…My high powered Meteora was blocked!?
Asano responded to Akashi's doubts by pushing some of her hair back behind her ear. With her mouth lying flat, she bean to speak.
"You should focus more. For example," she began. But she quickly said the opposite. "No, I shouldn't bring hypotheticals into such an important discussion. Doing so is based on the careless assumption that the other person thinks the same way you do. It will not help them understand your point of view. So..."
With that last word, light appeared. It was a small light and it appeared from behind her hair, but it quickly appeared as a beaded string.
It was a string of small glowing orbs. Orbs of trion measuring a few millimeters formed from behind her hair and began spreading out to her sides. Their numbers grew and grew.
"..."
Asano trembled as if the orbs of trion leaking from behind her hair were tickling her. It started with about a dozen orbs, but it quickly grew to dozens, hundreds, and beyond.
"I guess I just need to send this enemy a second attack. Just to make sure those things are scattered before they're fired."
"But it will all return to normal."
"...!?"
Wind began to whip up as more shots were fired and a vibration really could be felt through the air. Nevertheless...
"I can still stand here as if nothing had happened."
"Don't be so surprised. Just think of it as using a similar strategy as you," explained Asano. Her string of trion orbs had already exceeded a great amount and continued to grow. "Do you know the difference between attacking with power and attacking with numbers?"
"Attacking with numbers is meant to combine with other attacks to take down a target while an attack with power is a standalone attack?"
"That's right. That is why it is better to attack with numbers at times instead of attacking with raw power. Another difference is whether you want to attack with a strategy or simply want to attack your target until they cannot get back up. It's all about optimization. There isn't always a single way to go about fighting, so there are many different ways of trying to attack."
As she spoke, Asano raised her lowered head.
At the same time, Akashi saw the string of trion orbs from behind her head form a gentle curve. It seemed to circle around into a curve that supported her back and butt.
"I heard that you wanted to help a certain someone and it puts you in a perfect position to do so when you work for that side. I also want to help him, but that doesn't look like it will be possible at this rate. My captain would let me do it, but I can't see myself going to that side.
She went on to express herself with words and her feelings behind them.
"Since I cannot help him on that side, I should be making sure that the ones over there are capable enough to actually help him. I don't know about the others, but you being here proves to me that I need to make sure you are up for the challenge of fighting Border while also taking on the consequences of doing such a thing. Do you understand what I am saying? I will fight to make sure he is fine on that side."
Asano lifted her hands as the trion orbs began to glow
...Is she...?
A few dozen orbs had already been fired and scattered.
He retaliated by blocking them.
"This is what I have decided on from here on out. As one strategist to another, please make sure you can keep up with me and show me which side would be best to be on. Just don't think I will be changing sides on a whim."
"Wouldn't that put you on the bad side of whoever you are talking about!? Are you deciding to go against yourself and your feelings just so you can side with Border and fight us!? Or are you just putting on a show to make it seem like you care?"
Asano did not answer his questions. She only stared at him.
"We can let the game start now."
As the trion orbs turned to light and scattered, she held her hand to her chest.
"Viper."
.
Immediately afterwards, Akashi saw an attack stab through the wind directly in front of him.
The attack knocke dhim to the ground, but the next volley had already circled around behind him.
"!?"
"Oh," he heard Asano say. She ended her sentence there as she seemed to revise her own work.
Soon enough, something appeared before his eyes.
[[Forcing him to the back will leave him open from behind. Viper is versatile in that it can have multiple patterns so long as you properly separate them and attack using what you know of the surrounding area.]]
Her own strategy was being displayed a moment after she put it into motion. She was not giving away anything and instead challenging him to match his strategy with her own and see who could come out on top here. As an upperclassman and strategist, he felt the need to meet her challenge.
But before he could, she began once more while attacking him with the trion orbs.
[[Viper, go take the multiple angles I have set and chip away at him. In this sense, it is like true vipers who can use their venom to weaken their prey. That is a bit much, but it still works here.]]
There were many others would could likely do the same: Shingai, Mizukami, and...
"You are saying you reached a new point!"
"Of course."
Akashi could see Asano's mouth moving out of the corner of his eye. The string of trion orbs coming from behind her hair continued to grow as the originator of the attack spoke. She looked past Akashi and toward the school.
[[I only need to reach the school. Ah, but taking these people out would make that easier to do.]]
She then turned to Akashi. He clearly saw her eyes staring at him from the front gate of the school.
[[You chose to help that boy when you think it is convenient. And that sort of pisses me off a bit.]]
"!?"
The words and gaze turned toward Akashi brought doubt to his mind. After all, he had only decided to help one boy recently and had yet to get the chance to do so. Meaning...
...She is made at me for not deciding to help him in full!?
The answer came to him in the form of a motion. The string of trion orbs forming her attacks came apart and flew through the air like fireworks being fired. They leaped toward him with wavelike motion.
"...!"
Akashi realized it was an onslaught of her anger.
Asano's normal attacks alone could do a good amount of damage, but it seemed she could also focus while angered by something someone had done.
...Her strategy is to draw things out methodically while adding in some of her own feelings into it!
It was likely something new as she had not shown this kind of thing before while in the B-Rank Wars. Most likely, she had come to find something about herself, taken action on it, and used reactions in accordance with that realization. Just like one felt like moving after reading or watching a book or play with lots of action, this indirectly led to her current choices.
...What exactly does this mean for her?
