OmaHima: The Brooklyn Demon Slayer

by KID2NR

Gordon Evans, a boy born and raised in New York City, gets an opportunity to attend school in Japan through an international program. However, an encounter with a mysterious sword-wielding girl will lead him on a life-changing journey where he discovers his hidden roots... Part I of the Gordon Evans Trilogy. OC/Harem; Yuuto/Rinko [Discontinued]

13. Eleventh Round

**Revision v.1 Completed 03 Jul 17**

Disclaimer:

The characters and settings of Omamori Himari are properties of Fujimi Shobo and Milan Matra. Please support the official release in your respective country. 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, are properties of their respective owners.

Legend:

"Normal (Japanese) speech"

{"English speech"}

"Thoughts (Assume character's native language)"

Quotes from other characters are centered, regardless of perspective

######

Useful notes:

Gyaru: A style/subculture that in Japan, the word originating from the Romaji of the English world gal. Originally based on the Valley Girl subculture in the West, it has since grown and splintered into various sub-styles.

Birth of a Nation: An American silent film directed by D.W. Griffith in the 1910s, set in Civil War-era America. While famous for introducing innovative moviemaking techniques for its time, it was (and still is) notorious for its overt glorification of the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist group formed during the Reconstruction era after the South's defeat in the Civil War.

In zoologist terms, a kit typically refers to young foxes. The term also applies to ferrets, beavers, and minks.

Inari is the Japanese kami (god) of foxes, of fertility, rice, tea and sake, of agriculture and industry, of general prosperity and worldly success, and one of the principal kami of Shinto (from Wikipedia).

---

Eleventh Round - A New Term, Another Transfer Student

Cover: Nariko in an empty classroom wearing Touryou High's fall uniform. She is sitting on the teacher's desk with her legs crossed, and is unbuttoning her dress shirt with a flirty smile directed towards the reader.

Alternate cover: Gordon standing behind a mural of Muhammad Ali near a corner store in New York, with rows of flowers and boxing gloves laid beneath it.

---

General POV

"Shizuku! Is it really true!?"

"The Benigawa descendant has awoken?"

In a secluded forest, Shizuku was lying on a treebranch above a group of ayakashi. After news broke out of Gordon's awakening in Noihara not too long ago, it has brought up a stir among many ayakashi, especially those that feared the young Benigawa may go after them. Their survival, after all, depended on that not being the case. And with that notion dispelled it may as well come true.

Not that she can relate to them, as she previously thought the exact same thing before getting to know Gordon.

"...It's not a complete awakening, but he's definitely shown the signs...you know," she confirmed.

A third ayakashi with reptilian features scratched its chin. "Hmm, so she's seen that much already? Maybe it was best to do away with him, after all."

"But isn't that what we have Shizuku for?" a fourth ayakashi with a bird's head interjected.

"How about it, Shizuku? Any chance you can make the Benigawa your puppet?" the second ayakashi, a humanoid creature with its head being a giant eye, suggested.

Shizuku closed her eyes for a second before opening them. "...I talked with him the other day, and this is what he said."

#######

"If they pose a direct threat to me, I won't hesitate to fight back. However I won't stoop to killing them. I know a lot of them won't listen to my ideas straight off the bat, but...I'm pretty sure there are some who'll understand."

#######

"...I see. He won't fight us given we do not interfere with his plan of coexistence," The reptile ayakashi nodded in thought. "A foolish move, if you ask me."

"I thought so as well, but that's how he is...you know," Shizuku sighed.

The first ayakashi that spoke blew a puff of smoke from his smoking pipe. "Hmm, very well. We shall leave the matter of the Benigawa to Shizuku, then."

"We also received some intel from one of our scouts," the eye-for-a-head ayakashi informed.

Shizuku's crimson pupils narrowed in concern. "Did something happen...you know?"

The smoker ayakashi gave a grim nod. "...Apparently, another demon slayer has appeared in our city."

"..." The little mizuchi was silent at the revelation. She had a feeling they would come for Gordon now that he has awakened his powers.

---

"Ready...!"

A high-pitched whistle blow signaled the start of a swim exercise at Touryou High as a group of boys dove headfirst into the pool. It was the start of a brand new semester over at the school, and what better to kick off the new term than with an hour of swimming class? It was still summer, technically.

Gordon was among the swimmers partaking in the exercise as he propelled himself across, working his arms and legs against the resistance while taking quick breaths in between. He hasn't swam since the whole beach escapade that happened a few months ago, and the New Yorker had no idea the school even had swimming classes until a student informed him beforehand.

{"Hff! Hff! Hff!"}

Towards the end of the pool, the boys performed an underwater flip, rebounding off the wall as they swam back towards the starting point. Gordon was slowly inching towards a steady lead over the rest of the pack, which surprised some of the students.

"Holy shit!" Jun Morita, a male student with streaked blond hair and brown eyes commented. "Evans-kun's quite fast in the water."

"Yeah, I know," Junpei Nakata, another male student with spiked hair added. "For a moment I thought he'd drown the moment he jumped in."

"Dude, come on!" Morita admonished.

"What? I'm just saying," Nakata shrugged. "No need to get all worked up over. Yeesh."

Yes, even black, skateboarding metalheads are still subject to microaggressions this time around.

Gordon was the first to complete the exercise, catching his breath while stepping out of the water. As opposed to the beach trip where he wore a simple tank top, the dark-skinned skater's muscled chest and abdomen was left bare for all to see. Some of the girls prior to class were beginning to lose it until a shout-down from one of the swim teachers brought them back to earth.

While drying himself off, Gordon glanced ahead and spotted Himari fidgeting nervously near the edge of the pool. The red bikini the cat swordswoman had on during the beach trip was indeed a sight to behold, but the black one-piece swimsuit also did well to highlight Himari's voluptuous curves despite its rather modest appearance.

"She really does pull it off in that," Gordon remarked, Himari's feline fear of deep water notwithstanding. The skater then felt a sharp slap on his back and quickly turned to see a guy with shaggy, light brown hair wearing a mischievous grin.

"What'cha doin', Evans? Having a look at the ladies over there?" Junichi Ohmura hinted.

"Must be Noihara-san, right? Fumihiro Anzai, a guy with a fauxhawk, implied. "She's a beauty, I'll give ya that."

"A Nadeshiko among Nadeshiko, for sure," Takeru Satoh, a scruffy-looking young man, gave his commentary.

"Heh-heh!" Taizou snickered, pointing his thumb to himself. "Me n' Yuuto got a chance to see her in a swimsuit! That sexy, bewitching beach bod... I won't forget it as long as I live!"

"T-Taizou..." a nervous Yuuto hesitated.

"Still, the only thing I don't like about Noihara is her lone wolf nature," Ohmura began criticizing. "I mean, I'll admit she's cute in every way possible, but it feels really tough trying to get close to her."

Satoh gave a puzzled nod while folding his arms. "I'll say. It's like she's carrying some kind of invisible sword that screams 'Don't touch!' or something."

"You don't say," a sarcastic Gordon muttered. Though to be fair to Satoh, he's not exactly wrong. Himari does have a fair share of admirers since transferring to Touryou so it kind of made sense.

"Ah, who gives a shit!" Anzai shouted suddenly, gripping his fist. "Her being uneasy near the water more than makes up for it, amirite?"

"MOE-MOE FOR THE WIN! YEAH!" the rest of the boys (bar Yuuto) cheered.

Gordon resisted the utter urge to bash his head against the chainlink fence, instead opting to rub his temples irritably. He doesn't quite understand the logic of some of these guys. And this is from a guy with a wannabe pick-up artist as a Crewmate.

"By the way, why's she all lovey-dovey with you, Evans, hm?" Kouji Sano, a navy blue-haired young man, interrogated with a frown. "Any reason?"

Gordon casted a sideways glance after putting his towel around his neck. "Hey, don't ask me. I don't freakin' know."

As if he can tell anyone the real reason behind Himari's closeness to him. Though he does enjoy the catgirl's affections sometimes thanks to the time he spent with Rika's cats back home.

Satoh had a jealous frown on his face. "Tch. Why do foreigners always get the pretty girls, huh?" he mouthed off. "I just don't get it."

"Speaking of pretty girls, I heard one of the third-year classes is getting one as a transfer student," Anzai reported.

"Wait, what?" a dazed Ohmura blinked. "I never heard of that."

"Hold up, seriously?" Now it was Satoh's turn to be surprised by the news as he shook Anzai's shoulders. "Did ya at least get a look at her face? Please tell me you did!"

The fauxhawk teen pushed his scruffy-looking classmate off. "Hey, lay off, Takeru! I just heard it from a friend before I got to class. Oof!"

Anzai soon found himself in a headlock, courtesy of Taizou. "You better be right about this, man! Oooh, I'm so psyched right now! I can't wait to see her!"

"HEY! All you boys quit screwin' around and get in line!" the boys' swim teacher barked.

On the opposite side of the pool, some of the girls were quite impressed by Gordon's earlier performance in the water.

"Wow, did you see Evans-kun over there?" Eri Namiki, a girl with long, bleached blond hair commented, bouncing on her ankles. "He's so quick!"

Yoh Toriumi, a tomboyish girl with short brown hair, let off a playful giggle. "Yeah, he's such a good swimmer! I guess those muscles he's got on his body aren't just for showing off."

"Haah... I wonder if he can teach me how to be a better swimmer," Chihiro Mutou, a quiet girl with pale blue hair in a bob cut sighed, sitting near the pool's edge with her legs pulled to her small chest.

"Ah! Hey, no fair, Mutou!" shouted Yoh.

"Yeah, I want Evans-kun to teach me!" Kokoro Itagaki, a girl with reddish-brown hair in a hime cut clashed.

"No, I want him to teach me!" Namiki argued.

Elsewhere, Shimamura watched the posse's bickering unfold in front of her. "Good grief..." she sighed before turning to Himari who was nervously clutching her arm. "Hey Noihara-san. Make sure not to give the boys an opening in the pool," she whispered. "My guess is, they probably want to score some points with you if you screw up."

Himari turned to the violette with a soft smile on her lips. "I am sure they will do no such thing, but I appreciate your advice," she said before catching a glimpse of Gordon observing her from the other side. Not wasting any time, the cat ayakashi gave the New Yorker a playful smile and wink that caused him to immediately turn away, a blush forming on his dark cheeks.

Himari giggled amusedly at Gordon's reaction. He's just so fun to tease at times, especially at home.

---

At the same time Gordon and Himari's swim class was going on, homeroom for the third-year students was about to begin. While first and second-year homerooms at Touryou start at their usual time, third-year homerooms start a period ahead. The principal was the one who suggested it since some of them needed the extra sleep after pulling constant all-nighters for college entrance exams. Some students called it unfair, but it was agreed upon by the Student Council and a majority of the teachers so they couldn't do much to protest it. They still have to arrive the same time as the rest of them, though.

The homeroom teacher for Class 3-D was Dr. Ryo Shimada, one of the physics teachers at Touryou. He was a fairly tall man in his late thirties with dark, slicked back hair and a short beard, wearing a brown suit over a white dress shirt and black shoes.

"All right, settle down," he said in a half-stern voice. "Today we have a new student attending our class, as you can plainly see."

The new student standing beside Dr. Shimada's desk was none other than Nariko, wearing Touryou's summer uniform. The kitsune's scarlet hair was styled in waves and flowed down her back, stopping just short of her hips, while at the front her right eye was partly obscured. Loose white socks decorated the lower part of Nariko's slender, yet athletic legs, while the vest she had on did well to outline her generous bust. Her fingernails were painted blue, save for her index finger which was painted yellow.

"This is Nariko Fujima-san," Dr. Shimada introduced. "She just moved to this part of the neighborhood so treat her with some respect. Got that?"

Chatter quickly ensued in the class while Nariko's eyes slowly scanned the classroom.

"Wow, she's really cute," Eiji Matsumoto, a student with a short ponytail whispered.

