Mairimashita! Iruma-kun: Shadows of the Past, part 14
Kalego thought hard about the recent events as he made his way to the infirmary. He paid little attention to Iruma and Robin conversing in the hall under Opera's watchful gaze, trying to work out their emotions about everything that had happened. As he got to the private recovery rooms, he could hear voices in Pandora's room. Sure enough, Shichiro was already inside.
Opening the door, he paused at the sight. Pandora was snuggled comfortably into Balam's lap, on the floor, while he told her about the meeting. Kalego's expression was a mixture of not being surprised and mildly amused. He grinned at their pink faces.
Pandora twiddled her fingers shyly, avoiding his gaze and mumbled, "It's more comfortable here", in explanation. He didn't have the energy to tease her about it, so he simply took his seat nearby.
"So that's where we are", said Balam, finishing his recap. He noticed Pandora staring sadly at their friend. Kalego was aware, too. Despite her own condition, she was worried about him. She knew Victoria was all too eager to mess with his head.
"How are you feeling?", he asked, taking the focus of concern off himself. She quickly put on a brave face. "I'm ok. My legs are a little weak, but they'll get stronger. Senpai offered to help me with exercise", she said. Kalego grinned in approval. "Physical therapy will be important", he ceded. Honestly, he was glad Opera had offered. They were far less likely to take it easy on her, speeding her recovery.
"Kalego-kun", called Pandora. He glanced up in question. Her tone was still off, but she sounded a little happier than the night before, a sign of hope. "I wanted to thank you both for everything", she said sincerely. Blushing faintly with a glance at Balam, she continued, "I already thanked Shichiro… I'm really glad we're all finally back together." Then she smiled almost as brightly as they remembered.
That naturally set Balam to happily pet her head with a grin of his own. Kalego relaxed for the first time since Victoria's reintroduction to their lives. The three of them reunited was a warm feeling. "It's good to have you back", he stated with a smile.
"I know you both have to work after the weekend, so I want you to know I don't expect you to make concessions; I'm happy to see you two in your free time. I absolutely won't distract you from your responsibilities", said Pandora. Both demons stared at her with a spark of awe. Had she always been that resilient or had Lady Nene absorbed that much of her pain?
"But I hope I can observe you at work sometime if that's okay", she added, eager to gauge their growth. Shichiro seemed excited by the prospect, but Kalego took on a dour look. "I'm not sure you can handle my class yet", he muttered.
Pandora lit up as she argued, "Shichiro-kun told me this year's class is really special! I look forward to hearing all about them!". Balam innocently glanced away as his best friend shot him a dirty look, but he had little choice, but to give in eventually.
"Sullivan-sama said that maybe in the future, I could teach, too!", she stated excitedly. Kalego smiled softly at her fervor. She would make an excellent music instructor once she rehoned her skills. Undoubtedly, she was out of practice.
"There is one thing troubling me, though…", she trailed. Her friends watched her in concern. "What is it, Pan-chan?", asked Balam carefully. "You're going to laugh", she uttered coyly. "Just spit it out", encouraged Kalego. She already knew she had their unwavering support for anything she needed.
Mustering her courage, Pandora looked him in the eye with conviction. "I can't remember my last name", she stated, "No one can." A confident smirk crossed Kalego's face. "That's ridiculous. It's - …", he said, his eyes widening in shock. Something so simple was missing from his memory. Shichiro had a guilty look, too. How was this possible?
Pandora sighed when she realized he couldn't help. "It's okay. Nene-sama said it was complicated… I still have some of Ai's curses. She said it probably has to do with sealing my magic."
Kalego and Shichiro exchanged glances. Oddly, neither could recall her bloodline ability, either. How hadn't they noticed?
"It'll come back to us", assured Balam with kindness. He really didn't want her to suffer any more than she already had. "There is someone coming who might be able to help", uttered Kalego. He hadn't meant to bring it up yet, but Pandora's recovery was more important than his stubborn pride.
His friends looked to him question. "It seems Nene-sama has taken your cousin under her wing. She's on her way here to see you", explained Kalego. Pandora looked shocked. "Persephone is coming?", she uttered, happy tears forming. She knew her immediate family was long dead, but she still had a relative left. She smiled to herself at the news. Shichiro sent his friend a supportive, yet thankful grin. He knew it wasn't easy to bring her up.
"I can't believe it. I haven't seen her in so long. She must be so pretty now", said Pandora, voicing her thoughts. A little uncomfortable with the subject, Kalego diverted his gaze. "We've all grown a lot since then", he said a little darkly, avoiding the details.
