports. Only meat-headed jocks like that sort of stuff."

Sasune gulped at a group of 'meat-headed jocks' catching wind of Aaron's remark. They proceeded to snarl in his and the Quincy's vicinity.

"Unless you want to add getting stuffed into a locker to your list of misgivings today, I suggest you put a sock in it!" warned Sasune. Aaron sighed, finding the prospect alright if it meant he wouldn't have anything to do with what was coming.

He feared the festival might have been getting underway when those around him became even more lively and vocal out of the blue. The second he turned around, he understood how wrong he was. Blood literally squirted out of his nostrils after he sighted Kana wearing a very low cut cheerleading outfit that visibly belonged to Hino High. How she acquired it was beyond him, though he had a hunch it was by reprehensible means.

"Come on, CT! You can do it!" She bellowed as she flailed a pair of oversized pompoms about. Her hair, tied in twin pigtails, mirrored them. "Turn that frown upside down! You totally have to kick everyone's butt today!"

"...This isn't happening." Aaron, leering at the ground in an effort to stay out of sight, couldn't decide whether to be enthralled or embarrassed by Kana's latest antics. Considering his day was already ruined by having to attend the sports festival, he allowed himself to soak in every inch of his friend's getup as something of a reward for gutting things out thus far. "...Okay, I'm okay with this happening now."

"That's the spirit, CT!" Kana happily proclaimed, vigorously shaking her pompoms some more. In spite of her efforts, Aaron hardly felt himself anymore fired up about the prospect of sweating to death this morning. "Go Hino High! Go Hino High!"

Much to Aaron's chagrin, the crowd echoed her statement over and over.

"Wait a sec! W-Why the hell are you doing this anyway?" he asked Kana. "And why are you so quiet over there, Sasune?"

Shoving his tongue back into his mouth, Sasune composed himself enough to reply, "N-No reason! I was just admiring Miss Mitarashi's...uh...routine! Yeah, that's what I was doing..."

Kana was disheartened to see Aaron still gloomy. "Huh? What do you mean 'why am I here?' After I saw how sad and pathetic you looked this morning at breakfast, I just knew I had to do something to try and cheer you up! Hmm, maybe I should've worn a skimpier outfit."

Sticking tissues up his nose, Aaron hurriedly said, "N-No! T-The outfit you have on already is illegal enough!"

He and everyone else present grimaced at an earsplitting screech resounding through the area. The source was someone attempting to adjust a microphone to the proper level. Upon doing so, the rather short, bespectacled, and elderly man standing in front of the device lowered it to his lips before clearing his throat.

"Welcome to the 75th annual sports festival here at Hino Municipal High School!" he remarked with vigor. Regrettably, his audience could hardly hear him. He spoke in such a low tone that it came out as almost a whisper, even with it being amplified. Not catching on to this, the man continued with, "Before we get things started, I would just like thanks all those that made today's thrilling event even possible. You all worked your tails off to get to this point, so just go out there and have fun! Of course, remember that you are representing everyone in the community today, so be on your best behavior! Cheating will not be tolerated, and anyone trying to make a mess of things will be sent down to my office for a stern talking to! And another thing…!"

"Any idea what he's saying?" whispered Aaron.

Sasune, smiling awkwardly, replied, "No clue. Just nod your head and clap every time he finishes."

Aaron, noting everyone else was doing exactly that, recounted this always happened whenever the Principal got up to speak. Because the man was so well liked, no one at Hino High over the years had the heart to tell him they oftentimes hadn't the slightest idea what he was going on about. Even stranger, it seemed the Principal himself was blissfully unaware of his problem.

Following a resounding, albeit puzzled, round of applause, the Principal chuckled heartedly, pleased to see that even though he was getting up there in years, all his hard word was still appreciated by his loyal students and staff.

"Alright! I say it's about time we get things started!" he said jubilantly. However, the pleasure in his face vanished when everyone began to stare at him for further clarification. His voice hadn't even traveled past the first row. A teacher came over and adjusted his microphone ahead of whispering something or another in his ear. "What's the now? What do you mean they can't hear me? Don't be ridiculous! They of course heard me what I stated it was time we begin the festival!"

They without a doubt had now and erupted into cheering as a result, all save Aaron. He shook his head and threw his hands up, feeling like the lone person on the planet who hadn't yet lost his mind.

"Seriously. This is a complete and utter waste of time. Someone just kill me now."

For a moment, he wondered if someone out there was attempting to do just that. He momentarily felt the presence of another, an individual separated from his fired up peers. Nonetheless, he discovered nothing amiss upon glancing over his shoulder and then carefully having a look at his surroundings.

"...Maybe I'm going crazy after all."

#

"S-Shit! T-That was close! That kid is pretty sharp."

Akira Akiyama caught her breath while taking shelter behind some bushes. In desiring to get a closer glimpse of the ongoing festivities, she had nearly blown her cover.

"I forgot he could sense people like me. I better not get sloppy around him again!"

Her train of thought was broken when she sighted a group of shirtless jocks flexing their muscles in order to fire themselves up. Her eyes were transfixed on the sweat glistening on their skin and their killer abs for what felt like an eternity.

Blushing, she uttered, "W-What the hell am I doing?! I don't have time for this!"

She then vanished with a burst of Flash Step to continue her mission and perhaps cool off.

#

The first event of the festival was a timeless game of tug-of-war. Class 2C would be up against Class 2B. Whereas those in Class 2B were already snickering at the prospect of victory, the students of 2C gulped and theorized how long they would even last this year. Aaron stood at the end of the line, clutching the thick, brown rope. He didn't appear anymore enthusiastic.