"Yeah, and she looks like a total gyaru with that hairstyle she's got," Tomohiro Akechi, a bespectacled student observed. "Oooh, I'm starting to get goosebumps!"

Eiji let off a tired sigh. "I don't get some of your fetishes sometimes," he complained.

"He-heh! And you never will, my friend!" Akechi grinned impishly.

Dr. Shimada put on his glasses after wiping clean the lenses. "Alright, Fujima-san. If you don't mind introducing yourself to the class, we can get started."

Nariko gave the teacher a short nod before turning to the class. "Hey everyone," she greeted with a wave. "Like your teacher said, I'm Nariko Fujima. I just transferred from the outskirts so I'm rather new around here, but I still hope we can be friends. I'm looking forward to our time together."

Getting inside Touryou was a quite a cinch for the fox ayakashi. All she had to do was make some alterations to the spell cast over the school. Her guess is, the Crimson Blade must have something to do with it in order to ward off some suspicion about her. But just to be on the safe side, she used her clone Youjutsu and had them disguised as her parents via shapeshifting to deal with the necessary paperwork.

The scarlette finished her introduction with a bow as Dr. Shimada gave an approving nod.

"Good, good. You can take a seat in the back while I go through attendance."

As Nariko began making her way towards the back, Tomohiro tried his best to contain his excitement.

"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! Oooh, I hope Nariko-chan sits behind us, Eiji!"

The ponytailed student sighed in exasperation. "Geez, give it a rest already with that fetish of yours, will ya?" Honestly, why the hell is he even friends with this gyaru-obsessed freak?

The two were then surprised to find Nariko taking an empty seat right in front of them. Akechi, in particular, nearly squealed at his gyaru goddess sitting behind him.

"Sh-She's right in front of us, Eiji!"

"So she is," a frustrated Eiji replied dryly. "Just don't annoy her, okay? Ah-"

He and Akechi froze the moment they noticed Nariko was looking at them with a coy smile.

{"Hi boys~"} she greeted with a wink and giggle.

"H-HI!" a bashful Akechi squawked back at the redhead's English greeting, his cheeks flaring up.

"H-Hello..." a near-speechless Eiji uttered.

Nariko held back a grin at the boys' reactions as she faced forward, twirling strands of her hair. "Fuhu. I can get used to this school already. I wonder how Sweetheart will react when he sees me?"

---

Gordon's POV

Roughly two weeks has passed since the Noihara trip. A trip that completely changed how I see the world of ayakashi outside of the ones I've befriended.

There, I learned not all are willing to accept my ideas for coexistence with humans and I would soon have to fight back against them. My bout with Ageha was the case in point.

I finally got a chance to thank Gramps for what he had done to protect Grams and Pops, and paid him back for it after all these years despite never receiving the honor of meeting him.

And I also learned...of the dark and cruel history surrounding Himari's ancestors, and what I will have to do to Himari herself should she lose herself for good. I already had to fight her once, and it was already painful for me given the time we spent together up until now.

With that in mind, I knew I had to toughen up somehow. Awakening my Touki wasn't gonna cut it. I needed to grow accustomed to it, let it be part of me, just like Yasutsuna is to Himari and Relish to Liz. To paraphrase a quote from Devil May Cry, strength and power are meaningless if you don't have anything to protect it with.

Thus I began sparring with Nariko to better get the feel of my powers (she snuck her number in one of my shorts' pockets the time I was unconscious from my fight with Himari). I know I can always ask Himari to do the same thing, but...after that battle, I'm not sure I want to take her on just yet.

Putting that aside, it feels good to be back in school again after an eventful summer vacation. Heck, it still feels like summer now, believe it or not.

Himari and I still have our fair share of fans every now and then, though Miss Samurai's are much more numerous, especially among the boys. "The Shining Beacon of Touryou," is what they're beginning to call her now. At least it's better than "That Beautiful, Big-Breasted Transfer Student," from last semester, though that's still being used by some students (just without the "Transfer").

Old habits die hard, I guess. No hope escaping that.

But I can clearly see why Himari is so popular. Academically, her knowledge of arts and the classics are top-notch (though she completely underperforms in science and math as she usually takes catnaps on the roof during those classes), her athleticism easily blows Ribbons out of the water (her superhuman abilities help her out a lot) and, well, she's a real beauty to behold, I guess.

She integrates so well within Touryou it becomes quite easy to forget she's an ayakashi at the end of the day.

#######

Lunchtime was underway in the classroom and almost everyone had gone down to the cafeteria. As for myself, I was busy having a hearty roast beef sandwich, some fruits I picked up from a convenience store and of course, a cinnamon bun.

Tilting my chair back a little, I take a bite out of my sandwich, letting the salted beef claim my taste buds. I had on my headphones and was listening to some Malmsteen tracks to drown out all the noise from outside. Thankfully, Shimamura wasn't here to bug me as usual thanks to her duties as class rep. She's a nice girl and all, but damn can she a stickler for the rules sometimes. Can't we teenagers be rebellious every once in a while? It's in our blood, after all.

My alone time, however, was short-lived when I felt someone remove my SOL headphones from my ears.

"You're not gonna spend all of lunch just listening to your tunes, Skate Punk."

I turn my head to see Rinko standing right behind me, accompanied by Masaki and Yuuto. Turns out even with Shimamura's absence, I still can't get a break from my music.

"Can you at least wait until my song's finished?" I annoyingly tell her.

"Come on, Evans-kun. No need to be so grouchy. We just came to talk."

Masaki says that with a goofy grin on his face. Knowing him, it can only mean one thing: 1) a cute girl; 2) a hot chick; or 3) an incredibly sexy babe. In that particular order.

And no doubt he wanted me to get his opinion on the new upperclassman that just transferred in.

"Are you talking about the new third-year transfer student, by any chance?" I imply to him.

"Ding-ding-ding! Bingo!"

Yeah, I fucking knew it.

"Oh yeah, I think I remember some girls chatting about it while I was in the bathroom," Rinko suddenly recalled, putting a finger to her chin.

"All the boys from the other classes are even talking about it," Yuuto chimed in. "I did hear a few things here and there while I was getting my lunch."

So she's that popular, huh? Then again, why should I even care about who this new girl is? The hype's just gonna die down after a few weeks, just like with new movies and those so-called "fad diets" that don't even do shit for ya.

I was soon met by Taizou slamming his hands on my desk, to my growing annoyance. "Sooo Evans-kun, any idea who our new senpai-chan might look like~?"

"Gee, I dunno, Masaki. Why don't you give me your description and I'll be sure to follow."

I say that to him in a sardonic tone. Unfortunately my line of attack backfired when Masaki's eyes began to sparkle. I've seen that look before in Dante's eyes, and if memory serves correctly...

"I'm glad you asked, Evans-kun!"

Aw, here we go...

"Heh-heh. I imagine her having an alluring body crafted from the hands of Venus herself! Long, shapely legs with a nice juicy ass that'll bring even the Kardashians to their knees! A beautifully crafted face that captures the hearts of even the most obnoxious of narcissists! And to top it all off, large, luscious and magnificent knockers with just the right amount of pillowy softness to rest your head on!"

I nearly cringe at Masaki's description of his ideal woman before shooting an "Are you seriously friends with this dude?" glance towards Rinko and Yuuto. Both of them had their heads turned away with embarrassed looks on their faces.

"Oh, and I imagine her hair being a long, bright and fiery red! Almost forget that little detail. They say a girl's hair color defines her personality, after all!"

Masaki adds with an arrogant smirk, stars surrounding his head. You know, sometimes it's really hard to believe this is the same guy Himari and I saved from the tsuchigumo that took control of him my first day here.

"What are you three talking about?"

Speaking of which...

All three of us caught a glimpse of Himari who just entered the classroom.

"Ah, Noihara-san! We were just talking about the new student that just transferred today! And a hot babe, at that!"

Masaki was quite eager to respond to Miss Samurai's question.

"...Is that so?" she asked curiously.

"Apparently it's been the talk of the school lately," Rinko told her. "Everyone's been speculating about what she might look like the past few classes."

"Yeah, and who knows how long it will keep up even after she reveals herself?" Yuuto voiced his concern with his hands behind his head. Seems like he and I are on the same page. I'm not saying getting a new student is a bad thing, but to me, some people take it way too seriously, especially if it's the opposite sex.

I prepare to take a bite of an apple when I felt a hand touching my shoulder, forcing me to turn my head. Unsurprisingly, it was Himari, only this time she had a serious and concerned look on her face. When she's like this, something tells me the news wasn't gonna end on a good note.

"Young Lord, someone has tampered with the spell I put up around the school," she told me in a whisper.

"Wait, what?" I suddenly say only for Himari to shush me.

"I am saying to be on guard. I believe an ayakashi has infiltrated the school and is posing as the new student everyone's talking about."

Wait, say what now? An ayakashi? Here in this school? Aw man, I didn't expect them to find me here so soon.

"Any way we can tell?" I ask her, my voice now filled with worry.

However my question was met with Himari closing her eyes regretfully. "I'm sorry. I cannot find a trace of the ayakashi's youki anywhere during my search."

Youki. From what I recall correctly from Nariko's training sessions, it's the sole basis of an ayakashi's power. And if this particular one can hide it, then I'm in for a rough ride.

"Okay, I got ya. I'll keep my eyes open."

Himari gives a reassuring nod before we separated.

"Hey, what's going on with you tw-"

Rinko stopped mid-sentence after I gave her and Yuuto a steady look with a hint of seriousness on my part. Their expressions became worrisome as soon as they received the unspoken message.

The mood was then changed by the sudden sound of students chattering endlessly in the hallways, drawing the entire class's attention.

"What's going on?"

Yuuto was the first to ask.

"You tell me," was my only reply. Come on, I just wanna finish eating before lunch is over.

"Hey! A girl just came down from the third-years' floor just now!" a male student called.

"Is it the new transfer student?" asked another male student.

"I-I think so! Aw man, is she cute!" the first student answered back.

Then to nobody's surprise, Masaki's face lit up into an excited smile. His pose was different as well, as if he adopted it straight out of a shoujo manga.

"Heh-heh. Well, my friends, looks like my darling angel awaits! Adios, bitches!"

And with that, he took off into the hallway, leaving a cloud of dust behind.

Needless to say, we were all left stunned, myself included.

"Ah..." Yuuto had a blank stare going on in his eyes.

"Haaah... And he's gone," Rinko commented with a hopeless sigh, hands on her hips.

I let out a frustrated groan while finally leaving my seat. Might as well check what all the fuss is about.

"Where are you going, Evans-san?"

"I'm gonna see what's up," I tell Yuuto as I make my way to the doorway. Almost immediately after peeking my head out into the hallway, a huge crowd of students flooded my vision. It appears they were hitting the new transfer student with a barrage of questions judging from what I heard. Whoever she was, I almost feel sorry she had to go through this on her first day, coming from one who's experienced it firsthand.

Less than a minute passed before some people in the crowd began to disperse a little, which allowed me to catch a glimpse of the transfer student's face.

And after seeing who it was, my face paled in abject horror.

Standing there in the center of the crowd was none other than Nariko, wearing Touryou's school uniform.

The sight sent a cold chill rushing through my body. Nariko... Nariko... She's...the new transfer student? My senpai at this school?

Oh no. Ohhhh no. No no. No no no no. No no no no no no NO! Goddammit! Why did SHE have to be the new transfer student, of all people!? I never even told that vixen where I go to school! Agh, if she catches a hint of me, I'm Fucksville!

Wait, hold on a minute. Could she be the ayakashi Himari had trouble sensing? Could Red be here to...?

No, even Nariko's not that stupid to fight Miss Samurai the drop of a hat. She told me that herself. But what could she be here for?

"Evans-san?"

Yuuto's worrisome voice drew me out of my reverie. "Huh? Oh, Amakawa."

