**Revision v.1 Completed 03 Jul 17**
Disclaimer:
The characters and setting of Omamori Himari are properties of Fujimi Shobo and Milan Matra. Please support the author and publisher by buying the volumes in your country or region. I'm a fan of the series and all, but hey, it's not mine. And never will be. I only write for fun, not for profits. That's what a fanfic should be all about.
Also, all other characters referenced in the story, including OCs, belong to their respective owners.
Legend:
"Normal (Japanese) speech"
{"English speech"}
"Thoughts (Assume character's native language)"
Quotes from other characters are centered, regardless of perspective
Second Round – Demon Slayers, Pledges, and Transfer Students
Chapter pic: Gordon and Himari getting ready to go to school. Himari, fully clothed in her red uniform and sitting on Gordon's bed, has her hair ribbon in her mouth and is preparing to tie her hair up, while Gordon is putting on his uniform dress shirt in front of a mirror mounted on his closet door.
Walkin' tall you stand up all alone
With hand and fist I stand up for my own
The only - thing you're gonna do is fall
So watch your shit you think you own it all
(Not knowing I) got my grip on you
(It's time to show me)
What's up inside you that makes you click for...
Sevendust's "Deathstar" started blasting through the speakers of Gordon's cell phone, and it was only until forty seconds into the song that the just-awoken skater finally managed to shut it off, letting out a audible yawn. Gordon then felt a sudden tug on his arm the moment he tried moving away from his bed to go change, forcing the skater to direct his attention towards the one responsible.
A girl was sleeping soundly and snugly in his blanket, her long, bluish-black hair splayed all over. Her hands held a steady grip on the New Yorker's forearm, almost like a young child sleeping with her parents through a thunderstorm in order to seek comfort.
"..."
Right. He almost forgot about her. The girl who snuck in his room the other night. Himari, he believed her name was.
"From this day forward you will encounter more ayakashi like the one you and I had just fought. Such is the fate your family's blood has bestowed upon you."
"Your omamori may have completed its duty, but there is no need to worry. As I had pledged... No, even if I had not so pledged it, I would still protect you. I shall never leave your side, Young Lord."
"Himari. I am also an ayakashi as well. An adorable kitty cat."
It was almost hard to believe what happened last night. Heck, almost everything that happened yesterday seemed extraordinary at first.
But it wasn't. It was real. Very real.
The sudden sound of knocking from the front door interrupted Gordon's train of thought.
"Heey, Skate Punk! We're coming in!"
"E-Excuse us!"
Right. He almost forgot about those two. After that whole mess yesterday (which included losing his lunch after getting stomach-punched by Rinko), Gordon offered to share two of his extra house keys with them as a sort-of token of their newfound friendship. It was also fortunate that Rinko and Yuuto didn't live far from his place. Just a few houses down from across the street.
A cursory glance back at Himari made Gordon realize the kind of situation he was in. He was alone, in a room, with a pretty girl sleeping in his twin-sized bed. Add the fact Gordon was a foreigner and a whole new can of worms is just waiting to be opened.
"Ah, I see his room. C'mon, let's wake him up."
"Crap!"
Panicking at the sound of Rinko's voice and the footsteps accompanying it, Gordon slipped back into his bed and pretended to go to sleep. Not the best plan, but what else can he do with someone like Himari stubbornly clinging to his arm?
Outside of Gordon's bedroom, Rinko and Yuuto caught eye of Gordon's room sign - a small skateboard deck with his name written in English and katakana below it - and approached the door after the trek upstairs.
Rinko closed the gap between herself and the door and gave it a few gentle knocks.
"Heey, Skate Punk! Time to get up!"
No response.
"Think he's still sleeping?" asked Yuuto.
"Guess so."
Rinko proceeded to grab the handle, slowly pushing it open with some slight squeaking coming from the hinges.
"Hey, Skate Punk. You better get up or we're all be late for..."
The ribbon girl's words fell short after opening the door. She did see Gordon in the room, sleeping on his bed like a log in his grey shirt and blue shorts, but it was who was sleeping beside him that made Rinko drop her schoolbag.
Sleeping right beside the skater was the girl Rinko recognized as that samurai girl from yesterday, or Miss Samurai as Gordon would call her. Standing in place of the red uniform, however, was a pale blue yukata with an orange obi sash tied into a bow at the back. The yukata also appeared to be loose on the dark-haired beauty, given her shoulders and legs were exposed.
"...School..." she croaked out, bewildered at the scene in front of her.
Yuuto was also a bit shocked seeing Miss Samurai in Gordon's bed until he took notice of Rinko's fist shaking. "Uh, Rinko?"
"What...on earth...are you two DOING!?"