"...Let's get this over with," he mumbled, stretching his already weary arms. "I still don't get why I even have to do this. Everyone here knows how weak I am."

"Well, you refused to take any other jobs, so this is what you got stuck with!" Momoka Yoshida, the president of Class 2C, growled. She felt a tangent of anxiousness with Aaron standing right in front of her. If he tripped like she anticipated, she would topple over alongside him. "Could you at least try this year, Higuchi?"

"...I'm not promising anything."

"Quit your yapping and start pulling, fool!" snarled Sasune behind him. "I've got tons of my adoring fans watching me today, and I'll be damned if you make me look bad just because you're a lazy oaf!"

"W-Wait a damn second! I'm pretty sure I haven't done anything to deserve all this abuse!"

"That's the problem! You haven't done anything!" roared Momoka. "Now listen to the pervert and pull!"

Grinding his teeth, Aaron prepared to oblige their demands if only to spare himself from their incessant complaining. However, he and his fellow classmates froze like a deer in headlights after Konoka Mitsumi of Class 2B arrived on the scene. Without saying a word, she glared at her opponents, and fearing for their lives, the majority of Class 2C fled. Even her own class ran for the hills, not desiring to stand in her way. Smacking her lips at this, Konoka picked up the fallen rope. She was intent on winning the event, even if she had to do so by herself.

"Uh...h-how come we didn't run too?" asked Sasune. His teeth were chattering.

"I-I wanted to, but my legs don't seem to want to work right now," a gulping Aaron answered.

"J-Just what in the world are you two doing?!" Momoka, glowering, inquired. "Man up already! W-We can't just run away! We can win now for sure! We're only up against one person!"

"Yeah, considering who that one person is, I don't feel very confident," admitted Sasune.

"Let's go! Let's go! You can do it, Class 2C! Fight, fight, fight! Win, win, win!" cheered Kana on the sidelines. "Come on, CT! Go get her!"

"I seriously wish she would put a sock in it already," said Aaron.

"The Prez has a point! Maybe we really can win this!" declared a Sasune that suddenly brimmed with confidence. "Come on, CT! We're doing this from everyone in the school who's lunch money The Red-Haired Beast has ever stolen!"

"...Whatever," was Aaron's weak response. "She's still gonna murder us though."

All of Sasune's vigor went up in smoke when Konoka shot him a glance that dared him to make a move. The same could be said for Momoka, who was now shaking in her boots and trying not to pee on herself.

"Uh...I-I'm sure you two will be just fine on your own!" she screamed. She then dashed away at the speed of light.

Aaron shook his head. "And she was giving me so much crap for not wanting to be here today. Can you believe her, Sasune?"

His eyes widened once he saw he was conversing with thin air.

"I have complete faith in you, pal! And if you do die, I'll make sure to get a nice headstone for your grave!" the Quincy bellowed from the distance before escaping into the crowd of onlookers.

"Y-You son of a…! Get back here, you traitor!" Aaron's words fell on deaf ears. He wasn't upset for long though. A chill ran down his spine, and he sensed a most ominous presence closing in. Facing it, he nearly bit his tongue at Konoka Mitsumi staring him down. "Uh...t-there's something I just remembered I had to do, so I'll be going now, if you don't mind!"

The moment Aaron took a step backward, the shrill, familiar sound of Kana's voice penetrated his ears.

"Come on, CT! You've faced tougher enemies than that floozy over there!" she declared. Konoka growled at the slight but surprisingly did nothing about it. "You've gotta kick her butt for the rest of Class 2C! You've gotta regain their honor! You gotta fight, fight, fight! You gotta win, win, win!"

Although aggravated beyond belief, Aaron was spurred by his friend's speech enough that he did something unexpected: he picked the rope back up and gripped it firmly. Those spectating gasped.

"H-Huh? He's actually going to do it?" Kana lowered her arms and became aghast. "I-I figured he would be able to tell I was only joking! That girl is going to tear him to shreds!"

"Well, I guess I lived a full life," Aaron said to himself while he took a deep breath to calm himself. It mostly failed; all the hairs on his body were standing on end, and he was pretty sure he was going to sweat his clothing off at this rate. "Anything's better than Momoka or Kana screeching at me, even going up against the Red-Haired Beast. ...You know what? I really have lost my mind if I'm saying crap like that."

"...Finally, someone with some balls around here." Konoka smirked and then put on her game face. "Alright then, skinny. Let's see what you've got!"

The crowd erupted into a frenzy as the tug-of-war got underway. Aaron was stunned to find himself able to hold his own against the Red-Haired Beast. Judging from her expression, was too. Believing he legitimately had a shot of winning, Aaron put his all into tugging on the thick rope. He blocked out the pain from his hands chaffing against it, digging his heels into the dirt for support. Sure enough, those watching realized he was winning.

"W-What in the…?!" said a truly baffled Konoka. "T-This guy…!"

"Come on, CT! You can do it! You can win! Fight, fight, fight!" cried Kana intently.

"D-Dammit! Can't...feel...my arms." Aaron sensed his grip slipping. The strength in his limbs gradually faded as well. "Ugh! Now I'm wishing I hadn't skipped so many gym classes!"

Konoka, sensing her opponent's weakness, jerked on the rope with all her might. Aaron was unable to stand up to her herculean strength this time and crashed face first into the ground. As the crowd grew silent, he remained there unmoving. The reality that he had lost solely hit him once those around him began to cheer at the top of their lungs for Konoka.

"Tsk. And this is why I hate sports festivals." Aaron picked himself up and wiped his uniform down ahead of sighing. "Man, I'm gonna be sore for a week after that."