"What's up with you, Skate Punk? You've been shaking like a leaf not long after you peeked," an equally concerned Rinko noted, to which Himari nods in agreement.

"Young Lord, are you sure you are all right?" she asks.

I close my eyes and let out a deep sigh. "Really, it's nothing, you guys."

"Yeah, I'm about to call bullshit on that. There's no way you can be okay after breaking into a sweat like that."

Rinko repudiates with a frown. Crap, she's sharp sometimes.

"By the way," I hear Nariko say from the hallway, "are there any other students on this floor that I should know about?"

"Huh? Oh, well, there's Kuzaki-san, for starters. She's one of the best female athletes at this school. Until Noihara-san crushed her, at least."

"Well, sorry for not being an ayakashi like the Cat Princess," Rinko mutters quietly with her arms crossed.

"Noihara-san? Who's that?"

Nariko's voice became curious at Miss Samurai's mention.

"She's the Shining Beacon of Touryou, of course!" another student enthusiastically explained to her. "Smart, talented, and most of all, beautiful!"

"Especially with those tits she's got!" a third student chimed in. "I've never seen a pair of boobs so big in my life! And they look so soft, too!"

"Ain't that the truth!" a fourth student shouted. "All Hail Oppai!"

"ALL HAIL OPPAI!"

Then and there I palmed my face. Are you freakin' kidding me right now? These guys...

"But what infuriates me to no end is, Noihara-san's always hanging around with that guy!" a jealous student cried out.

"Hm? That guy...?"

Fuck, now they've done it!

"Some American guy who transferred here sometime last semester," another voice, this time a girl's, clarified. "He's only here for a year, though."

"And when he leaves, we'll be the ones to ask Noihara-san out!" I hear Taizou, of all people, declare. "Right guys!?"

"YEAH! ALL HAIL OPPAI! ALL HAIL OPPAI!"

Well, screw you, too, Masaki! That traitorous asshole...

"Really now...? Where can I find him?"

"I believe he's in Class 2-E with Noihara," a student reported back.

"Thanks, I think I'll go see him now."

Aw, Christ!

---

General POV

Sounds of Nariko's footsteps rang deep in Gordon's ears, causing the skater's body to stiffen as they drew closer and closer. A silhouette of the foxy redhead (bad pun not intended) was seen through the classroom's translucent windows, and it wasn't long before Nariko herself was revealed in the doorway, causing endless murmurs inside the classroom.

"Ehh? Is that red-haired girl the new transfer student?" a male student asked.

"I think so," replied another student. "What's she doing here?"

"She's so pretty..." a female student complimented.

"Yeah..." another female student agreed.

As Nariko stepped inside the classroom, Yuuto and Rinko immediately recognized the girl as the ayakashi they encountered in Noihara. The one who intimidated and spanked Kaya after the Zashiki-warashi called her an old hag. However they kept silent about the whole affair.

Himari, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes a little at the new upperclassman.

Nariko's dark amber eyes scanned the classroom until they caught a glimpse of Gordon near a window. The kitsune noticed the New Yorker's body trembling a little, allowing a naughty smirk to appear on her lips. It was then she decided to make her move by rushing him head on.

Gordon tried making a break for it but was immediately tackled by the red-haired vixen, sending him crashing into the ground with a loud thud. Next thing the skater knew, he was flat on his back with Nariko's gorgeous body on top of him in a tight embrace.

{"Hehehe~ Hi, Sweetie! Did ya miss me?"} she greeted with a flirty smile.

{"Nrgh! Oh, screw you, Red!"} an annoyed Gordon grunted, struggling to escape from the fox's arms. {"The hell're you even doing here, anyway!"}

{"Aw come on, shouldn't it be obvious? I came to see you, of course!"}

Gordon's face grew pale. {"You're joking."}

{"Fuhu~ Not this time around,"} she purred into his ear while petting his hair. {"You can expect to see me here a lot more from now on. And I do mean a lot."}

The entire classroom froze in apoplectic shock and surprise at what just went down.

"D-Did she just call Evans-san, 'Sweetie!?'" a male student called out.

"I...think so," a dazed student hesitantly answered. "Wonder what's their relationship about?"

"They're even talking to each other in English!" a third student cried out. "Goddammit, man! What the hell!?"

Crap. Already things are starting to get ugly.

{"H-Hey, don't you think you should get off? We're kinda making a scene here,"} a nervous Gordon begged Nariko who only giggled playfully.

{"Nah, don't wanna."}

{"Come on, it's only a matter of time before..."}

Gordon stopped mid-sentence after spotting a crowd of angry boys standing near the doorway. Their bodies had a dangerous and violent red aura surrounding them, and their eyes were glowing the same color as well. It reminded the skater of the Terminator robots that drove mankind into extinction.

And what's worse, Taizou is among those boys!

"E-V-A-N-S..." all of them said, their voices teeming with anger.

"You rotten bastard...! Not only have you taken our Shining Beacon Noihara-san, but Fujima-senpai, too!?" one of them angrily questioned.

"Unforgivable! You've gone too far, even for us!" another one glowered.

"We're gonna clean your clock 'til there's a dark-skinned carcass lyin' on the ground!" a third student threatened.

"No, let's lynch the fucker!" a fourth suggested. "I wanna see him choke!"

Okay, did the whole conversation just steer into Ku Klux Klan territory all of a sudden? Have they been watching Birth of a Nation?

"Yeah, I wanna see that gaijin choke, too!" a fifth student agreed. "We'll make him regret stealing both our idols!"

"Me too! Let's get 'im!"

With impending doom knocking on his door, Gordon quickly broke from Nariko and made a quick run for an open window.

{"This is crazyyyyy!"} he cried while jumping out.

"After him!" Taizou angrily shouted with a clenched fist. "He won't get far!"

"YEAH!-!-! DEATH TO THE GAIJIN!"

All of the angry boys (and girls) quickly left the classroom to pursue Gordon, leaving only a few students to wonder what the living hell went on moments ago.

The only person left unfazed, however, was Nariko who let out an easy sigh.

"They seem to be lively," she commented with a soft smile, twirling her hair.

"Hey, don't pretend like you weren't involved in all this," Rinko reminded the redhead but was sadly ignored when redhead approached Himari, stopping just inches from the black-haired student as Nariko's eyes slowly perused her from head to toe.

"Hmm..."

"W-What is it?" Himari asked, surprised and a little unsettled until Nariko shook her head.

"It's nothing. Sorry, I thought you were someone else I knew. My bad."

Himari let out a suspicious hum.

"Anyway," continued Nariko, "I think I already caused enough trouble for your friend down there, so I'm just gonna leave. Hope we see each other again sometime, Noihara-kun."

The red-haired upperclassman winked and left the classroom, leaving Himari with her suspicions until the yells of the angry boys pursuing Gordon caught snapped her out of it.

"Hey, anyone found that rope yet!?"

"Yeah, I got it right here!"

"Prepare to meet your maker, you Jay-Z wannabe!"

"Like I said, GIMME A BREAK!-!"

"Not in your life, jackass! We won't stop 'til we get our justice!"

"YOU CALL THIS JUSTICE!?"

A tired sigh left Himari's lips. "'Tis going to be a difficult day for the Young Lord," she worriedly thought. Sure, the cat samurai has her sworn duty to protect Gordon, but even she didn't want to get involved in something like that.

"Hey guys, look! I found some fuel inside the old shack!" a jealous boy reported.

"Heh-heh-heh! Excellent!" another jealous boy chuckled evilly. "Now we can light the fucker!"

"YEAH!-!-!"

Until now, of course.

Her protective instincts taking over, Himari leapt out the window to aid her master's troubles.

"H-Hey! Don't get in our way, Noihara!"

"Yeah, we wanna burn that gaijin to a corpse!"

"As if I would allow you to do such a thing!"

Meanwhile, Yuuto and Rinko gazed at each other nervously before heaving out sighs. How on earth did it come down to this?

---

"D-Dammit...! Why did it have to come to this? Nnngh! Shit, I can barely move an inch in here!"

"Fufu. Honestly, I don't mind being in this tight a space."

"Of course; you're a cat in human skin! You feel right at home here."

After spending nearly twenty minutes being pursued by ruthless and relentless fanboys, Gordon and Himari found themselves stuffed inside in a locker which, as one would expect, was quite a tight fit for two people. The situation was especially precarious for Gordon as the New Yorker had to deal with the softness and feel of the cat samurai's body pressing against his own.

"Ah-!"

"Yah! Sorry, my bad!" Gordon quickly apologized after accidentally copping a feel of Himari's rear and causing her to moan a little.

Himari merely giggled in response. "I do not mind, Young Lord. You can touch me there more if you like."

"Now's not the time or place for that!" Gordon shot back.

"Come now, I'm only..." Himari let out a quick gasp the moment her (cat) ears picked up approaching footsteps.

"They're here?" Gordon implied.

"Yes," she confirmed. "Now be quiet!"

"R-Right!"

"Hey!" a student called from outside. "We're looking for a tall black dude with a busty chick alongside him! Any sign of them?"

Wow, talk about specific.

"Um... No, I haven't seen them pass by here," an adult male voice reported. "Maybe you should try the infirmary."

"Shit," another student cursed. "They couldn't have gone far. Let's go!"

The sounds of rushing footsteps faded from Gordon's ears, at which he takes a breath of fresh air.

"Think we lost them?" he asked Himari.

"It appears so. Hm?"

The sound of clicking high heels caught the duo's attention, Himari especially as she quickly retracted her cat ears. A faint click of a lock was then heard, followed by a metallic rattling sound as the locker door opened to reveal the face of Sae Kisaragi behind it.

"Okay," she smiled. "You two are safe for now."

"Thanks for the help, Sensei," the skater sighed, stretching his arms out the moment he and Himari stepped out of their teacher's locker. "You really helped us out."

"It's the least I can do," she chuckled. "Looks like those angry fanboys are really giving you guys trouble."

"Ugh, don't remind me," Gordon moaned, massaging his temples. "God, I just want this day to end," he lamented.

Sae adjusted her glasses with a huff. "Relax; they'll probably calm down in a few days. Anyway, you two better be careful getting back to class."

"Noted. And thanks again, Sensei," Gordon gave a short bow before exiting the teachers' lounge.

"Please excuse us," was Himari's farewell to Ms. K as she left to follow Gordon.

An amused smile emerged from Sae's lips as she sat back down in her chair. "Heh. Those two can be quite a handful, that's for sure," she commented, tapping her cheek. "Also, I'm quite interested in that kit that just transferred in. I have the feeling she'll wind up being the cat's new love rival."

Letting out a mirthful giggle at the prospect, the teacher took a sip of coffee from her mug and resumed her work.

---

Gym period was well underway over at Touryou's track and field and many of the second-year boys were running laps around the track in the hazy summer sun. Several of them have already completed their laps, Gordon and Yuuto being among the pack. The New Yorker was quite impressed by the Amakawa's ability to keep pace with him the entire run. He did mention he used to do cross-country back in middle school, so that certainly factored in.

"Hah! Haah...! Aaagh!" Gordon panted, wiping some sweat off his forehead. "Yeesh! Why'd they make us run in this weather? It's freakin' torture out here!"

Yuuto took a huge sip of his water. "Puah! Haah... There's no helping it. It was decided by the gym teachers, after all."

Gordon let out a frustrated sigh. "You're right. Not to mention..."

The skater's eyes drifted towards the field, where the third-year girls were doing track exercises. Among them was Nariko, whose gym uniform showed hints of her fairly athletic figure. Her long scarlet hair was also compressed into a sporty-looking bun to keep it from interfering as she lined up for the high jump.

"Thanks to what happened at lunch with her, I'm now the most hated dude in school," he complained.

"For a majority of boys, at least," Yuuto clarified. "Even Taizou is starting to hate your guts."

Gordon let off an angry snort. "Good for him, then."

