Spoiler up ahead for a character that hasn't made an appearance in the anime at this time. I mean, usually you'd dive into fanfics knowing what goes on in canon. What are you doing reading fics while you're at pace with the anime?
~Fire Force~
Reflecting on herself as a whole, Kasai is not the most approachable person. Her bright red hair that seems to burn with vigor (especially under the sunlight) is her natural hair color, a trait she inherited from her ancestors that have different shades of red. Her father has reddish-brown mahogany hair (that might as well just be brown), her grandfather crimson, and Kaen burgundy. Kasai has the same red shade as candy apples, which has a bit of pink tones to it.
Kasai may have claimed to have been accustomed to being stared at for her hair, but that also means she can get a bit self-conscious of it. Actually, "a bit" is an understatement. It attracts so much attention whether she liked it or not. At first she would be insistent to cover her hair with a hat or hood, but Kaen admired her hair color a lot and said it would be a shame to hide it from the world. She really couldn't refuse her little brother's request when he unintentionally makes the puppy eyes sparkling with hope.
Add her odd hair to her aloofness and voila! A misfit who thinks she's too cool for school and is out of everyone's league. Kasai thinks she herself isn't that amazing, to be honest. This is coming from a girl whose sweaty palms can let nearly everything slip out of her hands and cause trouble for everyone around her. Stupid damn butterfingers.
Kasai is aware that rumors of her are spreading, but despite the constant word she remains impassive throughout it all. Though to say she doesn't feel something would be a lie.
Many of her peers are still wary of her and keep a distance they may claim to be politely respectable. After all, for the older sibling to murder the younger one is despicable. Unforgivable. Family never does that to one another. She deserves to atone for her sins.
At least, that's what everyone generally would think of her. It made the girl realize she is much more detested by others than she knew. For some reason, she doesn't know how to take that in. The idea of redemption versus atonement for Kasai suddenly became a thing to ponder about. Should Kaen have truly been reported dead, would Kasai self-loathe herself into guilt for as long as she lives? It would be a natural but scary response to denial once the person acknowledges it. Psychology just works that way.
Kasai pursed her lips. She's bothered by how her classmates and even some teachers and faculty staff view her in such a way. She could almost see the distaste in their expressions as they glance over to her. She knows she values family above all, but for this many to scrunch their nose simply because she "killed her brother in cold blood" with her ignition ability strikes her as surprising. Apparently a lot of people have strong feelings about murdering family (particularly poor defenseless little siblings).
Kasai glanced out the window. The sun has yet to rise to the highest point in the blue sky. It was a quarter before eleven.
What can she do to convince everyone she is not like that? Nothing. She doesn't have the influence nor power to make the entire academy hear what she has to say. First impressions stick hard. She learned that from personal experience this morning. They were set in stone before she made her debut.
The tip of her mechanical lead pencil tapped on her notes in sync with the ticking of the classroom clock.
Besides, Kasai doesn't really have the urge to drive a change in perspective. If that's how they see her, then let them be.
The bell rings throughout the Special Fire Force Training Academy. It was now lunchtime.
As students sprang to life and went off chatting animatedly with their friends or leaving for the cafeteria, Kasai produced her homemade lunchbox from her school bag and clears her desk from last period's class work. While she is practically the only one eating alone like a friendless loser (which is not wrong, ouch she did that to herself), Kasai didn't mind. At least she'll get to eat with only her thoughts to keep company.
"Check it out, it's the redhead chick..."
"She looks like she can strangle someone to death with her flame ability..."
"Stay away before she gets our siblings too! Haha..."
Kasai does her best to tune out the world around her. Only her thoughts will keep her company better than her classmates. She's her best friend in times like this.
Kasai opens the lid to reveal a rather adorable lunch meal seen in children's lunchboxes. Octopus-shaped wieners, cat-eared rice balls, and carrots carved into baby stars...
She slaps the lunchbox closed.
