Lyrical Luscinia: "To all Shooter and Gunners. Does anyone want to come over and help out for a bit?"

Bullet Idiot: "Depends on what it is."

Lyrical Luscinia: "I'm with Toby at the moment at the part and wanted to know if anyone wanted to try their hand at helping him out. I can only do so much when compared to the better ones, so that's why I'm asking."

Kura-uchi: "I would like to go, but I'm still unsure on how exactly I lost to him. I need some time before going up against him again."

Secretary: "That kid is something else. Fighting him would only be a headache, so I don't want to waste my time trying to catch him."

Du-Sis: "You sure you aren't just saying that because you know you can't catch him? Anyway, nah. I'm good. I don't feel like dealing with that today. Sorry, Kōcchi."

Umi: "I think it would be a good chance for you, Asuka. From what I understand, you two might actually be a good match. The way you move is similar to him in a way. Just give it a try. As for you, idiot. I think you would be doing them a favor by not going."

Secretary: "You!"

Du-Sis: "Sigh. Fine, fine. Guess I don't have a choice then. Whatever. Hey, Kōcchi, send me your location. I'll be there when I get there."

Lyrical Luscinia: "Got it. Anyone else?"

Bullet Idiot: "You guys aren't using a training room, right? Then I'm going to have to reject too. We would get in too much trouble if I went along with you guys. Oh, but try not to send him over here either. Tachikawa-san has a target on him, and I don't want some more troublesome people showing up because of that."

Daybreak: "Oh, wouldn't this be a good chance, Wataru-kun?"

Kane-shima: "I thought I said you can't talk to me unless you pay me. But on the topic itself. Kōchō, how much will I get if I go?"

Daybreak: "Don't be like that, Wataru-kun. Just play nice for a bit."

6Ri: "Sorry about him, everyone. And please keep talking with him, Mittsun-san."

Daybreak: "Don't worry. I wasn't planning on stopping any time soon."

Ōji: "I have no clue how you three get along... But Kochi, would it be fine if a non-Shooter/Gunner goes if they still use those Triggers?"

.

Kōchō gave a questioning hum as she looked at the message. Kurauchi had already said he would be unable to help them out, but seeing his captain give a response felt odd.

Lyrical Lyscinia: "I have no problem with it myself."

Ōji: "Glad to hear that. Just let me know which park you two are at and I will be right over."

Kura-uchi: "Ōji, you better not be plotting something."

Ōji: "Relax. I only want to see Tobe up close. I got to only see the log and a distance fight when you fought him. I just want to check something."

"So Ōji-senpai and Asuka-chan will be coming over. Even if he wants money for it, Urushima didn't properly answer, so..."

Knowing it would end terribly, she let out a sigh and began typing once more.

Lyrical Luscinia: "So that is two people anyone else?"

Daybreak: "Wataru-kun can go. Don't worry, I'll be the one paying him. He still owes me a lot for certain reasons."

Kane-shima: "I just saw some of their last matches. I'm not going to deal with that stuff. Screw you and those favors, Ariake."

"I guess that means he isn't coming."

It was not that much of a problem when she considered his personality.

Ōji-senpai and I can handle him fine enough, but I don't think Asuka-chan would be able to hold back her trigger finger or that Toby won't rush him right away.

It was a clear difference in personalities that made her rather glad that Urushima would not be joining them.

"Still..."

"Oh, so Kazuki and someone else is coming over? Cool."

Kōchō looked over to see the Kotowari Squad Attacker looking at his phone while both of his body was moving back and forth to put him on the swing he stood on top of.

.

"Did you want to invite anyone in particular, Toby?"

"Not really. The only one that comes to mind would be Ai, but she already said she was busy. That sucks since I wanted to try fighting in a wire zone."

As much as he wanted to fight in such a space, he knew that it was better she rejected his offer.

They were not using a training area and were instead in a natural park within Mikado City. The trees and buildings around them were real mass objects that could be effected by things they did. If they were not careful then they could accidentally drag other people into what they were doing.

I need to learn some restraint. I found that out when thinking over out recent matches. There had been a lot of destruction that would normally be terrible if we were in a real city. Our last match was a bit of an exaggeration on things, but we all managed to keep things contained. But if something happens like in the match before that, it won't look good on Border. And I don't want to be the one to ruin that.

"Thinks can really get tricky when it comes to holding back."

"Weird to hear you say that."

"It's because it's weird that I'm saying it."

There had been a weird feeling with each match he had gone into. At the start it had been overshadowed by his anger and was nothing more than a small part of him that would not come out. Once Kotowari Squad had been reassured and fixed themselves he had started to get a small feeling for it, but even that was overshadowed by his own thoughts of inadequacy. But now that he was in a new place...

I feel it clearly.

He had not been able to accurately describe it. It had been something that lingered inside of him, but could not properly surface as words.

It's not really heavy or light. It's just there. Sitting there and waiting. It doesn't feel bad, but it isn't something good either.

It was a neutral feeling that had nothing to it, yet stuck to him.

Letting out a sigh of resignation, he jumped from the swing he had been standing on. His feet gave a solid sound as they hit the floor and the reverberating feeling sent to his body felt rather nice.

"You know, I-"

He paused as he felt a new vibration arrive.

This time it was from the ground itself.

.

Toby and Kōchō stopped moving themselves as things around them shook. The chains connecting the swings rattled while the branches from the nearby trees shook, dropping some leafs and broken pieces of wood. Even when they stopping moving their bodies continued to shake along with the ground.

Off in the distance they were able to hear some car alarms go off before being turned off.

The shaking had lasted only for a minute before settled down, but the two of them stayed still for a moment. Their bodies needing to steady themselves again.

"These earthquakes are really frequent, aren't they?" Kōchō asked as she messaged other to check on them.

"They've only recently started up, so it's kind of weird that they're happening."

"At least Mikado City is prepared due to Neighbors attacking. The shaking that happens isn't really something we aren't use to at this point."

"From what I've been told, Kobayashi has been using stronger materials when buildings places and Shiraishi started chipping in around the city for that too. Even if their White Rock is still destroyed."

"Oh? From what I hear, your family's company as also been helping around the city. With more than just their money."

Bringing up those Border sponsors would only lead to trouble, but neither one of them went beyond what they had heard. Anything about the individual members were kept inside. That is what they had agreed on long ago.

Toby waved off Kōchō's words with his hand as he moved to stand in front of her.

"That's at least a good thing. But dealing with these things... No and Suzume would actually be pretty useful for it."

"Is that so?" Kōchō asked.

"Yeah. No's balance can help in figuring out which materials make it easier to hold things together. Suzume's sense of rhythm can also help in figuring out how to position the materials. The swaying and general motions of buildings and objects can be used to make sure nothing is put in the wrong place."

"You should really bring this stuff up to the people who matter at some point."

Toby waved his hand again.

He let out a sigh while maintaining a certain distance from Kōchō.

"I'm still just a kid. The odd of my words making a difference are slim. Besides, my track record has more of my actions there than my words. And besides...I-I think...you m-m-matter a lot..."

"How nice of you to say. But a genius should make sure they speak up when they need to."

"People only use that word for others who are above average with their thoughts. I really only think of fighting. No need to call me that."

Kōchō shook her head at his words, but otherwise left him alone.

The two of them had already spoken about this before and had nothing else to say on the matter. Continuing now would only bring them back to where they had already been.

With that hanging around them, they began to move towards a nearby bench and table place under a tree for the shade it provided.

"So where do you think these earthquakes are coming from?"

"Hm? You think they aren't natural?"

Du-Sis: "That seems pretty obvious at this point."

The two jumped at the sudden message.

Lyrical Luscinia: "Thanks for the scare."

Du-Sis: "Anytime. But moving from that, let's talk about these earthquakes a bit."

"I wouldn't think she would be interested in that sort of thing."

"Maybe it has something to do with her brother then."

That was a the likely option.

Nodding to herself, Kōchō responded to the Suzaku sister.

Lyrical Luscinia: "What did you want to talk about?"

Du-Sis: "I actually want the input of the Kotowari Squad Attacker."

Lobo: "Me? Why?"

Du-Sis: "I could feel the weariness in that sentence. Don't worry, it's not to mock you or anything. I've just heard some things about you and figured it wouldn't hurt to ask you about it."