"H-Hey, he's still my friend, you know!" Yuuto frowned. "Go easy on him."

"Haah... Fine, I won't hold anything against him. Not that I want to."

"Pretty sure you were about to," the Amakawa nervously thought before gazing ahead at Nariko. "I'm still a little shocked to see another ayakashi attending our school, though."

"Wait, you know the vixen?" Gordon asked, surprised. "How?"

"Huh? Oh, r-right. Back in Noihara, she carried you and Himari-san back to the house after that battle you two had. She did say to keep it secret, though," Yuuto explained, scratching his head. "Evans-san, do you know her, by any chance?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Back at the beach is where I first met her. Well, pretty much the other way 'round, actually," Gordon told of his encounter. "You can pretty much guess what happened after that."

Yuuto's face turned a slight hint of red as he gave an understanding nod.

"Thankfully, Shimamura saved my hide at the last minute," the skater further explained. "I suppose that's one of the few times where she's not egging me on about my headphones."

"Hm? Heyyy, if it ain't Evans-kun!"

Both boys turned their heads back and spotted a boy with spiked-up hair approaching them. Gordon immediately recognized him as the person from that skate shop during his date with Liz.

"N-Niikura!? What're you...?"

"Heh-heh. Hey, long time no see, buddy," Takumi Niikura greeted his fellow skater. "What'cha doin' with your friend over there?"

Gordon and Yuuto exchanged glances at each other, promising to keep silent about Nariko's true nature. "We were just having a chat," lied the New Yorker. "Nothing important."

"Ehhh? C'mon, you can tell me. No, wait, I get it now. You got yourself a little crush on that Fujima chick, right?" he implicated with a wide grin.

"As if, Niikura!" Gordon shouted indignantly. "You saw what nearly happened to me at lunch!"

Takumi let out an amused laugh. "Dude, calm down, I'm just kidding! Kidding! I already know Noihara has the hots for ya." His attention then shifted over to Yuuto. "Name's Niikura, by the way," he introduced. "Sorry for not introducing myself earlier. You're the dude who's friends with that Kuzaki girl, right?"

"Eh? Uh, y-yeah, I am. I'm Amakawa. Yuuto Amakawa," Yuuto answered while introducing himself.

"So are you two dating, by any chance?" Takumi smirked, causing Yuuto's face to turn red in an instant.

"O-Of course not! She and I are close friends, that's all!" the boy protested.

"Sure, sure. Whatever you say," Takumi waved off with a laugh before gazing ahead at Nariko. "Heh. But man, Fujima-senpai really is a beauty to behold. I bet she'll even give Noihara a run for her money if they ever went head-to-head."

"Don't say that, dude. Seriously, don't," Gordon cautioned. A literal battle between two ayakashi at a school filled with students is guaranteed to cause mayhem. And that's not even factoring the collateral damage.

"Hey, just throwin' it out there. 'Sides, picking teams ain't really my thing."

"I'm sure you don't," Gordon said dryly.

{"Hey boys~ "}

"Hmm?"

The trio looked back and spotted Nariko behind them, causing them to leap back in surprise at the red-haired upperclasswoman's sudden appearance.

"F-Fujima-senpai!" a shocked Yuuto exclaimed.

"Whoa, holy-!?" Takumi shouted.

"The hell're you doing here!?" demanded Gordon.

"It's our turn to run, obviously," Nariko explained with an amused laugh at the boys' reactions. "Speaking of which, aren't ya gonna watch me, Sweetheart?"

Gordon crossed his arms with a perturbed snort. "Tch. No thanks. Haven't you given me enough hell as it is?"

"Aw come on. It can't be all bad."

"HALF OF THEM WANTED TO LYNCH ME AND SET ME ON FIRE THANKS TO WHAT YOU PULLED!-!" Gordon yelled at the top his lungs.

"But you weren't, right?"

"THAT'S BESIDES THE POINT!"

"Hey, Fujima! Quit giving the boys trouble and get on the track!"

The scarlette's face turned into an annoyed grimace at her gym teacher's scolding before scratching her head with a small chuckle. "Haha. Sorry, looks like I gotta get going. I'll catch you guys later, 'kay?"

Nariko left the trio alone after giving them a teasing wink. Then as Gordon let out a frustrating sigh he was quickly confronted by a grinning Takumi.

"Sooooo, Fujima calls ya Sweetheart, huuuuh? You're quite the playa, ain't ya?" he hinted with a drawl.

Gordon gave a low growl to his spiky-haired classmate. "I swear to god, Niikura, I will..."

"Evans! Amakawa! Niikura! We're about to start the jump! Get your asses over here!"

The call of their gym teacher captured the boys' attention as the trio rushed over to meet with the rest of their peers.

"Is this how my days are gonna be from now on?" was Gordon's question to himself.

---

Himari's POV

We were performing a series of soccer exercises over at the soccer field for our gym section, which comprised mostly of second-year girls with a few first-years. I was a tad disappointed the Young Lord and I weren't together this time around, but the other classes more than make up for it (aside from math and science where I take my naps, of course).

While doing the exercises, my mind cannot stop replaying that moment where the Young Lord was accosted by that new student. What bothers me about it is how intimate she was with him. And judging by her conversation with the Young Lord (and at times I curse myself for saying I have no need for learning his native language), it is clear that the Young Lord was annoyed by that woman's antics.

But what further irks me is how she keeps referring to the Young Lord as "Sweetheart," as if she was doing it just to bother him!

Have they been acquaintances some time in the past?

No, that cannot be true. Had that been the case, I would have seen her in a majority of the Young Lord's photos taken with him and his companions. His "Crewmates" as he likes to refer to them.

Could they have been forgotten pen pals from long ago? If that woman can speak my master's language with ease, then that would certainly be the case. Perhaps in the past, the Young Lord taught her English in exchange for...

I shake my head. No, that cannot be correct, either. The Young Lord told me he has learnt Japanese from Rika and her family since he was a child, so there's no way he would have contacted that woman for help.

Nariko Fujima... Just what exactly is your relationship with the Young Lord?

Putting that aside, since we came back from Noihara, I have been asking the Young Lord if he would like to undergo training with me but has refused my help.

"Sorry, but...I need to get adjusted to my powers first. Just for a while, though. I promise."

I suppose I cannot blame him. The Young Lord has just awoken his powers and I do not wish to rush things with him. However I am tasked with not only protecting the Young Lord, but in training him as well. There will come a time where I will not be around to shield him from danger, and the Young Lord will have to defend himself on his own given that chance.

Thus I enlisted Kaya and Aya's help in delivering the Founder's Scroll and Grandpa Tai's trench knife to him. From what I can recall, Grandpa Tai possessed a fighting style akin to the Young Lord's boxing, so that should not be an issue for him.

WHACK!

"Nya-!?"

I was quickly cut off from my thoughts the moment a stray soccer ball struck my head.

"Ah! Sorry about that!"

A student rushed over to me and picked up the ball. Her hair was a tad...wild in my opinion, as it reminded me of one of the Young Lord's friends from one of his photos. Ishani, I believe her name was. There were rows of braids that covered a third of the girl's head, and the front was dyed a bright pink.

"I'm really sorry about that! Are you all right?"

She apologizes with a bow, at which I shake my head.

"Please do not worry. I was merely lost in thought."

I assure the girl with a gentle smile.

"Oh, that's a relief. I better get going, then."

The girl departed with the soccer ball in her hands. After she was no longer in view, I heave out a sigh. Perhaps I am thinking of it too much, I murmur in my head.

"Noihara! You're up!"

I approach the gym teacher who gives me a soccer ball. Upon placing it on the grass, I face the obstacle course in front of me. From what I can tell, it is most likely designed to test an individual's agility and footwork.

A tweet of the gym teacher's whistle marked the start of the exercise as I dribbled the ball across the field, weaving through the countless number of cones in my wake.

{"Hehehe~ Hi, Sweetie! Did ya miss me?"}

{"Nrgh! Oh, screw you, Red! The hell're you even doing here, anyway!"}

No, I must not think of it.

{"Aw come on, shouldn't it be obvious? I came to see you, of course!"}

{"You're joking."}

I mustn't!

{"H-Hey, don't you think you should get off? We're kinda making a scene here."}

{"Nah, don't wanna."}

"Tch!"

The ball sailed through the goal and struck the net after giving it a strong kick.

"Excellent. You can go to the next exercise now."

Why...? Why can I not stop thinking of that moment?

######

"Say, Rinko?"

"Hmm? What's up?"

It was time for us to change back into our uniforms after gym has ended. I was fortunate to come across Rinko on our way over to the locker room, and so I decided to convey my worries.

"Have you ever...harbored feelings of envy towards someone before?" I ask after removing my shorts.

"Hm? Well yeah, plenty of times. What, you haven't?"

I shake my head no at Rinko's assumption while slipping on my stockings. "I have. Many times, in fact, with Grandpa Tai while training under him. But..."

My voice trails off a little.

"But...?"

"...That moment in the class where the Young Lord was embraced by the new student. For some reason, I felt a sudden pain from my heart from her familiarity with him. She even went as far as calling the Young Lord 'Sweetheart.'"

I explain, resisting the urge to bite my lower lip as I began to put on my skirt.

"Huh... Well, it was shocking for some people, I have to admit. On the other hand, it did piss off a lot of the boys, what with them wanting to have the Skate Punk lynched and set on fire."

Rinko says with a puzzled and concerned look on her face, all while buttoning up her shirt.

I remain silent while also buttoning up my shirt.

"Anyway, I'm sure Fujima-senpai won't give the Skate Punk too much trouble, so try not to get too hung up over it, okay?"

I was quite hesitant in following Rinko's advice as I still have unanswered questions regarding the new upperclassman, but for the time being I give her a slow nod.

"I will try not to. Thank you, Rinko."

"Anytime, Cat Princess. Fufu."

"Hehe."

Our conversation ended with the two of us sharing a quick laugh together.

---

General POV

It was between classes and Himari has just finished using the bathroom. However just as the Crimson Blade opened the door to leave, she let out a surprised breath upon spotting Nariko in the doorway.

"Y-You!"

An amused giggle left the scarlette's lips at Himari's sudden surprise. "Wow, didn't expect to run into you here." A quick pause. "Okay, maybe just a little, I dunno. Mind letting me in, though? I gotta do a few things with my hair before the next class starts."

Himari quietly stepped aside and allowed Nariko to step in. The statuesque redhead then approached one of the mirrors and took a hairbrush out from her vest pocket, where she then proceeded to brush her hair.

"You know, to be honest, I don't mind the popularity I'm getting around here," she commented with a smile. "I imagine you had to deal with it when you first transferred in, right, Noihara-kun?"

Himari remained silent, prompting a little chuckle from Nariko as she continued brushing.

"C'mon, are you still upset over what happened at lunch? I mean, I was just so happy to see Sweetheart is all. You'd be happy to see him, too, if he was back home."

Himari's eyes narrowed suspiciously at Nariko, forcing the redhead to release an annoyed huff as she put down her brush.

"Okay, seriously, what's your deal? You've been giving me the stinkeye since I came here and it kinda pisses me off a little," she frowned, turning to face the blackette. "So, tell me what's on your mind," she urged. "I'm listening."

"..."

"I'm sure Fujima-senpai won't give the Skate Punk too much trouble, so try not to get too hung up over it, okay?"

Taking Rinko's advice to mind, Himari shook her head and began making her way out of the bathroom. "It is nothing," she stated. "Sorry for bothering you. T'was impolite of me."

The action caused a cunning grin to grace Nariko's lips. "Fuhu. Ohhhh, I get it now. You're jealous of me flirting with your beloved Young Lord, aren't you?"

Himari's footsteps halted, as if suddenly struck by a bolt of lightning at the scarlette's implication. Nonetheless, the cat managed to keep calm...for now.

"How did you know?" she demanded.