Before he gave that any thought, Akashi began his own plan and put his pride on the line while he was at it.
[The strings of trion will be destroyed upon impact. That means I only need to give them something to hit in order to erase them before they reach me over here.]
The onslaught of Viper was defeated, but the originator of them gave away something she had already done.
[[Akashi, you will not be taken out.]]
[[Akashi, you will make it through this.]]
However...
[[However, be careful, ambitious senpai. You will find yourself caught before you realize it. Even if you protect that white fox, it will mean little if majority of people go after him. Even you who tries to help him on that side have probably seen it.]]
Before she could finish her message, the next onslaught came.
[[You cannot be defeated by anyone who is a lower rank than you.]]
Its power came apart once more.
[But another strike takes them down.]
And they were destroyed. The meaning of this was obvious. Akashi had more skill and experience to rely on when compared to someone like Asano. In this position it would mean that she knows he will defeat her or wait things out until the three minutes have arrived.
...Her feelings towards him must be strong if she wants to attack me personally for only wanting to help him once.
He had only decided to do so on a whim after watching how pathetic the boy had been during all fo his matches. And there had been another thing.
[[If you end up losing to someone like me in any way, it will prove that you will be of no help.]]
His position was one higher than her's, so if he were to be taken down at any point, using any sort of interpretation, he would no longer be qualified to help that boy even once.
What if that sort of ending applied to Akashi as an A-Rank member of Border?
...It will mean that the people trying to protect Tsukiko are not enough to do so and spur others to be on Border's side!
He did not know how much of an effect it would have, but a problem on that level would have a real effect. This was no theory. Now that the issue had been applied to him, some power would surely be applied if anything were to happen to him or the white fox.
He was an A-Rank member of Border and a strategist. If he was being manipulated by anything around him, he could invite enemies in or set up traps.
In that case, he had no choice but to win here. He had to eliminate the problem.
[No matter how many times my enemy tries to stand back up, I have decided to crush my enemy.]
However, the smashed strings of trion orbs immediately replaced themselves.
[[Akashi, you will not lose.]]
"There's no end to this!?
Meanwhile, Shingai suddenly raised her hand while standing a good distance away from the white rhinoceros beetle.
"Kido! Can you see that?"
Her fingers spread out and pointed in a certain direction.
"Can you directly apply gravity to that strange rhinoceros beetle?"
"...Oh? ...I see. ...A direct hit without using the arrows," said the rhinoceros beetle.
A moment later, the gravity let up for an instant.
"...!?"
And the ground shook up and down.
.
The shaking of the ground was accompanied by sounds of the ground and dirt being destroyed in the middle of the schoolyard.
The ground trembled and a moment later alarms began ringing.
"That rhinoceros beetle is in a deep hole now!"
Things would not be too bad if it had merely fallen into a hole. However...
"...I can't move. ...I am stuck int his hole."
Akashi clenched his back teeth as he heard the rhinoceros beetle's voice from below.
...This gravity Trigger...
The trigger normally added gravity evenly to everything from above and the gravity could be separated between people and their possessions. Now that the rhinoceros beetle had fallen down but could not move, the impact would pass through it and directly into the ground itself.
Fortunately, Murakami continued to advance, so Kido could only release the weight and slam it into the rhinoceros beetle once more.
That meant Shingai was the key to the situation. The moment Shingai captured the rhinoceros beetle's location, the battle was over. That meant Senzai or Akashi had to go.
"The strategy game is not over yet."
Viper moved around and Shingai spoke.
"Kido! Move back even further. Move back enough to sink the ground itself if you so much as scratch it! And Tsukiko Amaya! Hurry over and cover for Kido. ...We don't have much time left!"
"Shingai, as long as you understand what that means."
Out of the corner of his eye, Akashi saw Maya take a leap back from Senzai and fix the positioning of the two blades in her grasp. One had been passed around one arm while the other was held in a tighter grip. She had made a certain motion.
...Backhanded!?
"Just to let you know, my teammates aren't the only ones who had figured some things out."
Maya held up the objects before she could land.
"I don't need to fight like Kei-san since he had a very different build than I do. That means I needed to find a way to fight for myself. I still haven't found that style out for myself just yet, but I can get to a basic grasp of some others. This is one way of doing that without being rude."
She held the answer in her hands as she flew through the air. In one hand was a Kōgetsu blade held tightly. In the other was a Kōgetsu blade held in a reverse grip.
"Being prepared."
.
Maya held the properly held Kōetsu forward while the reverse gripped one was held behind her. She spun around the blades for a moment until she felt that she was holding them properly.
"Let's see how this turns out."
She leaned forward in something resembling a crouching start. The motion pressed the reverse grip Kōgetsu to her back.
"...!"
Every part of Maya's body became tense for a moment before fully relaxing. Her feet were poised to push her forward while he hands held onto the blades with the intent to attack with as much power and skill as she could muster.
"I'm moving out now!"
She deepened her forward crouch and removed the blade from her back. Immediately afterwards, Maya took a seemingly gentle step forward and used her entire body to launch herself forward.
"I'm a pretty high energy girl, so try and keep up with me"
The bottoms of her feet left small imprints on the ground where she had been.
She seemed to fly forward.
Each step was a leap taking her several meters and she swiftly twisted her body around as if leaving it to the dust rising from the ground she pushed off of. She spun backwards as she throw a sharp blade strike toward Senzai.
Senzai held his Raygust up to block the sword strike.
