AN: It took me a while and it ended up being much longer than I expected but it's finally done. There's not much action this time and it's more of a character and humor focused chapter. I just thought the story needed time to breathe, so I hope you guys like it.
I might worry some Ikki/Stella fans out there but trust me, nothing is set in stone and most of the scenes here are just played for laughs anyway.
And lastly, from what I last checked, this story has...
Over 20K views, over 120 followers and over 100 faves.
From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH!
CHAPTER 12: An Inspiration
Friday had come and Bruce was still two days away from his 'rendezvous' with Koshiro and as much as he'd prefer to be quicker about it, he knew that he was going have to bide his time till then.
He assured himself that it wouldn't be a total waste of time, he could take the time after classes to experiment with his magic in addition to scrounging up some materials to craft some weapons and tools. Then at nightfall, he could go on patrol; if not stopping crimes then at least to get the lay of the city.
That was his intention anyway, as he walked down the path through the Academy grounds. It was until yet again, something in Hagun found a way to have him sidetracked. This time it was in the form of a loud voice that came from the path in front of him to the left.
"Fine! It's not like I need you to teach me! Actually, I don't want you teaching me at all! Just you wait until we fight next time! AS IF A PERVERTED SIS-CON WHO SKIMPS ON TRAINING IS A MATCH FOR ME! BAKA!"
Bruce found it unmistakable: definitely loud, definitely a girl's voice and definitely a familiar one.
And sure enough, followed by stomping footsteps, a certain buxom girl with red-pinkish hair tied in twin tails marched out from the path and turned sharply towards him but halted in her tracks just before she collided.
"Ack! Bruce!?" she gasped, startled with her cheeks slightly flushed.
Stella's surprise vanished and she reverted back her earlier state of anger as she impulsively rounded on him.
"Wha-what are doing out here sneaking around like some creepy stalker!? I nearly ran into you!"
Normally this would be the point where Bruce would dismiss her and continue along his way but then he noticed the two orbs of tears that welled up at the corners her eyes.
"Is everything alright?" he asked with concern.
The question caused her to be taken aback and blink. Feeling the sudden wetness on her face caused by her blinking, she quickly wiped her eyes before folding her arms while looking away with stubbornness.
"Oh, everything is fine. Everything is AB-SO-LUTE-LY peachy keen!"
Stella glanced back towards him to see that he was staring at her weirdly. She didn't give him the chance to say or do anything further when she suddenly leaned forward a little with a wrist at her hip while her free hand raised a finger.
"You're a smart guy, right Bruce? Don't you think a relationship between brothers and sisters should have some strict boundaries?" she asked.
Bruce had an idea whom she was referring to and that was enough for him to shut the door on the whole subject.
"I'm steering clear away from this one." he said firmly as he pushed past her.
"Hey! I wasn't done talking!" Stella called out as she followed him.
Stella jogged and then slowed down to match his pace when she was at arms length behind him. Seconds passed by with her remaining surprisingly quiet as they walked through the shade, the sun's light scattered through the gaps of the trees above and appeared like mini-spotlights on a stage.
Bruce was aware of her hovering behind him and it was starting to get on his nerves, she said she wasn't done talking but she was just quietly following him and he wondered why? Especially after she accused him of being a 'creepy stalker'.
"By the way..." she finally broke the silence. "I've been meaning to ask...How did you know that Komatsu would be found out?"
Since that night, things pretty much played out the way Bruce expected. From what he had heard, Kurono confronted Komatsu and the boy confessed to everything, though apparently there was no mention of being visited by costumed fugitive. From the ledger found in Kurono's office, many students who were part of his 'clientele' were suspended with a stern warning.
As for Komatsu himself, he just quietly disappeared from the Academy. Bruce doubted that Kurono would actually expel him. It was more likely that because of his connection to the Yakuza group, Kurono and the Student Council preferred to handle this as quietly as possible.
"I didn't." he responded without looking back. "All I said was not to worry about it. I'm assuming the Director or the Student Council had something to do with it."
"Well, I'm grateful." she said, looking off to the side awkwardly. She of course decided to leave that statement vague. "I'm glad that Komatsu got exposed and Ikki's innocence got proven. But since then, Ikki's been getting really popular."
Even Bruce was aware of it. In just a week after the Selection Battles had begun, four Student-Knights had emerged being favorites among the student body.
Failed Knight, Kurogane Ikki. Crimson Princess, Stella Vermillion. Lorelei, Kurogane Shizuku. and...the newly christened Dark Knight, Bruce Wayne.
These were the names that remained popular topics in the Academy. Bruce personally found it a little too inconvenient since he initially didn't want to draw attention to himself.
But he was glad that things were looking up for Ikki. After all doubts about the F-rank were cleared, his nickname was no longer spoken in shame and ridicule but was now like an ironic title of respect.
Perhaps that made him more alluring, everyone was now curious about the supposed 'Worst One'.
"Hm."
"Don't get me wrong. I'm happy for him but now all of a sudden everyone from our class have been constantly flocking to him, asking him to train them in martial arts and give pointers...especially the girls." Stella added that last part with disgust and envy.
"Hm."