The ribbon girl swung her school briefcase at the sleeping pair but was caught off guard by a bedsheet being thrown at her. She struggled to get it off, and when she did, Gordon and Miss Samurai were nowhere to be seen on the bed.
"Huh!? Where'd they...?"
"Rinko! Up there!" Yuuto called, pointing towards the ceiling.
Rinko looked up and the brunette's mouth gaped open at the sight of the Miss Samurai flipping three feet above her head with Gordon in her arms before landing behind her and Yuuto with a sharp thud. Rinko's eyes then widened after turning around to see a pair of white cat ears atop the girl's head. She then looked down at Gordon, who was still sleeping as if nothing had happened.
Just how much sleep does this guy get?
"You are that wench and boy from yesterday," the Miss Samurai noted, a suspicious tone rising from her voice. "What is it that you two want at such an early hour?"
It was at that moment Gordon started to wake up, stretching his arms and yawning which resulted in the catgirl letting him go.
{"Nnnh... Yeesh, feels like I've gone through a spin cycle or something. Huh?"}
The New Yorker quickly caught eye of Yuuto and Rinko, who he then proceeded to give a wave to. "Oh, Amakawa, Kuzaki. Mornin', guys."
"Okay, does he really not know what that cosplaying catgirl just did?" Rinko deadpanned in her head.
"G-Good morning, Evans-sa... A... Aa... Aachoo!" Yuuto sneezed loudly, snot dripping down his nose and his eyes watering.
"Whoa, man. You feeling okay?"
"Yeah, I am. Thanks," Yuuto sniffled, taking a pack of tissues from his pocket and blowing his nose with them.
"Yuuto..." Rinko voiced her concern while glancing at her friend. There's no way his cat allergies would act up if no cat was around to trigger it.
Gordon rubbed his head with a "Hmm" before glancing at Miss Samurai. "Himari? I think all of us are gonna want an explanation here."
"Yeah, and why Yuuto's allergies are acting up, too!" Rinko added, holding Yuuto who was busy blowing his nose.
Himari sighed while closing her eyes for a brief moment. "Very well. I was looking to discuss this matter with the Young Lord yesterday, but I fell asleep before I could do so."
The catgirl rested her hand on her hip and cleared her throat with the other.
"The Young Lord may not be aware of this until now, but in reality he is a descendant of the Benigawa family, one of the twelve demon slayer families that have protected the human world from ayakashi since ancient times."
"Demon...slayers?" Yuuto asked with a puzzled expression.
"Wait, you mean...like monster hunters, right?" Gordon added. "Hellboy, Blade, those kind of guys?"
"If you wish to put it that way, yes," Himari answered before continuing her lecture. "Now as I was saying before, the Benigawa family is one of the twelve demon slayer families that existed since ancient times. The government of that period was relentless when it came to the threat of ayakashi, and in the countless battles that ensued a large number of demon slayers and ayakashi were killed. Even now, there are many descendants of ayakashi that still loathe these demon hunters."
"I'll show you our kind's hatred, demon slayer... ALL OF IT!-!"
Gordon's eyes drifted away after remembering the deep-seated grudge that spider from yesterday had when it tried to kill him. Still, he couldn't believe the roots of his family go that far back. And to Japan's feudal era, no less. That was incredible in and of itself.
"However," Himari continued her explanation, "one of the heads of the Benigawa decided to choose mercy over reward. Instead of annihilating the ayakashi in front of him, he subdued it, even though doing so violated his loyalty to the authorities at the time."
"And I'm guessing that's where you come in, right?" Gordon assumed. "You did mention a pledge of some sort last night you snuck in here, so let's hear it."
"Certainly." Himari smiled while placing her hand on her chest. "You see, the pledge my ancestor made was to serve the Benigawa family for all eternity, even today with me serving you, Young Lord," she stated, her voice filled with content.
Gordon didn't know what to say after hearing the cat say that. "Uh... Whoa. Heh. Uh... Damn, I..."
"My, you appear to be in a state of shock, Young Lord," Himari noted.
"Why the hell wouldn't I be?" Gordon answered. "This is my first time hearing something like this. Not only am I apparently from a family of ayakashi hunters, but I have one of them serving me out of some crazy pact my ancestors made? Man, this is too much for me to handle. I need to sit down."
"Alright, time out, Hello Kitty," Rinko began objecting, making the sign with her hands. "So what you're saying is the Skate Punk right here's some sort of demon hunter, right? Like some hero out of a shounen manga or something? Ha! Get real! Did you really think I'd believe some bogus story like that?"
"Okay, then how do you explain that spider-freak that came out of Masaki's body the other day, Ribbons? You sure it wasn't just special effects and makeup? Cause I sure as hell hadn't seen that in real life and lived to tell it."
Rinko rolled her eyes at Gordon's rebuttal, still unconvinced as Himari resumed speaking.
