Revised and edited 06/17/2022

Chapter Three
Rage Awakened

Monday, April 11th

Chiyo woke up with enough time to do a set of stretches before she got ready for school. She found a spot on the wall to brace herself against and did a series of forwards and backward kicks on both legs. Lunges so deep her back thigh was flat on the floor and full splits. She felt a satisfying pop in her hips and shoulders as she moved out of the split. After the splits, Chiyo eased herself into an elbow stand, her forearms flat on the floor, holding herself up as her back and lower body curved over her head.

Maybe she should get a yoga mat when she stretched like this? It had to be more comfortable with it than without.

When she finished stretching, Chiyo got dressed; Chiyo double-checked the contents of her bag and made sure there wasn't a wrinkle in her blazer or her skirt. She did her hair up in her half-ponytail again; Chiyo was getting better at tying her scrunchie in place despite the knot and scarf tails. Satisfied Chiyo headed downstairs, though Sojiro arrived a while ago he hadn't quite opened the store just yet. He was behind the counter when Chiyo descended downstairs, glancing over his shoulder by the time she reached the last step. "So, you decided to go to school after all."

What did Chiyo ever do to suggest she wouldn't go? How on earth did she imply she planned on skipping out? Was it really too much to ask for a vote of confidence?

"Here." Sojior slid a plate of curry and a fork across the bar table. "Just this once unless you plan on paying next time. Just make sure you're finished before the customers start coming in."

Chiyo shifted back slightly, both taken aback by Sojiro's sudden gesture of goodwill, but also because she was dumbfounded by the mere existence of curry. The diet Ryou and Matsubara had Chiyo on was strict. One that would give her the necessary nutrition she needed, but also make up for everything she burned away while training, preventing her from gaining unneeded weight. Leaner meats, fatty bits of chicken cut off, whole grain bread, nuts, fruits, and protein bars for lunch at school.

Sojiro may have unknowingly added something Chiyo couldn't have on her diet…

But that didn't matter anymore.

It didn't matter anymore…

Her days as a gymnast were over and done. Her deity was completely superfluous now. It hit her all at once; her gymnastics career really was over. What coach in their right mind would take her after she was charged with assault, never mind the other stuff. Chiyo didn't have to stick with her diet anymore if she didn't want to. What did it matter if she gained weight anymore?

It was a bittersweet realization. It was like saying goodbye to an old friend for the last time. And another thought Chiyo forced out of her head.

"Thank you." She slid herself onto the barstool, her bag leaning against the back of the bar. She didn't see Sojiro sliding a glass of milk beside her plate, but it was there when Chiyo took her first bite. Too late did Chiyo realize that curry would be spicy… and her palate was fairly bland. By the time Chiyo cleared her plate, her mouth was set ablaze. Being timely, however, Chiyo ended up chugging down the milk over savoring it. "Thank you for the meal."

Sojiro's brow furrowed slightly, likely taken aback by the polite angle Chiyo was going for after two days of relative silence and this conversation. He waved it off. "Hurry up and get going. If you get lost at this rate, you'll end up running late. Flip the sign for me on your way out."

"Sure."

Obediently, Chiyo grabbed her bag, laced it over her shoulder, and headed for the door. Once outside, she flipped the sign to 'OPEN' as was asked over. When she turned around, she was met with dark grey clouds overhead, blanketing the area with promises of rain. Dread began to fill Chiyo's stomach; hopefully, she could make her way through to Shujin without getting caught in the rain.

She found her way to the subway easily enough, recognizing a few landmarks from her journey to Yongen-Jaya the other day. Her first train though was so cramped that finding a seat was out of the question. All Chiyo could do was find a spot to stand in, hug her bag to her chest, and try to make herself as small as possible.

At Shibuya station, Chiyo checked her phone several times to find her way to the Ginza Line. When she successfully found it, she was met with another cramped car. Getting off at Aoyama-Itchome, Chiyo found her way out of the station easily enough. But soon, she found that it had started raining some time ago. She cursed under her breath, "Great…"

She used her bag as cover as she half-jogged down the street. Only a few steps and already Chiyo's boots became a darker shade of brown from the water. Chiyo didn't think they were soaking through, the booklet Kawakami gave her said the boots should also suffice for the winter on the chance of snow. At least her boots were tall enough that she didn't get wet ankles…

"Did you hear?" a gossipy student in a uniform matching Chiyo's whispered to her friend as she jogged by. "There was another one of those accidents just this morning."

"This is getting scary, It's getting harder for me to get on the subway without worrying something like that could happen to me…"

"I know, right!"