Toby and Kōchō looked to each other for a moment before the latter shrugged.

Only Kōchō had any real interaction with the other, so it felt odd that the Suzaku sister wanted to speak with Toby about this. Even so...

Lobo: "Alright, what exactly did you want to go over?"

.

The Suzaku sister Kōchō had called Asuka took a moment to type her response.

In that time, Toby went over what he knew of the topic they were discussing. He categorized what he knew and what he thought could be the reason. As he did so, another name appeared on his phone.

He and Kōchō had taken a seat on the bench and were now enjoying the breeze coming by.

Ōji: "Do you mind if I joined in here? I will also be there, so I don't want to be left behind on the conversation."

Lobo: "That's fine."

The sound of children running nearby soon came. Their voices covered the area as they went to the swings Toby had been standing on before. It was clear that they did not know of this, but that mattered too little to actually make any of them care.

Oh... Maybe I can go see Step later on. I can ask one of these guys to record any training so that I can show him later on. He seemed really happy about the last time, so it should be a good thing to do.

His younger brother had recently been at the Tamakoma Branch so that he could see the youngest person there. Upon hearing about that, Toby rushed to show off the video of him training with the rest of his squad.

Yōtarō was not someone to keep his mouth shut, Toby knew that, but that was also fine. Even if he told all of Tamakoma-2 about how Kotowari Squad fought it would not mean much if they could not keep up. So with that in mind he made sure to get everything down and show it to the pair of young boys.

Step looked so happy, even if Yōtarō was trying to hype up Osamu and his squad, Toby thought with a fond smile.

i should focus on this now. There shouldn't be too much time until Kazuki and Asuka make it here.

Thinking on everything he had mentally categorized, Toby looked at his phone again.

Du-Sis: "Where do you think all of these earthquakes are coming from? And how do you think we can stop them?"

"About that..."

Lobo: "They had started more recently, but I feel like we can't feel majority of the time."

Du-Sis: "Why do you think that?"

Lobo: "Because this city has a weird habit of holding festivals a lot and for pretty much no reason. The noise and shaking that happens because of those tend to make things like that hard to figure out."

"We really do hold a lot of festivals..."

Toby nodded without hesitation.

The city could be rather carefree when important things came up. Toby had thought it was their way of coping with the Neighbor attacks, but there had been festivals during an issue that involved humans, so he was not too sure.

Lobo: "Well, they weren't that string during that time. But during the time when I was racing No, the place was shaking a bit too much for it to just be the festivities. It felt kind of like we were on a ship that was swaying a bit. No probably didn't feel it because of his Side Effect, and I only felt it slightly since I was busy with other things."

Ōji: "So when did it get to this point, do you think?"

Lobo: "Earlier this week. Or roughly around that time."

There had been a certain unexplained incident earlier on in the week. One that involved someone he knew very well, meaning he had been given the information almost right away.

Someone else in this conversation likely had that information too due to who they knew.

Du-Sis: "You're talking about that sudden Neighbor attack in the city, aren't you? Hisato told some of us about it, but I heard most of it from Onii."

Ōji: "Oh yeah. The queen was involved with that one, wasn't she? It would make sense you knew more about it, Tobe."

Lobo: "That's really just off the top of my head though. For all we know it could have really started around the time the base was attacked. I don't really want to think about it, but those Neighbors had some pretty weird stuff going for them, so I wouldn't doubt that they had done something."

Ōji: "There have been a good amount of important things happening in the city recently, so it's hard to pinpoint a single instance.

Du-Sis: "That's true. And..."

"It's all pretty annoying. I would really rather it all be something we are use to, you know?"

.

Kōchō smiled at the girl who was walking towards them.

The girl's red hair was tied in a high tail with clips in the front keeping the rest of her from getting in her eyes. Her bangs hung at the sides of her face and her expression was a casual, if not dull, one that slightly resembled her brother's.

"You really weren't that far, huh Asuka-chan?"

"More like Onii would be on my case if I wasn't here quick enough."

Kōchō laughed to herself as Asuka looked over across the table. Her eyes were focused on Toby and vice versa. The two stared at each other for a moment before Asuka moved to sit next to Kōchō.

I wonder how they will get along here.

With a quick wave, Asuka lowered her shoulders and spoke first. Her tone was more uninterested than anything, but it was clear that she was sizing him up.

"Hey there. Suzaku Asuka. Gunner for Suzaku Squad."

"Toby Awdry. Attacker of Kotowari Squad."

"American, right? So first name's 'Toby' and last name's 'Awdry'."

"That's right. I'm use to calling people by their first names, so feel free to do the same."

"Cool. I expected as much, so no worries."

The two nodded their heads before relaxing in their seats and looking down at their phones.

Kōchō blinked for a moment, registering how easy the two had gotten along. Even for her, someone who knew how relaxed the two usually were, it was a bit surprising to see.

Ōji: "I guess even Tobe is pretty calm when he isn't riled up in some way."

Lyrical Luscinia: "I guess that's better than having the two go for the throats."

Ōji: "I'll make sure to tell Umi that his sister is doing well."

As long as that did not bring the rest of those terrible people over then she was fine with that.

With Asuka now here in person Toby would be able to speak directly with her. Even so, Kōchō made sure her phone captured their conversation so that Ōji would not be left behind.

.

Asuka felt nether impressed or disappointed by the dog-like Attacker sitting across from Kōchō.

The boy had been sitting rather calmly and only looked over once she had spoken up. His response to her appearance had been to watch from from a distance.

He's sizing me up, isn't he? she thought. She was guilty of doing that too so she thought nothing much of it.

For her it only felt natural to do something like that, but for this Attacker it might have been pure instinct that lead him to do it. Figuring out what someone new was like to determine how to act throughout the entire time they would be around each other.

Once they had finished looking over each other they both went about turning to their phones to continue their conversation.

Du-Sis: "So what do you think is going on?"

Lobo: "Maybe it's a collective thing from all of those things happening back-to-back. Well, that's a general idea behind it. Any specific thing... I have some thoughts on the matter, but it's pretty much speculation on my part. I don't have anything that guarantees I'm right. Just previous examples that I can use."

Ōji: "Oh? Like what exactly?"

"Well," Toby started.

Lobo: "These quakes didn't start after the large-scale invasion, so we can say that it isn't because of that. The ground was pretty shaky during the time the Wa-..."

Toby stopped for some reason and Asuka noticed the way he glanced up at her and Kōchō before quickly facing down again. He had said nothing to then and Kōchō had not noticed the odd behavior, so Asuka made sure to keep quite and see what would happen next.

There was a moment of no action before he started typing again. This time he seemed more careful with what he typed out.

Lobo: "On that off day for everyone, the ground was pretty shaky."

So that's what he decided to put instead. That would look suspicious to anyone not in the know, but I guess not everyone would know what happened.

She and their squad's Operator had learned about the Wanderers and what had happened during the day and night from her brother and Akashi. While it was a bit surprising to her, Canaria had been the one to react the most. There was not much to think about since they had not taken part in the fighting, instead being the ones "guided away" from the fighting. All that had mattered to them was what happened at night and the current situation with the Yagura Branch.

Beyond that, she was also aware of all the other things going on due to her teammates and brother. The incident with the sponsors was not a mystery to her and she was aware that they were almost called on during the attack on the base. There was nothing Toby knew that she did not already understand.

But I guess that doesn't mean Kōcchi knows about that stuff. He's just being careful so that nothing important is given away.

It was actually thought out and something other might not expect from the boy. His words and current actions were thought out ones instead of on impulse, like she had heard from others. It was shining a new light on him and giving her a better first impression of him than she thought she would have.

Even with that being the case, there was still something else that bothered her at the moment. And that was...

His fighting.

He's like this now, but what about when he fights? People who are like this tend to act like this during fights too, but I've heard that he's more energetic when fighting. The reason I was called her is to help him train, but it doesn't feel like we'll be getting to that. I mean, we're in a public part with kids around. No way is this place where they will be training. And I really don't want to go all the way to the base to watch this.

Urg. This is such a hassle. Why did Onii have me come here? He could have just gotten someone else to do it. I'm pretty sure that cheapskate Urushima would have come as long as they named any price. He was even being pushed to do it by "Daybreak". Dammit. This is too much trouble. Maybe I can just leave with some excuse.