"One of the students told me," Nariko explained. "I know it's part of your old-school lingo and all, but I did find it strange you'd hold a foreigner in such high regard. Wonder why that is, perhaps?"

The cat samurai unconsciously gripped her own wrist while turning her head away slightly, her slender fingers slowly digging into her skin. "It is none of your business," she said tersely.

"True," Nariko smiled, taking out a comb and running it through her hair. After checking for imperfections, she put it away and slowly approached Himari, leaning close towards the cat samurai's ear after stopping short of her.

"Just don't go too overboard with yourself, m'kay? My sweet Crimson Blade."

The mere mention of her title made Himari gasp and turn around, only to find Nariko no longer behind her as the cat clicked her tongue.

"Like I said, kitten. Don't get so full of yourself," Nariko's voice echoed.

"...What is your intent?" Himari demanded, her body growing tense. "Are you here to..."

A short laugh from Nariko cut her off. "Relax, I'm not gonna blow up the school or anything like that. That's too barbarous for my standards. I'm here for something else entirely."

"Dare I ask what it might be?" an irked Himari demanded before she was caught off guard by the red-haired upperclasswoman's hands resting on her shoulders.

"Come on, kitten, I think you already know. Take a wild guess."

Realization struck the Crimson Blade's mind after picking up the pieces. "The Young Lord... You...! What are you planning to do with him!?" she growled, her glaring eyes glancing upward.

"Fuhuhu~ That's a secret~"

The response prompted an angry Himari to throw a punch at Nariko, only for the redhead to vanish into thin air the moment it connected. An afterimage?

"Sorry, kitten. That Nariko you tried to punch was just an illusion I made. I'm somewhere else at the moment."

The cat samurai bit her lower lip, unable to contain her frustration. "Enough of this! I swear, I will not forgive you if you bring harm to the Young Lord in any matter!"

Nariko let off an irritated sigh. "Jeez, take a chill pill, will ya? Anyway, I think I'll end our little encounter here. See ya~"

The restroom quickly fell into deep silence following the scarlette's parting words, leaving Himari by herself.

"Ku-!"

The cat samurai's fist clenched tightly until her knuckles started to turn white. Now that Nariko has revealed herself as the ayakashi that infiltrated Touryou and altered her spell, Himari can no longer take her chances, especially given her familiarity with Gordon.

"Young Lord... I have to warn him!"

A worried Himari quickly dashed out of the bathroom, her protective instincts now kicked into high gear. She can only pray that she's not too late!

---

"Thank you for your guidance!"

Literature class has just ended and Ms. Kisaragi was busy packing up her things. As soon as she left, the class was once again rife with conversation.

Gordon was wondering what was holding Himari since she left for the bathroom a few minutes ago. Then again, girls like to take their time and besides, it's not his place to judge.

The young Benigawa was busy checking his Crewmates' Instagram accounts on his phone. He just started his own a couple weeks ago and has already uploaded some photos of the places he visited thus far. Unfortunately Gordon couldn't take pictures of his grandfather's home in Noihara, as he was told by Himari to keep the location a secret. It was a letdown, but at the same time he understood the cat guardian's intention. Ayakashi like Kaya (and Aya after meeting her) do live there, after all.

Gordon decided to sift through Rika's Instagram photos first. As expected, she and the other Crewmates are enjoying their typical New York summer. Their latest photos are of their skate trips in numerous parts of the city, and he also noticed Shirone and Kuroka in a couple of them as well. Looks like they're trying their best to get his attention, and they did.

As for the rest of The Crew, their Instagram accounts are pretty much manifestations of what goes on in their daily lives. Ronnie's is filled with photos of his artwork, plants from his mom's shop, and wrestling clips from their school's JV team, Ishani's has photos of her extended family and a few silly things here and there, and Dante's is as narcissistic as it gets. Nothing but selfies of himself and reposts of things associated with him. Though he does post photos of his uncle's deli and his mother's former convent (she was an ex-nun). Heck, there were even group photos of him, Sister Asia and Sister Xenovia (Dante's friends from the convent) thrown in as well.

There was, however, one particular photo from Dante's Instagram feed that surprised Gordon a little. Naturally, it featured him, of course, but there was another person with him.

A beautiful girl with long black hair and purple eyes similar to Himari's, albeit in a lighter shade. Wonder if she's a relative Gordon hasn't heard of? He'll have to ask him later.

"Hey Evans."

Gordon noticed Shimamura approaching him the moment he turned his head back. "Oh, Prez. What's up?"

The violette shrugged. "Not much. I heard what happened over at lunch, though. Are you all right?"

"Yeah, but I'm not sure I'm out of the woods just yet," Gordon sighed, taking notice of the glares some of the boys were giving him.

Shimamura blinked, surprised at the dark atmosphere. "Wow, so it was that bad, huh?"

"In more ways than one. Shit, Miss Samurai and I even spent time hiding in the teachers' lounge for a while just to lose 'em."

Gordon's explanation of his earlier plight drew a slight frown from Shimamura. "Jeez, what on Earth am I gonna do with some of them? Hm?"

The class representative's eyes looked ahead to see a young woman with red hair enter the classroom. It was long and wavy with parts it hanging over her right eye. Apart from the summer uniform, the only accessories the redhead had on were a pair of white leg warmers.

Huh? Wait, hold on just a minute, wasn't she...?

"Hey, it's Fujima-senpai. Wonder what she's here for?"

"You dumbass," another student rebuked the first. "Obviously she's here for her 'Sweetheart.' The bastard."

"Still wanna lynch him," a third suggested, causing sweat to roll down Gordon's face until he was met by Shimamura leaning close to his ear.

"Hey Evans, is that girl...?"

The New Yorker gave a grim sigh. "Unfortunately," he told the violette before he was met by Nariko resting her elbows on his desk.

{"Fuhuhu~ Heya, Sweetie,"} she greeted.

Gordon turned his head away with a scowl. {"The hell is it this time, Red?"} he demanded.

{"Hey, I'm just stopping by. What's the matter with that?"}

{"Almost every damn thing that's happened to me up to this point,"} Gordon retorted irritably.

"Mu..." Nariko's lips contorted to a displeased pout before her smile returned. {"Anyway, think you spare time to chat on the rooftop?"}

{"You do know it's between classes, right?"} Gordon reminded her.

{"Aw c'mon,"} she urged. {"I'll only be a few minutes."}

Gordon's eyes narrowed at the redhead for a split second before conceding with a frustrated sigh. {"Fine, just don't take too long."}

Yuu watched the conversation come to a close the moment the New Yorker left his desk and followed Nariko out of the classroom. The violette nearly tripped over herself and quickly turned to see Nariko sticking her tongue out from the doorway before going away.

A sullen grimace appeared over Yuu's features as she realigned her glasses. Looks like that upperclassman still holds a vendetta against her.

"She's gonna be a pain."

---

{"Wow~! Check out the view! You can see parts of the city from here!"}

Gordon was on the school's rooftop with Nariko, who was leaning on the fence and happily observing the landscape ahead of her.

{"Heh-heh. Aren't ya gonna check out the view, Sweetheart?"} the kitsune urged, looking back at the New Yorker.

{"I doubt you dragged me here just for sightseeing,"} he sighed.

{"Haha. True, but I just want to set the mood, you know? Oh, right."} Nariko turned around to face Gordon, striking a pose while giggling merrily. {"I almost forgot to ask you this at lunch, but like my new look? I think I'm beginning to like this uniform already."}

Gordon averted his eyes. {"...Do I really need to answer that?"}

{"Jeez, at least say I look sexy in it. I put so much effort into wearing it, you know."}

Gordon heaved a ragged sigh at Nariko's complaining while ruffling his hair. {"Fine, fine. You remind me of those AKB-type idols I keep hearing about. Or a gravure model. I really don't care much at this point."}

Nariko let off an amused smile at Gordon's (forced) compliment. {"Wow, didn't know you were into those."}

{"I'm not. Blame my classmate's friend for introducing me to them,"} the skater huffed, reflecting on that one time Taizou took him and Yuuto to a magazine store back when he was still relatively new. The redheaded lech was quite eager to show Gordon the type of girls he was into. Thankfully the idols and gravure models were all he was shown, as Taizou claimed the New Yorker "still had ways to go," whatever that meant.

Gordon was unsure whether or not to take that as an insult, given he was already desensitized from being in Dante's room one too many times, what with his collection of Playboy and Maxim mags he inherited from his uncle.

{"Fuhuhu. Must be an amazing friend, then."}

{"No, he's not. He's really not,"} Gordon said dryly. {"Anyway, why'd you drag me out here for?"}

The black skater then saw Nariko's lips contort into a teasing smirk before the fox approached him with slow footsteps. The muscles in Gordon's body became tense as the distance between him and Nariko became increasingly shorter. It didn't take very long for Gordon to find himself staring straight into the vixen's grinning face.

{"You really want to know, Sweetie?"}

{"Of course; that's the whole point of me asking,"} Gordon reiterated before being subjected to Nariko's close embrace.

{"Fufu~ All right, might as well come out with it."}

Nariko brought Gordon's head close to hers until their foreheads touched.

{"I want you to be my mate."}

The New Yorker quickly became befuddled at the kitsune's proposal. {"C-Come again?"}

{"It's obvious, isn't it? I've taken an honest liking to you,"} she explained, brushing his cheek. {"And now I've decided you're gonna be my mate. Aren't you lucky? You should feel honored I'm even saying this. We kitsune take finding a suitable mate very seriously, you see."}

{"Um...thanks, I think?"} a bewildered and confused Gordon said, averting his eyes. {"But why me, of all people? You already know I'm a demon slayer. Plus I'm only gonna be here agh!"}

{"I don't care about either of that,"} Nariko cooed, tightening her embrace with half-lidded eyes. {"I've already made up my mind when I chose you as a mate, over all the boys I've dated in the past."}

Gordon was curious what type of guys the fox has associated herself with in her lifetime, but decided against it. Mostly due to common sense, but partly because Nariko could potentially (and literally) grill him if he ever brought it up.

{"Aren't you rushing things a bit, Red?"}

{"What, are you saying you don't trust me?"} the fox smirked, affectionately ruffling Gordon's hair. {"You did ask me to help train you, right? Or was that just a fluke?"}

{"That's completely different and you know it,"} he argued back. {"I...whoa!"}

Gordon quickly found myself getting pushed away, all while a fast blur appeared in front of him. The skateboarder directed his eyes towards the direction of it and was startled when he saw Himari crouching on the concrete. Her Yasutsuna was also on hand as well as the Crimson Blade took a defensive stance in front of him.

"M-Miss Samurai!"

"Hmph. You really got some nerve interfering in lovers' affairs, kitten." Nariko scolded, arms underneath her chest.

"Strange. I do not recall the Young Lord ever saying he had a girlfriend," Himari countered with a sarcastic smile. "I assume he must be referring to myself. After all, he and I do make a wonderful couple. Would you not agree?" the cat suggested, linking her arm with Gordon's in an affectionate and playful manner.

"Really now? Does that also include fighting and nearly killing your own master, too? I say that's an abusive relationship if I ever saw one," Nariko replied with a contemptuous smile of her own, as if to toy with Himari's emotions.

The black-haired swordswoman released her hold on Gordon and directed a cold stare at the redhead. "I do not know why you have your eyes set on the Young Lord, but whatever the reason, you will have to go through me first!"

Himari emphasizes her point by unsheathing Yasutsuna, revealing the katana's full luster under the sizzling summer sun. Gordon couldn't discern her expression from behind, but he can be pretty sure she's dead serious on fighting Nariko. Else there would be no excuse for having her sword.

Nariko simply lets off a snort while flipping her hair, bringing her fox ears and tails out into the fold.

"So it's come down to this, eh? Can't say I'm looking forward to it, especially when it comes to fighting the famed Crimson Blade herself."

"Fufu. Is that so? I take it you must have some kind of death wish, kitsune?" Himari implied with a smirk.