He yelped when the Red-Haired Beast stepped before him. Perhaps she was upset at nearly being beaten by a weakling like him and was now gunning after him for a small dose of revenge. He braced himself for just that though became puzzled when Konoka did nothing more than extend her hand near him.

"...There aren't a lot of people who have the guts to take me head on. Guess you aren't one of 'em. I don't know who you are, but you've earned my respect, kid."

Hesitantly, Aaron shook her hand. "T-Thanks. Y-You're really strong!"

"You aren't so bad yourself. You might've actually beaten me had you been more confident in yourself."

Maybe she had a point. Despite him claiming to loathe everything about today, he had to admit that for a few moments, he was seriously having something akin to 'fun' going up against the most feared girl at Hino High. He might have been lazy, yet he also thought of himself as quite competitive. Nodding, he figured he really could have prevailed if he hadn't been acting so negative all this time.

"You know, you aren't as scary as I thought!" he said with a couple laughs. He stopped grinning however when Konoka applied enough pressure to his hand to make him tear up.

"...Watch it, kid. I'm just getting started."

Konoka released him before going on her merry way. Aaron, meanwhile, fell to his knees and held in a high-pitched scream as he clutched his throbbing appendage.

"Whoa! You actually did pretty good there, CT!" A beaming Sasune placed his hand on his best friend's shoulder.

"I-I think she broke a few of my fingers," said a sniffling Aaron. "And where the hell did you come from?! Where were you when I needed you back there?! I almost died! I saw my life flash before my eyes! ...It honestly wasn't pretty."

"Me? Why, I was on the sidelines offering you moral support! Judging by how things turned out, it looks like you didn't need me after all!"

Aaron resisted the urge to utter every curse word in the book. He was in far too much anguish to do so anyway.

Kana skipped her way over to the two, ready to burst at the seams with joy.

"That was amazing, CT! You were totally kicking that girl's butt until the end! You had me biting my fingernails! I don't even care that you lost! You're so cool!"

Aaron forgot all about his pain as blood rushed to his cheeks. "T-Thanks..."

The festival goers shifted their attention back to the stage. The Principal started to speak again, or at least, that's what everyone determined. His muttering was practically incomprehensible. The same teacher from earlier again fiddled with the microphone.

"...and so in conclusion, you all have been doing a splendid job thus far!" stated the Principal. His audience clapped out of courtesy and simply assumed whatever speech he had just finished was worthy of the gesture. Being unaware of anything being amiss, the Principal went on with, "You know, seeing all you young people moving around and about reminds me of my own youth! I was a spry, young man back then and..."

The same teacher from before came over a third time and made it so the Principal couldn't be heard anymore. Everyone, save Aaron of course, was thankful since this meant the next event could begin.

"Can I go home now?" asked Aaron faintly.

Kana exclaimed, "Fight, fight, fight! Win, win, win!"

Suddenly, Aaron snatched her pompoms, tossed them on the ground and then stomped them into oblivion. He then marched off.

"...Wow," was all Sasune could get out.

"Hey! I paid good money for those!" Kana pouted her lips. "What crawled up his butt and died?!"

#

Akira Akiyama made sure to remain hidden within the shadows this time around while she bore witness to Hino High's annual sports festival. The longer she watched, the more lost she became. Scratching her head, she blew out a cloud of black smoke prior to taking another draw on her tobacco.

"...What's the point of pulling on a rope? I get that it's a test of strength, but why are they wasting their time doing something like that? Do they get something for winning? Judging from what that old dude on stage has been saying, I guess not. Seriously. I don't get humans."

Nevertheless, she couldn't help but notice how hyped up those competing and those spectating were. She envied how easy it was for them to kick back and relax like this. The sole thing she had to look forward to after this was more work. Frowning, she tossed her cigarette away and got to her feet.

"Speaking of work, I should probably get back to it before the boss starts giving me shit again. I don't get what the big deal about Mitarashi is. She's a damn idiot, but other than that, there's nothing noteworthy about her. There never has been..."

Akira got out of the way as a pair of kids rushed past her giggling.

"Watch where you're going, you brats!" she yelled. "Wait, they can't see or hear me."

She moved her head and flinched at Konoka Mitsumi glaring a hole into her. Their stare down persisted until Konoka wordlessly took her leave.

"...What the hell was that about? Could she...actually see me? Impossible. Still, that chick gives me the creeps."

#

Aaron became red, then purple, and finally blue as he struggled to remain perfectly still. His limbs begged for rest, but he ignored them, steeling his concentration. For once, he craved not to screw up. If he messed up again, his fellow Class 2C members would never let him hear the end of it.

"You doing alright there, buddy?" asked Sasune, who was on all-fours on top of Aaron. "We really don't need a repeat of last year, so..."

"Yeah, yeah! I hear you! I'm trying the best I can! This is really hard though!"

Class 2C's human pyramid wobbled slightly because of Aaron shifting his weight.

"Hold it together, people!" Momoka ordered. "Especially you, Higuchi!"

"Tsk! Everyone's a god damn critic today! I've got half a mind to sabotage us on purpose!"

Then again, having to hear Momoka chew him out for the rest of the school year and beyond didn't sound too appealing. With that in mind, he grunted and prayed his arms, legs and back wouldn't snap.

"You can do it, CT! Fight, fight, fight!" Kana, with a new pair of pompoms in hand, reluctantly continued to spur Aaron on. "...You're totally a jerk though for what you did earlier!"

"Yeah, thanks for the bode of confidence! Could you put a sock in it now?!"

Class 2C's foe in this event, Class 2A, wasn't having nearly as much trouble keeping their human pyramid together. In fact, they were all working like a well oiled machine.