"Unfortunately, times have changed in this modern age. Most of the twelve families have already chosen to seal off their powers out of their own volition as the numbers of attacks by ayakashi continue to decrease. But Grandpa Tai had always been taking care of me."
"And I'm guessing Tai's the name of my gramps, right?" Gordon asked, Himari nodding in reply.
"That's the second question I've been meaning to ask the Skate Punk," Rinko interjected. "You never told us you were part-Japanese."
"I was a bit curious about that, too," Yuuto added.
Gordon ran a hand through his hair. "It's not something I really want to talk about, but yeah, I am. One-fourth to be exact." He turned his attention over to Himari, getting off his bed. "But there's one thing I don't get, Himari. Why's my last name Evans if my grandma got together with Gramps? Shouldn't her last name be Benigawa, too, technically speaking?"
"Yes, that would be true, Young Lord," the catgirl nodded. "However, Grandpa Tai did not want your grandmother bearing the Benigawa name as he feared ayakashi might come after her. Which is why you bear her name instead of your grandfather's name."
Gordon nodded subtly at her response. Gramps sure made it a commitment ensuring Grams didn't get killed. But still, who would have guessed he and his old man belonged to a family that hunts and kills demons for a living? It was one of the biggest surprises of the New Yorker's life, though he was a bit conflicted whether or not he should be happy about it.
Although "Gordon Evans Benigawa" and "Roy Evans Benigawa" did have a nice ring to it, even if they do sound weird to some folks.
Meanwhile, Rinko was carefully eyeing Himari, who was sitting down on Gordon's bed with a hand placed on her stomach, signaling she hadn't eaten.
"Hmm... Cat ears... Tail... Some crazy, out-of-the-woods story... I really don't know if I should believe it or not, but..."
The ribbon girl shot a sideways glance at Yuuto, who was blowing his nose after Gordon handed him a tissue box.
"If those ears and tail are what's causing Yuuto's allergies to come up, then I guess she's the real deal after all. However..."
Rinko's eyes narrowed at Himari's remarkable bust that was easily seen through her slightly-opened yukata, at which a tick mark appeared on the brunette's forehead.
"Just what the freakin' hell's up with those huge knockers of hers!?" she exclaimed irritably, clenching her fist with her eyes shut tight. "It pisses me off so badly it makes me want to cry! Uuuuu~!"
Streams of tears began flowed down Rinko's cheeks, disappointed that her diminutive and inadequate bosom couldn't grow any faster.
Though to be fair, not every woman in the world would like to have breasts as big as Himari's. Seriously, think of the back problems they'll cause later in life, among other things.
"There will be a time when the Young Lord's power shall be awakened. But as of right now..."
Himari approached Gordon and wrapped her arms around his neck, tipping her toes up.
"I shall protect you," she declared with a gentle smile.
Gordon found himself stunned at Himari's resolve, but at the same time can't help but feel conflicted. He was glad for her because it was his grandpa who put her up to this, but at the same time felt that he shouldn't be protected all the time. He can fight too, can he? Shouldn't he have in on the action as well? Like that brief team-up they had with that spider demon the other day?
All Gordon knew for certain is that if she was going to protect him, he has to put in some work as well. He can't just be on the sidelines and let Himari fight all his battles. It wouldn't be right.
"Okay. But promise me one thing, Himari."
"And what would that promise be, Young Lord?" Himari asked curiously, awaiting Gordon's reply.
At the last moment, however, Gordon relented, averting Himari's gaze. He couldn't tell her that. Besides, it would be rude of him to not let her perform her duty, especially if it was his grandfather allowing her to do it.
But why the hell was he so worked up for? He has a girl like Himari protecting him, but at the same time she;s not even human. She's an ayakashi like that giant spider he punched out of Taizou the other day. Should he even be concerned about Himari's well-being at all, knowing she'll be fine?
"Young Lord?"
Gordon's thoughts were cut off when he heard Himari call him. "Y-Yeah, Himari, what's up?"
"What is it that you would like to promise me?" she asked politely, her head tilted slightly.
Gordon pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes while trying to regain his thoughts. There's no way Himari would let him fight alongside her, not after what happened the other day.
The skater let out a sharp exhale while opening his eyes, this time with a serious look.
"Just promise me...you won't do anything reckless. Got that? Promise me."
Himari's eyes widened a bit at her master's request before returning to normal. "Understood, Young Lord. It is a promise. You have my word."
"And in the end, I let Himari have her way," Gordon concluded, feeling he had just lost a high-stakes bet. What the hell was that all about? Why did he feel so pent-up about a girl like Himari protecting him?
And then it hit him. It wasn't Himari's cute smile, her sweet, feminine charms, or her devotion to protecting him that made him so anxious. It was something else.