"Not in your lifetime, kitten. 'Sides, I don't plan on losing, especially with Sweetheart watching me," Nariko refuted with a seductive smile levied towards Gordon.

"Grr! As if the Young Lord will ever be your Sweetheart!"

[Music: "Lightning" by lynch.]

An angered Himari rushes in with a strong sword swing that was easily parried by Nariko. However the cat samurai wasn't done there as she presses forward with her attack, the blade slicing through the air while the sunlight reflected off it, creating shining arcs from each swing.

"Hyah!"

WHUP!

Himari was soon pushed back by a forceful kick to her chest from Nariko, but the kitten wouldn't have any of that as she continued swinging her sword. Nariko, on the other hand, was a bit more creative in which she used her tails to deflect each strike, a tactic Gordon easily recognized from his fight with the vixen in Noihara.

"I shoulda known she'd use that," he lamented.

Nariko gave a mocking giggle at Himari's failed efforts to land a hit. "Aww, what's wrong, kitten? My tails keep getting in the way for ya?"

Himari quickly broke from the deadlock to gain some distance, the bakeneko's hands keeping a tight grip on Yasutsuna's tsuka before going at her again. Just when she got to the scarlette, however, a wall of flame was erected in front of her, stopping the cat dead in her tracks.

"Kuh-!"

"How shameful, kitten," Nariko taunted from behind the blaze. "You can do more than just swing your sword at me."

The flames slowly died down and Himari quickly became shocked after seeing numerous copies of the foxgirl in front of her. There was no way of telling the real Nariko apart for the cat just by looking. Heck, all of them even had on the same colored nail polish.

Without putting any doubts to mind, Himari quickly went for one of the Narikos and put her sword through her neck. Unfortunately that Nariko disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Tch! Kuh!"

WHUD!

WHUD WHUD WHUD

POW!

The Nariko clones launched a heavy offensive against Himari, overwhelming her with their kicks and forcing the hapless cat to defend with her blade. Some were using their tails to attack Himari, and one of the doppelgangers got a lucky break after kicking Yasutsuna away from the swordswoman's hands.

"Ah-!"

"Shit, that ain't good!" Gordon thought worriedly.

Himari pushed some of the Narikos back with some strong elbow blows, causing the ones affected to vanish. The blackette quickly jumped to get her sword back but was sent tumbling towards the ground after being struck by a flying double kick. The distressed cat clutched her ribs in pain but was forced to roll away from a clone's flying stomp that would have crushed her skull.

"Heh. Wow, I'm quite impressed, kitten," one of them commended.

"Even while unarmed, you still managed to pull through," complemented another.

Himari slowly stood up with a faint smirk towards her fox-eared adversaries. "I wouldn't be called a bodyguard if I only relied on my sword," she bragged with a wince.

"True, but you're still outnumbered regardless," a Nariko clone stated with a confident smirk.

Himari responded with a sly smile of her own. "Is that so? Well then, it appears I'll have to get serious this time around."

Himari's cat ears and tail appeared instantaneously, the latter emerging from underneath her skirt as the cat guardian slipped into a fighting stance.

Gordon can only observe the battle truly unfold from the sidelines while the two ayakashi girls began their second round. The Nariko clones were the first to make their move on Himari, with two of them attempting to flank the feline from both sides. Himari countered by performing a sweep kick and managed to force them back. Her cat ears then picked up rushing footsteps and quickly bent backwards to avoid a spinning roundhouse kick from another doppelganger, then followed it up by rolling her body to the side, brushing off a sliding kick from another.

"Flamme Marteau!"

Himari glanced up and was quickly moved her body away from a heel drop from above, this time imbued with foxfire. Some of it managed to leave small embers on the cat's uniform.

"Hmph. I assume you're going all out as well?"

Nariko turned her head to Himari with a grin. "You bet I am. I wanna show Sweetheart what I'm made of, after all."

A frown quickly appeared across Himari's lips. "Would you stop referring to the Young Lord by that ridiculous nickname?"

"Right. This coming from someone who refuses to call Sweetheart by his name," the vixen criticized with her arms crossed, at which Himari gave a huff.

"Tis simply out of the respect I hold for him as my master," the blackette explained with an arrogant huff. "You, on the other hand, only seek to treat the Young Lord as if he was your lover when he simply expresses no interest."

"Oh?"

"And what makes you think you can?" the Nariko doppelgangers implied with frowns.

Himari placed her hand to her chest with a content simile. "I do not need to. The Young Lord has already approved of my affections, and he has shown me some of his in return. That alone makes me happy to be serving under him."

Gordon felt a sudden twinge in his heart at the bakeneko's kind words. However his body language begged to differ, with his right hand clenching into a shaking fist and his head looking down and away from the scene. He should feel happy after hearing that, but...somehow it didn't fit with the mood he was currently feeling right now.

"...Heh."

"Fu. Fuhuhu..."

Some of the Nariko clones were stifling their laughs, to Himari's growing annoyance.

"May I ask why you find that amusing?" she asked with a frown.

"Fight us and maybe you'll find out," the vixen grinned with a beckoning gesture.

Himari let off a small growl at Nariko's dare and dashed towards the small army of foxgirls, making work of them with her sharp nails. The clones themselves were no slouches, either, using their tails to block them or throwing foxfire-infused kicks.

"Flamme Tourbillon!"

Himari jumped away at a flaming sweep kick from a Nariko clone.

"Ouragan Flamme!"

Another one of the scarlet-haired doppelgangers performed a spinning roundhouse kick imbued with foxfire. Unfortunately for her, one of her tails was caught by Himari who then proceeded to spin her around. The helpless vixen was tossed away to four of her own clones, and they were easily dispatched the moment they collided.

"And then there were three," Himari quipped, facing the remaining clones.

"Yeah, but you're still outnumbered, kitten," one of them commented back.

"It's not rocket science or anything to figure that out," giggled another.

"And besides, haven't you checked your outfit?"

Himari glanced down at her school uniform, where she found a few burn marks scattered about. Thankfully they were minimal and didn't burn through, but even so, the cat was beginning to worry how much longer she can weather this fight. As it stands now, it will be incredibly difficult getting around Nariko's flames now that it's discovered she can integrate them in her strikes. She'll have no choice but to play it safe.

"Anyway, I think it's about time I finish this."

Himari quickly looked up and saw the Nariko clones preparing to make their move. One of them rushed the Crimson Blade with fiery kicks, again forcing Himari on the defensive while attempting to try and widen the gap.

"Tch! Kuh!"

"Haha! What's wrong, kitten? Can't take the heat?" Nariko taunted.

Himari growled and rolled away from the foxgirl's jumping roundhouse. Spotting Yasutsuna nearby, she made a dash for her katana, only to be stopped by multiple fireballs. The cat looked back to see the two remaining clones holding fireballs in their hands.

"Uh...nope. Not gonna happen."

"We prefer kittens that don't use swords."

Himari shot a petulant glare at the two before she was caught in a full nelson from behind by the last remaining clone. The kitsune's tails held a bone-crushing grip on the bakeneko's wrists and thighs, depriving Himari any path of escape.

"Nnngh! Hnngh! Kh-!"

"Fuhu. Aww, you're struggling to get out," the redhead said mockingly. "I still have one little gift I wanna give ya."

A bright red aura soon appeared around Nariko's body, which sent alarm bells ringing through Gordon's mind.

"Shit, she's seriously not considering...!" he thought before shouting, "Himari, get out of-!"

KA-BOOOM!

[End music]

A loud and powerful explosion shook the rooftop, causing debris to scatter everywhere as the battlefield quickly became engulfed in smoke. Upon clearing up, Gordon opened his eyes and his mouth gaped open after discovering Himari lying unconscious on the ground, her uniform now a ragged mess and covered in dust. She doesn't appear to be bleeding as far as the New Yorker can tell, which was a good sign for him.

"Phew... At least the vixen knows when to hold back," he sighed.

It didn't take long for Himari to regain feeling in her body following that explosion. The disoriented kitten shook her head to get the dizziness out, but her ears (both human and cat) were still ringing and her vision was blurred. She then heard approaching footsteps and glanced up to see Nariko (the real one this time) crouching down to her.

"Fuhu. How'd you like my present, kitten?" the foxgirl asked.

Himari responded with furrowed eyes.

"Hmph. I never expected the Benigawas' cat to go down like this, though. That explosion my clone made was fairly weak to begin with. Even small-fry ayakashi can survive that."

Himari was silent, prompting a sly smirk to emerge from Nariko's lips.

"I'm guessing you wanna know why I was laughing earlier, kitten?"

The cat's ears perked up while slowly tilting her head up towards the foxgirl.

Nariko's grin grew wide as she leaned close to Himari's ear, clasping her shoulder.

"It's because your master started doubting you."

Himari raised an eyebrow at her implication. "...I beg your pardon?"

"It's the truth, you know. You see, I saw what happened at Noihara. Well, my clone did, anyway. You were upset when your master got his back stabbed by that Hinoenma, weren't you?" Nariko hinted with a sneer.

Memories of her fight with Ageha and the Daidarabocchi resurfaced in the cat's head, up to that fateful moment. The only problem is, she cannot recall what happened following that. It was as if everything slowly faded to black the moment she saw the Hinoenma's blade planted in Gordon's back. Even to this day, Himari was struggling to pick up the pieces. Was she knocked unconscious by that giant without knowing? That could possibly explain why she was inside the Benigawa compound after coming to.

But after looking at Nariko now, it became apparent this fox knew something she didn't, as evidenced by her earlier words prior to the fight.

"You wanted to avenge his gruesome death, didn't you, kitten? You couldn't take the idea of losing the one person you were tasked to protect, the one you hold oh, so dear in your heart. That's when you decided enough is enough, wasn't it? The final straw, I take it?"

"Kh-!" Himari quickly found herself holding her forehead after feeling a sudden throb. The cat's vision became clouded as multiple voices rang inside her head.

"I'll kill you…! I'll kill you…! I'll kill you…! I'll kill you…! I'll kill you...!"

"Y-You're kidding me!"

"Nngh...! Ku...!"

That voice. Indeed, it belonged to Ageha, make no mistake. She knows that much already. But the other voice she heard. Was that...supposed to be hers?

{"Stay back!"}

"Grrr…! RAAAAAAAAAAARRRR!-!"

{"Dammit Himari, it's me, Gordon! Pull yourself together!"}

"Eh?" Wait, what? Th-That can't be right. Why? Why was she attacking Gordon, of all people? She was supposed to protect him, wasn't she?

"DIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEE!-!"

{"SNAP OUT OF IT!-!"}

"Hah-!"

A mortified gasp left Himari's trembling lips the same time Nariko grinned.

"Figured it out, I see. It's true. Sweetheart had no other choice but to take you on in that barbaric state. And you were the very first ayakashi he had to fight with his new powers, too. Kind of an insult to injury, wouldn't you agree?"

Himari bit her lip with her head hung down in shame. How? Just how could she allow to lose control of herself like that? And in front of own master whom she thought was dead!

Gordon can only watch his guardian slowly immerse herself in regret and self-pity. It was the first time ever seeing her in such a state. He wished he could walk over there and comfort her, but the courage to do so wasn't there.

"Following that fight, the Benigawa knew he had to get strong with his powers somewhat. After all, he didn't want something like that to happen again, now would he? But there was an issue: he just couldn't turn to his beloved cat for help while memories of that were still lingering in his head. So you wanna know who he turned to instead?"

Himari's tightened fists began to tremble, bringing slight amusement to Nariko's face. The vixen then proceeded to walk over to Gordon, her four tails encircling the skater's waist from behind.

"That's right. He turned to yours truly. Though to be honest, we've had more than our fair share of run-ins even before that whole mess happened. Isn't that right, Sweetheart?" she urged, caressing the New Yorker's cheek with a flirty smile.

Gordon gave a scowl at his fox-eared friend, as if reminding her to not get cocky.

