Mairimashita! Iruma-kun: Shadows of the Past, part 22
An hour later, in the infirmary, Iruma had been heavily sedated with a cocktail of herbs and magic. Even so, he twitched in pain and suffered a high fever in his sleep. Balam stared at him anxiously. He knew that the healers had miraculously undone most of the physical damage, but the boy's arm would still ache just as if it were trying to mend naturally. At least they had finally gotten the swelling under control. Persephone held her hand on the boy's forehead, inducing a deeper sleep.
In the next bed over, Robin had also been put under. Nene was meticulously knitting his shattered bones back together with her mana under Bachiko's careful scrutiny. An injury this bad could easily cripple an archer.
Sullivan had Opera call Henri to guard Pandora during this unanticipated hardship. He was a mess inside, but he had a duty to still lead the others, even while so worried for Iruma-kun. He managed a facade of near calm anger.
In the hall, the principal stared darkly at Kalego. The teacher was genuinely remorseful. He had no idea Victoria had gotten her hands on that pesky insect. He could deal with the guilt of harming a fellow teacher, but harming a student was unforgivable. Opera watched them silently with his cat ears flattened. He was eager to hear what they had to say.
"Kalego-kun, did I not advise you that spell is strictly forbidden earlier this very school year?", asked Sullivan sternly. He was clearly angry. A student had been hurt and to make matters worse, it was his beloved grandson.
Kalego kept his eyes lowered, knowing he was in the wrong. He didn't bother to plead his case. It was an accident this time, but he'd thought of using that spell in the past. Now he had to face the repercussions.
"I am deeply disturbed that this even occurred", said Sullivan grimly, his dark aura flickering. "However", he sighed. That word caught Kalego's attention. He waited breathlessly for his punishment.
"It has been brought to my attention that this horrific accident was no fault of your own. Lamya-chan told me that you were trying to stop Robin-kun from firing, unaware of the dirty trick Victoria had set into play… Still, this cannot go unpunished."
Kalego lowered his head as he knelt in repentance. "I will do as you see fit", he said, completely serious. Sullivan eyed him carefully. His usual whimsy was absent. He could rightfully hand down any sentence he saw fit for such a grievance against one of the three great houses. Taking a breath, he collected his thoughts.
"The school will close early for an extended break until further notice. It's too dangerous to the students until Victoria is captured. I'm putting you in charge of apprehending her", said Sullivan. Kalego couldn't believe his ears. That couldn't possibly be all and he knew he wasn't the only one eager to see Ai fall for good.
"Along with this task, you will be assigned to guard Iruma-kun when Opera or myself cannot and you will also issue a formal apology to both the Asmodeus and Valac families for the mental distress you have caused. You must remain available to counsel Iruma-kun and his friends as they get past this."
Kalego maintained his lowered posture. There had to be more. He knew just how much Iruma meant to Sullivan. While indifferent at the start of the year, he wasn't about to take this accident lightly.
"To clear these duties, you will stay at my residence during Iruma-kun's recovery, helping both him and Opera in anything they request… You will see to it that Bars-kun is properly treated, including attending to his physical therapy, as well. And lastly", said Sullivan, pausing to take a breath. "Lastly, you will continue to guide the abnormal class through their graduation and keep vigil over this school."
Kalego bowed deeply. He felt like he was getting off easy, even if it meant being tormented by his senpai on a daily basis for the next few weeks. His eyes quivered at Sullivan's touch. Anxiously glancing up, he was surprised by his next words. "There are no good guard dogs without someone occasionally getting bitten... Ensure that it does not happen again", said the principal in a mix of empathy and warning.
With that, he returned to Iruma's bedside where he could resume being a worried grandparent. Opera stared at Kalego briefly before following suit. It seemed they weren't sure how they felt about Sullivan's verdict just yet.
Waiting until they had both left to rise, Kalego was impressed by Sullivan's nobility and professionalism. The demon he'd just spoken with seemed a far cry from the irritating and frivolous principal he usually dealt with.
Balam slowly stepped into the hall. He seemed to have mixed feelings as well, but he knew Kalego hadn't meant to hurt Iruma. Persephone had told him everything. Still, it was troubling that he didn't know his student's secret. If he did, he might have been just a little more careful. Iruma was human; He wasn't built to handle such surges of power like demons were.
Kalego could feel him staring, but said nothing. He was too busy internalizing everything he felt should have been said to him.