Craaap. She made another set without realizing it! What's worse is that she brought what is actually supposed to be Kaen's lunchbox. How did that slide pass her when she was cooking?
Kasai wanted to run her hand down her face. Has her body gotten so used to making his meals that she automatically makes two? How embarrassing... She'll just have to eat this one somewhere else at another time.
Kasai reached for her own actual lunchbox (that sneaky little thing was hiding underneath a book that Kaen's lunchbox was on top of) and sets it on her desk. Before she could return Kaen's inside, she overhears a few of her female classmates whisper to each other about something other than the girl herself, much to her relief.
"Arthur looks so handsome today~"
"So mysterious... So silent and cool..."
Kasai follows their line of vision and lands on a blond boy's head. He was the one sleeping behind his opened notebook throughout last period. She would know since he sits directly in front of her.
'So this guy's Arthur?'
She casts a look at the head still wedged inside his crossed arms. He hasn't lifted his head even after lunch began.
Kasai looks back to the girls admiring from their seats and back to the hunched form that is Arthur. She never really paid much attention to her classmates, but judging from their reaction this guy must be pretty popular with the ladies. She couldn't judge him just yet since they didn't interact yet, but for now she'll pretend she's just thin air and eat-
GROWL~
Kasai paused.
Was she mishearing things? That wasn't her stomach growling, she's not that famished. The sound was prominent in her ears that the source had to be close by.
Kasai swerved her eyes around the classroom.
GROWL~~
Kasai slowly reverts her gaze to the seat in front of her.
She gently rouses Arthur awake from his long nap. "Excuse me?"
The blond heaved a moan before finally raising his head from his desk. He rubs his light blue eyes and looks behind his shoulder to meet Kasai's face.
"It's lunchtime now. You should get something to eat." She simply said. Her ears perked up to hear the girls whispering about the redhead. They're not exactly pleased.
Arthur squinted, still under the spell. He lowers his gaze to the lunchbox sitting innocently before him and stares intently. Despite the beast howling in his stomach, he hasn't said anything and continued to bore his eyes through the box.
Kasai stared blankly. She was convinced he could be mute at this point. She pushes Kaen's lunchbox slightly towards him.
"If you don't have your own lunch, you can have mine. I made too much." Of course, she wouldn't admit this is her brother's.
Arthur seemed to revive upon hearing her consent and twists around so he was facing her.
"I'm honored. Knights will accept anything a princess bestows."
Kasai blinked. Knights? Princess? The first thing she hears from him is rather nonsensical. To be called a princess is unsettling for her modest self. If she was anything, she'd rather be called a chef or blacksmith. She has been helping grandpa Hari with his glass workshop. Just last night she earned a few scratches from accidentally handling raw cut glass the wrong way. It was nothing major though.
Kasai absentmindedly rubs the few plastered band-aids branding her fingers like sticky dull rings. She decides to play along the charade. It wouldn't hurt to humor some people if it meant she'll be humored along the way. "Uh, yeah, sure. No problem."
When Arthur opened the lunchbox, his expression lit up like a lightbulb. "The krakens have taken residence in the treasure box! The feline beasts are baring their fangs against them, protecting their riches from being swept into the pits of the vast sea!"
Wow... Just. Wow.
His imagination sure runs wild, Kasai notes as Arthur bites an octopus wiener and one of the cat-eared rice balls. He should write a fantasy book and grab the attention of people who love the fantastical world of magic and mystical creatures.
Kasai asks, "How's the food?"
Arthur continues to eat the meal, presumably haven't heard her inquiry that may have been too soft for him to hear. Kasai simply took the sign as a yes and eats her own lunch. It's not childish or cute like Kaen's, though still tastes good nonetheless. At least Arthur didn't question why she didn't eat such a cute lunchbox over her normal meal. Or maybe he just doesn't care. It was most likely the latter.
'But silent? Mysterious? Cool?'
Those words may fit Arthur, but for the wrong reasons. It's true he's actually good-looking compared to the rest of the boys in the academy and who she met up to this point. Although once she actually interacts with him, he is rather...quirky.