'Another accident?' pondered Chiyo. Didn't something just happen yesterday? And the day before that?

Like every other unpleasant thought she had, Chiyo pushed it out of her thoughts. Don't think about subway accidents. Don't think about how she could be on one of those ill-fated trains on her way to school. She needed to find a bit of shelter and double-check her GPS before she went away further. So, Chiyo half-jogged straight to the first bit of shelter she could find; an awning by a window display. She brought her phone out when she got to the main screen, she nearly dropped her phone in surprise.

The damn red and black app icon was back!

This was getting ridiculous! Chiyo was positive she deleted the stupid thing. Twice! It was a brand new phone, it shouldn't have a virus already!

She lightly tapped the screen, ready to drag the app to the recycle bin, again, when the app suddenly enlarged, taking up half the screen.

The hell?

She swiped at the screen, trying to get the logo to move, but it remained firmly in place. As Chiyo began to contemplate what to do next, she noticed someone walk up next to her, having the same idea of taking shelter from the rain. The girl wore a white hoodie under a Shujin blazer. She lowered the hood as soon as she was under the awning, revealing wavy, sandy blonde hair done up in a couple of thick pigtails. With her hair being the color it was, and her blue eyes, Chiyo was initially willing to believe the girl was an exchange student, maybe from Europe or America. But after looking a moment longer, Chiyo could see the girl had a few distinct Japanese features in her face, the shape of her jaw, and the slope of her nose.

Chiyo was only vaguely aware that her mouth was slightly opened as the girl looked up at the sky, the rain showed no sign of letting up anytime soon. Thunderstruck, Chiyo found herself unable to look away from the blonde girl. She was nothing short of beautiful, she was a little taller than Chiyo, and… and…

And there was no way she was wearing her uniform like that and not being lectured over it.

Were it not for the blazer, Chiyo would have been unable to tell if she went to Shujin at all. She could barely see the plaid pleated skirt from under the girl's hoodie, it was that long on her. The girl was also wearing a pair of bold red tights, a color Chiyo had an inkling wasn't part of the uniform.

The girl's gaze turned to the right, in Chiyo's direction. Instantly, Chiyo looked away, her face flushed. She wrapped her free hand around the strap of her bag and looked down at the toes of her boots. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid!' Chiyo mentally berated.

Soon after, Chiyo heard a car slowly pull up to the pair. She looked up just as the white car came to a complete stop. The passenger window rolled down, revealing a middle-aged man in a blue tracksuit. He had a square jawline and black wavy hair.

A tracksuit… Well, if that wasn't a tell-all sign of a PE teacher…

"Good morning," the man greeted, sounding friendly enough, "you want me to give you a ride to school?"

The blonde girl hesitated to answer. And when she finally did, she sounded a little sheepish. "Sure. Thank you."

The man turned his attention to Chiyo as the blonde girl slipped into the passenger seat. "You need a lift too?" he asked her. "There's enough room in the back."

As tempting as it was, Chiyo always thought she had a better time committing a route to memory when she experienced it for herself. So, she should probably just brave out the rain and make the journey on foot to and from Shujin for the next few days. "N-no thank you," Chiyo said with the best sunny smile she could manage.

Her voice sounded so alien to her when she spoke. Meek and airy, but somehow still whimsical. It was perfect for the invisible girl she was trying to present herself as. It made her sound shy and meek, someone easy to overlook.

The man in the car shrugged one shoulder as the blonde girl closed the car door. As the girl buckled herself in, Chiyo noticed a peculiar look in the girl's eye. Dull, lifeless, unhappy, a look Chiyo was acquainted with after seeing it on herself so many times in the mirror.

The car took off before Chiyo could even contemplate what brought that lookup on the girl.

A sudden shout caused Chiyo to jump out of her skin. Her blood ran ice cold and her heart was in her ears as a boy ran into her line of sight, just as the car started to pick up speed. The boy paused, bent over slightly, trying to catch his breath. "Damnit!" he cursed upon straightening himself up. "Screw that pervy teacher…"

"'Pervy teacher?'" Chiyo repeated in a hushed tone, unaware of the app reacting on her phone.

The boy whirled around to find Chiyo staring at him. His hair was cut short, giving it a spiky, unkempt look. He was blonde, but it was likely bleached that color, judging from the boy's dark eyebrows. He had on the Shujin Academy uniform and plaid trousers. But instead of the turtleneck, he wore a yellow t-shirt with a colorful decal on the chest. His trousers were rolled up several times and the suspenders hung free at his sides. "What do you want?" he demanded harshly. "You plannin' on rattin' me out to Kamoshida?"