Pandora's spirits fell slightly. They sure had grown. Everyone, but her. Sensing her unease, Shichiro pulled her closer and shot Kalego a chiding look. He knew it hadn't been meant that way, but he was getting very protective.
Pandora blushed in his arms, grateful for his touch. After a moment of reprieve, she resumed her role as beacon of light and stated, "Just you wait. Once I get back on my feet, I'll catch up with you two in no time." Kalego grinned at her look of resolve. "I look forward to it", he replied.
Pandora carefully got to her feet and looked at her friends. "Rank 8. You two always have been amazing", she smiled with pride. Shichiro grinned bashfully at the praise.
Taking a somber tone, Pandora suddenly bowed deeply to them both. "I'm so sorry for causing you so much trouble!", she said with feeling. Balam fretted as he stood, ready to catch her if needed. She was still too weak to be making such sudden movements.
"I know I've been the source of a lot of your pain and I never wanted to do that to you two", she said, tears forming. Feeling a gentle hand on her back, she looked up to see Shichiro staring with misty eyes. "You have nothing to apologize for. We're just glad you're back", he said sincerely.
She smiled lightly as her balance faltered. Scooping her up, Balam carried her back to her bed. "You need to rest", chided Kalego. She was in no shape to argue, so she quietly got comfortable under her blanket as Shichiro tucked her in. The two awkward souls really were cute, if not a little nauseating to their friend.
Kalego set a phone upon her bedside table. "It already has all the important numbers saved", he stated. She smiled to herself, seeing Shichiro's and his name at the top of the list. "Thank you", she said with an appreciative smile. Stepping away, Kalego waited for his friend.
Balam seemed to fret about leaving her, but was also unsure of how to say goodbye. It was more than obvious that he wanted to hug her tightly, but she was still fragile. He eventually offered a blushing, kind grin with a forehead pat as he brushed the loose strands from her face.
As the two exited the room, Opera quietly entered, taking their post at her bedside. They would guard her as she slept as previously agreed, knowing Iruma would be safe with Sullivan and Bachiko.
Out in the hall, Kalego eyed his friend flatly. "What the hell was that?", he asked, teasing. Shichiro blushed lightly, looking to the side as they walked. Kalego smirked evilly. "You weren't so shy before", he taunted. Balam went red clear to his ears.
"That was - !", he panicked, remembering how he'd been overcome with emotion and kissed Pandora in front of him. Suppressing a small laugh, Kalego coughed. He was rather amused by Shichiro's awkwardness.
His anxiety fizzling out, Balam sighed. It was useless to refute his feelings, but turnabout was fair play. "When is Persephone coming?", he asked, changing the subject.
Kalego stiffened at the name, but maintained a calm grin. "Lady Nene said she's on her way. With any luck, she can do something about those wounds", he stated. The humor had evaporated as the two thought of their friend. She had some deep injuries around her neck. The bandages could only do so much and Nene had focused on more vital issues. With hope, Pandora's cousin could do more for her.
Elsewhere, Robin was walking with Iruma and Bachiko as they talked when he suddenly came down with a horrible headache. Noticing his hand over his marked eye, Bachiko paused in mid sentence. She knew something was wrong. "Robby?", she ventured. Then he dropped, out cold.
Inside his mind, that cold, wet place waited for him in the darkness. "Oh no", he thought, knowing what would be next. As if on cue, Victoria appeared before him. Her injured leg had been completely healed and she looked angry.
"We need to have a talk, Bars", she said, sternly. Taking on a defensive stance, he glared defiantly. "Go away! You can't make me do anything any more", he said with bravado. Her annoyed expression never wavered. Stepping forward, she gripped his face in her hand. "Cut the crap. I'm in no mood", she sneered.
He stared, amazed by the light in her eyes. It was the same glowing curse mark. She was clearly exerting her power over him. He shuddered as his body became wracked with intense pain. Still, he managed to hold her gaze.
"Listen, 'Robby'. You owe me", she said, cynically using the nickname from Bachiko. "I don't like being double crossed. Of course, I already knew Kalego-kun would plan something dastardly, but I didn't anticipate that bratty relative of yours. There isn't much I can do about Nene, but I lost out on three good prisoners and you're going to help me fix it."
His eyes quivered, knowing she had new orders for him. What did she have planned now?
"Kalego fucked up. He needs to be reminded who's really in charge. As soon as you fully wake up again, you're going to kill Pandora with that ability of yours. Barbatos will try to stop you, but it won't work."