"Ugh! Looks like we're gonna get our asses kicked again!" lamented Sasune. "What, do they practice this shit or something?!"

"Of course they did! That's what we should've been doing! Maybe we could have if a lot of you clowns didn't skip out on rehearsals so much!" said Momoka bitterly. "Now shut up and just try to hang in there a little longer!"

Aaron replied, "Crying over spilled milk is going to help us now!"

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught wind of what he first presumed was a bird circling above.

"No, that's way too big to be a bird."

Though he could hardly believe it, he deduced it was actually a Hollow. It took the appearance of a bat, though its head was egg-shaped. That was all he could make out with his spotty eyesight.

"What's a Hollow doing here of all places? Maybe all these people attracted it?"

He quickly noted it had been a mistake to take his mind off the task at hand. Class 2C's human pyramid collapsed thanks to his momentary lapse in focus, and all its members resembled a car pileup on an intersection as they hit the ground. Class 2A soon began to celebrate their well earned but fully expected victory. Meanwhile, those in Class 2C directed their ire to the individual that was once again responsible for their downfall.

"Nice going, Higuchi!" said Momoka, shaking her head.

"Huh? B-But, you guys don't understand! J-Just let me explain!"

No one desired to hear anything Aaron had to say. Rather, they sulked off to get ready for the next event.

"...Seriously? What are they getting so bent out of shape for? It's just a stupid sports festival!"

"Isn't there something else you should be worried about?" Sasune scared the living daylights out of Aaron since the Quincy hadn't been standing beside him a mere few seconds ago. Pointing up at the Hollow, he added, "I'm guessing that's why you screwed up...again."

Ignoring yet another insult against his person, Aaron answered, "Yeah. I wonder what it's up to. It's just flying around without a care in the world up there."

"Hmm. I wonder," said Kana, stroking her chin.

"Gah! W-Where in the world do you people keep coming from?!"

"Huh? Why are you worried about something like that right now, silly? We gotta do something about that Hollow before someone gets hurt!"

"I could probably shoot it down real quick," suggested Sasune.

"Good idea," stated Aaron. "You might wanna put on your glasses first though."

"Why in the world are you idiots just lollygagging around?!" hollered Momoka out of the blue. Aaron was certain his poor, old heart couldn't take being startled anymore. "The next event is about to start! Come on already!"

Both Aaron and Sasune tried stammering out some kind of explanation for their lack of action, yet Momoka hadn't the patience to listen. She instead began forcefully dragging them along with her.

"We might've lost every other competition today, but we can still win the relay race! No, we have to win the relay race!" she said passionately.

"Uh...I guess I'll see you boys at the race!" Kana shouted at her companions. Her eyes then made their way back up at the Hollow. "I still have no clue what to do about that thing up there! Oh well! I'm sure something will come to me!"

#

Those in attendance at the 75th annual Hino Municipal High School sports festival congregated around the track field for the relay race. Though the third years usually sprinted last, due to a mishap where everyone misheard the Principal and thought he wanted them to go first, they did just that, with the first years going right after them. Aaron was somewhat happy with this turn of events. It meant that he and his fellow second years would get to run last, although he remained depressed at still having to compete at all. Out of all the events at the sports festival, the relay race was by far his most hated. He absolutely blew it for his team last year by stumbling at the worst possible time. In light of how things had turned out for him thus far today, he wasn't holding his breath that this outing would fare any better.

Konoka Mitsumi was warming up nearby. She nodded his way, and he returned the gesture, still unaccustomed to her leering at him without any murderous intentions.

Momoka made her way over to him at that moment. Judging by her expression, she wasn't in the best of moods. "There you are, Higuchi! I just heard from the higher ups that you're going to be our anchor this year!"

"M-Me?!" Aaron had to manually close his jaw using his hand. "W-Why me?!"

"Yeah, why him?" echoed Sasune. "We need the fastest person on the team to run anchor for us! CT here is as slow as a snail."

Aaron didn't bother arguing this, knowing his friend's claim to be the truth. Instead, he said, "W-What's going on?"

Momoka shrugged. "Don't ask me! I have no clue why this happened either!"

"Can't you just get them to change this? You're the class president," said Sasune.

"Don't you think I tried? It's out of my hands now! That means you can't dare screw up this year, Higuchi! We're going to exile you to one of the first year's classes if you do!"

Aaron merely gulped.

"Well...looks like you're screwed, Chocolate Thunder," stated Sasune. "Then again, you never know! Maybe you'll pull off a miracle! Still, how in the world did things come to this?"

"Hi there! You can thank me for that!" said Kana. "I managed to convince the Principal to make Aaron Class 2C's anchor at the last second!"

Aaron's eyelid began to jerk violently. "...You did what?! Are you insane, woman?!"

"Yeah! You want us to lose that badly?!" cried Sasune. Aaron couldn't help but snarl at how fast his alleged best friend had changed his tune. "Y-You're not a spy working for the other second year classes, are you?"

"No, silly!" Kana giggled. "CT here has been whining all day about how he hates stuff like sports festivals. Frankly, it's getting on my nerves!"

"Huh? What's that got to do with me being our class' anchor?" asked Aaron. He zipped his lips after Kana eyed him sharply.

"A Shinigami needs to be able to persevere no matter how dire things get! There's no time for complaining in our line of work!"

"But all you ever do is complain," said Sasune out of earshot.

"That's nice and all, but it's not like I'm even a real Shinigami," argued Aaron. He once again became quiet when Kana growled like a rabid dog at his insolence.

"You need to be a man and face your fears, CT! So what you messed up really bad last year? That was last year! You need to be focused on what you're going to do this time!"

"Heh. How about that? You've got to admit the little lady has a point," said Sasune. "You can't wallow in the mud forever, right?"