Chiyo flinched, her eyes wandering from side to side, trying to avoid eye contact with the boy. Her hand wrapped over her bag strap and tightened her grip as she tried to make herself shrink. She wasn't looking for trouble. Couldn't he see that? "K-Kamoshida?" she asked, adopting the same tone of voice she used just moments ago.

'Don't cause trouble,' she told herself like a mantra. 'Don't cause trouble. It's not worth it.'

The slightly hostile look the boy gave her steadily turned to one of confusion as though Chiyo had just sporadically grown a parasitic twin from her stomach. "That dude in the car just now," he said gesturing over his shoulder as though that alone would jog Chiyo's memory. "Y'know, Kamoshida. He does whatever the hell he wants." Scoffing, the boy peered over his shoulder at the retreating car still in sight. "Who does he think he is- the king of the castle? Don't you think?"

"King of the castle?" echoed Chiyo.

"Y'know, the way he-" The boy paused abruptly; his face scrunched as he scrutinized Chiyo. She could see the wheels in his head turning, perhaps he finally realized that she did not look familiar. Perhaps he realized that she truly did not know who this 'Kamoshida' person was.

At length, the boy crossed his arms over his chest and listed his head to the side ever so slightly. "You… really don't know Kamoshida? Are you for real? You're from Shujin, right?"

"I-I just transferred," murmured Chiyo.

The boy nodded briefly, deciding this made perfect sense. He peered at the pin on Chiyo's lapel, the one that had the number '2' printed on it, identifying her as a second-year student. "Looks like we're in the same grade, then," he said more to himself than to Chiyo. "Transfer, huh? Guess that explains why you don't know 'im. But man, did you doge a real bullet. Fresh meat and all."

Now, it was Chiyo's turn to list her head to the side. It was the boy's usage that 'fresh meat' that Chiyo didn't understand immediately. However, no sooner had the thought crossed her mind, did she remember that the boy also called Kamoshida a 'pervy teacher.' Instantly, Chiyo put a stop to that train of thought. 'Don't look for trouble. Don't look for trouble. Don't look for trouble…'

The boy looked up, skyward for a moment. "This rain ain't too bad," he said. "We better hurry up or we'll be late. C'mon, I know a shortcut."

Chiyo could not help the smile on her face; she shouldn't read too much into thins. The boy was likely just doing the decent thing. She also knew that it would probably be safe to follow from several paces behind, just in case. But Chiyo didn't care at the moment. Just for a few minutes, even though it would likely end when they got to school, Chiyo simply wanted to pretend she had friends.

Her smile died faster than it came when she felt dizzy all of a sudden. She brought her free hand to her temple and tried to massage the ache away. She wanted to believe it was simply because she was too used to wearing contacts daily and she was still getting accustomed to her glasses. But that would have been fooling herself, Chiyo started wearing her glasses almost immediately after the trial. She should have been used to them by now.

The odd thing was that the boy was similarly trying to ease away a sudden headache. "Fuck, my head hurts," she heard the boy mutter to himself. "Dammit, I wanna go home…"

Chiyo swore she could feel her heartbeat in her head. Between the beating, she'd taken and having gone for so long without her glasses, she was kind of surprised she was just now starting to feel a headache coming on. She held her head in one hand, her fingers entangled in her bangs, pulling at her roots. That probably wasn't helping her headache now that she thought about it.

Across the table from her, Niihima nodded, recalling the very day Chiyo had described. "There was a terrible subway accident that day. I assume you knew the uproar that the public calls the 'psychotic breakdown incidents.'"

"After the first couple of days or so, yeah," said Chiyo.

"On that day," Niijima began slowly in such a tone that told Chiyo she needed to consider her words very carefully from here on out. "Were you still an 'ordinary' student back then? You transferred to Shujin Academy, an ordinary prep school that could be found in any city… That's what it should have been. What happened around that time?"

Sighing through her nose, Chiyo massaged her right temple with the corresponding hand. The more she talked, the more the haze let up. And she knew the following was not going to be easy to explain. "This is going to sound outrageous…"

Chiyo stayed a few paces behind the boy, her phone still in her hand as she walked. She wanted to inspect the app more, provided she had time before class started, but she did not want to take her eyes off the boy. His shortcut involved cutting through a couple of back alleyways. However, after being pelted on by the rain and even more, fatter water drops dripping off the roofs, Chiyo placed her phone back in her blazer pocket. Hopefully, the app would not accidentally back out thanks to an ill-timed bump.

She paused for a moment and glanced over her shoulder. Something wasn't feeling right, but Chiyo was unable to find the words to describe it. Something was just… off. And even then, 'off' was far from the proper description.