"Persephone and Nene-sama are really incredible. I had no idea they could reverse time like that", uttered Balam, trying to get his gloom ridden friend to open up. "We were lucky", stated Kalego darkly. "It's not something easily done. It took a toll on both of them", he added.
Balam looked at him sadly. He knew how torn he must have felt. "Do you want to see them?", he offered, glancing toward the patients. Kalego smirked in self deprecation. "I don't deserve that right now", he stated. Unsure what else he could say, Shichiro poured what emotion he could through his eyes. Kalego made no response, only saying, "Go ahead back to Pandora. I need to be alone." Then he was gone.
Persephone peeked out from the doorway with a sigh. "Why does he always do this to himself?", she asked, watching him stalk away. Shichiro couldn't really answer that question. They both knew Kalego intimately and that when things got hard, he always tried to shoulder the burden alone.
"Are you going after him?", asked Balam. Persephone shook her head, knowing it would make things worse. She had to wait for him to come to her. Changing the subject, she said, "Make sure you tell Pandora that the plans have been moved up. We'll move everyone tomorrow". Then she went back to her patient.
A little later, Shichiro sat in mental and emotional exhaustion beside his beloved. He had told her everything. Pandora was genuinely upset for everyone involved. "Poor Kalego-kun", she uttered, concerned. She knew Nene could heal the others' wounds, but mental ordeals weren't so easy to fix. She knew he was taking it hard, even if he didn't admit it.
Turning her attention to Shichiro, she hugged him tightly, a gesture he was eager to return. Relaxing onto his back, he tugged Pandora over with him. Staring at the ceiling, he felt so tired. They were no closer to stopping Victoria and now the entire school had to be shut down.
Balam blushed lightly at a second unexpected embrace. She gently kissed his cheek in support. She was showing him she could be strong for him, too. Nestled close, she asked about the boy.
"You're pretty close to Iruma-kun, aren't you?", she uttered. He grinned faintly. He really had taken a shine to the kid, especially after learning his secret. "I've spent a lot of time tutoring him… We have a sort of bond over our differences", he explained.
Sensing her confusion, he told her about how he'd hauled Iruma out of class, worried about his lack of wings. She smiled at first, but then she still seemed uneasy. Thinking back to Shichiro's lack of response when she mentioned humans, she made a connection.
"Shichiro...Iruma-kun is a human, isn't he?" Balam tensed immediately. How did she find out? He'd nearly forgotten how sharp her intellect was.
"Did Ai tell you that?", he asked carefully. Pandora shook her head as she snuggled closer. "Mm-mm. I can just tell. He's not like any demon I've ever met… You forget I've seen others like him. His ears are a dead give away", she grinned.
Balam spaced out momentarily as he thought about that. Rounded ears were rather unusual among demons. It was strange no one else ever mentioned them.
"Kalego-kun doesn't know, does he?", she ventured. Shichiro held her in a grateful snuggle, prompting a shy smile, silently answering her question. "His secret is safe with me", she promised.
The next day, Robin was given a clean bill of health. Thanks to Lady Nene, he was now completely curse free. He'd nearly forgotten how good that felt. Then his eyes settled over his senpai. Kalego was avoiding his gaze.
Robin heard about what happened to Iruma from Bachiko. She was beyond furious with both Victoria and Kalego. She had volunteered to guard both patients overnight. Her relative and her best student would not go unavenged. She sent Kalego a few dirty looks that morning, but he didn't mind. He only kept an even, apologetic stare each time their eyes met.
Eager to break the tension, Robin called out. "Senpai… Thank you for stopping me yesterday." Kalego looked up in mild surprise. Robin happily waved with his good arm.
His left arm had been thoroughly treated and was now in a cast and sling until further notice. Nene and Persephone had stitched his bones back together, but it would take time to fully heal. At least they had focused primarily on his hand, knowing how important a full range of motion was to an archer. They had done the same for Iruma and Bachiko was grateful for that, but she didn't seem to share her kin's sentiment. She'd made a face when Robin thanked his senpai.
"Robby, he damn near blew your arm off. What are you thanking him for? Just look at what he did to Iruma!", she argued, pointing. Robin smiled supportively. "If senpai hadn't intervened, Valac might be dead... Same goes for me", he said resolutely. Bachiko looked at him like an idiot, but he would explain everything later. She was tired and irritable from watching them all night, worried sick.