Pride. It was something he and all the alpha males in the world were all too familiar with. Who knew it would rear its ugly head here, of all places? And he nearly succumbed to it, too, when he was about to ask Himari to let him fight alongside her.
Gordon can only rub his head in embarrassment and frustration at the predicament.
"Young Lord."
The New Yorker lifted his head to see Himari bearing a stern expression.
"From here on out, I shall be your shadow. At times I shall become your sword, and at times I shall become your shield. I shall protect you from any and all evil that dares to oppose you."
Yep. She can be quite serious about her job, that's for sure.
A gentle smile crept up Gordon's lips as the skateboarder placed his hand on Himari's head, causing the catgirl to blush.
"I know you will, Himari. You don't have to tell me."
Gordon then proceeded to stroke Himari's head, bringing some smiles and giggles to the cat ayakashi as her ears twitched.
"Uh, hate to break your little moment with the Cat Princess here, Skate Punk, but we all need to get going here. Right now, perhaps?"
"Huh?" Gordon stopped what he was doing and looked to where the Rinko was pointing her thumb towards. It was his digital alarm clock, and the skater's eyes quickly widened at the time.
{"SHIT!"} he screamed out, startling Himari as he ran to the closet to get changed. "Aw man, now I'm really gonna be late! Shit, shit, shit!"
"Guess you were too preoccupied playing with your pet kitty to notice that, huh?" Rinko sassed.
"Bite me, why don't ya?" Gordon retorted, now clothed in his school uniform. He made his way over to the door after grabbing his skateboard from the closet but stopped short to look back at Himari who was sitting seiza.
"I'll see ya later, Himari."
"Have a safe day at school, Young Lord," she said, bowing her head.
"Hey, Skate Punk!" Rinko shouted from downstairs. "Hurry up and get down or we'll be late!"
''I'll be right there, Ribbons! Gimme a minute!"
Gordon closed the door behind him, leaving Himari by herself. The cat ayakashi stood up, hearing rushing footsteps coming from her master as well as a bit of back-and-forth between him and Rinko.
"And don't you ever get off swearing like that so loud in the morning!?" the brunette cried out.
"Hey, I can't help it, alright? Blame Brooklyn for that!"
"Yeah, totally calling BS on that!"
A loud slam of the door signaled the trio's departure as Himari walked over to the window, where she spotted her master on his skateboard and Yuuto and Rinko running behind him. With a satisfied smile, she closed the shade and made her way over to the closet, where her red school uniform hung from a nail on the doorframe.
"Now then," she mused. "I think it is time I get started on the preparations..."
Surprise.
That was the expression Rinko and Yuuto were feeling right now when an all-too-familiar face stood at the front of their classroom.
Gordon, on the other hand, was far less surprised than they were when he saw who was in front.
It was none other than Himari, decked out in the same crimson-colored school uniform from yesterday. Ms. Kisaragi was standing right next to Himari, seeming more or less surprised as she began introductions for the blackette.
"All right, I know this sounds a bit last-minute, but starting today we have a new transfer student. Her name is Himari Noihara and she has just moved to town with her family. I hope you will all treat her nicely just like you did with Evans the other day."
There was a bit of chatter going on with the male students after the teacher's introduction, mainly about her looks.
"Wow! What a babe!"
"I know, right? And look at that rack!"
"I'd tap that."
"I'm with you, man. I'd definitely tap that."
Gordon rolled his eyes at the perverted comments directed towards Himari. Yep, it was nice knowing those guys.
"Well, go on," Ms. Kisaragi urged the so-called "transfer student". "Introduce yourself."
Himari slowly opened her closed eyes and began speaking. "My name is Himari Noihara," she introduced. "I hail from the countryside, so I might cause some difficulties, but I do hope I can depend upon your kindness."
"Whoa, check it out," an astonished Taizou whispered. "Old-fashioned speech."
"Forget that," Shimamura, the class representative, added, "it's like she just came out of our history book."
"No shit, Sherlock," Gordon smart-mouthed in his head. "How do you think I felt when I first heard her yesterday?"
The Brooklyn boy then glanced ahead at Himari walking towards his seat in the aisle. The blackette then asked the student next to him to give up his seat. Once he happily complied, Himari quietly sat down in her new seat, eyes remaining shut.
"Well, well. Never thought I'd see you here. So what's your secret?"
"I casted a spell over this area the other day, so that the people here would accept me more easily." Her eyes cracked open while letting off a light smile. "Were you expecting something different, perhaps?"
Gordon shrugged. "Eh, not really. You did say you were gonna follow me around, so I have no problems with that."
Himari's smile widened. "You have my thanks, then."
"Evans?"
Gordon immediately looked ahead at Ms. Kisaragi. "Yes, Sensei?"
"Be sure to help Noihara out until she gets used to it here."