She leaned close and whispered a spell in his ear. With an evil grin, she said, "That will keep her busy." Dropping him to the ground, she smirked at the frustration on his face. "Hate me all you want. It's your precious senpai's fault. He shouldn't have interfered", she said, then vanished.
In the physical world, Robin slowly opened his eyes. Bachiko and Iruma were staring down at him with worry. He could hear their voices, but he couldn't react just yet.
"I'm calling Kalego-sensei", said Iruma, hurriedly pulling out his phone. Bachiko was tapping at his face, trying to stir her fallen kin. "Robby? Quit fooling around. Hey! Are you listening to me?!"
Robin's eyes finally shot open. He sat up and quickly realized why everything hurt. Black blood had seeped through his clothing from the curse over his belly. It also dripped from his marked eye. Iruma nearly dropped his phone at his sudden motion.
Bachiko grit her teeth. Bleeding would be bad enough, but this corrupted form of curse was too much. She was ready to face Ai for real combat.
Iruma helped stabilize his wobbly teacher with a hand on his shoulder. "Sensei, are you all right?", he asked, trying not to panic. Approaching footsteps caught his attention. He grinned in genuine relief at the sight of his homeroom teacher.
Kalego knelt beside them, taking in the situation. He looked annoyed and had a dark look in his eyes. Balam carefully pulled Iruma away. As Kalego looked over his kouhai, Robin whispered something barely audible, "Look out."
There was scarcely time for Kalego to throw up a barrier between them and the others. On one side, Balam had Iruma protected in his arms with an expression of shocked horror. He covered the boy's eyes. Iruma was scared and confused, but he wasn't anywhere near strong enough to escape his sensei's grip.
On the other side of the barrier, Kalego grit his teeth as a mix of red and black blood settled around him. He supported Robin's body in one arm, holding up the summoned barrier with the other. Robin was once more unconscious. Beside them, Bachiko stared at him in disbelief.
A spike of hardened darkness stretched from Robin's belly into her shoulder. Blood was already dripping down her arm. "Robby?", she uttered. His curse had taken physical form at Victoria's command. She meant to take out the more deadly archer and by wounding her arm, there was a chance at success.
The pillar of black blood pierced through to her back. It crumbled into dust as Bachiko gripped it in her hand. As it disintegrated, she slumped forward in pain.
"Master, what's happening?!", yelled Iruma, struggling to get free. Balam turned his entire body to block the view as he let go. "Iruma-kun, call your grandpa. Tell him to bring Nene-sama", he ordered. Unnerved by his serious tone, Iruma obeyed.
Moments later, Balam had handed Iruma over to chief Azazel to be escorted away safely as the others arrived. Bachiko held a compress over her wounded shoulder, unwilling to leave Robin's side for treatment.
Nene hovered her open palms over his limp body. The bleeding mark over his stomach started to seal. Sullivan watched them both closely. "Thank you, Kalego-kun", he said. He was grateful Iruma had been spared and he knew Bachiko would recover quickly.
Kalego stared at his kouhai as the healing magic coursed through him. "This was likely only a distraction", he stated darkly. Sullivan agreed. It was getting too dangerous for any of them to be on campus. Sooner or later, Victoria would manage to get more innocent students involved.
Kalego was tense, angered by her brazen attack. "He'll be alright. He's in good hands", assured Sullivan, referring to Robin. Kalego already knew that, but he also knew this was only the beginning. "She wants revenge for wrecking her plans", he muttered.
The principal gave him a warm grin. "Pandora-chan won't fall back into her hands so easily. I'll find a way to keep everyone safe", he promised. Kalego grinned ever so slightly. The chair demon was many things, but never one to break a promise. His concentration broke at the sound of a cough.
Robin rolled onto his side, hacking up chunks of coagulated blood. He looked pale, but he was awake. Nene patted his back gently in support, ignoring how black her wings were getting. They were actually silver by nature, but each feather darkened as she absorbed Victoria's curses.
Robin was trying to get up, but Nene kept him at the ground. He looked at Bachiko apologetically. He tried to speak, but all that came out were raspy, broken words. Focusing his strength, he managed, "I'm sorry." His cousin grinned in relief.
Turning his golden eyes back to Lady Nene, he grasped her wrist weakly. His expression spoke volumes. She seemed to understand him somehow. Placing her hand over his eyes, she placed a sleep spell over him, and cradled his head in her lap like a child.
Turning her eyes to Sullivan, she said, "New orders. Don't leave Pandora alone." Kalego immediately looked toward his best friend. Balam had been busy directing people around them, but he froze at that sentence. He slowly met Kalego's gaze. A silent agreement passed between them. They would not let Victoria take Pandora from them again.
To be continued...