When the boy let out a sudden confused shout, Chiyo half-jogged to catch up with him. She was sure they were on the school grounds, but instead of the white, intimidating building she saw yesterday, an old European-style castle stood in its place. Confused, but significantly calmer after the initial shock, the boy glanced back down the shortcut they had just come from. "The hell?" he asked himself. "I've been takin' the path since last year, this should be right…"

'Not to mention something like this would be a tourist attraction and would not go unnoticed,' Chiyo added silently. 'But we're the only ones here.'

The boy started to walk off ahead of her, straight for the castle drawbridge over the moat. "H-Hey!" called Chiyo. "Shouldn't we head back?"

"I'm just checkin'. You can wait out here if ya want."

Without another word, the boy continued his trek, Chiyo let out a frightened whimper. She did not want to wait out here alone. She wanted to find out what was going on and get to class. But, Chiyo supposed she couldn't quietly do that by waiting outside twiddling her thumbs.

She half-jogged after the boy across the road and down the drawbridge. The foyer inside was decorated with red throw rugs atop green and white floor tiles. Straight ahead was a grand staircase that parted at the wings. Above was a massive chandler with crystalline decoration hanging down. What the hell man…" the boy breathed out. He reached into his blazer pocket and pulled out his phone. His brow furrowed as soon as he looked at the screen. "Out of service? Where'd we end up…"

"M-Maybe it's a sporadic school event?" Chiyo was kidding herself and there was no way the boy would even go with it. What was better, a stupid suggestion or not even bothering to make a suggestion at all?

"Halt, who goes there?!"

A man in black armor with a massive shield and broadsword in hand marched right up to them. Chiyo brought a fist up to her mouth, her brow furrowed at the sigh of the man's blue-green skin. That could not be healthy…

At her side, the boy leaped out of his skin. Heaving a breath, he held a hand over his chest. "Geez, you freaked me out," he exhaled. Catching his breath, he scrutinized the man. "You a student? Either way, the costume's pretty impressive… Is that real armor?"

"I-I-I don't think he's a student." Chiyo stammered as a second man in matching black armor and similar blue-green skin walked up to them. A cold rush ran through her veins, goosebumps pricked her skin. They needed to get out of here, now. "What's going on?"

"Dude, I don't know!" shouted the boy. The first guard approached him causing the boy's face to go pale. "This shit's real…"

Both guards inched closer to the students, boxing them in. Slowly, the boy held his hands up in a placating gesture, while Chiyo's hands went straight to her bag straps. "Ca-Calm down," the boy pleaded. "Time out, man!"

In a flash, the boy whirled around and grabbed Chiyo by the upper arm. "Coem on, we gotta run!" He ushered her away from the guards, only by several paces until more guards arrived blocking the exit. "Shit, where're they even coming from?!"

The guard nearest to the boy tossed his shield arm at him, hitting him with an audible thud and knocking him to the floor. Shrieking, Chiyo leaped back. How much physical assault could someone take before it maimed or killed them?

Thankfully, the boy was still conscious. After catching his breath, he prompted himself up, suggesting that he didn't have any injuries, or at least nothing serious. "You're gonna break my bones, damnit!" he snapped. "The hell you think you're-"

Without warning, one of the guards brought his sword arm down. Their fist and hilt hit the boy in the back of the head. Chiyo caught sight of the boy's brown eyes rolling into the back of his head before he fell back down. She shrieked again, her first thoughts instantly went over all possible and fatal head injuries.

She heard another thunk before she felt the pain. The guards in front of her turned into dark blobs, they were suddenly at angles and growing before everything went black altogether.

Despite the screaming headache, he was the first one of the two to come around. As though the day couldn't have gotten any more messed up than it already was, he woke up to find himself in a cell. A rather spacious cell at that, but a cell all the same. Barrels were lined up against the walls on either side of the door. Manacles were hanging off against the red brick walls. Behind him were a couple of wooden cots - yes, that was what he was going to tell himself. And he was also going to ignore the manacles at the four corners and the suspicious wheel overhead.

He sat up, rubbing the back of his head in an attempt to soothe the sore area. He found himself on the floor beside the cot where the transfer student lay still. It took him a few more seconds to realize she was even there in the first place. When he did, he placed the back of his hand in front of her face. To his relief, he could feel a steady stream of warm breath against his hand. Still alive.

Sighing, he sat back down and looked straight ahead at the barred door. "What the hell man?" he asked no one in particular.