For now she would have to wait as they were still in the middle of a conversation. Once that was over she would try to find her chance to leave.

But for now, she knew she had to focus back on reality.

Lobo: "And after that was the issue with the sponsors. I was kind of busy during that time, but like I said; I felt the shaking as I was running with No. Um, I don't know if there was anything in the discussions that could help out though."

Du-Sis: "I only know the general information on what had happened, so I can't really say much there. I don't know about the other two though."

Asuka looked up from her phone to see Kōchō's reaction. The other girl tilted her head for a moment before shaking her head. Unlike Asuka, Kōchō had no direct source of information to speak about. For her to know anything would mean she had some sort of connection to the sponsors or their meeting.

That only left one more person who could answer.

Ōji: "I don't know if it means much, there was talk of the underground over with Kobayahsi's Mogami. Apparently, she had wanted to check the underground of the Forbidden Zone, but she never got the permission to due so. From what SenSen's told us, permission's been given to check that stuff, but only Border members are allowed to go."

She had also heard of that from her brother. While she thought it would be interesting, she had been told that she could not go. When asking why her brother's response had been simple: "I'm already going to keep track of the transmission for whoever goes. There isn't really a need for you to go."

It didn't hurt to hear those words, so she said nothing against them. If her brother was going for something like that then she really would have no reason to go.

Du-Sis: "Do you know who is going so far?"

Ōji: "I guess the directors want a large group to go. To make sure things will be fine. As far as I know, SenSen isn't allowed to go because of his Side Effect. Besides that, I think that damn fox and Nino-san were allowed to go. And Umi is going too, but I bet you knew that already."

Lobo: "Are they sending anyone from a sponsor's family?"

"Why would they do that?"

Asuka looked over at Kōchō again. This time to check her reaction and see the response to her own question.

Ōji seemed to be typing again, but Toby was the one who answered her first. His expression was a neutral one, but his position looked like he was really thinking about the answer.

He also seems a bit embarrassed, but I'll leave that alone.

She could already see how these two were with each other and thought nothing of it. There was no tension between them and the feeling she got from Toby's eyes toward Kōchō were clear and simple.

"If they send someone from a sponsor's family - especially one that we were directly involved with - then they could have a direct line to what could be found out from the underground. I doubt they would think we are lying, but it's more insurance of knowing what's happening. What's more, the lesser business that also sponsor Border won't have to worry about this stuff if they know it's coming from a good source."

Ōji: "It's like Tobe said. It's a sort of protection from any discrimination that might come Border's way. And with that being said, there are a few people I can think of that they would want to add for that purpose."

Du-Sis: "I can think of some too, but let's hear it. What did you come up with?"

Ōji: "Easy. Tachikawa Squad's Yuiga. Suzunari's Kuruma. Yagura's Shiraishi. Hatohara Squad's Kobayashi. ...And Kotowari Squad's Awdry."

.

You really want to piss me off, don't you?

Toby clicked his tongue at what he saw.

The list was accurate, and everything made sense, but he still felt ire at the thought of being a child to one of Border's sponsors. The fact itself was fine with him, but the ones who were the sponsors had been the issue for him.

Whatever. I just need to make sure not to let it show. I don't really want to ruin the mood around here just because I'm pissed at those two.

Something felt strange when he thought about it, but he tried to push that away. Letting that through would have meant having two strange feelings build up, something that could only lead to him being filled with too much energy to continue the conversation.

For the time being, he decided, he would try to continue on using his words instead of his actions.

"I won't ever be used as one of their children, so I'm automatically ruled out of that spot. But I do want to go check it out myself. For my own reasons at least."

Ōji: "Sorry about that. Forgot about your situation for a second there."

"No, you didn't..."

He could not hold the bitterness back from entering his voice. The two girls may have noticed but it was hard to tell since they quickly went back to their phones.

Letting out a sigh, he began again.

Lobo: "Anyways. I doubt that Takeru would be going, so he's also out. Mr. Tatsuya might be able to go, but I'm pretty sure they would rather have Kō go instead. Chisato and Hisoka have the greatest odds of going. And I'm assuming that would mean Tatsuhito would be able to go too since he's with Chisato and has a direct connection with Shiraishi now."

Ōji: "Since it was Mogami-san who was curious about what was under the Forbidden Zone it's only right to think that they would have someone more close to her go instead of Kobayashi as a whole. That means Minon would be a better choice than Hisoso. And since Hikigone isn't a part of Kurosaki anymore, he can't go."

Lobo: "And he won't let Akane go. That much we can agree on."

.

Toby felt a sigh coming on.

It would have been easy to blame it on simply mentioning the B-Rank captain, but that would be taking the easy way out. No, he knew why he wanted to let out a sigh. It was painfully obvious from the message he had gotten from Takeshi earlier in the day.

Out next match opponents are Hikigane, Ikoma, and Yuba squads. Those guys are all really troublesome to deal with. I managed a win against Takuma before, but that was a pretty weird situation. The other two squads are way more trouble though. Especially for someone like me.

Each one of their best members is someone I have a hard time against. Takuma will be more aware of me now since I used Headfirst Fall against him. Besides that, Tatsuhito and Mr. Sekai keep up with me too well to be considered natural. They do it in different ways, but it's the fact they can outpace me and my reflexes. Maintaining a distance is also pretty hard since Tatsuhito's Senkū has reach while Mr. Sekai has a lot going for him.

He had yet to fight the Hikigane Squad captain in any way but there was a lot going for the man. Words spread around by others and first person accounts of his abilities. Even the logs showed how little space there was to move around him.

Then there was something he had recently learned about the man.

His use of Shield.

During his squad's last match, Toby got to see Shigenaga use a strange shield bash attack she called "Hikigane Shield". At the time, there had only been two launched out to attack. From what he had heard from others, Sekai was able to easily create, at minimum, three shields for such an attack. The precision and power he could use for such an attack was something that had Murakami use multiple things to get through, only to end up needing help to properly attack.

Compared to the heavy hits needed to fight that off, Toby did not have it in him to say he could win that sort of fight.

But that was when it occurred to him, something that should have been on his mind since the start of all of this. It had been pushed to the back of his mind in favor of the conversation going on.

Ah... That's right.

"We're suppose to be training."

.

Kōchō looked up with a start at Toby's words.

She had been sitting back while the other three were going from one topic to another. She had a general understanding of what they were really talking about, but she could not fully keep up with them. It was only when Toby spoke up about training that she remembered why Asuka was there in the first place and why Ōji was making his way over to them.

She was not the only who seemed to realize what went wrong here as Ōji sent something right away.

Ōji: "Going from one thing to another really kills the mood. But you somehow still kept that in tact too. Good job, Tobe."

Du-Sis: "He does have a point though. I want to finish off what we were talking about, but Kōcchi asked us to help out this guy with some training."

Ōji: "I just made it onto the scene. I suppose we can get started then. The rest of this conversation can be finished later on."

Looking around the area, Kōchō spotted the B-Rank captain walking towards them. He was also in casual wear while putting his phone away in his pocket. He was walking over with a smile and a wave, but there was something noticeably different compared to how he normally was.

He's way more still than usual. Walking like that means he doesn't really want to get too close and that he is ready to leave at any moment.

While being a more lyrical person, Kōchō was well versed in body movement from the dances she had been made to perform by her teammate. It had not been anything close to what Suzume could accomplish, but she knew well enough what it looked like when someone was holding back or ready to move away.

This was one of those times.

"For now, we should focus on how we can help Tobe."

"What are you trying to get out of this?"

"What do you think I'm trying to get out of this?"

"The chance to see how he trains in case you need to fight him again."

"Smart, but not fully accurate."

Oh? I didn't think he would actually admit to that.

She held her tongue so that the others could speak.

"I have a feeling that I will get something by helping out here. And it is also like what I had told Kurauchi: I want to see Tobe up close after he beat Kurauchi and Yuba-san."

"Whatever you say, man. I'll just let you know that you aren't as smooth as you think."

"Did Umi tell you to say that."

"Bite me."

.

The atmosphere around the group had grown a bit heavy with the way Asuka waved off Ōji's words.