"Kh!"
But Maya's attack cracked the Raygust. It was not a simple one that could be repaired. She threw her attack as if using her entire body as a the blade and opened a small gap in the center. Maya circled around a second time and threw another blade strike with a reverse grip.
"Just kidding~"
A quickly made Grasshopper plate knocked Senzai toward the school's entrance.
Maya used another one to jump forward and rushed toward Murakami without bothering to turn toward the sound of Senzai crashing into the outer wall of the school. Maya then heard the voice of the enemy strategist coming from behind her. The strategist gave a simple instruction.
"Murakami-kun! Get out of here!"
.
Akashi thought. Murkami could not move properly due to the gravity and an injury from Maya would be a meaningless loss. It was best to have the Suzunari Ace evacuate, but that left only Akashi himself.
...Is there any way to break free of this situation?
There was. He wrote up his strategy.
[I'll destroy the approaching attack and smash them.]
He could not completely destroy all the attacks, but he could create an opening. That just left quickly attacking Asano and...
...I have to stop Shingai from pinpointing the rhinoceros beetle!
He turned toward Asano, but saw a new light.
[[This really was a waste. This desperation is not something he needs to deal with. There is someone else who is already putting him down. So this guy thinking like this is annoying, but...]]
But...
[[He has already lost some face. So this means he will be of no help.]]
A wall of trion appeared between Asano and Akashi. It stood there as if mocking him, came apart just as the rest had, and rushed at him as if trying to tear into his body from all around.
"...!"
[I'll continue striking all of my enemies. The barrage never ends or lets up.]
He added in a description to set the attack as continuous. Viper were coming behind him and a new set before him, but the repeated attacks prevented them from landing. With his enemies unable to move, Akashi began to run toward Shingai.
However, the light had yet to disappear. The light came from behind Asano who blocked the barrage of attacks with a barrier of trion. Those glowing shots created a certain form.
"...Eh?"
Akashi saw a great number of lights. This was not just ten or twenty; there were hundreds of them. They all resembled flickering lights akin to the stars of a clear night sky.
"This is the attack I'll be using to really judge you now."
"What the...? But you haven't..."
Before he could say "planned something for afterwards", Akashi realized something. Trion was spreading out in a spiral at his feet.
"Even if you think you can still help him, that doesn't mean it will be useful. He has already been hurt by the person you're protecting," muttered Asano. "When the time comes, he will only be hurt once more. If he goes back to how he was, I don't think he will be able to take it."
Akashi was illuminated by a ring of Viper that shot out and tore into his arms, legs, and sides without mercy.
"How can you have enough trion to pull something like this off!?"
"Curious?"
Asano casually waved her hand as if to make something appear. There was nothing there, but the direction she had waved in was where Shingai was standing.
Akashi gasped when he finally understood what exactly that meant to motion for that girl.
"You did the same as Shingai!?"
.
"I will say that it is only for the day, but that should be enough."
As Asano gave what sounded like a declaration, the strategy game began to move.
[[Move forward.]]
[[My attacks, it's time to win in my own way here.]]
...She's trying to shake me!
She was inside the game she had set up. This was a strategy game. She had given that sort of response in order to make him realize that he needed to be someone who made up his mind, attacked, and lost despite knowing he could not stand up to his foe.
According to what he had heard, Asano could be described as someone who was strong in mentality. So by using that same mentality here, she had wrapped him up in this strategy game. However...
"Kh!"
Akashi did not think it was over yet. The situation was still progressing and there was something he had to do.
Asano's words would likely cause people to doubt him. He had plenty of excuses for only acting like a real strategist, but what she had said was true. He would have a hard time clearing away any doubts.
...But this is no time to worry about that!
Akashi shouted in his heart and tried to move. However...
"Oh, I forgot to say one thing. ...Or rather, I forgot to ask one thing."
What was it?
"Did you know that he was starting to be treated with contempt and wariness from almost everyone around him? People like his squad and others with a carefree attitude had disregarded what he had done or simply put it in the back of their minds. This had been to help him later on. They had stuck with him and helped him get to a place where he could freely be himself without worrying about others."
"What about it?"
"Some people are holding a grudge against him for something that he had shown them and something that is only a rumor at the moment. Those people did not try to help him or figure out what was going on. If anyone did, they did nothing to get involved. I can forgive the ones who really could not have done something and the ones who were involved with the incident, but not everyone else."
"Are you saying that you are angry with everyone who aren't those people?"
"Of course not. I really am neutral to most people, even those ones. But that's because they are at least staying true to themselves by staying away from him or being mad at him. But you did something different." She took a breath. "You decided to say you would help him one time and be done with it. So do you know why that pisses me off?"
Upon finishing her question, Asano's expression changed for the first time. The corners of her mouth bent up like bows.
"Akashi Ichiya. You were also disgusted by the way he had acted and even said you wanted nothing to do with him. Then you go and say that you will help him once. Meaning you took some sort of pity for him or thought that he was pathetic enough to watch only once."
.
"...!"
Akashi shuddered.
[[Prepare yourself, Akashi, for you have created this fight alongside that troublesome brother I have heard about.]]
The strings of trion orbs shone brightly as they were crushed by the repeated attacks Akashi had set up.
A clear sound rang out and the direct transmission between the two of them became static for a moment. Something was put in surprise, but Akashi could not turn his attention away. He could only focus on the smiling girl before him.