A stubborn Aaron didn't want to admit they were on to something. Even so, he felt hard pressed to deny the truth. He did have the tendency the solely see the bad in things.

Flashing him a thumbs up, Kana bellowed, "I know you can do it, CT! You just gotta believe in yourself!"

Aaron didn't get it. Why was she concerning herself with him so much? What did a Shinigami like her from Soul Society care about some insignificant sports festival in the human world?

He never got the chance to inquire about her intentions. An individual over the loudspeaker announced that the relay race was moments from being beginning.

Aaron mumbled, "Looks like that's my cue. Believe in myself, huh?"

"Hold on a sec, CT!" said Kana. Aaron halted in his tracks right away and wondered if she was planning on giving him another lecture. "Here! This is for good luck!"

His heart rate skyrocketed when Kana abruptly kissed him on the cheek. In a trance-like state, Aaron held his hand up to the spot, intending never to wash it from this day forward. He then waddled to his position on the track.

"Looks like someone is having fun over there," Konoka told him with a grin. Aaron was unable to form a sentence because he was so wound up, so he held his head down and hardened his nerves. Whether her truly believed in himself or not, he guessed there was only one way to find out.

#

Akira Akiyama, stuffing her mouth with funnel cake, once more found herself lost when it came to the topic of the sports festival.

"Looks like they're gathering around that large area now," she said, taking another bite of her treat. She wasn't aware that her lips were totally covered in sugar. "This has actually been sorta entertaining."

She got a call on her Denreishinki, so she retrieved it from her pocket, flipped it open, and said, "Akira Akiyama here. I've got eyes on the target. Other than making a fool of herself, Mitarashi isn't doing anything special."

The person on the other end wished to know what all the ruckus in the background was all about.

"Uh...i-it's nothing! It's just the wind!" she was quick to explain. She wasn't the least bit interested in letting her boss know that she was goofing off. Fortunately, her superior changed the subject without delay. "The Hollow? Uh...I already released it, but all it's done so far is just fly around the place. I'm thinking you screwed up this time."

She paused, allowing her boss to bestow her with new orders, ones that made her grumble under her breath.

"...God dammit. Fine. I'll...try to do something to get its attention. I think I have just the thing actually. Don't worry. I won't make a mess of things like last time."

Ending the call, she chewed another portion of her sweet treat before throwing the rest away and wiping her hands clean.

"...Time to get back to work. I seriously don't get paid enough for this shit."

The grass betwixt her feet was rustled as she Flash Stepped elsewhere.

#

Aaron, making sure to keep himself loose, watched Momoka gain a narrow lead over her opponents from Classes 2A and 2B. She was as speedy as she was good at nagging by the looks of it. The butterflies in his stomach reminded him that it would be his turn to run in due time.

"How you doing over there?" Sasune asked him. Aaron opened his mouth to talk, but grimaced at his friend salivating at a few girls warming up behind them. His perverted cackling induced them to get up and go somewhere they could get some privacy. "H-Hey! Wait up! Was it something I said?"

"...Idiot," Aaron muttered wearily. "To answer your question from before, I admit that I've been better. Trying not to throw up at the moment."

"Just remember what Miss Mitarashi had to say! You should be fine!"

"R-Right. Uh...I think it's your turn to run."

"So it is!" Sasune grabbed the baton out of Momoka's outstretched hand. "I'll see you when I finish smoking these clowns! Just try to hold in your breakfast until then!"

Per the Quincy's boasting, he shot into first place, much to the amazement of his foes. A speechless Aaron could hardly fathom how an idiot like Sasune could be taking this whole relay race so seriously.

Momoka, gasping for air, gave Aaron a very dirty glance just then.

"W-Would you relax?!" he told her. "I-I'm not gonna screw up this time!"

She was too exhausted to chastise him. Regardless of her personal feelings on the matter, she understood she was going to have to place some faith in his abilities.

"I wish they would hurry up and give me that damn baton already," said an impatient Konoka, tapping her foot against the ground.

Attempting to sound just as confident, Aaron replied, "Y-Yeah, I know, right? Those guys are so slow!"

"Hmph. You're not as soft as I thought. Let's have a good race, Higuchi."

Laughing tensely, Aaron nodded.

Sasune ran out of gas near the end of his lap, allowing the runner from Class 2B to get the jump on him. They handed their baton off to Konoka, who wasted little time in gaining a sizable lead.

"Holy…! S-She's fast!" uttered Aaron.

"Pay attention, CT!" shouted Sasune, holding out his baton. "You're up!"

So he was. He hesitated somewhat, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Meanwhile, Class 2A's runner passed the torch to their anchor. Without him even lifting a finger, Aaron was already in third place.

"Give me that damn thing already!"

He took the hand off and dashed forward like a man possessed. Still, it was clear he would require nothing short of a miracle if he desired to catch up to Konoka and the runner from Class 2A.

"Oh God, we're going to lose again this year!" said Momoka. She slipped a brown, paper bag over her head, not wishing to see or even be seen.

"Come on, CT! You can do it! Run faster, you lazy idiot!" screamed Kana at the top of her lungs. Those beside her cringed thanks to their now aching eardrums.

"Ugh. It's not looking good so far," mumbled Sasune.

Aaron was losing wasn't for a lack of effort. He had said it time and time again, but running really wasn't his specialty. Proof of this came once he gradually began to slow down. His legs, shouting in agony, couldn't take anymore.

"T-This is impossible!" he wheezed. "The Red-Haired Beast is just too fast!"