First thing was first, he needed to wake up the transfer girl, then they needed to figure out how to get out of this mess. He sat on his knees and gently shook the girl by the shoulder. "Hey. C'mon, wake up!"

Chiyo's eyes fluttered open to find the blond boy at her side. Pushing herself up, she felt something dusty under her. She readjusted her glasses and took in her surroundings. Her heart started to flutter in her chest, her blood ran cold once more at the sight of the cell bars and the chains on the wall.

"You all right?" the boy asked, standing up as he spoke.

"Where are we?!" Normally, Chiyo might have hated the whine in her voice. She should have asked if the boy was okay after two blows from an opponent that outranked him. But her fears at the moment overrode any sense of basic decency.

"Not sure. Look like this ain't no dream, though," the boy said under his breath. After a few moments of silence, he suddenly let out a frustrated yell before carding both hands back and forth through his hair. "What the hell's goin' on?!"

He ran up to the bars, the floor somehow rippling with each step. The oddity of it was enough to break Chiyo out of her doldrums. How was that even happening? The floor wasn't wet, there wasn't anything on the floor but dust and grime. That didn't even explain how the 'drops' that fell with each step were purple.

Chiyo mulled over it all while the blond boy yelled out, trying to get someone's attention. When no one answered, he grabbed ahold of the bars and shook them to the best of his ability. They did not rattle much, apparently being better made than how they looked. "Damnit! I don't get any of this!" He approached Chiyo with a slight limp in his step. "What do you think, some kind of TV set?"

Chiyo shook her head. "Wouldn't the station get in trouble if they knocked out a couple of unsuspecting minors?"

"I guess that's true… But…" he carded a hand through his hair again, "damnit, what other explanation is there?" He glanced over his shoulder, back at the cell door. His face lit up a second later before he whipped his head back in Chiyo's direction. "Hey, you gotta hairpin?"

Pitifully, Chiyo shook her head. Oh, sure she had hairpins. She had to in order to keep her hair in place during gymnastics meets after all. But she hadn't needed them for her half-ponytail. Of all moments where they could have been useful… "Do you even know how to pick a lock?" asked Chiyo.

"No. But how hard could it be?"

A sudden clatter caused the pair to jump. Outside the cell door stood several black-armored guards. With another clatter from the key moving the tumblers inside, the door creaked open. Four guards in total filed in, one by one. "Be glad that your punishment has been decided upon," one of them said. Chiyo wasn't sure which one spoke, no one's lips moved. "You're charged with unlawful entry. Thus, you will be sentenced to death."

"Excuse me?!" the boy demanded.

"No one is allowed to do as they please in my castle. No one else but me, that is," said a new voice. The guards parted, two on either side, revealing a man wearing nothing but a pink speedo and a fluffy red and pink cape. Chiyo almost thought the man was completely naked under the cape because of the light color of the speedo. Thankfully, the lack of male anatomy made Chiyo double-check and realize she was wrong.

The man was middle-aged with a square jaw and wavy black hair. It was the PE teacher who offered Chiyo a ride that morning. The same man the boy called Kamoshida.

"What the hell?!" the boy's voice cracked.

"I thought it was some petty thief, but to think it'd be you, Sakamoto," Kamoshida said uncaringly as he stared idly at the boy. "Are you trying to disobey me again? Looks like you haven't learned your lesson at all." His eyes, a vibrant shade of yellow, traveled to Chiyo; a smirk pulled at his lips. "And you brought a little friend this time… because you can't do anything for yourself. Do you need to hide behind women now? And you call yourself a man."

"This ain't funny, asshole!" Sakamoto snapped. His voice had raised, possibly the most hostile Chiyo had ever seen him. Not that it really meant that much from someone she just met.

Kamoshida demanded, "Is that how you speak to your king?! It seems you don't understand the position you're in at all. Not only did you sneak into my castle, but you also committed the crime of insulting the king." He gripped his chin with one hand, pretending to think. "The punishment is death. It's time for an execution!"

The man smiled in such a way it left Chiyo wondering if he got off on this sort of thing.

One of the guards grabbed her roughly by the blazer and shoved her to the side. They proceeded to block Sakamoto into the far corner of the room, his expression was somewhere between anger and faltering. His brow furrowed instantly as he ran up to one of the guards, slamming his shoulder hard into its chest. The sudden attack successfully knocked the guard onto its back where it flailed like an overturned turtle until it disappeared in a haze of black smoke. "I ain't down for that shit! C'mon, we're outta here!" shouted Sakamoto.