"I will take this win from you and call us even. But remember that I still won't like you, understood?" Her voice rang in his ears. "You hurt him during that time too!"
In front of him and behind him, Viper rose up and moved. The army of Viper began to swifty advance. Lights like shooting stars formed an ensemble of noise and Shingai's voice joined in.
"Kido!"
"I see it..."
"...Do you two really enjoy looking at me that much?"
As Shingai set Kido's aim, Akashi made up his mind. He shouted to someone he had sent a special text to just before arriving here.
"Mogami Representative! Come out now!"
At the same time, he typed into the dead chat.
[I'll fire a Meteora.]
And...
[I'll fire it into my own left side.]
The string of trion orbs which had been moving toward him struck his arm violently, but he tried to shake it off.
"...!"
The Meteora he himself fired knocked Akashi through the air.
His body creaked and his arm took the brunt of the attack by being completely destroyed. Even so, he blasted himself to the right, toward the open hole that had been made into the ground.
"Kurosaki!"
"Ko ko ko!" came the reply. "You certainly made a bold statement there, strategist."
With those words, everything moved. The gravity in the entire area let up, making the dirt and some people bounce up now that their freedom had been properly returned.
The entire schoolyard could be seen in full without any sort of bending due to the increased gravity. This was all according to Akashi's instructions. On his way here, he had sent a special text message asking for Mogami to make an appearance as herself instead of a Kobayashi representative.
"By having someone so important be here, it forces the attacking agents to let up on their offense! The fact she doe snot have Bakuto with her is a plus!"
This type of strategy was similar to overturning the game table. To put it another way...
"We invalidate this match before the enemy can bring it to an end!"
.
This last resort eliminated the idea of winning or losing.
On Akahsi's signal, Mogami took a careful action and entered the battlefield of her own accord while not looking to the right or the left.
Even with some extra careful control, any sort of attack could be viewed as attacking one of Border's sponsors and cause an incident due to that.
So she walked.
On the battlefield in front of the high school, Akashi fell inside the hole made into the ground as if it was welcoming him inside. With her blades being placed back in their holders, MAya ran to the end of the schoolyard and clicked her tongue.
"That kind of tactic is pretty forceful, even by my standards!"
Shingai thought with a slightly heightened thought speed her contract gave her. Border had won each individual match, but this sudden appearance was forcing the other side to allow this woman into the building.
...We did not do enough damage to stop them from make this sort of forceful action!
It would be dangerous for them to remain in the schoolyard. Even if it was for a short period of time, the Mogami woman was walking slowly, so they could not fight with everything they had. If that happened, they would have no way of ensuring that she would remain unharmed. If they were to have any sort of harm come to her, they would bring more problems to Border.
"Everyone! We need to withdraw! At this rate, we will not be able to fight back!"
As she spoke, the woman stopped and looked down the hole. She was relatively close to the door of the school but had chosen to look at the fallen boy and the rhinoceros beetle.
She was clearly buying even more time for them all.
She was approaching so slowly they could only get away.
"Ko ko ko. I never knew that such boys liked making machine rhinoceros beetle. It is nothing compared to Shuryō's Falcons, but still interesting regardless."
Mei nodded her head as the news reached her.
"I see that another fight had occurred while we were finish up our meal. This might change some things in the planning stage, but we should still be fine enough that we could have some dessert. What would you like, Shokubutsu? Mitsuteru?"
Turning her body around, she saw the two boys give each other a look for a moment before Mitsuteru let out a breath through his mouth.
Wow. I never knew picking a dessert could lead to so much tension. That idiot at the school makes it look so easy when he goes right for the mint chip. And then back for another flavor. ...And repeats the process at least ten times.
It was worrying how often Yuki went back for more ice cream. She would make sure to keep him from doing that more now that she found out she wanted to be with him.
The thought of that brought a smile to her face. It made her heart flutter a bit, but she felt like she could hold back her embarrassment better now than she could before.
"Um, Mei-senpai? Is this really time for that kind of thing?"
"I suppose you are right."
She saw them give sighs while she nodded her head.
"After all, we should take a few minutes to let our stomaches settle before moving to dessert. We just had curry, so eating something sweet may ruin it for us. That was good thinking there, Mitsuteru."
"That's not what I meant at all! And please don't start clapping because of that!"
"...It's okay... ...I understand..."
He let out another breath from his mouth to release the tension he had started to build up.
Pulling out her phone, she pulled up the messages she had received from the ones at the school and the ones from Kimura. Everything that had happened at the school had been documented and sent to her so that sh understood what the current situation was. She was quick to forward all of the information to Kotowari Squad and the two boys in front of her.
"Well, moving from the discussion on desserts," she said. The sound of Mitsuteru's groan was drowned out by her next words. "We now know that Border will be using anything they can to reach Yuki and that there are people who will be protecting him as best they can."
"From what this says, Akashi-senpai won't be able to fight anymore and Mizukami-senpai is having some trouble righting himself again. So the only ones to come out of that fight with little to no issues are Murakami-senpai and Senzai-senpai."
"...Pyrínas will be...fine, so we don't...have to worry...about him..."
"Thanks to Mogami Yoshiko's appearance, and the way Akashi moved, he will only be thought of as some robot that had been made prior and just sent out. It was smart of her to make sure to look at the hole that he had been thrown into. With her doing that, it makes it look like someone she knows is able to make similar things and that this one just happened to appear here for a sudden test run."
