Forbidden Love
Eps. XIII
"I know that you dislike Minagi, so tell me the truth between her and Tohkiha and you will be able to rid her." "Zeo-san, I might not like her but that's strictly a family affair. I would appreciate it if you do not try to get in the middle of it," Natsuki interrupted the man while giving him her famous Death Glare causing the man to cringed lightly from it. "Ma… Kuga-kun, there's no need to be so hostile, I'm just offering to help you getting her out of your hair here." Neritz Zeo said with a nervous smile on his face. "As a Guardian and a person, I advise you to stay out of other people's business. Good day Zeo-san," Natsuki said in a dangerous tone as she stood up and left the coffee shop, stopping to pay for her drinks only.
"Hmph… this girl is more stubborn than we believed her to be, but no matter there are plenty of staff at the school that would surely got something against the brat." Zeo murmured plotting something in his brain. He pulled out a few pictures, each with a head shot of someone. There's a picture of Natsuki, another of Shizuru, and Yukino, Haruka, Shiho, and finally Nao. "One of them would have a bone to pick on her," he murmured again and shoved the pictures back into his pocket.
"So what's so urgent that you can't wait until we close the restaurant?" Nao asked looking agitated. "Remember old man Zeo?" Natsuki asked ignoring Nao completely since this isn't the time to argue with the spider. "That bastard?" Nao raised a brow at the mention of the man's name. "Yeah, guess this he was out here earlier and wanted me to say something bad about Mikoto." Natsuki said grumpily. "Ara, I hope that my Natsuki didn't saw it as an opportunity to get back at my cousin," Shizuru chimed in every so cheerfully that it's creeping the others out sometimes. "D-don't be stupid! Of course I didn't," Natsuki stammered looking a bit flustered. "That's my Natsuki, I'm so proud of you honey…" Shizuru said planting a quick kiss on Natsuki's lips in front of everyone.
"Ahem!" Haruka cleared her throat and everyone's attention went back to the issue at hand instead of gawking at the kissing couple. "With that being said, I'm sure he will be looking for one of us soon. I personally do not know of Minagi long enough to judge her, and I'm sure Yukino here doesn't have anything bad to say about her either. What about you three?" Haruka said in a calming manner looking from Nao to Shiho and finally Shizuru. "I prefer not to deal with such vile people," Shiho said deadpan. "Ara, I belief that Zeo-san will not approach me unless he thinks that he would be able to go back to the High Council in one piece." Shizuru replied with her usual smile. "Heh, he still owed me a few knuckle sandwiches and I think it's time to collect it with interest." Nao smirked while popping her knuckles. "Yuuki-han, don't be rash. His main magic focus is wind, and it's not something you should take lightly. That man is very cunning," Shizuru warned the red head.
Elsewhere, Mai was starting her morning practice by forcing her energy into the ground to detect a small parameter around her. Mikoto was doing pull ups on a branch of a tree nearby, in her short and sleeveless t-shirt breaking sweat in the morning light. Maintaining her calming breathing, Mikoto pulled herself up, surveying the surrounding area before leaping onto another branch on another tree. She was acting normal in front of her student, but her natural alertness got her searching for whoever that was spying outside the tent last night.
"Ack! S-sensei!" Mai called out when someone or rather something came out of nowhere and grabbed onto her. Sharp claws sliced its arms up freeing Mai from its grip immediately, Mikoto appeared in a blink of an eye and caught her student with her left arm wrapping around the busty teen protectively. The cutting hands quickly re-grow itself, the thing was made out of nothing but dirt clay a golem with glowing red eyes acting as surveillance source to the summoner. "Tch… golem, should've known they would use a cheap trick like this," Mikoto murmured flexing her finger and the claws withdrawn itself.
"Mai, watch carefully because I will only show you just this once. Pushing a certain amount of your energy into the ground and focus your thought, visualize what you wanted to come out of the ground and at your enemies." Mikoto said briefly letting go of Mai as she knelt down and placed her right hand flat on the ground. "Hm!" Mikoto grunted lightly pressing her palm into the ground creating a small impact around it. Just like that, Mai couldn't believe her eyes at what her teacher could do. But that would have to wait for later as a dark crystal emerged from the ground and pushed through the golem itself impaling it up high in the air, Mikoto stood up pulling her left hand back forming it into a fist as a huge black gauntlet appeared. Leaping up in the air, the feral girl smashed the golem into dust with just a single swipe of her fist.
A red crystal orb was all that's left of the golem, Mikoto picked it up and look at it. "Hmph, spying on other people is a bad thing don't you know?" Mikoto said to the orb before she crushed it with her bare hand letting the shards of it cut into her hand. "Sensei, you're bleeding…" Mai panicked as she grabbed into her teacher's bloody hand. Mikoto said nothing as she pulled out a ruby crystal and put it under her bleeding hand watching her blood dripped onto it. Her hand glowed and the shards of the orb melted into her palm patching up her cuts immediately.
"My mother, was killed by the Kanzaki men because she was half-demon." Mikoto spoke softly looking at the ruby crystal in her hand glowing brightly as it absorbed her blood. "My grandfather, Minagi Jijirou used whatever fragments that was left of my mother and created this crystal for me to keep it to remind me of who killed her. Everyone in the High Council was involved in her death one way or another, and I'm determined to kill them all for the crime they committed." Mikoto said as her jaw muscles tightened. "When that day came, maybe we will be enemy. Do not hesitate in the battle field if you wanted to stay alive, remember that well." Mikoto spoke smiling her usual warm smile at Mai.
"Sensei, you're an idiot!" Mai said flatly and surprised Mikoto at the teen's bold words. "Of course I will not hesitate to destroy my enemies, but how could I hurt the one person I love so much. Can you do it sensei?" Mai asked tears brimming her amethyst eyes. "For revenge, I will harden my heart and do what I must do." Mikoto answered honestly. "I've been living with my enemies since I was seven, after witnessing them murdered my mother. Tell me Mai, can you forgive someone who is your father yet killed your mother in cold-blood?" Mikoto asked back and Mai really didn't have an answer as she never went through such situation before. "Of course, they didn't raised me as their own child, but as a tool for the High Council. You have no idea how many people I've killed for them, these hands will always carry the scent of blood and death. To them, I am nothing but a monster and I truly am. Mai, do you understand how dangerous I am?" Mikoto asked the teen calmly putting the crystal away. Mai didn't hesitant about what she's feeling, because she wrapped her arms around the older girl and hugged her tightly. "I don't care how dangerous you are, I love you and I will say it over and over until I draw my last breath if I have to just to show you how much I love you, sensei." Mai whispered. "Mm," Mikoto nodded hugging the teen back feeling a sudden warmness spread throughout her entire being as a single tear escaped her right eye.