The noise from the children at the playground could be heard as a silence fell over them all. Those children had no idea of the situation going on which meant their play time overlapped with the group. It felt strange to hear the overlap and placed an even heavier weight on the four of them.

Once it had started to get to all of them it had become too much. None of them had said anything and it would seem like that would be the case.

At least until one of them found their voice.

"Alright, so what are we going to be doing?"

The tense atmosphere was broken by the sound of Toby's voice.

The other three quickly turned to him. There was no tension in his posture and it seemed as if he did not even register what had been going on. The odd contradiction from his tone and the setting had caused the three of them to be confused for a second.

It was only after they thought about his words did they realize something.

"What do you mean? Weren't you the one wanting to train?"

"Yeah, but I was just going to do some solo matches at the base. Kōchō was the one who asked me to come out here so that I could train. Besides that, I have no clue what we're gonna be doing."

Asuka and Ōji were quick to turn their heads towards Kōchō, both with similar looks of curiosity.

She laughed for a moment before remembering that she was indeed the one to call them all over.

"Well, the thing is, I wanted to help him out. The problem is that I'm not really good at fighting or helping others train. I just figured that it would be better if there was someone more experienced who could help."

"Then why did you want to come here?"

"That's because of how Toby is."

"How I am?"

She nodded her head while pushing some hair back.

"You work better in a 'real' environment. Whenever I see you moving around outside of a simulation you tend to do way better. I've been watching your squad's matches recently and saw that you get kind of lazy when it comes to fighting in the B-Rank Wars."

"How so?"

"It might be because it is not 'real'," Ōji said with a hand on his chin. "You might think that, since it isn't 'real', you can be lazy since something bad will actually happen the surrounding area. I've seen that before with others, but they still end up going all out regardless."

"So because he's lazy when he knows he won't get in trouble. Hm. That's not something I expected from you."

"I didn't even know I was doing that. I thought I was always giving it my all."

"To be honest, that's more speculation on my part. It seems that way to me, but I'm also someone who can't tell much about fights. Maybe it would be better to get someone else's thoughts on the matter."

"No, no, no! I think that's pretty likely, Kōchō! Yeah! I tend to mess myself up because of the weirdest stuff! If you think that's the case, I'm pretty inclined to think that! S-s-so! Please don't look so down!"

There was an audible sigh Asuka while Ōji only gave a pitiful smile. There was a clear bias when ti came to Toby's thoughts, no matter how he tried to put it. That bias showed easily enough, but it was likely that he was also releasing some stress with that kind of thing.

He had always been someone who relied on his emotions after all.

"Besides that, I'll admit that I've been getting this weird feeling for awhile now. It's not really anything, but that's why it's bugging me."

"Can you explain it?"

"Uh... I guess it's like...I'm craving something, but I don't know what. I happened after fighting Kazuaki and Takuma. I also got the feeling when I was talking with Kei before. It's been like that whenever I think of fighting too. It really sucks since it doesn't feel good or bad."

"You're probably hungry then. Dogs need a lot of food when they want to burn energy, right? So just eat some more."

"I'm not a dog! And how can I be hungry when I'm in a trion body!?"

Ōji gave a hum to interrupt the two.

He had yet to remove his hand form his chin, so he spoke with his hand in place. A grin played on his lips as he looked from Asuka to Toby.

"She might not be wrong."

"Wha-"

"But not in a literal sense."

Finally moving his hand, he pointed to Toby before making small circles in the air.

"You might be a glutton. A glutton for something more when it comes to fighting. Maybe you want more once the fighting is over, or at least something new for yourself or your opponents. Once you've passed through a particularly difficult fight, you want the next one to be harder."

Everyone's attention was on Ōji so he did not let up.

Toby had begun to lean closer while Asuka only relaxed in her seat.

"You said you felt that way after you fought Kurauchi and Yuba-san. You had managed to defeat those two, so it makes sense you would feel that way after beating people who, quite frankly, are better than you under normal circumstances."

It was true. The two fights he had won during that match were ones he should not have won. No one was doubting that he had won, but they also knew that it was not something that happened normally. During those times, he had something that set him apart from them. Something completely new and unforeseen.

"Headfirst Fall..."

"That's right. You used Kiyome for the first time in those fights. None of us knew you had that Trigger on you, so it had caught Kurauchi and Yuba-san off guard when you fought them."

"So then...what do I do about that?"

"Well that depends. There are three people here with completely different fighting styles. Take your pick and fight one."

There was a loud groan that gathered their attention. Asuka had thrown her head back at what had been said and refused to right herself.

Kōchō had been the one to confront the girl about her actions. She placed a hand on her shoulder to shake her a bit.

"What's wrong with you? Do you really not want to help here?"

"It's not that. I just don't feel like going all the way to the base for this."

"Then why don't we just stay here?" Ōji asked.

"We're in a public part with kids right over there. We can't go fighting just because I'm too lazy to go over there."

"Well that depends on some things, doesn't it?" Ōji ignored the looks he was getting as he pulled out his phone again. "You and I tend to get in close with our fighting, and Tobe is strictly a forward-facing person. He doesn't have any distance attacks, so none of his attacks are uncontrollable."

"So what you're saying is..."

"That's right. You and I need to be the ones to fight him while the other two make sure the area is safe during the entire thing."

.

Ōji: "Is there someone with a good connection to the directors here?"

White Fox: "What do you want?"

Of all people, why did it have to be you?

Ōji let his annoyance show on his face as he typed on his phone.

At least it's someone with a good connection to Tobe too.

Ōji: "I wanted to ask if we could use the open area of the park I'm at to 'put on a performance' using our Triggers. I'm currently with Tobe, Kochi, and Umi's sister."

White Fox: "Should I be worried about why you're with Toby?"

Ōji: "I'm helping him train, you damn fox. Although, I suppose you wouldn't know what it really means to help, now would you?"

White Fox: "..."

Opps. I let some of my real feelings show with that one.

Even if the Kotowari Squad Attacker was involved, Ōji's words carried an awfully large amount of weight at the moment. If that broke this deal then he would have more issues than just not being able to train in the park.

White Fox: "Fine. I'll get your guys permission to do that. Just make sure the area is secured. And Kazuki..."

Hm? What does he want? We should have been done once he agreed.

White Fox: "Sorry for the trouble."

"—!"

With a loud snap of his phone hitting the table, making the other three jump, Ōji let out a frustrated noise. The smile once on his face had quickly turned into a frown as he glared at the device in his hand.

"That damn fox... Where doe she get off apologizing to me like that!"

"Um... Ōji-senpai?"

Snapping his attention to those around him, Ōji focused back on reality.

He let out a sigh as a hand reached his head. Using his index finger and thumb, he began to rub his forehead.

"We have permission to use this area. We only need to make sure it is secure first."

There was only silence.

His outburst had caused the three of them to keep from saying anything for the time being.

I guess that's my fault for being caught off guard like that.

"I guess I will-"

"You're going to be fighting me first. Since I don't have anything else to do now, and because I'm stuck here, I'll be the first. I want to see what you can do now that I have some more info on you."

.

Kōchō watched in amazement as Asuka stood up with a start, Trigger already in hand.

I had expected her to try and get away when she had the chance. I guess she really is curious about Toby now though.

She could heard the redhead mutter the ones to turn on her Trigger. Once the process began, they watched as her real body was switched out for her trion one.

Even with her new outfit, she maintained tired and irritated expression. Her brownish red hair was still held in a high ponytail, but seemed much more fluffy than before. Her distinct eyes looked tired still, and her beloved guns, glimmering under the light, were strapped underneath her skirt. She was still beautiful with her drowsy face and small frame. Well, Kōchō found that beautiful was not the right word. More so that she was cute.

"I'm an A-Rank Gunner, so don't forget that or else I'll fill you full of holes. Got it?"

Even now, while trying to act tough, she had an even and seemingly bored tone.

But there was a reason for her to be this way, to act out like that after only having turned on her Trigger.

It's because, unlike her brother, she is a prodigy.

Suzaku Kasumi was a Sniper who knew his limits and had never pushed himself too hard. He was always calm and viewed the battlefield from multiple angles. It was something that gave him an image of a reliable, if not weak, sort of vibe. There was only training and knowledge of himself that made him someone to be wary of when fighting.