One of the remaining three guards swung its sword hand straight at the boy, landing a blow in Sakamoto's solar plexus. He was thrown back against the wall, one arm wrapped around his mid-section. Still gripping it, he sunk onto his knees. "Sakamoto-kun!" Chiyo shouted, her voice high-pitched and her throat tight.

She had to do something, no matter how much of a token effort it was. This wasn't about causing trouble anymore, it was about not getting themselves killed!

Lifting his head, Sakamoto looked straight at Chiyo. "Just go! Get outta here!"

Just like that, Chiyo froze in place. With the guards so focused on Sakamoto all that could have gotten in Chiyo's way was Kamoshida by the door. Chiyo could have made a run for it. She could get herself out of this mess. But that would mean leaving Sakamoto behind… Could she do that to him?

A low, cruel chuckle broke Chiyo out of her thoughts. "Running away, are we?" Kamoshida asked with such a peculiar look on his face, almost condescending before he glanced back at Sakamoto. "What a heartless friend you have."

"She ain't a friend…" rasped Sakamoto. His eyes met with Chiyo's. "Just go already!"

Chiyo knew she shouldn't read too much into Sakamoto's words one way or another. It was the same as it was outside the castle before they ended up in this mess. He was likely just trying to do the right thing. Nothing Chiyo should read too deeply into. But all Sakamoto's words did was just keep Chiyo rooted in place. "What's the matter?" Kamoshida asked her, using the same mocking tone one would use when speaking to a particularly stupid dog. "Too scared to run away?"

"Th-That's not…"

Scoffing, Kamoshida rolled his eyes. "Typical woman. I'll deal with you later. For now, let's focus on Sakamoto's execution."

The guard closest to Chiyo point the tip of his sword straight at her neck, one wrong move, and the blade would go straight in. All the way in, from the looks of it. The other two guards grabbed Sakamoto by the arms, forcing him upright. Kamoshida approached him with a twisted smirk, then proceeded to beat Sakamoto with his bare hands.

Chiyo could hear the thuds and blows each time Kamoshida's fist met with Sakamoto's person. With each contact of his fist, Kamoshida muttered an insult directed at Sakamoto. Chiyo could only make out a few words, 'lowly scum,' 'useless,' 'shithead.' On the last insult, Kamoshida brought his arm down on the back of Sakamoto's head. The boy became a useless sack of meat and bones held up only by the guards holding onto his arms. When they let go, Sakamoto fell to his knees, coughing and gasping.

Watching the scene play out, Kamoshida tutted, crossing his arms over his chest. "Where'd your energy form earlier go? A peasant like you isn't worth beating."

Without warning, one of the guards grabbed Sakamoto by the back of the collar and tossed him against the wall opposite Chiyo. She flinched when she heard the sound of Sakamoto's body hitting the wall. "I'll have you killed right now," continued Kamoshida.

Chiyo's hands balled up at her sides, her face was beginning to feel hot beneath her skin. She couldn't just sit back and watch anymore. Was running away when she had the chance ever a question?

"Aren't you supposed to be a teacher?" Chiyo asked, no longer using the meek, airy tone she adopted. "What, are you one of those sad excuses for a teacher who gets off lording their power over their students? How pathetic can you get?"

Instantly, Kamoshida turned on his heel, glaring daggers at Chiyo. His brow furrowed, enraged as he approached her. Like that alone would be enough to intimidate her. "'Sad?' 'Pathetic?' Kamoshida repeated darkly, carefully enunciating each word. "Don't you dare tell me you don't know who I am!"

"A pathetic old man," Chiyo said mimicking Kamoshida's mocking dumb dog tone. "I'm pretty sure I already established that."

Kamoshida's expression darkened further. Out of nowhere, he took Chiyo's chin between his thumb and forefinger and tilted her head from one angle to the next, inspecting her features. "Hey!" Sakamoto shouted. He pushed himself off the wall, one arm outstretched as he launched forward. "Get away from her you son of a-!"

The guard shoved Sakamoto back against the wall, knocking the wind out of him. Both guards held him in place as Sakamoto continued to struggle.

Slowly, and casually, Kamoshida removed Chiyo's glasses, then tilted her head from side to side again. "Not bad, I suppose," he said at length, tossing Chiyo's glasses aside haphazardly. "Not quite the level of my princess, but leagues better without those nerd glasses. What're you doing here anyway? A princess like yourself shouldn't have to settle for such lowly scum as Sakamoto."

Without warning, Kamoshida placed his hands around Chiyo's bust and tore her blazer open. His lips pulled back, yellow eyes gleaming with excitement as he eyed Chiyo's bosom.

"Did you just-?!

"Relax. I'm just playing.

