Bara no Scarlet
Chapter 45
Fury
The entire school suddenly found itself in total disarray. Two deaths in a single day, both on campus. Everywhere Anshii looked, students were huddled together, pale and silent, tears streaking down their cheeks.
She and Ayomi were slumped at a table in the Dining Hall, having just been questioned by the authorities that Anshii had called to the Rose Tower. Ayomi had her head on the table, sobbing, but Anshii found no tears to cry.
Instead, she found anger.
Riding high on that anger, she left Ayomi sobbing at the table and went around looking for a Student Council member. She found Izumi standing by the Rose Garden and looked at him calmly.
"Izumi Nakamima, I have to ask you a very indelicate question," Anshii started, and he turned to look at her. There were no tears in his eyes, only shock. Without waiting for a reply, she continued. "What was Mariko involved in? What had she been doing lately?"
Izumi shook his head, turning to look at the roses through the glass. "She'd changed. After you defeated her, she turned wild. She was getting letters personally from End of the World... she'd go out all night and sleep through classes. Keuseke was beside himself because she wasn't doing her duties as a Student Council member. And now he wants to disband the Student Council entirely."
Anshii put her hand on his arm. "Izumi, don't let him do that. You need each other now more than ever." She knew now what had happened. It was beyond shadow of a doubt that Akio was behind both deaths. She was going to have to end things herself, change the rules, and challenge Akio. It was the only way to keep more people from dying.
"Anshii... you know who he is, don't you? You know who End of the World is, and you know how he's connected," Izumi said quietly, looking at her with sharp blue eyes.
She nodded in reply. "I know who he is, Izumi. I'm afraid that Mariko may have gotten caught up in one of his little games. Kanae may well have as well. Nanami... well, he got to her too. But I'm the Dueling Champion, and I am the only one who can get close enough to end this mess."
Izumi flinched, but recalled the anguish in Rika's eyes when he himself had admitted to her that he thought End of the World had been behind Mariko's death. "Anshii Himemiya... As a Duelist to the Dueling Champion, good luck. As Mariko's friend... I want you to kick his ass and make him pay dearly for this."
Anshii's smile was brittle. "I intend to make him pay dearly. For Mariko, Kanae, Nanami, and several others, including myself. Keep in mind that I was once the Rose Bride. There are a great many things that I know."
As if the air around them both had chilled, Izumi shivered and nodded. "What can I do?"
She pondered, looking across the common area and seeing Ayomi walking slowly towards them both, the girl's arms clutched to herself. With a soft sigh, Anshii waved to the girl. "Get with Rika and Keuseke, then go find these three people." She handed him a slip of paper. "Tell them that I sent you three. Find somewhere off-campus to go, and stay there until you hear the bells. If I don't meet you at the entrance to Ohtori... none of you six are to step foot on Ohtori's campus again. Go to the address on the back of the paper and ask Seneka to open the letter under the register." When Izumi promised to do just that, Anshii turned to meet Ayomi and immediately turned them both towards her dorm.
It didn't take Izumi long to find and convince the other Student Council members to come with him. It was equally as easy to find the faculty members that Anshii had written on the notepaper. Miki Karou, Juri Arisagawa, and Touga Kiryuu were still near the Seido Hall. When Izumi explained to everyone what Anshii had said, the three faculty members turned to look at the forest behind the Rose Tower.
"So. It's starting, then." Touga remarked quietly.
Miki sighed. "I'm worried..."
Juri shook her head. "She told us to go somewhere safe. Let's go down to the corner café. We'll be able to hear the bells from there."
The little group turned and left the campus, walking quietly down the road to the town not too far away.
The entire school suddenly found itself in total disarray. Two deaths in a single day, both on campus. Everywhere Anshii looked, students were huddled together, pale and silent, tears streaking down their cheeks.
She and Ayomi were slumped at a table in the Dining Hall, having just been questioned by the authorities that Anshii had called to the Rose Tower. Ayomi had her head on the table, sobbing, but Anshii found no tears to cry.
Instead, she found anger.
Riding high on that anger, she left Ayomi sobbing at the table and went around looking for a Student Council member. She found Izumi standing by the Rose Garden and looked at him calmly.
"Izumi Nakamima, I have to ask you a very indelicate question," Anshii started, and he turned to look at her. There were no tears in his eyes, only shock. Without waiting for a reply, she continued. "What was Mariko involved in? What had she been doing lately?"
Izumi shook his head, turning to look at the roses through the glass. "She'd changed. After you defeated her, she turned wild. She was getting letters personally from End of the World... she'd go out all night and sleep through classes. Keuseke was beside himself because she wasn't doing her duties as a Student Council member. And now he wants to disband the Student Council entirely."
Anshii put her hand on his arm. "Izumi, don't let him do that. You need each other now more than ever." She knew now what had happened. It was beyond shadow of a doubt that Akio was behind both deaths. She was going to have to end things herself, change the rules, and challenge Akio. It was the only way to keep more people from dying.
"Anshii... you know who he is, don't you? You know who End of the World is, and you know how he's connected," Izumi said quietly, looking at her with sharp blue eyes.
She nodded in reply. "I know who he is, Izumi. I'm afraid that Mariko may have gotten caught up in one of his little games. Kanae may well have as well. Nanami... well, he got to her too. But I'm the Dueling Champion, and I am the only one who can get close enough to end this mess."
Izumi flinched, but recalled the anguish in Rika's eyes when he himself had admitted to her that he thought End of the World had been behind Mariko's death. "Anshii Himemiya... As a Duelist to the Dueling Champion, good luck. As Mariko's friend... I want you to kick his ass and make him pay dearly for this."
Anshii's smile was brittle. "I intend to make him pay dearly. For Mariko, Kanae, Nanami, and several others, including myself. Keep in mind that I was once the Rose Bride. There are a great many things that I know."
As if the air around them both had chilled, Izumi shivered and nodded. "What can I do?"
She pondered, looking across the common area and seeing Ayomi walking slowly towards them both, the girl's arms clutched to herself. With a soft sigh, Anshii waved to the girl. "Get with Rika and Keuseke, then go find these three people." She handed him a slip of paper. "Tell them that I sent you three. Find somewhere off-campus to go, and stay there until you hear the bells. If I don't meet you at the entrance to Ohtori... none of you six are to step foot on Ohtori's campus again. Go to the address on the back of the paper and ask Seneka to open the letter under the register." When Izumi promised to do just that, Anshii turned to meet Ayomi and immediately turned them both towards her dorm.
It didn't take Izumi long to find and convince the other Student Council members to come with him. It was equally as easy to find the faculty members that Anshii had written on the notepaper. Miki Karou, Juri Arisagawa, and Touga Kiryuu were still near the Seido Hall. When Izumi explained to everyone what Anshii had said, the three faculty members turned to look at the forest behind the Rose Tower.
"So. It's starting, then." Touga remarked quietly.
Miki sighed. "I'm worried..."
Juri shook her head. "She told us to go somewhere safe. Let's go down to the corner café. We'll be able to hear the bells from there."
The little group turned and left the campus, walking quietly down the road to the town not too far away.