Mogami had likely not planned for that in advance, but her adlib tactic had saved Border from having to answer some questions that could put them in trouble. For that, Mei was thankful.
I should send some samples of my latest recipe. I am sure that will be a good way to show my gratitude.
"Still..."
She heard Mitsuteru give a normal sigh as he looked over the information.
"Border is trying really hard to win here. What's more, they brought out that never-before-seen Trigger that controlled the gravity in the area. If not for Suzaku-senpai being ready there, Mizukami-senpai would have lost and they would have reached the school building. And speaking of that..."
His brows furrowed as he continued.
"Kiyo-... Uh, P-Paisen was still asleep during all of that. He didn't wake up and so couldn't escape while all of that was going on. If it wasn't for the upperclassmen helping out, they would have reached him without much issue."
"Yes, I need to speak to him about his sleeping habits."
The way Shokubutsu patted Mitsuteru was reassuring as the older boy had put his head into his hands.
"When did the most responsible senpai I know become like this...?"
"...Things happen..."
She nodded her head again.
That is a good way to put it, Shokubutsu.
A new message appeared, reminding her that there were others listening in on their conversation.
2Truths1Lie: "So what should we do about Border going for the school he is staying at?"
.
Mitsuteru focused on his captain's words.
His captain and Kotowari Squad had been silent this whole time and only now began to speak up. This may have been due to the conversation they were having.
...I feel slightly betrayed in knowing that Seiji-san was just enjoying what was happening.
But that was not something to focus on at the moment.
Izumo: "I would like to go over there and speak with Yuki-san, but that doesn't seem like a good option right now."
Honest Sister: "They destroyed some of the materials we were honestly going to use for the festival, so there will be a slight setback. As someone who will be performing later tonight, I'm just gad it wasn't anything I need."
Lobo: "Do you need me for security again?"
Honest Sister: "Heh heh heh. Do you honestly want to be paid that badly?"
Lobo: "Might as well be prepared and know what I'm in for."
Honest Sister: "Don't worry. Security at a festival like this one will only cause issues. There is no need for you to be there with me. Just go have fun with Kōchō-chan and come back with all of the details."
Lobo: "Details about what!? And why would I tell you anything!?"
It must have just been their shtick to get off topic as quickly as possible. Mitsuteru understood now that it was only natural for them to do so.
Izumo: "Getting back on topic..."
JK: "Can't we just message someone one their side and have them let us in? The school should be empty by now and only filled with teachers, the people on Yuki-san's side, and that Mogami woman, right? What problem would there be if they just let you guys in? I'm sure Border has figured you guys would be helping the opposing side anyway, so they would just see it as confirmation."
Rampage Dress: "That is the advantage we have, though. Border has us as suspects for wanting to help Yuki, but that is all. We have done nothing to confirm their suspicion and so they can't do anything against us. Everyone who fought back at the school today are now directly involved with this and have chosen a side. Something can be done directly to them now that they have chosen a side. Suzaku is the only one who is safe from this since he had been the one to fir eon Mizukami. Due to the way that played out, you can change the interpretation to say he was helping Border, helping Mizukami, or simply wanted to fire on someone."
It was terrifying to know that there had been time when that last one could be considered fact.
Mitsuteru could remember the entrance ceremony a year prior. He had only been a starting first year, but he had easily been shot down by one of the second years who had been put under a lot of pressure from the adults.
That was a pretty scary time. When I heard that he was in Border, I wasn't sure if I really wanted to join at that point.
He ended up joining, but keeping a distance from that second year.
At least until he had been forced to by his former captain.
Because of his former captain wanting to help him be a Sniper, he has asked everyone he could to teach him. This had resulted in a good amount of Border's Snipers mentoring him at some point. The only ones who had not been able to do so were those who were younger than him.
But...
That's how I met a lot of people who are my friends now.
It was something that had brought him out of his shell while starting out in Border. The small world he had created for himself there had been pried open and a lot of people had come into his life.
That reason alone was enough for him to want to help his former captain.
Daybreak: "What if we have him meet some of us in a different place? Not every can go of course, so maybe just people who are really close to him. He can easily get away undetected, so Border not noticing him gone from the school is a plus. If they do figure it out, he will be able to move without being noticed. All that would be left is meeting up with him and going over everything we can."
Izumo: "That does sound like it could work. But there would be some lag if, once everything is discussed, we all need to be told what is happening."
Daybreak: "Suzaku-senpai wouldn't let things be uneven. Um, what I mean by that is..."
He took in a breath as he felt some tension start to build up.
"Mitsuteru, take it at your own pace."
"...Do your...best..."
He felt a small hand pat his shoulder and could only think, Yuzuru, you made a great friend! I'm so proud!
Realizing that he was talking to people who were laidback and would properly consider his words, he continued. He let out a breath with his tension and spoke up for them.
Daybreak: "If he is on our side, that would be great. But even if he is on Border's side or a neutral side, he will make sure the transmissions between both sides can't reach each other. He's also a businessman, so he understand what it means if one side heard the other without the vice versa happening as well. It would not be good for him. If someone changes sides in the middle of it all, that would be fine. He would not be involved with that."
JK: "So he's the type to hate cheaters. Well this guy has my approval."
Is that really all it takes? he thought with furrowed brows.
Daybreak: "So, I think... Yeah. Suzaku-senpai wouldn't let anyone know what is going on with our side. And we need a way to figure out what is happening here."
"You really have put thought into this."