"Quit squirming. I need you to look the part of the little whore."

In a rush of rage, Chiyo sucked in as much as she could, and spat a fat wad right into Kamoshida's eye. He recoiled, trying to clear the spit out of his vision. Chiyo saw a flash of Kamoshida's anger before he drew his hand back and struck her across the face. She stumbled to the side when Kamoshida's hand made contact, her loose hair falling in front of her face as she caught her breath. "Maybe you're not much of a princess after all," growled Kamoshida. Biting back the pain in her cheek, Chiyo glared back at Kamoshida through her bangs. He eyed her, almost unnerved before his expression contorted back into anger. "That look in your eye is beginning to irritate me. After the peasant, it's her turn to die."

The guard holding Sakamoto in place pulled out his sword from its scabbard with a sharp hiss. Instantly, Chiyo pushed herself off the wall and tried to break forward. The only plan she had was to jump the guard and hope the ensuing chaos would allow herself and Sakamoto the chance to escape. But the remaining two guards grabbed Chiyo by the shoulders and slammed her back against the wall. Their hands were planted firmly on Chiyo's shoulders, pinning her down no matter how much she tried to struggle.

The guard in front of Sakamoto aimed his sword at him, waiting for Kamoshida to give the order to strike. Despite all his big talk earlier, Sakamoto's eyes were fit to burst out of fear alone. He was as frightened as Chiyo had been, and she was unable to do anything about it.

"Truly an unjust game," she heard, the voice was boyish but still gentle. "With the odds so stacked against you, your chances of winning grow slimmer and slimmer."

A light suddenly caught Chiyo's attention. Her vision could only make out a small delicate creature of a brilliant shade of blue that fluttered overhead. A butterfly? Or maybe a moth?

As soon as the moth flew in, three more followed in its wake, each one flying gently in front of Chiyo. Was it just her poor eyesight making things fussy, or were the moths beginning to glow? "But if my voice is reaching you," said the boy, "then perhaps you can even the odds. Please, for your sake, and for everyone's even the odds. Beat him at his own game."

The moths fluttered away, through the open cell door where they seemed to disappear, ignored by the guards and Kamoshida. Abruptly, Chiyo flinched, and an ache began to pound behind her skull.

"So, what are you going to do?" asked a new voice, a woman's voice. Confident and sultry, this was a woman who commanded adoration and respect from those around her. "Twiddle your thumbs and watch? Look the other way and do nothing? Death awaits this boy if you do nothing. Or did you make a mistake that night? Look at where it got you after all."

A mistake?

Chiyo certainly had reason to think so. Her life was ruined because of that man's claims. People who knew Chiyo for years decided that they didn't know her anymore. Her friends distanced themselves from her, Chiyo's mother essentially disowned her. She shipped her off to live with a stranger who was icy at the best of times and uncaring at the worst. And to top it off, she was sent to a new school, in a strange, big city.

Her dreams of becoming a renowned gymnast were shattered. And here was Chiyo, so desperate for companionship she latched on to a few random kindnesses from a boy she just met.

Wasn't it a mistake?

Weren't they all right?

Shouldn't Chiyo had just minded her own business? Kept her nose out of their business?

The day Chiyo left for Tokyo, her mother, Ryou Kusakabe, had accompanied her to the platform. Neither mother nor daughter had said much of anything to each other in the weeks since the trial. At most, Ryou would tell Chiyo whether or not she would be alone for dinner that night - and more often than naught, Chiyo was alien for dinner in those days - or when she was going over paperwork with the lawyer after work. Ryou's one rule since the trial was simple; unless the adjustment building was on fire, don't leave the apartment. Chiyo did not obey that particular rule religiously.

It must have been the middle of March when Ryou informed Chiyo that she had found a school willing to admit Chiyo, provided she was well-behaved and followed the rules. Upon finding out that the school was in Tokyo, Chiyo's first concern was boarding, but Ryou was quick to inform her that Eiichi found someone with space for her. Neither Ryou nor Eiichi knew who Sojiro Sakura was beyond that he owned a cafe within travel distance of her new school and that he had the space to house her and he was willing to. That was all they needed to know. Chiyo never did find out how Eiichi became acquainted with him.

Ever since the trial, Chiyo could barely stand to look Ryou in the eye. And so, waiting on the platform for the train to take her away for the next year, Chiyo dared to glance at Ryou. It was clear that Chiyo took after Ryou the most, they both had the same dark brown hair, Chiyo was maybe just a little taller than Ryou, and thought it wasn't obvious at first, due to Ryou's contacts, Chiyo got her eyesight from her too.