Regardless, he's not what his female admirers think he really is. It takes one meeting to prove them wrong. Maybe Kasai is just a little more perceptive and quick to make safe judgements than most people though. It could just be her thinking the way she did.
Kasai then remembered she forgot to introduce herself. She did that during homeroom, but she thought doing it personally would help initiate a conversation. This could be her chance to get on someone's good side and remove one less person baring hostility towards her. Not that she thinks Arthur does, but she might as well get to know someone in the school.
"My name's Kasai Daigo. What's your name?" She asked. She only heard his first name from the girls.
"Arthur Boyle. I'm the Knight King." He self-proclaims, standing straighter upon the title. He's really playing the knight in shining armor character by heart, though what makes it worse is that he genuinely sees himself as such in his own world.
Kasai sweatdropped.
Can she actually endure this charade?
"I've never met a princess with red hair like yours before. From what bloodline do you hail from?" Arthur's asked, eyeing her short locks of bright red.
For a split second Kasai thought what he said could pass for flirting. If she were to be honest, she sometimes gets approached by a few flirts who were only drawn to her hair. She doesn't think she's beautiful like an angel or goddess as some would say. In fact it's the opposite. She could have been a delinquent whose "hair was dyed by her enemies' blood" for all they knew. Not that she had any she knows of.
Kasai thinks of how to respond to Arthur's question. "Uh, well..."
"Hey Arthur! Wanna come to the courtyard with me and- Oh, you must be the transfer student everyone's talking about."
Kasai looks to the source. A dark-skinned boy with shaved sides and dark cornrows on top approaches them. He had light swirls for his irises.
The academy practically has her face and profile down now. She could imagine the toxic rumors spreading in the halls right now. She meets his face. He seems pretty friendly. "I'm Kasai Daigo."
"Sounds like a really manly name. I honestly didn't think you'd be a girl because of that. No offense or anything." He quickly added before saying, "Name's Ogun Montgomery. Nice to meet ya." He smiles, to which Kasai reciprocates with a small subtle smile of her own in greeting.
"It's all right. A lot of people tell me that, too. I don't mind." She said.
Ogun glances to Arthur who had wolfed down the whole box until it was clean. He was visibly surprised, shocked speechless even. "You actually made your own lunch, Arthur?"
"Actually... I had a spare lunchbox, so I offered it to him." Kasai replies in Arthur's place. He was probably going to spout something about knights again.
Ogun sighs in relief. "Of course. The sky would've been falling if he actually knew how to cook. That's awfully nice of you despite being new around here."
If Arthur had heard Ogun's previous remark, he didn't comment.
"I just didn't want to waste food, and Arthur helped." Kasai said.
Ogun grins. "I'm kinda jealous. You made the food yourself, I bet?" Upon Kasai's confirmation, he continued, "Any man would be happy to eat a girl's cooking."
Kasai casts a flitting glance around the classroom until they spot the clock.
"Excuse me, but I should get going now. I have to see my counselor." Kasai tells Ogun and Arthur as she packed her and Kaen's now empty lunchboxes away.
"Do you know how to get there? I can show you the way." Ogun offered. Suddenly Arthur shot up from his seat.
"The Knight King will escort the princess."
Kasai was quick to politely decline. "Thank you, but it's okay. If I forget, I can just ask for directions." She bows before exiting the room. Ogun seemed to have something to say but she had dismissed him before she took notice. He was probably going to be more insistent out of kindness, however she didn't want to trouble him, or anyone rather.
Kasai makes a beeline for the office. Students wandering in the hallway would shoot a glance at her presence before whispering discreetly to their friends about her. She kept her gaze low and still on the floor, putting an unfazed facade while taking long strides.
She was already attracting attention by herself. If she were to be seen mingling around others, a set of new rumors will simply target her. It was too late once she interacted with Arthur, the (supposedly) cool and alluring good-looking boy of the generation.