On the other end of that was his younger sister. Suzaku Asuka was a prodigy who had managed to rise in rank before her brother. It was still unknown which squad she had been a part of to reach A-Rank, but she had been there rather quickly. B-Rank felt like it did not exist for her, but Kōchō could remember times when they had fought for points. Asuka had always been declared the winner by a landslide.

She really isn't someone to look over. When compared to other Gunners, she is actually very active. The time she takes to register what is going on and act on it is too short for most people. She doesn't have the firing speed of Yuba-san or the skill like Kazuma-senpai, but there's something that sets her apart form them. It's something that a lot of people know about you, Toby.

That was...

She knows how to accurately control and move her body.

Kōchō furrowed her brows as she thought about the two. The general difference was clear, but she was aware of just how similar the two of them were.

"Looks like we're thinking the same thing, Kochi."

"They can probably keep themselves from going overboard, but it's still concerning to see how this will turn out."

"Tobe moves in close to attack while Umi's sister can work close up or mid-range. I'm more worried about which Triggers she will be using."

"Oh, that's actually a good concern," Kōchō said as Toby and Asuka moved to the open field. "Asuka-chan uses Asteroid and Meteora mostly, so it's kind of worrying if one of those Meteora shots strays."

"I guess that's where we come in, isn't it?"

Looking over at her upperclassman, Kōchō watched as he turned on his Trigger. His casual outfit was switched out for the black one his squad normally wore.

She followed his lead by pulling out her Trigger and turning it on with a mutter of "Trigger on".

Her own body was switched for a trion-made one. The clothes she wore were also replaced with a new set of clothing that consisted of a gray vest with a same colored belt. Underneath was a three-split, dress and black pants; both held up by two brown belts. On her feet were brown boots covered in buckles. It was her own version of the Motojime Squad uniform, something that differed from her teammates, but showed that they were still a squad.

Wondering what to do next, she looked over to see Ōji with a finger to his lips and a smile playing on his lips.

"Now, we just watch what happens and prepare with Shield. If any stray shots go out, we take of them right away. No need for you to bother with attacking."

"Is there something you're looking for in this? I said you and Asuka-chan should fight him, but you didn't really seem ready to do that."

"Hmm. Not really. I just want to see what he's hungry for. This is my chance to see him up close, but I'm not even the one is supposed to really be helping him out."

"What do you mean?"

Ōji's smile lowered into a bitter one and Kōchō could feel that she had messed up with that question.

Instead of reprimanding her for it, Ōji only shook his head with a sigh.

"You see...Minon was the one who was supposed to mentor Tobe. But something happened."

.

Toby listened in on what Ōji was saying as he walked forward.

He could see that Asuka was listening in as well, but she seemed to make it a point to see disinterested in it. From behind her he could see the children from before, now facing their direction after having seen them turn their Triggers on.

He gave a smile toward the kids, motioning for them to keep their distance from him and Asuka. They had moved forward a bit, but did not go onto the grass. They were good kids, he decided.

"I don't know the full story, only what I heard from others. But apparently something happened in front of the Yagura Branch between Minon and that damn fox from Yagura."

"You mean Tsukiko-san, right?"

"Yeah... That guy."

Toby was quick to note the varying tones Ōji took when speaking about his former captain.

He had long since gotten over growling at anyone who took a bad tone when it came to his former captain. It was just a fact that not everyone liked certain people. If Ōji was like this when speaking about his former captain, that was just a part of life that he needed to accept.

"Now there is an issue with the two of them. That damn fox seems to be getting along now, but that may be because he hasn't actually thought about what is happening. He might just be going along until he can't go anymore. He had asked for Ninomiya-san to be his helper, but that's probably because the two of them keep pushing each other until neither one of them can do anything. It's not really the best thing to have them bother together, but that's just how things are."

"And Minoru-san?"

"He...has been more distant. He started talking more, really to Inukai. The rets of us are still put at a distance. I'm not particularly close to him, so I can't say much, but I'm getting some updates alongside everyone else. So for the time being I'm just watching to see how things go."

The way Ōji shrugged was a bit off putting. It felt as if he did not care too much about what was going on.

Toby could feel himself start to worry about Minoru as he thought about it, but he tried to push that down for the moment. Now was the time to focus more on training than something else.

"You said you aren't that close to Minoru-san, but what about Tsukiko-san? You spoke as if you really knew him."

Toby froze for a moment.

He had always known that speaking of his former captain around Ōji would only cause trouble, so even he had refrained from doing so openly. Having Kōchō mention him so lightly had caused Toby to turn his head to see what kind of reaction Ōji would give.

Ōji did not moved his body and his expression remained the same. His eyes looked down to Kōchō and he shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know 'him' all too well. I just happen to know that other rather well."

What did that mean?

Asking now would likely get him no answer. Even if he tried to force something out, there was just no guarantee that anything useful would come.

It hurt to think about.

"Alright, alright. You two can gossip later. We're busy with training here. Ōji, you said you wanted a close view, so head up and pay attention. No complaining if you miss something important."

Asuka spoke while reaching for her pistols strapped to her legs. Her expression had never changed even as she pulled both guns from their holsters.

Toby could hear Ōji laugh on the side.

"I guess you're right. So that makes three conversations saved for later. Right now we need to focus more on Tobe. With that being said, let's cover something first." Ōji held up a finger a she spoke. "No Bail Out. Go at it in full, but try not to make the other person Bail Out. That would cause them to go back to the base. That would be fine, but that would leave the rest of us to walk to the base. And I don't think any of us want to do that."

They both nodded their heads.

"Right. So with that being said... Let's start."

There was no obvious movement that signaled the battle.

Only the sound of a gun being fired.

.

Toby's body reacted immediately by moving to the right. The gun that had been fired was on Asuka's left, meaning that moving to the right would secure his safety way from the attack.

But...

"—!?"

An attack had managed to appear in front of him.

A new shot had been fired to his right side, where he had been dodging.

There was a gap between him and the shot fired. it was small, but there was still enough room to move and dodge.

The issue was that there was no position he could take afterwards that would not make him start to stall.

So he made a certain choice.

"Headfirst Fall!"

He fell forward.

Instead of trying to dodge the attack, he took it head-on by letting it crash into his shoulder.

Trion began leaking from the wound, but he thought nothing of it as he continued to fall forward.

A sign frame appeared at his feet and knees before shattering with his forward motion. His fall grew even more as Asuka moved in front of him.

With her first two attacks not doing much damage, she was forced to move away to her next position.

She did not hesitate to pull her the Triggers on her twin pistols. Each one of them fired shots in his direction.

They were not as fast as Yuba's rapid fire shots, but it was clear that they did not need to be. They held something else in them that made sure they would hit.

They were too accurate.

Toby could see it from his position. Each bullets fired was fired directly at him and with such precision that it felt more like there was a target on him that she was using to guide her bullets. It was unlike anything he had dealt with so far.

There were Trigger like Viper and Hound that could change trajectory to hit a target, but this was different. Each attack held power in it that neither Viper nor Hound had in them. There were no explosions either, narrowing it down to a single Trigger.

Asteroid.

Asuka was using Asteroid and still managing to be accurate in her attacks. Her eyes were trained on him even as he used Headfirst Fall. There had been no word of Asuka having a Side Effect, so what was happening now was nothing but pure ability for the girl.

It was a rush.

Toby could feel his lips start to curl upwards as he slammed a Scorpion blade into another Asteroid bullet.

The blade shattered immediately and another bullet followed right away. Falling forward was the only way he could move, so he did just that.

The Asteroid bullet grazed his shoulder as he passed it by, but he thought nothing of it. This had taken no time for him to realize that this person - this single girl - was someone who could keep up with him using only her own abilities. There was no speed increasing Trigger and no Side effect in use for her, yet she fired at him while keeping him in her sight.

"I guess I should go on the offensive now."

With those words, he shifted his body.

He had lowered his body so that he stuck closer to the ground. From there he could shift his body's altitude better in case he needed to make a quick move to dodge. His legs were used more as springs that pushed him forward with the use of Headfirst Fall instead of body parts that moved him along the ground.

Now that he had no need to focus on defense his body made a sudden jump.

His head, neck, arms, and torso went into the air while his legs straightened out some. Headfirst Fall activated once more.