Nariko simply interpreted that as playing hard to get and giggled. "Aw, come on, Sweetie. You know it's true. Stop trying to..."

SLAP!

The sound of a harsh slap resounded through the rooftop before it quickly died down into a deep silence.

Gordon's eyes widened the instant he saw Himari's extended hand in his field of vision, and who it was directed towards the moment he looked over his shoulder.

A bright red mark appeared on Nariko's right cheek where the bakeneko had struck her, and Nariko herself was dazed and perplexed as to what just occurred. The kitsune's dark amber eyes blinked for a few moments as she slowly reached for her afflicted cheek, all while keeping focus on Himari.

"Enough. I have just about had enough of you running your mouth, you tomato-haired tramp," she spat out. The Crimson Blade's expression matched the contemptuous and venomous tone of her voice, her eyebrows furrowed and her teeth gnashed in abject fury.

Gordon has never seen Himari this pissed off before. He has seen the cat engage in verbal spats with Shizuku almost all the time at his place, but he at least understood they were mutual depending on the topic.

This interaction, on the other hand, was far from mutual; it was purely hostile.

"G-Grr...! Rrr! Grrrrrr...!"

The skater glanced aside and noticed Nariko's expression becoming dark as a black hole.

"...able... Un...forgivable...! Unfor...givable...!" she repeated shakily as her tails became lit with foxfire, albeit being red as opposed to the normal blue. Some of the flames got on to Gordon's uniform, forcing the skater off to keep himself from getting scorched. The dark-skinned student then noticed Nariko's fox ears also becoming lit with flames, eventually spreading to her scarlet locks and bringing the term "Fiery Redhead" to its logical conclusion.

"Fu. Fuhuhuhu~ Hahahaha! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Maniacal laughter erupted from Nariko's mouth, her voice twisted and distorted as a result of losing all sense of sanity. The kitsune's eyes were more feral in terms of her pupils becoming constricted and slit, and her painted nails became razor sharp as did her canine teeth.

Himari quickly took a guarded stance, allowing a sadistic smile to show on Nariko's lips.

"Aww look, the little kitten's starting to get scared. Good; you should be after HITTING MY FACE WITH YOUR FILTHY HANDS!-!"

An array of fireballs appeared on the tips of her tails and shot towards the bakeneko who evaded them, resulting in smoldering craters being made.

"GAHAHAHA! MORE! MORE!"

More fireballs were shot from Nariko's tails as well as her palms, creating wanton destruction in her wake while Himari continued dodging for her life.

#######

Back in class, some of the students became concerned were puzzled after hearing rumbling noises from above.

"Hm? What's going on up there," thought Yuuto, eyes glanced towards the ceiling.

Rinko also shared the same sentiment as her neighbor, wondering what on earth was going on at the rooftop and why Himari and Gordon hasn't returned yet. It sounded like something urgent judging by the cat's tone and how quickly she rushed out of the room.

"I'm pretty sure it concerns that fox chick Yuuto and I met in Noihara," the ribbon girl assumed. She felt sorry about lying to Himari about that Fujima girl up to this point, but the redhead made them promise to not tell. It was understandable, given she was a third party in that debacle.

"Just don't get in too much trouble, you two."

#######

BOOM! BOOM BOOM! BOOM!

"Kuh! Aah! Tch!"

"HAHAHAHA! Die, kitty! Die die die DIE!" Nariko laughed psychotically while hurling her fireballs towards Himari.

Meanwhile, Gordon struggled to keep his eyes shielded from the smoke and debris caused by the chaos.

"Grr...! Dammit Nariko, cut it out! You're gonna burn down the school if you keep at it!"

The kitsune's eyes looked over to the concerned New Yorker with a smile. It was a gentle smile, yet at the same time was tainted with spite and malice.

"You don't understand, Sweetie," she spoke in a eerily calm voice. "I have to make the kitten pay for what she did to my face. Doesn't the term 'Creatures of Beauty' ring any bells to you?"

Gordon remembered the scarlette uttering that particular phrase before during their battle at Noihara. But to think one minor blemish on her face in the form of a slap could set Nariko off like this? It was outright ridiculous and just plain stupid in his eyes, but then again, he is a dude who has yet to understand the complexities of a maiden's heart. Heck, even Dante, for all his faults, acknowledges this.

"Worse of all, she compared my hair to that ugly fruit, and there's no way in hell am I gonna let her get away with either of those!"

The flames on Nariko's ears, tail, and hair intensified as she raised her hand up towards the sky. From there, a fireball appeared on the mad kitsune's palm that quickly expanded in size. By the time it finished, it was as large as the water tower nearby, if not slightly bigger.

Gordon quickly found himself frozen in fear at the fireball's immense size. "Holy...!"

"Th-That foolish fox! Does she intend to send us and whole school into oblivion with that!?" Himari snapped, equally worried about the sphere's massive growth until she and Gordon saw it shrink in size, compressing itself until it was the size of a tennis ball. The sphere glowed a bright bluish white and showed signs of instability but it didn't seem to phase Nariko one bit as she held it firmly in her hand.

"Have a taste of Hell, kitten! HELLFIRE GRENADE!-!"

Nariko released the volatile projectile from her palm, accelerating at a frightening speed towards Himari while expanding bit by bit. The cat wanted to move out of the way but at the last second realized she couldn't. A significant portion of the town stood right behind her. If she moved, there's no telling what kind of damage that attack could bring.

"Hahahaha! What's the matter, kitten! You can always dodge, can you!?"

Himari's teeth clenched at Nariko's raucous taunt. Was this part of her plan, as well? To have the Crimson Blade stuck between a rock and a hard place? Either way, it appears she has lost this battle outright.

"It's true. Sweetheart had no other choice but to take you on in that barbaric state. And you were the very first ayakashi he had to fight with his new powers, too. Kind of an insult to injury, wouldn't you agree?"

"Following that fight, the Benigawa knew he had to get strong with his powers somewhat. After all, he didn't want something like that to happen again, now would he? But there was an issue: he just couldn't turn to his beloved cat for help while memories of that were still lingering in his head."

Excerpts of Nariko's Noihara story played back in the blackette's head, all while closing her eyes and awaiting her demise. Perhaps this was karma for that event, for that brief moment she blacked out and became a ruthless monster that inadvertently instilled fear inside her own master's head.

"I...was very lucky to have met you, Young Lord. Please, take care of yourself. And also...I'm sorry."

She can feel the intense heat of Nariko's Hellfire Grenade grow closer and closer until...

{"HIMARIIII!-!-!"}

At the very last moment, Himari felt a pair of arms holding her body, causing her amethyst orbs to snap open. The Crimson Blade then became speechless after suddenly finding Gordon holding her in a tight embrace, his body bathed in Touki.

"Y-Young-!"

FWOOOOSH!-!

Nariko's Hellfire Grenade struck Gordon's back, his shirt quickly disintegrating from the intense heat of the flames. The young Benigawa struggled a little in shielding Himari from the fox's attack, finding it much stronger than anticipated while anxiously clenching his teeth. If he slips up, it could mean the end for him.

On the other side, Nariko was also rendered dazed and speechless, her eyes blinking a few times at Gordon's sudden feat.

"S...Sweetheart...? What are you...?"

Elsewhere on the school's highest point, a mysterious woman wearing a blue qipao and matching shoes stood. The Chinese dress hugged the woman's body and showed a fair portion of her slender legs. Her azure blue hair was done in a bob cut with a long, thin ponytail flowing from her nape and complimented the dress, as did her deep blue eyes that stared at the spectacle below through a black tengu mask covering half her face. Held in the masked woman's hand was a folding fan.

"I quite admire the young Benigawa's bravery," the masked woman spoke intriguingly. "Let us pray it won't be his undoing. Hm?"

Her eyes piqued after catching a glimpse of Gordon's skin bearing a metallic sheen. However the same time that occurred, cracks began to form from Nariko's Hellfire Grenade, threatening to give way at any moment.

The masked woman closed her fan and pointed it towards the fight, causing a barrier to form around it.

KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!-!-!

Her timing couldn't have come sooner as a large and powerful explosion quickly ensued, filling the inside of the barrier with plumes of smoke. It took a few moments for it to clear up, and when it finally did, the masked woman's eyes gazed down at a rather troubling development.

Gordon was lying on the ground, his bare back exposed as a result of the attack burning away his shirt. Miraculously, no third-degree burns can be found on his person; only a handful of unsightly burn marks. Himari was right below the New Yorker, slowly recovering from her brief daze before noticing her master's prone form in front of her.

"Y...Young Lord? Ah! Young Lord! Young Lord! Please, wake up! Young Lord!"

Himari violently shook Gordon's body after realizing the critical state he was in, and she was not alone, either.

"SWEETHEART!"

Nariko quickly rushed over to Gordon and held the young demon slayer in her arms, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Ohmygod! Please be okay! I didn't want this to happen to you! Please Sweetheart, you have to stay alive! Please!"

The scarlette began to cry, no longer able to contain her regrets as streams of tears flowed down her cheeks.

The qipao-wearing bluenette let off a relieved sigh after letting down the barrier, thankful none of them were injured, particularly with Gordon in regards to what she saw prior to the blast.

"...That was the Steel Skin ability the Benigawa just demonstrated," she deduced. "Even if it was unintentional, I'm glad he made it out okay in the end. Otherwise it would've been a completely different story."

"Ah! I can feel the Young Lord's pulse! He's still alive!"

"Really!? Oh, thank Inari above! C'mon, let's get him to the nurse!"

"Agreed. Let's!"

The mysterious woman let off a satisfied smile before turning her body away from the scene, after which she vanished with only crow's feathers marking her presence.

---

"Nn... Nnnngh..."

Gordon slowly began to stir awake the moment his consciousness returned. The young Benigawa's eyes slowly fluttered open until his vision cleared and found himself staring at a white ceiling. He then lifted his head up to find out where he was, only for a hand to stop him.

"Hold on. You still can't get up yet."

Gordon's eyes shifted over towards a beautiful woman with azure hair and matching eyes, the former of which was done in a short bob cut with a long, thin ponytail. She had on a white labcoat over a mint green dress shirt, a black skirt with sheer pantyhose underneath it, and black heeled shoes. Her left hand held a clipboard, and she was seated on a desk chair next to a window.

"Say...what now? Where am I?"

The blue-haired woman placed her clipboard down on her lap. "You're in the infirmary. I'm Kaori Shinozaki, by the way. I work as the school's physician."

Gordon shook his head a little. "I...I see. The infirmary. Ugh. Man, how long was I out for?" he groaned, holding his forehead.

"Hmm...almost two or three hours, I think," Nurse Shinozaki explained, tapping her chin with her pen briefly. "You were a little beaten up after your girlfriends brought you over here. Said you suffered a few burns on your back."

A snippet of him protecting Himari from Nariko's attack flashed in Gordon's head. He was quite lucky to have survived such a deadly attack from that fox, even with his Touki. Those two girls must have been worried sick after he passed out on them.

"Thankfully, they were only minor, so you're mostly okay as far as I can tell. But even so, you shouldn't rest on your back for a few days. Parts of your skin are still tender, after all," the bluenette advised. "Only reason you're lying down like that is 'cause I placed a few ice packs between you and the bed."

Gordon gave Nurse Shinozaki a confirming nod that made her giggle a little.

"Fufu. I'll be on my way, then."

The skater watched the blue-haired nurse leave the infirmary, closing the door behind her. However she peeked her head out at the last moment.

"Oh, one last thing. I forgot to say one of your girlfriends is with you right now."

"Huh?" Gordon looked down and became astonished after seeing Himari resting her head on his bedside. "Whoa! M-Miss Samurai, what the-?"

Nurse Shinozaki let out an amused laugh. "You two better not do anything lewd in my infirmary, you hear?" she teased before shutting the door once more.

The New Yorker grimaced at the nurse's implication. What does she think this is, a B-rated porno?