After turning around a few corners and long corridors, Kasai arrived at her destination. She was hesitant on the thought of coming here at least once per week to meet and converse with a stranger about her personal life and her troubles. If this counselor is the type she finds unpleasant, then she would have to put up with the person for the rest of her academy life. She hopes that wouldn't be the case.
She knocks on the mahogany brown door twice. "Hello? This is Kasai Daigo, the transfer student." She announced as though it explained everything. It should though, right? Unless there's another transfer student with the same name who needs counseling.
The sound of shuffling feet approaches. The door swung open to reveal a brunette woman with clouded glasses and wispy long hair tied into a ponytail. Her long bangs obscured most of her eyes, making the use of the spectacles questionable.
"Ah, Miss Kayano, yes? You came just in time." The woman said in a flat, resigned tone. Judging by her hunched shoulders, she looks like she needs a week long rest.
"Uh, my name's Kasai though..."
"I wouldn't remember each and every student's name, pardon me. Anywho, could you take these printouts to the faculty office? Someone misplaced them for mine, even though these are clearly for a math test and therefore has no relation to counseling. What an idiot..." The woman babbled while she grabbed a rather tall stack of papers on the counter beside her and present it to Kasai. For a sluggish-like woman, you would think she doesn't have the capacity to speak so fast.
The redhead tried to decline for a reason she has to make justified before she somehow got roped into her pace and found herself carrying the papers that reached up to her forehead. Heavy.
"Thanks a lot, transfer student. Also, the faculty office is downstairs to your right. Has the wordy sign compared to the rest, you wouldn't miss it. Ugh, those people are stiffer than the stiffs in the church, I swear... Don't tell them or the church I said that though." The counselor added before closing the door.
With a curt, one-sided meeting, Kasai was saddled with the task as a delivery girl. Perhaps she was asking too much for things to go in her favor when she prayed for an adult she could confide in to within the academy.
Kasai changes courses and heads to a flight of staircases. She internally groaned at the obstacle before bravely setting one foot on the first step. With slow and careful awareness, she avoids any passerby traveling up and down the stairs and arrived to the halfway point. This may sound like a piece of cake, but for Kasai, her infamous butterfingers are acting up beneath the white stack.
Kasai inwardly cursed. Just take it easy. Take your time and everything will be okay.
With great difficulty, Kasai ventures through the several steps and finally lands at the descending floor level. She had gone through what some people may have felt walking and balancing themselves on tightropes: anxiety and dread.
The girl grunts and shifts her grip on the papers slightly. She can do this. She can do this.
Kasai walks to the hallway on her right as per counselor's instructions. Speaking of, she never got to know her name. The woman just dumped -literally- paperwork on Kasai and expected her to do it without complaint upon first meeting.
A cool breeze hits her exposed nape. The seasonal chills was new for her as she always had her long hair that cascaded her back until she had trimmed it all. Kasai couldn't suppress the shivering and unfortunately led to her hands slacken in their hold.
The papers!
Her body leans forward in reaction. She tried to reach out for them but then fears the worse as it would be impossible to catch them all.
Just as the sheets were about to scatter and litter the floor, the stack binds itself together again. It was bound by a pair of arms. Before Kasai knew it, the swift action brought forth another different weight onto her, and she reflexively stood on her ground and held back the papers that would have fallen the opposite direction that is her way instead. What the hell?
"Sorry! You okay?" A boy's voice spoke from the other end of the sheets obstructing her view almost completely.
Kasai casts a glance around the papers. "Y-Yeah, thanks..." She trailed off as her bright green eyes meet red.
She was in the grace of a daunting wide smile that stretched from ear-to-ear, baring a set of sharp teeth that rivaled a carnivorous beast's. It didn't seem like the most friendliest and amicable smiles she's seen.
Kasai stifled a shriek and clogged it behind her seal lips. It was almost like something from a jump scare scene. She wouldn't have expected to be greeted with one hell of a smile. Or smirk? It was more of a smirk than a smile.