This time for an offensive fall.

.

Asuka could feel herself begin to grin. Not a normal one by any means. It was a feral grin that only came when fighting all out.

She continued to fire bullets after bullets, her arms moving through the air without any real thought put into hr action. Her feet kept up with the rest of her body, leaning from the right to the left, tossing her hair around in the process.

Her bullets would connect at times, but most of the time they would barely missing the racing boy by a hair.

No! This guy isn't like that! I know exactly what he is!

He was not a racing boy. That would have meant he made thought out plans and movements. She understood that was not what was happening since she was the exact same.

He was a falling dog.

The sign frames at his feet and legs would shatter in order to increase his fall and allow him to reach his target far quicker than he should. The blades that came to his hands before shattering were his fangs and claws that grew back as soon as they were destroyed. Each one had been used for defense until now.

With her firing a shot that scraped his shoulder, he changed his stance, bouncing up for a moment. Once doing so, he began to fall towards her, a sign frame appearing on his feet and legs. It shattered in an instant as the dog began to close the distance readily.

From where she stood she could see that was leaning more to her left side.

So she fired.

Her right gun was fully loaded with Asteroid and Meteroa while her left gun held Asteroid. As an ambidextrous person she found there to be little difference in firing from her right and her left. All that mattered was firing at her opponent and making sure to hit.

So once she saw him going to her left, she began to fire her left gun's Asteroid. The shot would need to be followed by a quick second, but that was fine. Her guns were designed to modify speed and power of each bullet to a certain extent. Her power balance could be the most modified so that they would be more blunt than anything so that she could not hurt anybody. Meanwhile, the speed of her bullets could be modified by a small margin.

I don't want to seem like I'm trying to copy Takuma. This is fine enough for me. Besides, I have no issue hitting someone as fast as this.

Even as he used Headfirst Fall to move faster and correct his body movement, she was able to keep up with him. She could see how he would control his body just enough that he would not begin to stall in the middle of defending.

It was something was a bit amazed at.

Not many people could have such great body control. You needed a great understanding of your own body and how it moved. Making sure you knew how far you could move and how easy it would be to do so was also a major factor. From what she understood, there were only a handful of people in Border who could actually pull that off like it was second nature.

While this falling dog seemed to have some trouble with it, he was still moving his body in a way that normal people would not be able to without intense training.

And from what I know, he hasn't had that kind of training.

He was like her in that sense.

There was no need to train for that when it came so naturally to them. But unlike him, she had decided to ignore Katori's complaints and actually train in that sort of thing. Now she could say, with great pride, that she had an extensive understanding of her own body and could move her body in almost any way she wanted.

That was why she knew she would need to make a decision concerning her body the moment she fired her gun.

The falling dog had reached her just as she fired her first shot.

Like she thought, he dodged.

But it was not a simple dodge.

"—!"

The falling dog had thrown his body completely to the right.

She had been prepared to fire from her left, but now she could not move her arm fast enough to fire from that gun. It was made more difficult once she realized that her right gun was also slightly turned to the left.

There should have been no way she could dodge this attack.

But...

"This sucks."

A sound rang out.

The sound of a gun being fired rang out from her left side.

Without moving her arm, she had fired her left gun towards her left-leaning right arm.

The Asteroid shot crashed into her right gun.

Without waiting for her right arm to make a fully stop; she fired.

"!?"

Instead of the power hitting Asteroid shot, it was an explosion.

.

Meteroa had been fired directly in front of the Gunner girl.

The falling dog had seemed to reflexively moved his arm upwards.

Like her arms, he did not seem to be fast enough to make a block. So instead he had lifted his raised knee even higher. This had caused it to crash into him arm, throwing his arm into the air and forcing him to lose his balance.

With his arm in the air, the explosive shot hit the quickly made blade in his hand.

The attack and defense scattered through the air, sending pieces of the blade to both of their faces and the explosion catching them as they passed each other by.

Both Combatants were quick to right themselves and turn on their heels. Their entire bodies were rotated on their heels as they brought up their gun and blade respectively.

Their matching feral grins could be seen through the smoke. Both the falling dog and the Gunner looked each other in the eye, Triggers already in motion and destruction evident on their faces. Trion was leaking and going into the air, but neither one thought about that as they attacked each other.

In terms of advantage due to distance, the falling dog would have the higher ground with his blades. The ability to modify the length and width of the blade meant that he could change how he attacked in an instant. It was something that should have allowed him to overtake the Gunner girl.

"—"

But at this point it was clear that something like that would not matter.

The falling dog held nothing back as he pushed forward to reach her.

In return, the Gunner girl held her ground and fired at close range.

The first shot was an epxlosion.

The next shots were power shots meant to do real damage to the falling dog.

Both Combatants swing their arms and the rest of their bodies in order to attack.

Blades crashed into gun, and bullets shattered hastily made blade.

Neither one gave an inch as they continued to push against each other.

It wasn't until another explosion went off did they change things up.

Emerging form the smoke, the falling dog began to move around the area. Shots followed him with accuracy that would not be considered normal for someone falling the way he was. It felt as if Headfirst Fall was lagging behind the shots as some reach him.

To meet these shots, blades were created and thrown into the smoke. Some managed to deflect shots while others cut through the Gunner girls' trion body.

.

Kōchō could only watched in amazement as green light raised into the air and more moved vertically through the smoke being made.

Both Toby and Asuka were moving without any hesitation and everything they did seemed to have some sort of purpose. Nothing was given away and both were taking damage while moving around the dome of trion she and Ōji had made.

It felt so unreal to her.

"Hahaha. I guess this is what we should have expected. Although, I'll admit, I didn't think that Umi's sister would be able to keep up with him like this."

She snapped back to reality upon hearing Ōji speak from his spot next to her.

He had sounded like this did not leave the realm of reality and was just an ordinary thing to watch.

Does that mean I am nowhere near their level if I can't even come to terms with this?

She had noticed that the fight had become a sort of dance. A wild dance meant to take everything and show it off to both dancers. It was something she would often see when Maihime fought others, but taken to another level altogether.

As a Shooter, she would have wanted to maintain a distance from her target. She thought that the same could be said for Gunners. But here it was, an example to her, not all people who used Shooter-type Triggers needed to remain at a distance.

And what an example it was.

"Kurauchi had told me about how you are now a fan of Kotowari Squad. He had said that he is too, now."

"Uh... Yeah. We decided on that when we were watching one of their matches."

"I see. Well then, as their fan, how does this look to you?"

That was an unfair question.

But Ōji did not take it back. Instead, he continued to speak with something in his tone that she could not properly describe.

"Tobe is an extreme example, but this is actually what you can expect from them now. They are moving so fast that they might not even know it. Kotowari Squad is starting to reach a point where they have so much going for them that they are not focused on what they are about. As such, it makes them a bit easier to deal with during fights. They will need to slow down or else they will become easy targets since they will easily burnout."

"Does that mean you saying they should stop while they're head?"

"No, not really. All I'm saying is that they should pace themselves better. But without their responsible Operator there to help, that is pretty hard for them to do."

"And what am I suppose to do about it?"

"I don't think I said you need to do anything."

But that was just ignoring the real meaning behind his words.

"But if I were to give you some advice, I would say to stick with them. Even when they burnout. That squad relies on people; they become overly attached to people. If they know that there is at least one person, that isn't them, is excited to watch them continue on, I have no doubt that they will only do better the next time."

"That...makes sense."

She understood what he meant, and she had no plans of stopping being a fan, but the bitter expression he wore while saying that felt off putting to her.

It's almost as if he feels bad that he has to be the one to say this...

She wanted to ask him about why he wore such a bitter expression, but she was stopped by his next set of words.

"Oh? Looks like they're almost done."

Quickly turning to the two, Kōchō saw something else that seemed like it did not feel real.

.

This is great! This is so different from when I fight other strong people!

Toby grinned as he moved back to catch himself.

He looked over at Asuka and his grin widened upon seeing that one of her guns was destroyed.

During their last clash he had managed to stab one of his Scorpion blades into the muzzle of the gun as she fired from it. It had caused the bullet to destroy the gun from the inside while also shattering the blade stuck within it.