He was already readying himself for another semester of ridicule from everyone at school, yet he forgot all about his misfortunes the instant he detected the all too familiar spiritual energy of a Hollow. The crowd booed when he stopped running altogether. He paid them no mind.

"Dammit! It's probably that one from earlier! Why didn't Kana take care of it while I was wasting my time with this crap?!"

"W-What the hell does that imbecile think he's doing?!" howled Momoka, ripping her hair out in horror.

"Huh?! Don't tell me he's giving up already!" added Kana. "W-Wait. Why do I get the feeling I forgot about something really important?"

Sasune hadn't at least. "Shit! How'd I let that thing sneak up on us?!"

Konoka neared the finish line, and it looked as if Class 2B could get ready to claim victory. However, something incredibly large slammed down in front of her, sweeping her and Class 2A's runner off their feet. The audience responded to this by flying into an absolute panic. Konoka could hardly blame them.

"W-What the hell is going on around here?"

She received a retort, though it was not one she expected. The bat-like Hollow Aaron and company had spotted earlier emitted a bone chilling howl before soaring into plain sight. The Red-Haired Beast gazed at it, her eyes as wide as saucers. Her throat became dry; she couldn't even let out the cry of terror her brain was instructing her to.

"Aw man! Not that guy!" voiced Kana. "And I was really getting into this whole festival thingy too!"

"P-Please, calm down, students, staff, and humble audience! Everything is under control!"

The Principal's warning was well intentioned. It was just too bad no one could hear a word he was saying. That likely had something to do with his microphone cutting out on him. He angrily tapped his finger against it, hoping that would get the damn thing to work again. It was to no avail however, and his gut told him he had better get to safety before it was too late.

"Uh...t-the festival is hereby postponed until further notice!"

Konoka backed away from the encroaching Hollow. Considering how well she had been running just moments ago, she felt it rather ironic her legs were refusing to heed her command to move now.

"W-Would you get lost already, you freak?!" she hollered. The Hollow, either not hearing her or not caring what she had to say, continued for her. "D-Dammit! How did I get myself into this mess?!"

A volley of red arrows hit the creature in various places and caused it to reel back. Sasune then used Hirenkyaku to appear before Konoka.

"W-Where the hell did you come from?" she asked.

"My mother!" was his response. Turning back to the Hollow, he added, "Get back over here already! I forgot my glasses at home, so it's kinda hard to hit you when you're squirming around so much!"

He had to settle on squinting as hard as he could to clear up his terrible eyesight.

Konoka stared at Sasune without saying anything for a couple moments.

"Wait. Why...does all this seem kinda familiar?" she said.

"It doesn't! Not at all! Nothing like this has ever happened to you before!" Sasune nervously assured her. Thoroughly weirded out, she settled on nodding at him. "Now then, you wouldn't happen to have a pair of contact lenses on you?"

She shrugged.

"Uh...nevermind then! You should get out of here, Miss Mitsumi!"

Konoka debated the matter ahead of saying, "...Whatever. Guess I'll just leave this to you for the time being."

Aaron and Kana arrived on the scene, whereas a dejected Konoka strolled past them.

"Looks like it really doesn't want to come down," said Aaron while the Hollow soared the skies like a vulture. "I think you hurt its feelings, Sasune."

"Come on! Come down already!" Kana jumped up and down as if she could actually reach it from where she was. Naturally, her endeavors got her nowhere. "Ugh! What a jerk!"

"Just leave him to me, Miss Mitarashi!" said Sasune. He fired another round of arrows, yet the Hollow easily avoided them. A large bead of sweat then rolled down the back of the Quincy's head. "O-Okay! Plan B then! We need a way to clip that thing's wings!"

Aaron nodded. "I could probably do something about that. Kana, change me into a Shinigami."

He became concerned when Kana twiddled her fingers and whistled suspiciously.

"Uh...about that," she started. "I...sorta left the Gokon Tekkou back at your apartment!"

"Y-You mean the glove, right? How in the hell could you forget about something so important?! What am I supposed to do now?! I can't fight like this, you airheaded boob!"

Whimpering, Kana replied, "Y-You don't have to yell, meanie! It was an honest mistake!"

Aaron felt a headache coming on. "This isn't happening..."

"Wait! I think I've got something that'll make you feel better! Think fast, CT!"

Kana drove her palm into his face all of a sudden, half near breaking his nose in the process. Afterward, his Shinigami form rolled out of his body. The scene sent Kana into a bout of uncontrollable laughter.

"I-I'm sorry, CT! I just couldn't help myself!" she exclaimed. Her eyes were clouding up with tears. "Y-You should've seen the look on your face when I said I didn't have the Gokon Tekkou! Bahahahaha!"

"T-That was a dirty trick!" Shaking violently, Aaron contained his bubbling ire long enough to draw his Zanpakutou. "Well, at least I can fight now!"

"Good! You can chew out Miss Mitarashi later!" stated Sasune.

"R-Right!"

Aaron promptly got to work by leaping high into the air and chopping off the Hollow's wings with the aid of his wakizashi. He then landed, with the now flightless Hollow crashing down onto the track moments later.

"That...works," said Sasune, awed.

Aaron slung the Hollow's blood of his blade. "...I'm not in the mood to mess around today."

"Whoa! You know, you're actually really attractive when you're so assertive, CT!" said Kana alongside a wink.

"Uh...er...y-yeah. T-Thanks..."

He made his way over to the Hollow and impaled it through the mask while it could do nothing to defend itself, purifying it.

"Got 'em."

Kana waved her pompoms around energetically. "Nice job, CT! That was easy!"

"Yeah, that...really was," said Sasune slowly.

"Hmm? What's the matter? You don't seem too happy we won."