The skater responded with a nod before he started showing Himari his notes, allowing a soft smile to escape Ms. Kisaragi's lips.
"That was well played, cat." she commented before beginning her lesson.
After a handful of lectures from an array of teachers, it was finally time for lunch.
Gordon was resting his back against the wall, taking the last few bites of his cinnamon buns. He was busy observing Himari who was surrounded by a crowd of students armed with a barrage of questions. Heck, even Taizou and Shimamura were among those people. Himari, on the other hand, did not seem to bother answering any of their questions, instead keeping a calm and composed demeanor.
Gordon let off a light shrug. People can't help it if she's the quiet type. Unfortunately, the only people she's ever spoken to thus far are Yuuto, Rinko, and him, her so-called "Young Lord".
Speaking of Yuuto, Gordon caught eye of the brown-haired boy approaching him. "What's up, Amakawa?"
"Nothing much. I just finished eating."
"Yeah, same here. Didn't expect Miss Samurai to have such a huge crowd, though. Hard to believe she's the same girl we met the other day."
"Mhm," Yuuto nodded while observing the crowd. "I'm surprised Taizou even likes her. But still, who would have guessed ayakashi like Himari-san actually exist? Up until now, I only thought they were a myth." He glanced up at Gordon. "But if what Himari-san said about most ayakashi hating demon slayers are true, shouldn't you also be worried, too?"
"I should be given what happened. I mean, anyone would be scared out of their pants right now if they find out their family descended from monster hunters."
Speaking of family, how is Gordon going to explain all of this to his dad? He really didn't want to keep his old man locked out of the loop, but...
"Young Lord?"
Gordon thoughts were immediately cut off by Himari calling. "What's up?"
"You and Yuuto-dono have been staring at me for a while. Is everything all right over there?"
"Uh... Y...Yeah, we're cool, Himari," he assured the blackette, although hesitant at the beginning. "We're just having ourselves a little chat. You know, small talk."
Himari gave a short nod and continued what she was doing prior. However, her referring to of Gordon had some odd questions raised from the class.
"Hold on, did the new girl call Evans 'Young Lord' just now?" a male student asked curiously.
"Wait, what? That's unheard of!" another male student asked, shocked at the revelation.
"Do you know what kind of relationship they have?" a female student asked.
{"Aw man..."} Gordon immediately hid his face in embarrassment at the onslaught of questions and assumptions aimed at him, causing Yuuto to worry.
"Evans-san?"
"She just had to say it here, didn't she?" the New Yorker groaned, shaking his head. "Now I can kiss my regular school life goodbye."
"Well..."
"Hey, new girl!" a familiar voice called, forcing the boys to look and see Rinko stomping over to Himari's seat.
"Oh, you are still here, wench?"
"Grr...! What do you mean 'still here'!? I've been here the whole time! And would it kill you to be a bit more social? You haven't moved an inch from that seat since lunch started, you know!"
"Perhaps, and you are indeed correct on your previous statement," Himari began explaining. "However given this is my first day starting school here, I wanted to observe how the students behave before I can get acquainted with them."
"Huuh... Noihara brings up a good point, Kuzaki," Taizou murmured. "It's her first day, after all. Cut her some slack, will ya?"
"Yeah, who can't help if she's quiet. I think it's cute!"
A handful of students began to mutter in agreement with Taizou's words, bringing an embarrassed blushed to Rinko's cheeks. However the ribbon girl wasn't going to back down, for she had an ace up her sleeve.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. No need to force you or anything." Her easygoing nature was soon broken with a sly smirk. "Buuut that doesn't mean I'm up for a little wager."
Himari raised a curious eyebrow. "What kind of wager are you suggesting?" she asked.
"Fu-fu. I challenge you to a sports battle, Himari Noihara!" Rinko declared, leaning her head close to the cat ayakashi's face. "And for our wager, it will be none other than..."
The brunette closed her eyes and raised her finger towards the ceiling, then opened them and pointed at Gordon, drawing his attention.
"The Skate Punk! Whoever wins...gets to keep him!"
{"Wait, WHAT!?"} Gordon exclaimed, shocked at the announcement while the entire class went into awe.
"Now it's Kuzaki going after the foreign guy?" a male student asked incredulously. "Damn that punk; who does he think he is getting all the girls!?"
"Yeah, and he just started yesterday, too!" another male student chimed in. "What, is the Class Rep next?"
"Keep me out of this!" Shimamura snapped.
"Strange, I always thought Kuzaki had a thing for Amakawa," a female voice assumed, causing the boy in question to turn his head and blush slightly.
"So what do you say, Cat Princess?" Rinko encouraged Himari. "You up for it or what?"
"Hmm..." the crimson-clad schoolgirl pondered before she stood up. "Very well. I accept your challenge."