The boy notices the close proximity and leans back a little. He was still presenting the same stiff grin as he said, "You, uh, looked like you needed help. Here, I'll take some load off your hands."
Kasai took that as her cue to take some from the stack he was carrying in her place. Now both have about half each, and she can see his face clearly.
"Thank you..."
Students whisper from the sidelines.
"It's the Devil..."
"He's with the transfer student!"
"Look, they finally found someone in common: killing their own family members."
"Creepy..."
Kasai looks back to the boy in front of her. She heard of the name mingled among other rumors. Could they be referring to him? The guy who saved her the hassle from collecting the papers off the floor by herself? Aside from the...peculiar grin, he seems harmless. He just helped her, after all. Even the boy himself looks disturbed by the students spreading nothing but negativity about him, saying dehumanizing things like "Devil."
Despite his discomfort, he kept on smiling in a forceful, restrained manner.
She ignores the white noise and says to him, "Hey, would you please come with me to the faculty office? I'm new around here, so I'd appreciate it if you show me the way." She smiles kindly.
His smile slips away from him to express surprise. In the next second the grin returned to his visage. Somehow seeing that kind of smile concerns her. "Sure. Follow me."
As they began walking together, he introduced himself, "My name's Shinra Kusakabe. I'm in the same class as you."
Kasai was surprised. "You are? I'm sorry, I never really pay much attention to a lot of people."
"I don't mind. You just transferred today, so it's understandable."
Kasai could only nod in response. Silence fell between them. She wasn't sure what to talk about, and if she did it was a sensitive one. One of the students said something she couldn't let slide past her.
'Did he...murder his own family like what people think of me to Kaen?'
She doesn't believe in rumors until she sees them. They're false words that know nothing of the truth. Yet everyone spreads them around like it's a fact.
Kasai wondered if he is also a victim like her. Unable to refute what people say badly of them because no one would bother to believe them. She sympathizes with him in that case.
It brings up a question that is a good way to start the conversation.
"Are you a pyrokinetic user, Shinra?"
The sudden inquiry cuts the silence between them. Shinra glances to her in all of his attentiveness, rigid toothy smile plastered on his lips. "Yeah, third generation. I can shoot flames out of my feet."
Kasai smiles in amusement more for herself than to Shinra. She let out a giggle. "Same here, except I light my hands on fire. Pretty much the opposite."
"Really? If you have pyrokinesis, are you gonna sign up to be a fire soldier?"
"Yeah, I want to be part of the Blue Stripes."
That caught his interest. "Me too! I hope to become a hero in the Fire Force someday. Maybe we'll get to work together in the future as firefighters."
Kasai's eyes soften. He even has heroic aspirations in contrast to what people call him a demon, the opposite of a hero. When she learns that he dreams to be a hero, that makes him much more like his age. How cute. It reminds her of Kaen, honestly. "I look forward to it."
Their conversation ended once they arrived to the faculty office. They delivered the papers back to their rightful owner and excused themselves out of the room. Well, Shinra had to leave since he has no further business while Kasai had to indulge in the math teacher's idle one-sided chat regarding her and adjusting life in the academy. He was trying to get acquainted with her but Kasai knew it was just him doing his job.
When she returned to the hallways, Shinra called out to the girl, "Kasai,"
Said female looks back to him. She was surprised he was still around and even waiting for her. She thought Shinra had left to do his own things. "Yes?"
He didn't say anything for a moment. In turn, Kasai awaits patiently and looks back to him in mild confusion. If anything, that made him tense up slightly more.
"I-If you don't mind, I can show you around the academy!" He said bravely, red eyes casting downwards as he listens for her response. Behind the tight grin, he had the look that meant he would expect a typical answer he always hear. One of rejection.
Shinra had to try. Despite what everyone says about him, and even though he himself is aware she is likely going to turn him down, he believed from the bottom of his heart that this can be the start of their friendship. He heard rumors about the transfer student, too. How she killed her Infernal brother with her bare hands that awoke to their flame ability, how she appears impassive about murdering her little sibling and even denying that she committed a sin...