He blinked as he turned his head to face Mei. Her smile gave away her happiness and fondness of him. It made him blush a bit while ducking his head. This sort of thing was similar to high praise when it came to her.
But now was not the time to be flustered. He rightened himself and focused back on the conversation.
"It isn't like what I had thought for our last match, but I figured we could try it out. I mean, I really only thought of it after watching same movies, but I think it can apply here too."
"I do too," she said with a nod.
He knew he should not have been so surprised by her agreeing with him, but he was certain that she had already thought of hundreds of scenarios while he had only come up with this one. Compared to what she could think of, his idea was far too normal to work.
"Right, we will be going with Mitsuteru's idea. Does anyone have any complaints?"
Izumo: "We're fine with that."
2Truths1Lie: "I'll message the ones at the school about this."
JK: "So we only need to figure out who is going to go and where."
"...The mall could...work..."
"It looks like the mall is where we will meet up. And as for who will be going..."
The look Mei gave him and the boy next to him told him all he needed to know. And it was something he wanted to stop.
Before he could she started speaking once more.
Rampage Dress: "Mitsuteru can go. Kotowari Squad, feel free to enjoy the festival during this time. I will also be going, but I need to do something before that. So don't hold back. Just make sure to behave."
2Truths1Lie: "We will be relying on you, Teru-kun."
"Wh-why me!?"
"You need to speak to him, right?"
He froze.
The way Mei gave him a knowing look told him that she had planned for this in the first place. It had been something she saw in her calculations and wanted to happen.
And he knew why she had done such a thing.
That's right...
He still needed to let everything go.
There was too much noise.
There was also some pain.
Which one was worse?
They are both pretty bad, he thought.
That sounds like a fight. I should get involved then.
But I'm pretty useless at those, aren't I?
He had never been good in a fight.
Everyone knew what they wanted to do in fights, but he could never choose.
He had decided to try everything out and had yet to come up with anything.
He could be everything whenever he wanted, but he could never be good at one single thing.
It only got worse once he had died and came back.
Now he was just an unneeded person.
Someone no one would think twice about once he came to mind.
This pain is pretty bad too, he thought.
It really hurt. It feels like someone rammed a log into my side.
But it doesn't hurt as much as my body normally does.
His body had never been one to withstand internal attacks.
From the moment he was born, his body was weak. It fell easily to the smallest of sicknesses.
His parents and older sister had been worried at the start. But that only hurt more.
His family was not meant to worry about others and instead needed to remain strong.
So he pretended to be strong.
It was the only thing he was good at doing.
He was a faker from the start.
He was born in a way that made him either a human or a Neighbor.
Once his family began to worry about him, he faked his own wellbeing.
From there it was a constant in his life. Faking things in a way that would allow others to not worry about him or think of him as someone needing help.
That had gotten to the point of him faking everything about him.
His rough personality had been changed out for one that others would like and enjoy.
The true extent of his deteriorating body was hidden from others and he only showed them enough for them to think he was okay.
It was who he was.
That's right... I just need to keep faking everything until I just fade away and die. This time for real.
One unneeded person leaving won't mean much. So that is fine.
Someone who only causes problems for others won't be missed. So that is fine.
A person who has already died once has no right to keep on living with others. So that is fine.
It would all be fine.
It should all be fine.
If so, then why...
Why am I still fighting?
.
Yuki felt like his eyelids were far too heavy for him to want to open them.
But he did.
He opened his eyes slowly while getting used to the light coming from the overhead lights and the sunlight coming from the window.
The noise he had heard before had disappeared, but he could not go check to see what had happened.
The pain that came form his side throbbed for a moment before slowly subsiding.
"Glad to see you're awake, ya jerk."
Moving only his eyes, he turned to see Mizukami sitting on a bed next to his own.
The other boy's body was tense and his slouched as if a weight had been placed on him.
"..."
He tried to open his mouth, but felt too tired to do so.
"So," Mizukami began. "Tell me what's goin' on, my friend."
Yuki's eyes widened at the words spoken to him only by a single person.
"Don't be so shocked. It's not like we didn't know what those words mean. It's just that none of us wanted to butt into whatever was goin' on between you and Kō. But now...things're happenin' and we want to know what's goin' on. So...can you do it?"
"...I can't find you anything now...there is nothing to be seen."
"What's that?"
Yuki used whatever strength he could muster to let out a sigh. Speaking was a bit hard with a throbbing side, but he managed to do it.
All he needed to do was hide his pain and fake his injury's severity.
"It's nothing. But to answer your curiosity... I really don't know what's going on. I haven't done anything to warrant Border going after me. And I definitely haven't done anything that would make them start fights. By the way..."
He looked over to see Mizukami waved his worries away.
"It's fine. We lost some face, but our pride's nothin' if we can't finish what we started. Besides, we managed to get some good info on some things, so it's all cool."
"...Then why are you slouching like that?"
"If I say it's cool, just drop it."
"Fine. I guess I should just be grateful."
"I don't need your gratitude when I just picked a fight on my own accord."
Yuki scoffed at the idea, but let it go regardless. If he did not want to talk about it, it was best to just leave it at that.
The tired expression Mizukami wore was something to worry about, but it would get nowhere to speak about it. So instead, he focused on something else. It would take the attention away from what they had already said, but that would be fine with him.
"Where is everyone else?"
.
That was the question.
Mizukami looked to the floor with his shoulders sagging next to him.