Gordon was busy banging his head against the wall. By god, this can't be happening. Why did it have to happen?
Meanwhile, Rinko grinned inwardly at Himari accepting her "wager". "Heh-heh... I have you in my sights now, Cat Princess." She shifted her eyes to Gordon, still banging his head on the wall with Yuuto trying to calm him down. She really felt sorry putting him on the spot like that, but he just has to endure it for the time being.
The brunette glanced back at Himari's large bust that was well-visible with the blazer she wore. Those thunder tits of hers were really starting to piss her off.
At the track, Rinko, in her gym uniform, was busy stretching her legs out. She then glanced up at Himari, who was simply adjusting her shirt that did nothing to hide her ample bosom, causing the brunette to grimace at the sight of it.
Meanwhile, there was a fairly huge crowd that gathered for the so-called "Event of the Century", with Gordon, Yuuto, and Taizou getting front-row seats to the spectacle.
"Haah. Man, would you look at that? Never thought I'd see two cute girls in bloomers competing for the foreigner." Taizou gave Gordon a few pats on the back with a satisfied grin. "I gotta break it to ya, Stupid Lord. You really know how to reel them in, huh?"
Gordon let out an annoyed sigh. "Look, Masaki. I just wanna go home and pretend this never happened, okay?"
"Aw, come on! If I was in your shoes right now, I'd be celebrating!"
Gordon let out a small growl before casting a sideways glance at Yuuto, whom he noticed had a worried look on his face.
"Something the matter, Amakawa?" he asked him.
"Huh? Oh, uh..."
"It's about me, right?"
Yuuto simply nodded in reply.
Gordon let out a sharp exhale. "Look, man. I don't know what your ribbon friend was even thinking when she offered me as a prize, okay? I can't read her mind. Plus..."
The skateboarder glanced ahead at Himari who was adjusting her hair ribbon. He couldn't help but have this strange feeling Rinko was about to bring a knife to an all-out gun fight.
At the track, Himari caught eye of Gordon's glance when she looked back. Wanting to tease her master a little, she gave him a playful smile and wink that quickly resulted in him turning his head away. Unfortunately the grimace he had failed to hide the faint blush coming from his cheeks.
The cat ayakashi let out an amused giggle at the response. Oh, was she looking forward to teasing him more in the future.
"Hey!" Rinko interrupted, her body crouched into a runner's stance. "If you're done teasing the Skate Punk, we're about to start!"
"Right, my apologies." Himari crouched down, copying the ribbon girl's stance. "So may I ask what we are doing?" she asked with a glance.
"Hmph! This event is called the hundred-meter dash," Rinko explained, eyes focused on the track.
"Hm. So it is nothing but a simple foot race, I see? Very well."
"Ready..." a nearby student called out, holding a starting pistol in the air as the two girls waited for it to go off.
BANG!
Almost in a heartbeat, Rinko shot out of the starting line at breakneck speed, pushing her legs to the brink as she sprinted across the track in a burst of overflowing youth.
"Ha! Let's see you try and keep up, Cat... Huh!?"
The brunette's eyes widened after they shifted over to Himari, who was running right next to her at the exact same pace. That is, until she watched the cat take off at a speed that may as well put Road Runner to shame, leaving a trail of dust in her wake.
Meanwhile, the crowd was met with total and utter shock at what they had just witnessed. No person should be able to run that fast, not even Olympic runners!
The only person who wasn't at all shocked was Gordon, who simply shoved his hands inside his pockets. Yep. Rinko just brought a knife to a gun fight... Or rather, a bomb fight.
And so the competition continued.
At the high jump, Rinko was in total shock after seeing Himari jump an insane height. In kendo, Rinko was beaten with a series of sword strikes from Himari before she even landed an attack! Following kendo, the ribbon girl was shut down in ping-pong, out-dunked in basketball, received a nasty hit in the face in soccer, got her ass whupped in judo, and finally out-scored in tennis where Himari always managed to make the tennis ball hit the line every. Single. Time. Heck, Rinko didn't even get a chance to return the shot given the speed it was going. It was like hitting fastballs with a twig.
Finally, it was game, set, and match for Rinko as she slumped to the ground in defeat, her head downcast.
"N-No way. I...lost?"
All of the students gasped in shock at this sudden outcome.
"Wait, what!?" a male student exclaimed. "Kuzaki lost to Noihara!?"
"She's the school's best athlete and she was beaten that easily?" another male student asked in disbelief. "I can't believe it! I won't believe it!"
Yuuto was also in shock at what he had just witnessed with his childhood friend's loss, his mouth agape and eyes widened. Meanwhile Gordon simply stood with his arms folded, letting off a sharp exhale before massaging his temples.
At the court, Rinko could hear footsteps approaching. No doubt they belonged to Himari.