Shinra never believed in the rumors. It wasn't just because he is in the same boat as her, but he couldn't imagine someone harmless doing those things especially out of her own will. Everyone is quick to pin the blame on the one who started the fire. Kasai is nothing like the rumors make out of her.
Heartless, cold-blooded, dry ice? Shinra saw only the complete opposite of those. Polite, kind, and most of all, strong. Kasai never let the rumors get to her head and cloud her heart. She demonstrated that when she asked specifically for Shinra to accompany her and help her despite learning of his infamous "Devil" nickname. Everyone compared him and Kasai together as murderers who stained their hands in their beloved families' blood. She had to have known his background by now.
What struck him the most was when she didn't instantly reel back from his grin.
Kasai may have been startled at the time, but she never called him a creep or any misleading names he sometimes hears from the girls he encountered. Anyone would assume he would be a pervert with the kind of face he makes. Yet Kasai did not raise her voice against him. She looks at him like he was no one out of the ordinary; a normal person.
For once, Shinra felt a little at ease ever since he attended the academy.
He sympathized with her the most out of everyone. Maybe Kasai felt the same for Shinra. What made things different was that she is a late bloomer and only recently discovered her powers. At the age of 14, she was capable of avoiding certain things. Unlike Shinra who was only five when the fire incident that killed his family happened, he didn't know any better as a toddler. It was likely why Kasai received hostility from the students more than expected; she was aware of her limits and broke them despite that.
When Shinra saw how much of an outcast she was treated by the class, he thought she could fit in with him and his small circle of friends (he still refuses to think Arthur is his friend; heroes are way better than knights). Kasai may think she'll be fine by herself without making friends, but Shinra thought he would prove her wrong by befriending the female.
The thought spurred him into making the first step. He fears still that he may be denied and took a risk.
There was silence on the other end. Shinra stared at the tiled floor with interest. Of course. He might be overwhelming the transfer student and took a few steps far ahead than she would have liked it. Could she be disgusted by his intrusion? Does she think he's too self-centered for assuming they could become likely friends? This was his first and last chance to leave a good impression, but-!
"I don't mind. Thanks, Shinra."
Said boy looks up.
The sunlight shining through the windows cast a soft glow on her figure, her bright red hair burning a gentle candle flame. Grassy green eyes illuminated by the sun creased and glimmered with kindness and gratitude.
From where Shinra stood in the darkness of the shade, he was filled with warmth. It's such a foreign feeling. What is this feeling of joy but tightness clenching his chest? He hopes she couldn't make out the slight color dusting his cheeks from within the shadow.
Kasai smiles. "Let's be good friends, hero."
-Fire Force~
Compared to Kasai's academy life, her daily routine outside of that is what she considers hell. She would usually be seen with a few minor injuries on her body, mostly with her hands and arms. Grandfather Hari pressures her to focus on her upper body as her ignition ability requires her fists, after all.
Wrists, biceps, triceps, trapeziums, deltoids, flexors... Kasai was sure her arm limbs would fall off at any point with all the weight training. Her classmates and teachers wouldn't notice her using a handgrip underneath her desk nonstop while she takes notes. She could almost barely lift a finger to the point of being spoon fed by Hari. It was like staring into the devil's eyes. He was definitely having too much fun messing with her.
"These muscles aren't for show, Kasai," Hari once told her, "You breathe in and the blood carries the oxygen throughout your body. The more lung capacity you hold, the more power you can carry and last longer in a battle of stamina. I blow glass for a living! Haha!"
In order for her small body to hold her strength, she has to eat more than her usual portions with a strict diet. She may or may not have thrown up once during her training.
Despite the intense regimen and Hari's spartan instructions, Kasai didn't complain even if she wanted to. She would persevere all for Kaen's sake. She understood griping will never change things, so all she can do is train to the death.