"Most of them are still here or doing their own thing. The ones who were here from the start decided to go out. A message came in earlier through Umi that said you should go to the mall near the Main Red Lighting. It came directly from Shitokei-san, so you should be good to go. No trap for you."
"So it came from Mei... Yeah, she should be able to figure out what's going on. But, um...has Jin said anything yet?"
"That guy is apparently stayin' out of all this crap. Smart choice, if ya ask me, but whaddya gonna do."
They both knew that it was a smart idea to not get involved for someone like Jin.
"Well, regardless, he might be comin' over anyway."
"Why would he do that?"
Mizukami jabbed his thumb towards the door leading to the hallway.
Yuki could not move his body without pain flooding his system, so he moved his eyes as best as he could.
It seemed difficult to get them to move enough to actually see, so Mizukami let out a sigh while rubbing his shoulder.
"Looks like Akashi called over Mogami Yoshiko as backup, in case we lost. She's been sayin' how she wanted to look around the school and figure somethin' out. But from what we know, she has some business with Jin too."
"...So he might come over here to speak with her."
"Right," he nodded.
There were a lot of things that were a mystery to them at the moment and that only added another to the list.
Moving on to his other shoulder, Mizukami gave Yuki a plain look and shook his head.
"Well, that's none of our business. Besides, you have somewhere to be and the rest of us need to still get ready for the festival."
"That's right... I had forgotten that that was today. Did any of the fighting from earlier cause something to change?"
"A crate or two got destroyed. The things inside were also damaged. So from what I can tell, there won't be a shooter game from our school this year."
"That's good to hear."
"Yeah, I've already been shot once today by Umi. I don't wanna run the risk of a second time."
Even as he could only look around, Yuki felt a shudder run through his body at the thought. He could see from the corner of his eye that the same happened with Mizukami, who had already taken a hit from Suzaku earlier.
He could vividly remember using all of his training to dodge the shots fired at him from the opening ceremony last year. It was terrifying to think about. Mizukami must have thought the same as he started rubbing his back as best he could.
Suzaku had finally managed to hide majority of people in their age group after today.
"Oh yeah, I had said that most of the fools were still here or doing their own thing, but that's not completely true. There were two guys who didn't feel like sittin' still."
"Kage and Jinsei, right?"
Yuki narrowed his eyes as he saw Mizukami shake his head.
Out of all the people in their age group who was currently at this school, he had thought those two would be the first one to make any sort of move after the fighting in the schoolyard had finished.
That appeared to be the wrong answer, so...
"Who was it?"
"Kō and Ōji."
That was yet another surprise.
"Wait, what are they doing?"
"Kō decided to head over to the mall before you. Said he wanted to meet up as soon as he could. As for Ōji... How should I put this..."
It took only a moment before Mizukami turned back to him and spoke.
"He didn't really wanna be around ya, and he wanted to catch up to Kō after findin' out he was leavin'."
Yuki looked at Mizukami to see if what he had said was true.
It was.
So with heavy lids, he began to close his eyes as a breath escaped his parted lips. The pain that came with it was nothing compared to what he had felt already.
"I see," was all he said.
.
"Hey."
Yeah?
"We can't find you anything now."
What did that even mean?
He questioned what Mizukami was saying. He could imagine the Shooter scratching the back of his head, but figured that was because he was tired of this conversation.
"I won't tell you how to live your life, but I can give some advice. ...From one faker to another."
Who was he suppose to be insulting there?
Mizukami was indeed a faker in his own right, but he was still more honest than he ever was. His falseness was in the way he hide his own talents behind a casual and lazy appearance. It was something small that only those close to him really understood after being around him for so long.
Comparing that to the falseness that was "Tsukiko Yuki" was similar to comparing a clipped nail to a broken arm. The difference between them was vast and one was much more painful than the other.
So then what advice could this lesser faker give him?
"Sorry about that. I guess putting it like that was pretty messed up. Let me correct myself. ...As one friend to another."
Idiot. That would only make it hurt worse.
But telling him as much would only end up hurting the both of them. Taking this simple pain was something he could deal with now.
"Finally make a decision on who ya wanna be. At this point, I don't know what to call ya. I wanna call ya 'Kiyoshi' as someone who met you back then, but I also wanna call ya 'Yuki' because of who you're tryin' to be."
"...You can call me whatever."
He could imagine Mizukami shake his head to go with the sigh he had just given. There was not much he could not imagine after having spent a good amount of time with the lesser faker already.
"That just won't work, though. Someone like Iko-san or Umi, but I'm not like that. I wanna know who you are. So make up your mind already, that way I know who I'm gonna be supporting from now on."
"And if I can't decide?"
There was another sigh. But he could not imagine Mizukami shaking his head this time. Instead, all he could picture was the sad look in the lesser faker's eyes as he tried his best to not just hit him while he was down.
But this was a question he had to get out.
What exactly could anyone do if he could not choose who he was? An unneeded person would not need to choose who they were once they figure don't just how unneeded they are. A name would name would mean nothing once that person passed away or simply left.
And for him, that may come soon.
"Ya know, at times, I really wish I hadn't met ya back then. Ya caused a lot of trouble in my neighborhood with your family. ...Yeah, it was really annoying when you guys came along. But..."
But.
"Even if I wish I hadn't met you guys back then, that doesn't mean I regret it."
.
Mizukami watched as the boy in front of him remained quiet as he lay on the other bed.