"I believe it is my victory," the blackette declared.
Rinko kept her head down in silence, eliciting a sigh from Himari.
"If you still wish to keep your honor intact, then you should yield and pull out of this competition."
With those words, the blackette turned around and walking away, leaving Rinko behind. However it was that statement that left the brunette's teeth clenched. Sure, she was a spirited athlete who competes for fun and games, but after this fatal blow she just wasn't even in the mood. And the last thing she needed was for someone like Himari to tell her to give up when she already lost.
"Shut...up," she seethed out.
Himari halted mid-step. "Are you still planning to continue?"
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Rinko roared, standing with an angry scowl on her face. "You're not even human! You're just a monster, so don't you dare show me pity, got that!?"
The entire crowd went aghast at the brunette's sudden outburst, including Yuuto.
Gordon remained silent but had his teeth clenched behind his closed lips.
At the tennis court, Himari's eyes were downcast before she closed them. "...Indeed. I do admit your words speak the truth," the cat samurai admitted before leaving the scene.
"Dammit Rinko, why'd you have to go there?" Gordon muttered before taking off after Himari. "Hey, Himari, wait up!"
Yuuto silently watched his dark-skinned classmate leave before heading down to the tennis court to console Rinko.
Himari was sitting up on the rooftop entrance late after school, her hand resting on her chin as she gazed at the amber sky that lay before her. The cat swordswoman's long ponytail was flowing in the gentle breeze, and her face bore a distant look until the click of the door below drew her attention. She looked down to see who it was and to her hidden surprise saw Gordon come out.
"You know, I sorta figured you'd be up on the rooftop, Himari. Cats do like high places, after all."
Himari did not say a word, which made things all the more awkward for Gordon as the skater scratched his head trying to think of something.
"Ugh. Alright, look. Can you forget about what Ribbons said at the tennis court? I'm sure she didn't mean it when she called you a monster. She was a bit pissed off after she got her ass handed to ya, that's all."
Himari glanced down at Gordon for a few moments before returning her eyes to the horizon. "It does not bother me," she said.
Gordon breathed a relieved sigh at the cat samurai's response. "You really had me worried for a moment there, you know that?"
"But what about you, Young Lord?"
"Hm?"
[Music: "Ivory and Irony (piano ver.)" by Deluhi]
Gordon turned and looked up towards Himari standing on top of the entrance, her purple eyes staring down at his.
"You have an ayakashi such as myself following you around," the blackette stated. "Does it not bother you?"
{"..."}
"..."
A long and deafening silence ensued between the two until Gordon broke it with a huff, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"Christ, Himari. I already told ya I was fine with you following me around earlier, didn't I? Besides, ever since you showed up and told me everything - demon slayers, ayakashi and all - it's been really hard turning you down." He stepped back from the wall and turned to Himari with his hands behind his head. "Now would you get down from there? You standing on that ledge is starting to get me worried."
Himari smiled at Gordon's reply, letting out a relieved sigh. "You are too kind, Young Lord."
The blackette moved closer to the ledge, instantly catching Gordon's attention.
"Hey, wait Himari, I didn't mean jum...!"
But his words fell short when Himari fell from the ledge with her arms reaching out for him, forcing Gordon to run and catch her. The New Yorker can feel time slow down as he reached his arms out and caught Himari in an embrace. However he was knocked over from the force and was sent falling to the ground on his back. The skateboarder's head struck the hard concrete, blacking out his vision for a moment.
After a while, Gordon slowly opened his eyes and lifted his head up to see Himari piled on top of him, eyes were closed arms were spread out. The cat ayakashi's lips were also curled into a content smile.
"Man, that was way too close for comfort," he sighed before looking down at Himari with a frown. Honestly, did she really have to jump down from the ledge? Thanks to that, he almost got a concuss...
Gordon's thoughts were cut off the moment Himari's cat ears and tail popped out. He then saw the blackette lift her head up, revealing a warm smile as her ears twitched cutely.
A subtle twitch came from the Brooklyn teen's eyebrow for a few seconds until he let out a resigned sigh. "Alright, alright, fine," he conceded, placing his hand on Himari's head and giving it a few gentle strokes, inviting a light purr from the cat as she nuzzled his chest in delight.
"I swear, she reminds me way too much of Shirone when she's like this," he murmured irritably, thinking back to Rika's white cat as he moved his hand to Himari's chin and began stroking it with his fingers.
Himari giggled at her master's display of affection before batting his cheek playfully, earning some chuckles from Gordon as he stroked the catgirl's head once more, this time causing Himari to mew happily before rubbing the New Yorker's cheek with her own.
Gordon can feel heat rising from his face. "Man, I really hope this doesn't turn into some kind of fetish later on. That's the last thing I need to..."