Kalego finally mustered up something to say to the supportive grin from his kouhai. "You don't have to thank me. I was just doing my job and protecting the students." Bachiko scoffed loudly. "Protecting? You must have one hell of a different definition of it you call that protecting", she said, motioning at her student. He was still out cold, likely for the best.
"And now I'm supposed to just accept that you, of all people, are supposed to guard him?", she said, clearly irritated with the situation. "That's right", said Nene, entering the room. Bachiko instantly backed down. She had no interest in going toe to toe with a former member of the thirteen crowns. "Nene-sama", she uttered, respectfully lowering her head with a faint blush.
Nene smiled as she got closer, pinching her cheek. "No need to be so formal with your Mum, dear", she grinned. Nodding, Bachiko held her tongue. "Don't be too harsh on Kalego. It's thanks to him that our sweet Iruma-kun didn't bleed to death out there", said Nene.Bachiko looked at him in question. She didn't know about that part. Then again, Robin had been unconscious, so he couldn't exactly tell her about it.
"Is that true?", asked Bachiko. Kalego shied his gaze. "I only made a tourniquet", he mumbled. "From your own coat and you held firm pressure until Per-chan and I could properly stop the bleeding. If it weren't for you, he'd have probably died from such a trauma", said Nene. She was sincere and her forgiving tone almost made him feel just a little bit better.
She turned her attention to her patients, leaving Bachiko to clean up her verbal vomit from before. "I guess I owe you an apology", she said begrudgingly. Kalego met her eyes evenly. "You don't", he stated calmly. Then he headed over to check on his student.
Nene was busily checking Iruma's vitals. "It will be best to keep him sedated until after we move him. Otherwise the trip will be very painful for him", she said. Kalego nodded silently in agreement. He knew Sullivan would make the arrangements, even if it meant carrying his grandson home, himself.
Persephone entered the room with a tray of coffee. Passing out the cups, she looked at Kalego in concern. His jaw was tight and he looked pale. Undoubtedly, he got very little sleep over night. Waiting until he met her gaze, she said, "Sit", and pointed to a chair. Too tired to argue, he allowed her to examine him.
Taking his pulse a second time for verification, they stared at one another in silence. There was a lot not being said. It gave Bachiko the creeps, but Robin watched the pair with sparkles in his eyes, eager to see them interact.
"Your pulse is a little weak. I'm suggesting you take a nap before we relocate. You're free to refuse, of course, but don't forget I can just as easily knock your ass out", said Persephone, finishing the exam. He smirked faintly at her words, the closest thing to a smile since the day before.
"Fine", he grumbled, trying to make himself comfortable in his seat. With a grin of victory, she put a blanket over him and held up a finger to hush the archers.
Approaching her master, she waited for instructions. Glancing under the bandages, she could see Iruma's arm was badly bruised, but it was in one piece, which was rather impressive, all things considered.
Elsewhere, at the Azazel home, Ameri stared teary-eyed at her phone, eagerly awaiting an update. The school had been closed without warning and the members of the student council had scrambled to help the staff notify all of the students by phone. When she'd completed her list, she had a short text message from Balam-sensei. "Iruma broke his arm. He's being treated now. Update you later."
That was from last night and she'd heard nothing since. Iruma wasn't answering his phone. She even tried calling Clara and Azz, but no answer there, either. Unknown to her, they were busy battling their own traumatic melancholy. The lack of answers weighed on her. She was starting to get really worried.
Eventually, her phone dinged. She was so surprised, she nearly dropped it. "Opera-san?" The message read, "Iruma-sama is going home today with a full discharge. The principal is being very protective, so no visitors. Sorry." All Ameri could do for now was wait to hear from Iruma directly.
Elsewhere, Victoria stared toward the school, grinning blissfully. She was brimming with borrowed power. She'd ingested so much of Robin's blood the day before that she could temporarily mimic his ability.
An eerie blush crossed her face as the mana bow took shape in her hands. Her only conundrum now was deciding on her target - Persephone or Pandora? She only had one shot at this. "Bullseye" could activate once a day and, by tomorrow, her borrowed ability would be gone.
She looked at the shimmering arrow as she thought it over. Which would get to Kalego more? Then she smiled wickedly. It was an easy choice.
Carefully drawing the bowstring, she aimed and focused. As she loosed the arrow, her mouth watered at the thought of Kalego's simmering hatred. She could imagine the look in his eyes perfectly and with Robin's power, there was no way she would miss.
To be continued...