"You don't think this is strange? All the Hollows we've encountered in the past have been abnormally strong, yet this one here was a total creampuff. Something just isn't right here."

Leering off into the distance, Aaron pointed and said, "Maybe that has something to do with it."

Sasune and Kana regretted finding out what he was referring to. Hundreds of Hollows, all resembling the one Aaron had just got through destroying, were barreling their way.

"Where did they…?!" Sasune supposed it didn't matter where they had come from. "O-Okay! No one panic! We just have to...uh..."

"I don't feel so good," said Kana anemicly. She readied to faint, yet Sasune caught her in the nick of time.

"Yeah, I'm tempted to do that too," said Aaron, his voice trembling. "You're saying not to panic, but what else can we do?! Just look at how many there are!"

Sasune answered, "Look, all we gotta do is just mow as many down as we can! They all seem just as weak as the one you got before, so start slicing at shit! Don't stop until they're all dead!"

That wasn't much of a strategy, but it wasn't like Aaron could cook up one better. Whereas Sasune took out dozens of Hollows with the help of his spirit bow, Aaron jumped straight into the heart of danger and proceeded to cut down anything that so much as moved.

"Not bad. Not bad at all," said Sasune.

"Yeah! Looks like all that training we were doing is finally starting to pay off!" chimed Kana. "Go, CT! Fight, fight, fight! Win, win, win!"

"I-If you've got the strength to do all that, don't you think you should help him out?"

Kana pouted her lips. "Fine, fine! I'm gonna show you something cool!"

An intrigued Sasune gave her some space, and she channeled spirit energy through her open palm.

"Way of Destruction Number 51: Orchid Sky!"

An enormous, tornado-like blast of energy ripped off of her fingertips, with Sasune almost being swept away by it.

"W-What the…? Even after losing her Shinigami powers, she can use level 50 Kidou without an incantation?!" he cried.

Scores of Hollows were destroyed by the Orchid Sky. On the other hand, Aaron nearly was as well, having to brace himself with his sword to prevent this fate.

"W-What the hell is going on this time?!" he hollered.

"O-Oopsie! I forgot he was over there!" said Kana.

An abashed Sasune said, "M-Maybe it would be better if you just cheered from the sidelines after all, Miss Mitarashi."

"A little help here!" cried Aaron, who was falling uncontrollably.

"Leave this to me!" Sasune procured one of his trusty silver tubes and shouted, "Tilt the goblet to the west! Wolke!"

Aaron was caught before going splat against the concrete by a comfy cloud of spirit energy.

"Ugh. That's why I hate getting on airplanes" he said, his heart racing. "Be careful where you throw your hurricanes next time, Kana!"

"It was a tornado, stupid!" she retorted.

"I don't care what it was! Just..." Aaron was cut off when another platoon of Hollows swooped down on him. He swatted some aside with his Zanpakutou, giving Sasune a clear shot at the rest. "There's just no end to these things!"

"H-He's right!" Kana remarked. "It's almost like they're being drawn here!"

"That's because they are!" said someone behind she and Sasune. The two did an about face and were greeted by an individual that was clearly a Shinigami. They could tell that much from her black robes. What they couldn't ascertain was the person's face since it was shrouded in a black cloth. Of course, that was the point. Akira Akiyama needed to confront them at last but without revealing her identity in the process. "Maybe that Quincy over there can tell you what this is!"

She was tossing what looked to be a small, golden coin up and down in her hand, and Sasune immediately recognized it.

"Hollow bait!" he exclaimed.

"'Hollow bait?'" repeated Kana. "What's that?"

"D-Didn't they teach you anything at this Shinigami Academy of yours?!"

"Well, they might've told me about whatever Hollow bait is if I had ever bothered to go to most of my classes!"

Akira said, "Heh. I ditched a couple of lessons myself honestly. To answer your question, this Hollow bait I have here is pretty self explanatory. When you break this stuff, it attracts Hollows to the area. I didn't think this many would come after I only used so little, but I'm not complaining!"

"Dammit! This is bad!" said Sasune. He didn't want to admit it, but the sweat dousing his face wasn't a product of the warm weather. "Hollow bait is really potent! If she really did use that crap, there's no telling how many more Hollows are going to show up to ruin our day!"

Kana gulped. "W-Wait a sec! Who are you, lady?! If you're a Shinigami, why are you doing all this?! You're supposed to be fighting Hollows, not summoning them!"

"Me? I'm no one you need to concern yourself with, not at the moment anyway," replied Akira. "Don't you two think you should be more focused on surviving right now? Ciao!"

"Hey, get back here!"

Akira waved and vanished as Kana lunged at her.

"Aw, phooey!" The blonde stomped her feet. "Seriously, who was that chick?!"

"As curious as I am to find that out too, she did have a point. We have to take care of all these Hollows first!" said Sasune. Having been busy firing arrows all throughout the prior conversation, the his fingers were bleeding profusely. "N-Nothing some rubbing alcohol and some bandages won't fix!"

"L-Let me take over! I can fire off some more Kidou while you rest!" said Kana. However, her eyes widened. She had to strain herself to gather enough energy for her next attack. Even then, it wasn't enough, and she fell to her knees. "Huh?! W-What the…?"

"Are you alright, Miss Mitarashi?" Sasune made haste to help her to her feet. "Perhaps the day's events have simply left you a tad bit winded."

She honestly wished that were simply the case. Leering at her hands, her gut was telling her that things were more dire.

"My earlier Kidou should've been stronger than that," she explained. "I didn't think anything of it then, but now..."

"Hmm? Is something wrong after all?"

"N-No. Forget about it! Maybe I am just tired..."