The boy's thoughts were interrupted by Himari using her breasts to smother his face.
"Ugh. Why me?"
[End music]
The next day...
"Are you sure you want to go through with this, Rinko?"
Yuuto and Rinko were standing at the front door to Gordon's house. But the two weren't here to wake him up like they did yesterday. The ribbon girl felt so terrible after calling Himari a monster that she couldn't sleep a wink, and after some consideration decided that a proper apology was in order.
"Yeah," she confirmed with a nod. "I just felt bad about calling Himari a monster when I should've known better..."
"I don't think Himari-san is one to hold a grudge against someone, Rinko."
"I know that, Yuuto, it's just... If I don't get this off my chest now I won't be able to forgive myself."
Rinko faced her childhood friend with a saddened look on her face. "You understand, right? Since we've been friends for a long time."
Yuuto gave a short nod. "Of course I understand, Rinko. You've been taking care of me ever since my parents died and even looked out for me when I first moved here with them. How could I not after all you've done for me?"
Rinko can feel her cheeks turn a faint, rosy pink at Yuuto's kind words. "Yeah, I guess you're right about that. I sorta need to do this alone, so..."
"I get it," Yuuto said understandably. "I'll wait here."
Rinko let out a soft smile. "Thanks."
The ribbon girl then directed her eyes towards the door, breathing a slow sigh before inserting the key into the lock. The door opened to reveal Gordon and Himari already dressed in their uniforms, the former (with his headphones on, not playing any music) pulling on his other sneaker while hopping slightly until he caught eye of his friends.
"Oh, Kuzaki, Amakawa. Mornin'," he greeted with a wave.
"Good morning to you, Rinko, Yuuto-dono," Himari greeted, bowing at the two.
"G-Good morning, Evans-san, Himari-san," Yuuto greeted back, bowing back.
"Y-Yeah," Rinko said in agreement as she, too, bowed her head. "Good morning to you both."
"So what are you two doing here, anyway?" Gordon asked before noticing the pained look on Rinko's face. "Oh. Ohhh. It's about what happened yesterday, right?"
"Mmm-hmm," the brunette nodded slowly. "Look, about that, I'm really..."
"It's all right, Kuzaki," Gordon interrupted. "You don't have to apologize. I know you didn't mean to call Himari a monster back there. You were just really upset, that's all. No one likes a sore loser. Believe me; I've seen plenty."
"Yeah, but..."
"Please, Rinko. It is all right," Himari began saying. "And I will also admit that I, too, overstepped my boundaries by provoking you like that on the tennis court. It was uncalled for on my part."
Rinko blinked for a few seconds before rubbing the back of her head. "Heh. Heh-heh. I guess we're both kinda ashamed of ourselves, huh?"
"Fufu. Yes, it appears so," Himari giggled, resulting a brief laugh together from the two girls. It wasn't long before Gordon and Yuuto joined in, too.
"Ha... Ha-ha... Oookay... Now that we're done apologizing..." Gordon calmed down, grabbing his skateboard while closing the door behind him. "Let's all get going. Else we'll never hear the end of Kisaragi-sensei if she catches us late again."
"Mhm!" Rinko and Yuuto nodded happily as the quartet left the house. However, Gordon quickly took off on his skateboard, with Himari tailing behind him.
"Ah! Hey! You two better not leave us behind!" Rinko warned as she and Yuuto took off after them.
At the teacher's lounge of Touryou High, Ms. Kisaragi was busy preparing her things for today's classes. Taking a sip of her morning coffee, she glanced out the window leading to the schoolyard. Her eyes then widened subtly after seeing Gordon riding his skateboard towards the entrance, with Himari following him and Yuuto and Rinko chasing after them.
A soft smile appeared on the green-haired teacher's red-painted lips before taking another sip. Looks like it was going to be another day.
And that wraps up chapter two, everyone! So you can see from this chapter how much everything has changed now that Gordon replaces Yuuto's demon slayer role. And since Rinko no longer sees Himari as a rival for Yuuto's affections like she does in canon, she's a lot less psychotic and clingy in my opinion. But don't worry; she'll have her moments. Now that I think about it, I think both her and Yuuto should be paired up since there's nothing stopping them this time.
As for Sae, she'll have a few scenes to herself here and there, though how she knew Gordon's grandfather won't come up until much later in the story.
I also forgot to mention last chapter that Shirone and Kuroka are characters from Highschool DxD. For those who read the novels, you probably know who Shirone is already. As for whether or not they're bakeneko like Himari, that's my own little secret for another chapter.
Be sure to leave a review on this chapter. Constructive criticism is welcome as always. It'll allow me to improve on my writing.
Next time on The Brooklyn Demon Slayer: "Third Round – Last of a Dying Breed"
This is KID2NR, signing off for now. See ya!