His body was feel some phantom soreness due to being put under so much pressure during his fight. It had not affected his real body, but his mind had still registered it after he had turned off his Trigger and now he was feeling the affects of that.
Still isn't much when compared to this guy's physical pain.
The boy in front of him was in constant pain, but held back from saying anything about it. It would only come out once he was coughing up blood and unable to hold his own weight.
It was much different from the first time Mizukami had met the boy.
Back then...he'd been ready for a fight every second of the day. It was amazing how he'd still get up after he had been beaten down. It also pissed me off a bit since they were in the way of where I need to go back home.
I guess that's why I ended up gettin' involved. Both sides were pissin' me off and I only wanted to get home. Those punks had all been wantin' to fight with one of the guys who had just moved in nearby. Everyone knew who they were and knew they'd only be around for a month or so. That's probably why they wanted to pick a fight with someone.
Mizukami had only started middle school while that group had been in their last year of high school.
The boy he had seen fighting them was the same age as him, yet he was trying to fight them all off by himself.
He was failing to do so and Mizukami had been able to see it. There would be no winning, no matter how much training the kid had.
Was that why I got involved instead? ...Nah. I really was just pissed.
He had ran forward to try and end the fight as quickly as he could.
Those high school students had seen him coming and had prepared for a fight. Meanwhile, the boy had looked up at him from the arms of two of the high school students. His glare had told Mizukami that he did not want any help.
So he hadn't helped.
Mizukami had ran right up to the boy and punched him in the face.
The boy's nose had started to bleed as he lost consciousness.
Seeing that they had lost their chance at continuing to beat the boy up, the high school students had scoffed before walking away. A few of them had forcibly bumped shoulders with him, but he ignored them. His gaze had only been on the boy who was dumped onto the ground with a bleeding nose and many other injuries.
Heh. I guess I was a mix of emotions at the time. I hadn't thought to get him patched up, but before I knew it, the two of us were in a hospital. He got his own room after the doctors found out who he was while I had to wait so I could explain things to his family.
But that never came.
Mizukami's own parents had arrived before the boy's family and he had left without ever meeting those people.
Once the week had gone by, he had seen the boy once more.
This time that boy was standing above a few bodies. His clothes were ripped and even more injuries could be seen all across his body.
It was then that he understood how dangerous this boy was.
"Hey!" he had said. "You're the guy from last time!"
And he had responded.
"Why do ya have to pick fights on the road to my house?"
"Huuuuuuuh!? These fuckers were the ones picking a fight with me! Same as last time! And the you came along and punched me in the fucking face! The hell was that for!?"
The boy had been making his way over while also wiping blood from some of his injuries. The older ones he had sustained could still be seen, but Mizukami had left that alone for now.
At the moment, the boy moving towards him was more important.
"Since you wanted to start some shit, I just need to finish it, right!?"
At those words, Mizukami felt his fight or flight reflexes kick in. Running away would be a good option, but doing so also meant a chase. So he had gone with his other option.
I really was stupid to pick a fight with a guy like him, back then.
The moment the boy had reached him with his fist reeled back, Mizukami had raised his arms to protect his face.
And once he saw the other boy begin his punch, he prepared himself for a fight.
But...
"...?"
The only thing that came was a barely painful punch to his shoulder.
Moving his arms away, he saw that the boy was already a few steps away with a scowl on his face.
"There. We're even. Now fuck off."
Mizukami smiled at the memory.
That's right. My punch hadn't been the one to make his nose bleed. It was just the one to break dam for it to bleed.
I still can't believe a guy like him just walked away like that. After I had met him a third and fourth time, I found out that he had nothing against me since I had taken him to the hospital.
Meeting him when I came to Mikado City had been a bit surprising, but it was nice to see he was doin' well enough. Still had no friends, but I guess that just happens when you're part of that family.
I did get to know him better after meeting up with him again. That's where I found out that the guy doesn't ever really start fights, they just seem to find him.
The same applied to their current situation.
Border was targeting him without him knowing what he had done in the first place.
He really does have this weird issue where things just start up around him and he's ready to fight back.
.
Mizukami lowered his shoulders as he looked over to the boy in the other bed.
"It's fine. Ya don't need to answer me. I'm still gonna be helpin' ya with everything. Same goes for the rest of those guys who can't seem to mind their own business."
As he finished speaking he could hear the door leading to the hallway open.
Once it was open all the way, it gave a view of the hallway and the people who were there.
The one who stood out the most was the woman with long hair and a fan in her hands. The smile on her face was a sly one that reminded him of a fox.
Great, another one.
This one was much more experienced. That was what his gut was telling him.
"Oh, it looks like you are fine now, Shooter boy. That's good. You might not have taken any real damage, but your brain is probably all jumbled after everything that has happened."
"Yeah. My body's pretty fine now, so I'll probably be headin' out soon. I'm gonna be meeting with the others so we can head to the festival."
"Make sure to enjoy yourself there. A certain girl in one of the classrooms has been worrying about the two of you. The boy with a foul personality and sharp teeth was complaining about her. Maybe go check up on them now?"
Mizukami nodded as he stood up.
I guess I should make sure Fuyushi knows that the two of us're fine.
Giving a bow to the woman, he began to walk past her as he heard her give a light laugh.
As he started down the hall, he could hear the door close behind him. A sudden feeling of dread came to him, but he pushed that down.
That was when a certain thought came to mind.
...She is someone who can properly control Bakuto.
That thought alone was terrifying to him.