Bara no Scarlet
Chapter 53
Commitment
The first matter of the morning was a School Assembly, in which a great deal of things had to be explained to the students and teachers at large. Anshii sighed, pinning back a stray wisp of hair. Dios, she could see, was pacing nervously back and forth behind the curtain, going over the cards in his hand one last time before he went out to introduce himself.
Even though they had done their dead-level best to keep Utena's return a secret, the ever-illustrious Wakaba had managed to discover the truth, and had dragged a reluctant Saionji up to the campus. Anshii could see the girl running into the backstage area, looking for Utena, and went to catch her. "Wakaba... over here..."
Privately, Anshii was very glad that Wakaba didn't immediately land on her, but the excitement was evident enough. Saionji looked rather alarmed, glaring daggers at Dios, and Anshii could readily understand why. He hadn't met her brother. "Dios... would you put those away for a moment and come over?" Anshii called softly.
Dios turned, looked at the trio and walked over, looking expectantly at Anshii. "Yes, Anshii?"
Anshii motioned to the two very surprised people. "This is Wakaba Mizuhara and Saionji Kyouichi. Wakaba, Saionji... this is my brother, Dios."
Dios gave a little half-bow to the both of them. "I am pleased to meet you. I hope to prove that I am a better man than my twin."
"Twin?" Saionji echoed in disbelief, looking at Anshii.
She shook her head at him. "Not now, Saionji. There's a luncheon at the Chairman's office today. I'd like it if you would both attend. All questions will be answered..."
But Wakaba's attention was suddenly on someone else. A young woman in black had just emerged from a side room. For a moment, uncertainty washed over Wakaba's face. She took a hesitant step towards the woman who was approaching, then another. "Utena...?" Wakaba whispered, eyes wide and almost seeming afraid to know the truth.
Pink hair flipped back and forth as Utena nodded, and suddenly, all the pent-up emotion warring within Wakaba was released in one fell swoop. The hyper-energetic girl landed on Utena and gleefully hugged her as they both sank to the floor.
Anshii laughed softly, but her mirth was cut short by the chime that was sounding outside. Dios stiffened, and for a moment, Anshii wasn't certain that he'd actually go out and talk to the assembly. However, as she looked worriedly at him, he smiled. "Go ahead."
Hesitantly, she nodded, and then slipped out onto the stage to look at the audience comprised of students and teachers. Over two hundred expectant pairs of eyes looked back at her, and she felt her stomach give a little quiver. She took a deep breath, looked around, and sighed softly. Slowly, she stepped up to the podium and looked at her own notes before looking up and beginning.
"Thank you, everyone, for your patience and understanding in this difficult time. As most of you know, all of us here at Ohtori have suffered several staggering losses over the past week. It's been a very tumultuous time for all of us." Anshii paused, looking around. "I'd like to tell you that we'll keep going. I'd like to tell you that it will all be the same... but I can't. It won't."
A surprised murmur rippled through the students assembled. Anshii stepped away from the podium and felt a certainty fall around her. "For a long time, Ohtori Campus was under the shadow of a man who thought that he could control the world. His name was Akio Himemiya... better known as Chairman Akio Ohtori." She sighed and shook her head. "He did a great many unspeakable things, and I regret to tell you that it wasn't until yesterday that the full scope of his evil was revealed. He was extraordinarily skilled at deception and manipulation, and thus Mariko and Kanae fell into his hands."
Shouts started from various students, and Anshii raised both of her hands in an effort to silence them. "But before we go on... I want to introduce you to another victim of Akio's treachery."
As Dios stepped out from around the curtain, a chilled silence froze the air within the room. Silence fell as hard and fast as if he had poured a bucket of ice water on everyone.
"This is my brother. His name is Dios Himemiya."
The first matter of the morning was a School Assembly, in which a great deal of things had to be explained to the students and teachers at large. Anshii sighed, pinning back a stray wisp of hair. Dios, she could see, was pacing nervously back and forth behind the curtain, going over the cards in his hand one last time before he went out to introduce himself.
Even though they had done their dead-level best to keep Utena's return a secret, the ever-illustrious Wakaba had managed to discover the truth, and had dragged a reluctant Saionji up to the campus. Anshii could see the girl running into the backstage area, looking for Utena, and went to catch her. "Wakaba... over here..."
Privately, Anshii was very glad that Wakaba didn't immediately land on her, but the excitement was evident enough. Saionji looked rather alarmed, glaring daggers at Dios, and Anshii could readily understand why. He hadn't met her brother. "Dios... would you put those away for a moment and come over?" Anshii called softly.
Dios turned, looked at the trio and walked over, looking expectantly at Anshii. "Yes, Anshii?"
Anshii motioned to the two very surprised people. "This is Wakaba Mizuhara and Saionji Kyouichi. Wakaba, Saionji... this is my brother, Dios."
Dios gave a little half-bow to the both of them. "I am pleased to meet you. I hope to prove that I am a better man than my twin."
"Twin?" Saionji echoed in disbelief, looking at Anshii.
She shook her head at him. "Not now, Saionji. There's a luncheon at the Chairman's office today. I'd like it if you would both attend. All questions will be answered..."
But Wakaba's attention was suddenly on someone else. A young woman in black had just emerged from a side room. For a moment, uncertainty washed over Wakaba's face. She took a hesitant step towards the woman who was approaching, then another. "Utena...?" Wakaba whispered, eyes wide and almost seeming afraid to know the truth.
Pink hair flipped back and forth as Utena nodded, and suddenly, all the pent-up emotion warring within Wakaba was released in one fell swoop. The hyper-energetic girl landed on Utena and gleefully hugged her as they both sank to the floor.
Anshii laughed softly, but her mirth was cut short by the chime that was sounding outside. Dios stiffened, and for a moment, Anshii wasn't certain that he'd actually go out and talk to the assembly. However, as she looked worriedly at him, he smiled. "Go ahead."
Hesitantly, she nodded, and then slipped out onto the stage to look at the audience comprised of students and teachers. Over two hundred expectant pairs of eyes looked back at her, and she felt her stomach give a little quiver. She took a deep breath, looked around, and sighed softly. Slowly, she stepped up to the podium and looked at her own notes before looking up and beginning.
"Thank you, everyone, for your patience and understanding in this difficult time. As most of you know, all of us here at Ohtori have suffered several staggering losses over the past week. It's been a very tumultuous time for all of us." Anshii paused, looking around. "I'd like to tell you that we'll keep going. I'd like to tell you that it will all be the same... but I can't. It won't."
A surprised murmur rippled through the students assembled. Anshii stepped away from the podium and felt a certainty fall around her. "For a long time, Ohtori Campus was under the shadow of a man who thought that he could control the world. His name was Akio Himemiya... better known as Chairman Akio Ohtori." She sighed and shook her head. "He did a great many unspeakable things, and I regret to tell you that it wasn't until yesterday that the full scope of his evil was revealed. He was extraordinarily skilled at deception and manipulation, and thus Mariko and Kanae fell into his hands."
Shouts started from various students, and Anshii raised both of her hands in an effort to silence them. "But before we go on... I want to introduce you to another victim of Akio's treachery."
As Dios stepped out from around the curtain, a chilled silence froze the air within the room. Silence fell as hard and fast as if he had poured a bucket of ice water on everyone.
"This is my brother. His name is Dios Himemiya."