Chiyo opened her mouth to say something, anything to avoid leaving home with such iciness. But Ryou beat her to it. "I don't know where to begin with just to calculate the yen you've ultimately wasted." She turned her attention to Chiyo, her dark eyes met with Chiyo's pale ones. "Hundreds of thousands? And for what? Because you couldn't keep your nose out of someone's business? Or perhaps, I truly don't know you at all."

Her throat went tight. "Mom-"

"Stop!" Ryou held her hand up. She turned to fully face Chiyo, her glare willing her to look at Ryou and Ryou alone. "Go to Sakura-san's, go to Shujin Academy, follow the rules, get through your probation… or don't. From here on out, I don't care what you do. When all is said and done, you will have no place with me."

Chiyo tried to keep herself from crying, no matter what else Ryou said, no matter how tight her throat felt or how heavy her chest felt. No matter how much she could feel the pressure behind her eyes build up. No matter how much she wanted to just wrap her hands around Ryou's neck and squeeze. No matter how much she wanted to simply scream at her.

"Perhaps in the future," Ryou continued, "you will learn to keep your nose out of other people's business."

When the train arrived, Chiyo stepped onboard, hiccupping on the tears she was failing to hold back. She looked out the window to see Ryou one last time, and she was walking off the platform before the train even left. That was when Chiyo knew Ryou was serious about what she said.

So, hadn't she made a mistake?

But then Chiyo thought about the woman repeatedly telling the man no while he refused to listen to her. The woman's face was wet with tears, she was helpless, she was begging him to stop. Chiyo had no reason to believe the man wouldn't have forced himself on her as soon as they were in the car. Even when someone called the police about the noise, no one else was going to step in and help her.

What did it matter if Chiyo was an obedient girl before all this? What did it matter if she had a bright future ahead? The instant she 'did' something wrong, that was it for her and the life she knew. Who cared about her history before?

Sojiro told her she needed to obey the laws set by society, which she did… And a lot of good it did for her in the end. Society turned its back on Chiyo the instant someone with the power to bed the law into his favor showed up. Wasn't that how the world worked in the end? You either have the power or you're someone else's plaything.

The guard grabbed Sakamoto by the collar and lifted him as high as its arm could reach, the sword still pointed straight at him. And Sakamoto, despite his struggling, could not get himself free.

Chiyo's hands were beginning to shake, from her the tips of her fingers to her wrists, all the way up her arms to her shoulders and down her spine. All across her body, she was shaking with a rage she never thought herself capable of. Her shoulders rose and fell rapidly as she got herself worked up, and her breathing became erratic as her heart began to race. Her head lowered slightly as she glared through her bangs; her jaw was clenched so hard that her temples were beginning to hurt.

No…

Despite everything, despite what everyone said, despite what they tried to convince her of, Chiyo did the right thing.

But fucking hell, was she sick of everyone telling her otherwise!

The ache in Chiyo's head intensified. Gasping for breath, she threw her head back, hitting the back of her skull against the wall. The pain increased, from the very depths of her mind. She screamed, tears brimming in her eyes, her throat quickly becoming raw. Yet the pain refused to let up.

Half-sobbing, Chiyo struggled against the guard's grip, wanting so desperately to bring her hands to her temples and soothe the pain. This wasn't just an ordinary headache, surely this had to be the sort of pain that could kill a person.

"So," the woman's voice continued over Chiyo's struggle, "you finally decided to stop acting scared. Very well. I have heeded your resolve. Now, vow to me, and I will help you act furious!"

The guttural scream Chiyo let out must have rattled her ribcage. Tears and sweat trickled down her cheeks. She just wanted to make the pain stop. But she couldn't do anything other than flail around to the best of her ability.

"I am thou, thou art I… Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice! Call upon my name, and release thy rage!" The woman's voice projected, louder and louder with each word until she was yelling at the top of her lungs. "Show the strength of will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to Hell itself!"

She could have fallen to her knees were it not for the guards keeping her up. The pain had dulled, but her breathing and heartbeat would not settle. Before her, Kamoshida brought an arm down as though he were bringing down the ax. He barked, "Execute him!"

"All right, shithead games over."

Authors Note: I went out of my way to try and keep Chiyo and her narration from cursing until that moment. When she finally decided to get angry, that moment is a turning point for her. Unfortunately, it's an emotional high and they don't have a tendency to stick around.

When I originally conceived Chiyo's mom, I was going for a typical stage mom, but somewhere along the way she became emotionally abusive on top of that. It's only recently, however, that I realize Ryou's also comes across as emotionally distant. This "fits" with some things that will be revealed later on.