Speaking of Kaen, she started writing what is more of a journal than a diary detailing her days without Kaen. By doing this, Kasai thought it would be like writing letters to her brother who is just somewhere far away. She could almost communicate through Kaen this way. It was just how she feels.
"98... 99... 100...!"
Kasai collapses to the floor with a damp face of sweat. One set of 100 push-ups done. At first she could only do measly ten at most, but after two weeks, she reached a number she never dreamed she could achieve. The same goes for everything else in general. Prior to the push-ups, she did 50 pull-ups, 50 sit-ups, and 50 squats in that order.
Kasai took a moment of rest in her prone position before slowly rising to her knees. She wipes her sweat with her black tee, the collar almost instantly soaked from the collective fluid. She feels like crap. Yet she also feels a sense of relief at the progress she was making. The human body cannot develop into a mass of muscles within a short time, but Kasai could tell her muscles are becoming firm and defined. Her noodle arms are no more!
Just as she took pride in herself, Hari appears out of no where, "Do 100 more! After that run 10 laps around the neighborhood!" before returning to his workstation, leaving a speechless and mortified Kasai falling limp on the concrete floor. A demon...
On weekends, Kasai would practice her pyrokinetic ability for the whole day with Hari, a second generation user who is surprisingly not designated as a fire soldier. He once said he didn't want to become a "lapdog of the church" and instead successfully pursued his dream of working with glass with his own hands.
Today was a clear and sunny day, the perfect weather for training. The two were standing in the backyard going over pyrokinetic abilities in depth for the first time. Before, Hari just had Kasai practice burning her flames to get a feel of it.
Hari lights a match on fire with the matchbox. "Us second generation folk can control and manipulate fire. However we need a source provided to us to make that happen. An advantage we have is that it fools our third generation opponents into thinking we can't fight back. For us, we use their flames against them." His cerulean blue eyes glow into glaring icy blue as he waves his hand over to the small gentle flame.
Kasai watched as the ember flare unnaturally. It was...hardening?
An amber crystal replaced the flame.
"Everyone's powers are unique to each of their own. For me, I can solidify fire almost like glass in the process of being shaped before it needs to be cooled down." Hari explains.
The crystal flame morphs into a beautiful glassy butterfly perched on the tip of the blackened matchstick. It even moves as though it was alive, sleek thin wings fluttering occasionally.
Kasai let out a breath of awe. It was like the fire is compressed by glass mold to give the color a burning brightness yet not rage actively at the same time. How appropriate for his ability.
The butterfly then reverts back to its original phase as a normal flame. Hari gave a quick blow to extinguish it before the match would burn to his fingertip.
"Summon your flames, Kasai."
Kasai nodded before willing her powers to life. Flames bursted and surrounded her fists in an instant, her eyes now a penetrating neon green with light V pupils.
Hari snaps his fingers. The fire immediately went out. No matter how Kasai tried, she couldn't alight her fists again like she had before.
Hari lets his hand fall limp by his side. Now Kasai could light her hands on fire.
"I see... You'd think the third generation would have the upper hand, but really we have our fair share of disadvantages just as much as we have our advantages."
Kasai's flames shifted. It was not of her will however as they assumed the form of what looks like crystalized bear paws.
Kasai meets Hari's cheeky grin with a deadpan in her eyes. She gestures her makeshift paws at the old man. "Rawr."
Hari feigns a look of adoration at the sight. "Aww, my granddaughter can be so adorable."
Kasai is totally being treated like a baby.
Hari waves his hand to dismiss his ignition ability, Kasai following suit.
"Today you'll be experimenting. Since you're a late bloomer, you'll be behind most people, but it's better to work at your own pace." He said.
Kasai stares at her palms marred with dirt, dried sweat, and minor cuts. When she awakened to her flames, she practically exploded her old house. All she has done since then was lighting her fists on fire, nothing else. She didn't have the opportunity to go all out, after all. Even then she has to be cautious.
The redhead female twists her wrists and examines them in different angles. What can she do with these hands? To punch people with them seems rather predictable if that's all she can do.