With his lungs craving for air, Aaron backed away from the innumerable amount of Hollows remaining before him. He had lost track of the amount he had cut down, yet his efforts hadn't done anything to thin their rank.

"Knock it off already!" he screamed after the bat-like Hollows swarmed him once more. "S-Shit! I can barely move at this point, let alone fight!"

Crimson arrows took care of his harassers, though Aaron noted them smaller than Sasune's usual ones. Perhaps this was a sign the Quincy was also ready to pass out at a moment's notice.

"T-Thanks," Aaron told his friend, using his sword to remain upright. "How we doing?"

Sasune glanced over at over fifty Hollows flying their way. "...Not good. I'll explain everything in greater detail later, but let's just say there are probably more where these guys came from."

"...I was really hoping you weren't going to say that."

"Hey, didn't I say we shouldn't panic? I...can keep shooting arrows for hours! Days even! That's the difference between the Quincy and wimpy Shinigami like you."
Aaron actually chuckled. "Is that so? Bullshit. You can barely stand and you know it. Not to mention you're as blind as a bat without your glasses, Velma."

"You calling me a liar?"

"Hey, if the shoe fits."

"Real funny! Let's see if you can talk all that crap with an arrow in your kneecap!"

"How are you going to shoot me if I chop off both your arms, punk?!"

"Oh, big words coming from a wannabe Shinigami holding a butter knife!"

"It's sharp enough to slice through chumps like you! That's for sure!"

Kana became quite baffled when Aaron and Sasune were evidently more interested in squaring off against one another instead of the scores of Hollows still craving to devour them all. Perhaps the stress of the situation had become too much for them.

With a shrug, she said, "Men! I totally don't get them!"

Aaron and Sasune, shoving their noses into one another's and baring their teeth, put their climactic duel on hold after they took heed of the Hollows at last. Rather than becoming unsettled, the mere sight of them flew Aaron into an even blinder rage.

"Would you clowns just GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE ALREADY?!"

All at once, white, pulsating spiritual energy blanketed Aaron and blasted those close to him away. Sasune slid against the ground before coming to a stop, and the wonderment in his eyes informed the world how awestricken he was by this turn of events.

"W-What the…?! W-Where did that come from?! H-His spiritual pressure just tripled!"

"N-No way!" cried Kana. She was unable to close her mouth out of surprise. "There's no way a wimp like CT should have that much power! The level of his spirit energy wasn't even noteworthy until now!"

As unbelievable as this development was, there was no denying what was so plainly unfolding before them. Aaron himself was unaware of anything out of the ordinary. Gripping his Zanpakutou as hard as he could, he let out a mighty yell and swept his blade horizontally across the air. An immense shockwave of energy was thrust from his sword; it straight away obliterated each and every Hollow along with the surrounding area. It only went kaput upon slamming into the side of Hino High, destroy a section of the gymnasium. That was icing on top of the cake for Aaron.

"...What the hell was that?!" blurted Sasune and Kana simultaneously.

"Jinx! You owe me a soda!" Kana hummed. "Wait, that's how you humans say that, right?"

With his chest heaving up and down for oxygen, Aaron fell to one knee and felt like everything was spinning. Nevertheless, he had enough strength remaining to irately point at Sasune.

"Alright, asshole! You're next!"

In light of what he had just witnessed, Sasune was no longer eager to go toe-to-toe with his pal. Fortunately for the Quincy, Aaron toppled over like a tree falling in a forest. His friends sped to his side, confirming that he was out for the foreseeable future.

"You think he's alright?" asked Kana.

Sasune nodded. "He probably used whatever energy he had left on...w-whatever the hell that was he did. Just let him rest."

"...You're only saying that because you're scared!"

"Damn right! Hopefully, he'll have cooled off whenever he wakes up. Anyway, I guess we can consider our fair sports festival officially canceled. I don't know how we're going to explain what happened to the gym though."

"I ain't explaining nothing! I say we get the heck outta here before someone sees us!"

Sasune had no problem with that line of thinking. He however spotted a single, remaining Hollow attempting to flee. He formed his spirit bow to shoot it down, but Kana suddenly used his shoulder to vault sky high.

"H-Hey! What's the big idea?!" he inquired.

Aiming her fingertip at her enemy, Kana proclaimed, "Way of Destruction Number 4: White Lightning!"

A blue bolt of electricity deep fried the Hollow to a crisp.

Kana, wiping her hands clean, said, "And that takes care of that!"

Sasune whistled. "Indeed it does. Now then, we really should get the hell out of here. I sort of have a criminal record and can't afford to go back to jail. I'm too pretty for that crap!"

"W-Wait, you have a…?"

"Less talking, Miss Mitarashi, and more running please!"

"O-Okay, okay! You're carrying CT though! That guy weighs a ton!"

#

"Yeah, they managed to destroy all those Hollows in the end," said Akira Akiyama. Speaking into her Denreishinki, she kept a watchful eye on Aaron and the others from a safe spot. "Looks like that Hollow bait you gave me was a bust. Then again, I guess this whole thing wasn't a complete waste of time. I've learned some stuff I'm pretty sure you'll be interested in. I had to confront the target face-to-face, but don't worry. I managed to keep my identity a secret. I'm pretty sure we both know what would happen if Mitarashi figured out who I am."

Pausing, she heard her boss state something that made her roll her eyes.

"Right. I'll continue my surveillance for the time being. How long do you think we should wait though? I say we strike while the iron is hot personally. ...No. I wasn't suggesting that I'm going to do anything outside of the plan. I have my orders, and I'll follow them."

Hanging up, she muttered, "...That kid. I thought he was just some human who lucked out when he didn't die after taking Mitarashi's Shinigami powers, but maybe..."

END