It's so different! Fighting against people like No and Shay is fun, but I know they are weaker than me. I tend to pull my punches on them, and that gets me pissed at myself. When I fight people like Kō or Mr. Masataka I tend to find it's just an uphill battle. I'm just climbing up to reach them. I still find it fun, but I also need to try so hard just to reach them.

But here...

Here is where I am! This is someone who is on even ground with me and can keep up with me! She's no better than me, and I'm no better than her! We're both right here! We're both at the same place!

So.

It's so much fun!

This had been what he wanted.

It did not make the neutral feeling go away, but he figured that feeling was what Ōji had spoken about.

No, this was different.

This was a want he knew he always had. A want to find someone who was an equal to him. Not someone weaker. Not someone stronger. Someone who could match him.

That was why he did not stop.

He continued to fall.

Once it looked like he would stop, he began again. He fell. And fell. And fell. And fell. His steps were meant to make sure he continued to fall so that he would not be captured by her and so that he could keep going.

He could remain calm when not fighting, but fighting was where he enjoyed himself.

And this was the type of battle that he enjoyed the most.

"..."

But it was now coming to an end.

Asuka had lost one of her guns and could not continue all the way.

Even so...

I'll keep going!

If the fight ended, they could just begin anew elsewhere. They could fight more once they were both fine to do so again.

But for now...

This ends!

.

The fight had reached its climax.

The falling dog did not pause and only fell even more. A sign frame appear on his foot before shattering as he crashed into it.

His target? The Gunner girl.

Said Gunner girl had not bothered with her destroyed gun and instead made a different action.

Holding out her hand, she fanned it out behind her, creating a row of cubes of trion cubes.

Without any other action from her, the cubes of trion flew forward from behind her.

Trion leaked from her legs while the same could be said about the falling dog's arms.

So instead of trying to dodge the attack, he lifted an arm that sustained the most amount of damage as the shots attacked him.

"That's pretty smart!"

"Don't think I didn't notice! These are Hound!"

There would have been no chance of outrunning them. So instead, the falling dog had decided to take the attack head-on once more.

But there was a difference.

Unlike all the other times that Hound had been used on him, and unlike the Asteroid shots already fired, once these bullets reached him, there was a different feeling to them. Each one did not simply hit in and destroy his trion body.

They bit into him.

The pack of Hound tore into his body and made sure to take pieces from his arm.

Yet they could not stop him.

The falling dog had finally reached the Gunner girl.

Once he did, they both their final actions.

"—"

"!"

The falling dog rushed once more. His blades - his claws and fangs - cut through the air.

The Gunner girl used the remaining parts of her leg to twist her body once last time.

The falling dog had lost his chance and so fell to the ground.

The Gunner girl raised her arm, gun glistening in the sun.

Trion leaked from multiple places while cracks formed all along their bodies.

Both held themselves for a moment, realizing what had happened.

And as the cracks continue to grown on their faces, they spoke in unison.

"Trigger off."

.

Well that was interesting.

Ōji watched as Asuka held out her hand for Toby to take. Neither one seemed particularly sad about the fight they just had.

If anything, both look content with what just happened. Tobe even seems like he wants more.

That was his hunger showing again. A want to keep fighting even after the battle has finished.

Neither one of them had managed to touch the dome of trion he and Kōchō made until the end of the fight. The two of them had batted each other's attacks away instead of letting them pass by to reach a place behind them.

If it had been someone weaker, he would have said that they were being idiots who thought themselves tough. Allowing attacks to reach them for no real reason only showed ignorance in understanding of yourself. It would only end in loss for those who did not know their own limits.

But these two had been different.

They had allowed attacks hit them, but they both knew their own limits and understood their bodies.

Taking those hits for them meant that it had been the only way for them to advance on each other. Dodging or blocking meant more time between when they left and when they would reach each other. They thought more about how to reach their destination to attack than they did their own wellbeing.

But that is why they make it okay to do that.

Their goal had always been to reach each other so that they would not need to take any more damage than necessary. They tried to end it quickly, but ended up realizing just how evenly matched they were. At that point, they were just making sure that the hits they took were nothing too threatening. The only time that got overturned was when Umi's sister started firing Meteora.

He gave a laugh into his hand. The others looked at him with raised brows, but he waved them off.

This is now the kind of thing we get to deal with in the B-Rank Wars.

Kurauchi would give a sigh at the realization that the falling dog that had beaten him before had just taken something else into him.

Thinking about it even more, Ōji was aware that his next set of actions would get him in a lot of trouble with his squad's Shooter.

"Okay, okay. I think I know what I want to see and what Tobe wants."

In an instant, all three took multiple steps back.

"Eh?"

.

Lyrical Luscinia: "Um... So, what do we do about this?"

Lobo: "The fact he knows what I 'want' when I don't even know is kind of concerning."

Du-Sis: "This guy is pretty creepy when he feels like it."

Kura-uchi: "Ōji! What did you do!?"

.

"Hey now, let's calm down. I was only saying that I know what to do with Tobe. Nothing bad about that, right?"

The trio gathered closer together with the two girls moving in front of Toby. Their fingers wasted no time in moving across their phones.

This is pretty bad, isn't it?

.

Du-Sis: "Who even says that? And this guy kept us in a dome the entire time?"

Lyrical Luscinia: "I was pretty dazed during the whole thing, so it actually was just him holding that up."

Lobo: "Hey, Kōchō, is there something you need to tell us?"

Kura-uchi: "I am sorry for my captain, you three. I will do everything in my power to make sure he is punished for his actions. Please do not look down on the rest of the squad just because of him."

.

"Kurauchi-san is such a nice guy."

"How does he handle this guy over here? I worry for him a bit."

"I'll make sure to make him some good oyakodon when I see him next."

Um, what is going on?

Feeling his phone go off in his pocket, Ōji pulled out the device and unlocked it to see a message glaring at him.

Kura-uchi: "What did you do to them!?"

Ōji: "I don't know. They are being strange."

Kura-uchi: "Please don't do anything regrettable to them. I would have to deal with repercussions."

It was hard to know what he meant by that, but Ōji agreed regardless.

The trio did not seem to be moving closer to him, so he assumed he would need to get closer to them.

This was exactly what needed to be done as the trio stayed motionless in their spot.

"So can we get to the fight now?"

.

Du-Sis: "Tsk. He didn't give us another chance."

Lyrical Luscinia: "Well it was fun while it lasted."

Lobo: "There will always be next time."

.

The way the trio let out sighs of defeat was a bit concerning, but he decided to not focus on that.

"So before anything, there is something I have to ask you, Umi's sister."

"I have a name, you know?"

"You would just be 'Suzaku' in my mind."

"Then call me Asuka."

"But calling you Umi's Sister sounds more fun."

"Do you want me to shoot you?"

It was worrying that she said that while readily going for her Trigger. Even if her trion body was heavily damaged, he had no doubt that she would get at least five shots in on him.

At that point it would just be on him to figure out where he wanted to get shot.

I guess it would be fine if it was in a more general area. Oh, but I should keep my chest and torso safe, just in case she takes that differently.

"Anywho," he continued.

"What did you want to ask me?"

Good. She was still contributing to the conversation.

"What do you think of Tobe now that you have fought him?"

"He's less of an animal than what I've heard."

"What did you hear about me!?"

Was it concerning that the two of them already had a good back and forth with each other? He filed that away in his mind for later, but otherwise thought nothing of it.

Even as Asuka continue messing with the dog-like boy, she seemed to be thinking about his question.

It was only after they were pushed away from each other by Kōchō did she answer him.

"It felt like he was trying to devour me."

That's what it looked like to me too. But Umi's sister, you were trying to do the same thing, weren't you?

Both Combatants had been facing each other the entire time, not wanting to look away or give the other a chance. They had moved to overtake each other, but found that they could only move a set or two forward before the other caught up.

Ōji had only seen that happen a few times. To see it in these two was a bit of an eye opener.

"Wh-wh-what do you m-m-mean by that!"

"Huh?"

He was not ready for the flustered expression the dog-like boy was showing them.

It only got more confusing by the next thing the boy said.

"I-I-I'm sorry, Asuka! I d-d-d-d-don't like yo-ou like that!"

.

Three of the four people there tilted their heads.

The last of the four gave a deep bow to the red-haired girl there.