Sighing, he then brought his attention over to Himari's sleeping form.

"Zzz... Zzz... Nnn..."

The cat swordswoman was sleeping peacefully beside him, her soft lips parted ever so slightly.

Gordon resisted the urge to swallow the lump of saliva that was in his throat. Dammit, why did she have to be so damn cute sleeping like this? He's grown way too accustomed sharing the same bed as her. But even so, he was quite impressed by Himari going so far as staying by his bedside, even long after school after taking a quick look out the window.

The skater went and gently stroked the sleeping kitten's head. However that action caused Himari to slowly stir awake.

"Mmm... Nnngh... Mrowr..." A dazed Himari rubbed her eyes before looking up at Gordon. "Eh? Y...Young Lord? You are awake, I see."

Gordon laughed a little. "Heh. Yeah, I am. Any longer and you might've thought I was dead."

"Please do not joke around about such things!" Himari roared after slamming her hands on the bed. "I was deeply concerned about you after what you pulled!"

"Okay, okay! Chill!" Gordon conceded with his hands up. "Yeesh, you remind me too much of Rika when you're like that."

Himari let off a moody pout while crossing her arms. "And which part of your neighbor are you insinuating, exactly?"

"Uh... Nothing. Forget I said that," a nervous Gordon sputtered, his head turned away before glancing up at the cat samurai. "You're...not still mad, are you?"

Himari turned her head down and away from Gordon, bringing concern to the New Yorker as he, too, started to feel guilty.

"...Hey, um... Listen. About what Nariko said, I... I'm sorry. For everything. You see, at that time... At that time following that incident, I was...scared. And I know it's not your fault for going out of control like that, you...only wanted to avenge me. But for me, it's just..." A shake of his head. "I just couldn't stand seeing you as some kind of vicious monster that wants to tear everyone's flesh apart, mine included. At first I wanted to rid myself of that memory and move on, only thinking about the good times we spent together, but I knew I couldn't, no matter how many times I try."

Himari's fists clenched the hem of her skirt, her hands trembling ever so slightly as Gordon continued explaining.

"From then on, I knew I have to make sure I get used to my powers as much as possible. I...I really wanted to train with you at first since you know what my powers do, but...I keep getting reminded of that incident over and over again in my head. And in the end, it was too much for me. I really hope you can regain my trust, Himari. I was being a total dick on my part. And for that, I'm really sorry."

Himari slowly lifted her head and her eyes widened in bewilderment after finding Gordon bowing his head deep in apology while kneeling from his bed. It was first time ever seeing her master in such a position. Part of her wanted to scold and lecture him for hours on end, but at the same another side of her felt guilty seeing him in such a state. Heck, it was even making her embarrassed.

"P-Please raise your head, Young Lord. 'T-Tis unsightly for a master to kneel to his servant," she sputtered out.

Gordon did as Himari instructed, this time sitting on his bed while facing her.

Himari regained her lost composure, her embarrassed expression replaced with a stern frown. "I just cannot believe you would do something like this, Young Lord. What is more egregious is that you refused my help and instead went behind my back to train with that fox. Words alone cannot express how disappointed I am with that."

"...I know."

"Do you doubt me at all?"

"I don't."

Himari let off a quick sigh. "Then you should have known better than to toy with a woman's heart. I was deeply worried about where you might have gone to train. You can expect me to keep close watch on you from now on. Have I made myself clear with that?"

"..."

Himari's eyes narrowed furiously with a dangerous glint. "Young Lord...?"

"Haah... Yes, ma'am," Gordon surrendered after sighing, like a child after receiving a through lecture from a strict parent. He was then caught off guard when the cat samurai gave him a gentle hug.

"Good, then let us return home. Shizuku must be worried about us by now."

Gordon nodded while hugging Himari back. "I bet she is."

"Ehehehe."

---

"So all three of them are safe?"

"Yes. Thankfully there were no major injuries aside from the Benigawa receiving minor burns from the kitsune's last attack."

"Must be the Steel Skin ability at work, then? That's good to hear. Honestly, just what the hell were that cat and fox thinking when they nearly tore the school up? Some students were actually convinced the roof was gonna collapse. I had to put a silencing spell on the walls and ceiling just to make them shut up."

Ms. Kisaragi and Nurse Shinozaki were chatting with each other on one of the rooftop benches, the late summer sun about to set down on the two women.

"...Do you mind if I ask you something, Sae-sama?"

The greenette was in the middle of lighting a cigarette. "Does it concern that boy?" she assumed.

The nurse nodded. "Yes. I hold nothing against him being a demon slayer, but...I am quite curious as to why you hold such interest in him?"

Sae blew a puff of smoke from her lips. "Let's just say I'm indebted to someone from long ago."

"Is that someone related to the boy you're keeping watch over?"

"You could say that," Sae answered cryptically.

A faint smile appeared on Kaori's features before looking at the sunset ahead. "Then I won't press any further. Though you should reconsider your smoking habits one day, Sae-sama."

"Where have I heard that before?" Ms, Kisaragi remarked dryly while taking another drag of her cancer stick.

"Taiji.. If only you were here right now to watch your grandson grow..."

---

"What is the meaning of this, kitsune!"

Gordon and Himari arrived home to find Nariko relaxing on the living room couch. Needless to say, Himari was less than pleased by the fox ayakashi's intrusion.

"...I'm sorry, cat," Shizuku explained. "She was very persistent coming in here while you two were away...you know."

Himari frowned at the mizuchi's incompetence before directing her eyes towards Nariko. "How did you find our house?" she demanded.

"Fuhuhu~ That's a secret, kitten," she teased with a playful smirk. "Have to say, though, your place ain't half bad. Ah~ I feel like I can just melt away in this couch~" the scarlette sighed blissfully, tilting her head back before returning it forward. "Oh, that reminds me, Sweetheart. How's your back feeling?"

"Just fine, thanks for asking," Gordon replied bitterly. "The hell are you even doing here, anyway? You got your own place to live, don't ya?"

Nariko got off the couch and stretched out a little. "Yeah, but it felt a little stale to me, so I left."

"Then where are you gonna...?" Gordon asked, only to fall flat after receiving a mischievous smile from the kitsune in return. "Oh, hell no. Don't tell me you're...uwah!"

"Hahaha. You guessed right, Sweetie, I'm gonna be living here from now on. Hope you have room for one more," Nariko smiled after hugging Gordon, her ears and tails now on full display.

Himari stomped her foot in outrage. "Just what gives you the right to just barge right in here and make such a decision!?"

"Duh, it's 'cause he's my mate. I've really taken a liking towards my sweetheart, as you can plainly see," the scarlette explained, using one of her tails to brush Gordon's cheek. "I just can't let this handsome devil slip past my fingers, now can't I?"

Angry tick marks appeared on Himari and Shizuku's foreheads.

"As if we would allow you to claim the Young Lord as your own! And quit calling him your sweetheart!"

"You know!" the green-haired loli added.

A devious smile appeared on Nariko's lips, her fox ears twitching in anticipation. "Oho? Is that a challenge I hear? I'll gladly accept that. Love is a battlefield, as they say."

Sparks flew between the three ayakashi girls who glared at each other intensely.

Gordon, on the other hand, heaved out a weary sigh. "This is gonna be hell on earth," he bemoaned. So much for his (fairly) normal life at home. It will be sorely missed.

---

And that ends the second chapter of the Second Term Arc! Finally, at long last (both here and IRL), we have Nariko formally introduced to the Touryou High cast as an upperclassman. But alas, poor Gordon ends up on the short end of the stick by most of the boys as a result of the four-tails' antics. And Himari has had her fair share of suspicions about Nariko even after she started showing her true colors.

Gordon's trauma from the Noihara incident played a crucial part in this chapter, as it served to test whether or not Gordon can trust Himari after taking on the cat in her berserker state with his powers. Needless to say, after secretly going to train with Nariko behind her back, he kind of failed that one. However, he was able to redeem himself after apologizing and going through Himari's harsh scolding when she found out about it.

As far as extra characters go, Takumi gets a few minutes of screentime in this chapter. Some fresh new extras are also introduced at the beginning as well. Expect a few of them to show up again at random portions of the story.

We also learn that the school nurse is an ayakashi, as well! And one who holds Sae in high regard. What exactly is her relationship with the enigmatic teacher? So many mysteries just waiting to be solved, but for another chapter.

And finally, let's just say the Evans Residence in Japan has gotten a lot livelier with Nariko deciding to move in. Get ready for some chaos to ensue, especially with Nariko declaring Gordon as her mate. Himari and Shizuku are clearly not happy to hear that. And Gordon? Puh! Fuggedaboutit; he's done, finished.

So before I go, here's a quick breakdown of the abilities and techniques displayed in this chapter.

---

Nariko's abilities:

Close combat: While a majority of kitsune prefer to use ranged techniques due to their elusive nature, Nariko has trained herself to be a well-rounded fighter, utilizing a unique style that incorporates the use of her tails as additional limbs. She can also reinforce them with her youki, allowing her to slice through multiple steel beams with little effort.

Shapeshifting: Aside from a kitsune's usual three forms (human, fox and foxgirl/guy), they can also assume the identities of other people to either hide her tracks or conduct espionage. This technique is rarely used by most kitsune, as they highly value their natural looks.

Illusions: A signature Youjutsu of kitsune, Nariko can cast illusions that elude the human eye, be it objects, animals or people. A common drawback to these illusions is they can easily be dispelled by stronger ayakashi.

Power expansion: What set kitsune apart from other ayakashi is that their powers expand each time they gain a new tail, up to nine in total. Normally it takes 100 years for each tail, but some manage to grow it before reaching that milestone. Nine-tailed foxes are highly revered for possessing godlike powers and are among the strongest of kitsune, and as such they are often referred to as Tenko (天狐, "Heavenly Foxes").

Kitsune-bi (Fox Fire): A basic Youjutsu among kitsune, where Nariko conjures powerful flames that are five times hotter than normal flames. She can also channel the flames through to her legs, tails, or around her body for a multitude of variants.

Hitodama: A basic Youjutsu attack where Nariko conjures an array of fiery spheres (usually four) and hurls them at her opponent

Hellfire Grenade: Involves Nariko summoning a large fireball several times larger than herself and condensing it to the size of a baseball that she then proceeds to throw. The volatile and unstable nature of the technique carries a great risk for Nariko as it can potentially backfire at any given moment. A variant involves Nariko ramming the fireball in her opponent's stomach and sending them flying.

Flamme Marteau (Flame Hammer in French): Heel drop, either from a standing position or while in midair

Ouragan Flamme (Flame Hurricane in French): A 360-degree roundhouse kick

Flamme Tourbillon (Flame Whirlwind in French): A 360-degree sweep kick

Doppelganger: A Youjutsu that allows Nariko to create solid clones from her youki, each bearing the same degree of sentience and techniques as the original, though it only takes a powerful hit for them to dispel. When used for recon, their memories get transferred to the original once dispelled. Nariko can also detonate them if she so pleases, and can control the range and effect they do for her victims.

Blaze Mode: A berserk state that is triggered whenever a kitsune finds his/her face scarred or blemished (kitsune are known for being vain creatures). Blaze Mode amplifies the power of Nariko's fox flames and gives her more feral features such as slit pupils and sharper fangs. Her hair, fox ears and tail also become immersed in fox flames, a defining and terrifying trait.

Gordon's Touki techniques:

Steel Skin (鋼鉄肌 Koutetsu-hada): A technique that reinforces the user's skin to that of high-grade steel, granting them superior defence and a high resistance to heat. They also gain an invulnerability to magic due to iron being contained in it. A downside to this ability is that it increases the user's body mass as a result of steel having a higher density, making it unsuitable for underwater combat.

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Next time on The Brooklyn Demon Slayer: "Extra Round 3 - Gordon's Training Diary"

This is KID2NR, signing off. See ya!