She turns her palms toward the earth and laid them perpendicular to her sides. What if she unleashes her firepower with this stance?
Kasai focuses the focal point of pressure towards the center of her palms. They radiate warmth. The soles of her sneakers lift off the concrete. The world became smaller now. So this is how tall people like Hari sees...
Kasai's breath hitched. Her arms feel numb. Is it from fear? She's not exactly scared of heights, though.
Kasai had only ascended a few feet in the air before her flames sputtered into the atmosphere. In a panic she flailed around in hopes of defying gravity even just for a couple of seconds. Fortunately for her, Hari catches her in his arms.
She was taking deep breaths and clutching her shirt. Her heart almost sank to her stomach the moment she forgot to activate her flames.
"Th-Thanks, Hari..."
Said man sets her down and quirked a brow. "What's up, kid? Got cold feet?" He chuckled at the irony of his word choice. It was the opposite in a literal sense of all aspects.
Her lips twitched upwards sheepishly. "You could say that..."
Hari claps her back, the shock causing her to straighten out from her nervousness. The gesture actually made her feel relieved. She appreciated that, even if she almost toppled over from his uncontrollable strength. He says, "Trial and error hones your techniques. Try it again."
Kasai bends on her knees slightly and held out her palms to the earth. She calms herself and ignites her hands. As she amplifies a steady amount of pressure, her body lifts off the ground slowly. She kept her gaze down the whole time, the creeping dread grabbing hold of her beating heart. The harder she stared, the more the ground seems farther away from reach.
From where Hari stood, he prompts her to not look down, assuring her he would catch her if she were to fall like the first time.
Kasai gulped and steeled herself to lift her chin to the skies. Don't think too much about it! Don't think, don't think...!
The girl listened to the soft whistle of the breeze graze her ears. The sunlight kissed her skin and the wind brushed against her short hair that glimmered like a ruby under the ray of light. On a peaceful day like this, it's soothing.
She dared to peek an eye open. What she witnessed robbed her speechless.
The cluttered houses and tall buildings of Tokyo stretched across the landscape. She could see nearly everything as clear as the blue skies. Everything looks so tiny!
A wide grin pulled at her lips. This bubbly sensation that excites her entire being... is this ecstasy? For the first time, she felt free. Like she can do anything without a care in the world. She never felt like this!
A giggle escapes her. How far can she go? She wants to try to do the loops and flips in midair, but her hands are so stiff that she doesn't know what to do after this.
Kasai slowly looks down. She was so high up that even the giant Hari looked like a dot to her. Hari was watching her in amusement until they made eye contact. He made a hand motion to come back to earth.
She obliged without a complaint. Kasai moves her hands behind her and propels herself to where Hari is. She carefully slows her velocity just several feet from above ground to safely land on her feet. She will have to get used to flying with her hands acting as her jet engines.
"Not bad, kid! How was the view from above?" Hari asked.
"It was amazing." Kasai answered, "Now I know what it's like to fly."
"That's great. You can use your pyrokinesis for mobility instead of just beating the crap outta folk. Speaking of, you'll be sparring with me. Put those fists to the test!"
Kasai nods. "Okay."
She crosses her arms into an X in front of her before circling her arms to raise her clenched knuckles before her sparring partner and mentor. It's a way to relax her nerves.
Hari grins widely, pearly white straight teeth shining like the sun itself, and stood feet-shoulder width apart. "Come at me!"
For the rest of the day, Kasai gets her ass handed to her by her grandfather.
It was one of those moments where she remembers, yep, this is what training in hell is like.
[Color of Fate]
Sorry if I made the characters OOC!
Thank you readers for supporting this fic! Whether it's a review or even a simple follow, I'm happy to see the reception.
I plan to show OC interacting with the boys officially in the next chapter, since I want to make that more focused for a separate chapter.
Random Trivia Corner - Kasai's favorite type of animal are swift and strong birds such as hawks, falcons, and eagles.