The silence was deadly as they all waited for something to happen.

"..."

Nothing did.

After a minute passed, someone finally made a movement.

"Pff!"

Ōji had turned his head to the side while covering his mouth. The shaking of his shoulders was clear and violent, but neither one of the girls said anything about it.

Bother were busy looking at Toby.

"What are you talking about?"

Toby was quick to raise his body again. His shoulder jumped up while his face was covered in red.

His words did nothing to help his appearance.

"I w-was just trying t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-to have a fight! (Okay!?) I'm so sorry if-f-f-f I gave you that k-kind of imp-p-p-p-pression!"

"I have no clue what you're saying! And when did you become so meek!?"

"Y-y-ou said-d that I was (trying to) d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-devour you! That s-s-s-ort of thing should be done w-w-w-wi-i-i-ith! With! (A significant other!) A-a-and I just don't see you like that! S-sorry... I'm very sorry! (I'll make it up to you,) somehow!?"

"Stop switching between Japanese and English! I can't understand you! And why did that last part sound like a question?"

At this point there was no longer hidden laughter. Ōji had bent his body over to continue laughing while a confused Kōchō stood next to an unsure Asuka.

.

Du-Sis: "Anyone here know how to deal with a flustered dog?"

Lyrical Luscinia: "Toby is kind of a mess right now."

Everyone: "Kitora!"

Kitora: "Why me!?"

Lyrical Luscinia: "Oh yeah, we also have Ōji dying of laughter over here."

Everyone: "Kurauchi!"

Kura-uchi: "You people are terrible!"

.

Asuka and Kōchō took a moment to look through the messages being sent to them by Kitora and Kurauchi. The two of them decided to take turns with telling them what they should do and why they were in such states.

The first had been Kurauchi. The laughter from his squad captain had been something he waved off, saying that they could just ignore him in favor of working on Toby.

Then came Kitora's response.

Once they learned the reason for Toby's flustered appearance there was only one thing they could say.

"What!?"

The two girls were quick to turn to the bowing boy with red on their faces.

Asuka was the first to speak up, tone louder than normal and a lot higher.

"Why would you think I meant that!? We just met! Don't just go assuming things like that! I should shoot you just for thinking like that! And I even said-... You! Ah! Kōcchi, how can you-!"

"Asuka-chan! Ha ha ha... Um. Toby, you really do have...an active imagination, don't you?"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

The amount of breaths he had taken was amazing. The hundred string apology finally came to an end when Asuka gave a sigh and Kōchō smacked Ōji hard enough to get him out of his laughing fit.

There was no doubt that he knew what was going from the start. If she hit him a little too hard no one said anything about it.

"Now that we have gotten through that..."

He ignored the two pointed glares sent his way.

"Umi's sister. Was there anything else you noticed when fighting Tobe? And please try to be more aware of your words."

The next set of glares was overshadowed by another apology.

Asuka waved off the apology while facing Ōji once more.

"It felt like he was trying to find something until the end. When the last few seconds came it was like he was trying to reach out for something."

"Huh? But I wasn't doing anything like that. I mean, I was trying to get to you, true, but that's just because I wanted to win. Other than that, there wasn't really anything."

"So you really aren't aware of it then? That's actually pretty interesting. Some people would have a field day with that."

"What do you mean?"

Ōji gave a hum as Toby waved over to the children. They had been rather close to the playground, so it made sense that the kids had watched from the safety of the play structures. Even so, Toby had waved at them as if it was no issue at all.

They had only put on a show for those children.

While different from the way Suzume did it, what they had done was, in basic terms, a street performance. Something others could have watched if they had been in the area.

But for them - Border agents - it was training with meaning in everything they did.

That was why...

"You wanted something. I think I understand you a bit more now."

.

I'm feeling the same way, Kōchō thought. She had been standing by during the better part of the conversation, but that had been because she knew she was not on their level.

Where she was right now was a play far below these three who had managed to keep up with everything around them. So she could only think to herself about the current conversation.

"Creepy. This guy really is creepy."

"Right? Right? I really feel bad for his squad. A guy like this around... Should we be worried?"

I was so caught up in my thoughts that I completely missed the timing for that!

Now they're looking at me with pity! I missed the timing and they're judging me for it! Urg. This kind of sucks.

It was nice to see the two of them getting along so well after only a short amount of timing together. It had been enough to put aside the small bitterness building up inside of her, so she was pretty thankful.

She did not seem to be the only behind as Ōji took a deep breath before releasing it. His nerves must have started getting to him after being the butt of their jokes this entire time.

But that just shows how bad our upperclassmen are if he held out for this long...

She could see that this was the start of the corruption and was unsure what to think about it.

For now she would remain quiet.

"Tobe, do you want to be an All-Rounder?"

That was unexpected.

"Nah. I'm good as an Attacker. I like moving in close and having solid attacks. The feeling when the feedback hits is just the best for me."

"Then why were you so focused on the Hound Umi's sister used at the end there?"

"I wasn't...?"

Why was that a question?

If even he was unsure about it then what did it really mean?

Toby was someone who knew what he wanted and how far he could go for it. If he didn't know what was going on with himself then that could only mean one thing.

"You don't know what you want in a fight."

Her voice had come out before she had realized it.

It was reflexive to point things out about Toby when they came up.

"What do you mean, Kōcchi?"

"It's exactly like Kochi said. Tobe is constantly looking for something when he fights. What that something is probably changes, but the most basic thing he looks for is something new." Ōji began spinning his finger towards Toby, having them all follow its movement. "You probably reached the limit to what you can find as an Attacker. Even if you're only a few years younger than me, you have seen a good amount of things as an Attacker. There is very little you can find that is new when it comes to being a pure Attacker."

"So you want me to be an All-Rounder? But like I said: I don't really care for keeping my distance when fighting. That's just not who I am."

"Then don't compromise on that. There are a few Shooters who like to get in close when attacking. Gunners even more so. Just look at your fight with Umi's sister. You both went in close to attack each other, but did you feel like it was all that different from fighting an Attacker?"

"I guess not... At a base thing, it felt like I was fighting an Attacker or All-Rounder."

Ichiya-san also gets in close and he's a pure Shooter. So I guess what Ōji-senpai is saying makes sense.

If Toby wanted to learn at least the basics of using Shooter-type Triggers then she would be ready whenever. She would be able to offer him so help in that the moment he said it.

So she waited for his answer.

"But..."

"You don't need to think of it has something separate from being an Attacker. Just think of it as using something to pressure your opponent at close range and you get to attack them while they deal with what you fired. Or maybe more like body parts from multiple angles."

"Alright... But which ones would even be useful? Since I'm still helping Hoshi with her prototype Triggers I only have one free slot open. I use to have another one, but that went down since I started using Headfirst Fall."

"You're a smart guy, so maybe Hound or Viper would be good," Asuka noted. It was true that those would be best to work with him, but the other two were what Kōchō was more adept with.

If he picked one of the trajectory changing ones then she would lose her chance.

"But it is easier to use Asteroid and Meteora when you just need a quick shot. The other two require his focus to be on them for a moment."

"It will be easy for him. His Side Effect means he has more mental time to think than the rest of us since his body moves on its own. That means getting Viper ready will be like a regular person doing so under normal circumstances."

"They take more getting use to then Asteroid or Meteora."

"There is still time before he needs to use it in a match."

Kōchō knew she was fighting a losing battle. No matter how many ways she thought of to put this in her favor, there would be another two or three in the opposing side's favor.

She she made a choice.

She would have fun with this choice.

"If that's how it's going to be then I would think Hound would be better than Viper."

It was irritating to admit defeat like this, but it was also to help Toby more.

Her pride could come second in this case.

"Hound has tracking, so he can keep his mental space clear when fighting in tight spots. Also, they are easy enough to set up. They can move without his full guidance and his personal setting won't be in the way of their trajectory."

She could see Asuka looking at her, but she ignored that to make sure she had all of their attention.

"And besides...a dog needs his pack, right?"


It was the middle of the day when a dog-like boy gave a whine and those around him laughed at his misery.

The rest of the day would be filled with ideas on what he could do to improve himself. Those around being there to make sure it would work out.

Any physical training would come in the following days. The week was only half way through, after all.