"I mean, Ikki's a generous guy, I get that. But he has no problem training Shizuku when she asks but he doesn't want to train ME! N-not that I care or anything but it's...just so...infuriating!"
"Hm."
Stella frowned at Bruce with annoyance.
"You have such a way with words, you know that?" she muttered sarcastically.
She then eyed him with suspicion as she asked another question.
"Come to think of it...After your win against Saijou-senpai, you've been the talk of the Academy as well. How come nobody approached you to train them, huh?"
Bruce stopped in his tracks, prompting her to halt as well, before turning his head towards her. His brows were in a straight line as he gave an annoyed scowl, the kind that was like he was asked a stupid question. Stella found it so hilarious that she started giggling.
"Oh, right." she laughed in realization.
She figured that Bruce probably scared off any student who approached him with his usual surly attitude.
"You know Kagami is right, you should try to make your face look less scary." she said with a haughty grin.
"Is there a reason you're talking to me right now?"
Stella was taken aback by his curt manner and then glared at him.
"Yeesh! I'm just trying to have a conversation! You know? Like a NORMAL person!"
With no trace of humor on his face, Bruce turned towards her fully and crossed his arms.
"Fine. What do you want to talk about?" he asked impatiently.
Feeling put on the spot, Stella froze for a moment before her temper once again flared up.
"You know what? Forget it! I don't even why I bothered! It's no wonder Ikki respects you, you two are practically cut from the same cloth! Urgh! BOYS!" she threw up her arms in exasperation and then stormed off.
"Teenagers..." Bruce muttered wearily as he saw her go.
It was obvious that the red-haired princess was not in the best of moods and thankfully, nobody else was in her way as she stalked down the dormitory hallway with her shoulders quivering in anger. Even if they were, they would've moved clear out of her path like they would for a rampaging bull.
"What is that overgrown jerk's problem!? Who even talks like that!? Doesn't he have a shred of consideration!?"
After a few strides, Stella's tirade began to slow down and she looked around with slight unease. She didn't know why but she felt the atmosphere around grow heavy with an unusual gloominess.
"Why am I feeling such ominous dread all of a sudden?"
"Hello." croaked a voice near her ear.
"Yaaaah!"
Stella shrieked and spun around to see someone she had no intention of meeting again, none other than the less-chirpy member of the Newspaper Club.
"Ma-madoka!? What are you doing here!?"
The creepy girl with disheveled hair stared back with half lidded eyes as she had her arms hugging an assortment of items to her chest.
"Hmrph. That is a question I ask myself often. What are we really doing on such a fragile plane with a such fragile lives, drifting towards suffering and death?"
And then, much to Stella's great discomfort, Madoka suddenly got into her personal space and took a big whiff.
"By the way, your sweat smells nice." she said without pause.
"Ew!" Stella recoiled with disgust. "I mean why are you here in this dorm!? Aren't you supposed to be with..."
Stella trailed off when her eyes noticed something in Madoka's arms. It was a plastic case, the type of packaging for a video game disc, that had a cover art depicting a bunch of 'bishonen-style' boys with long eyelashes and different colored hair. Among those characters, one stood out to her: a boy that bared an uncanny resemblance to a certain F-rank knight with the only difference being that this one wore glasses.
"What is that?" asked Stella as she pointed towards the box.
"Hmrph. It belongs to the President." Madoka responded without change in emotion.
"You mean Kagami?"
"Indeed. She has many disgusting and perverted things installed in her laptop. She should at least consider sharing. Anyway, this is called 'Private School Prince Academy'. It is an Otome."
Stella leaned forward with interest.
"An Otome?"
Madoka nodded.
"Correct. A type of visual novel targeted towards sad and lonely women pathetically craving male contact."
The was a silent pause as the socially awkward girl noticed how Stella was intensely staring at the game case.
"Do you want to borrow it, Vermillion-san?" Madoka asked.
Stella snapped back into reality and jumped back defensively.
"What!? Why would I want to borrow that!? What do you take me for? I'm not some sad lonely woman!"
Modoka's face remained deadpan which made it difficult for Stella to tell if she was expressing doubt or if she was just being herself.
"Hmrph. I only based my assumption on you ranting heatedly about some 'overgrown jerk'..."
"Hold on! That was-!"
"And that you are looking longingly at the cover like a love-sick puppy."
Stella's words got stuck in her throat as her cheeks went completely red with embarrassment.
"I..I-I'm just fascinated, that's all!" she tried to save face.
With her face still red, she crossed her arms and pushed her nose up with her eyes closed in a dignified manner.
"As a diplomat, it's my duty to sample and experience as much of this country's culture as possible and I've...(ahem), heard that these visual novels are a top export product so of course I'm curious."
"Then, you want to borrow it...for research purposes?" Madoka asked.
Stella jumped at the chance.
"Yes! Exactly! Research!"
"Hmrph."
Seconds ticked by as Madoka remained silent and Stella's agitation was reaching its peak as beads of sweat formed around her head and her teeth grit behind her lips. She didn't know how long she could handle the creepy weirdo boring her eyes at her.
"I'll lend you my laptop as well then." Madoka spoke at last. "I don't recommend playing it on consoles since those versions have been censored."
"Censored?"
"Didn't I mention it?"
Madoka stepped closer and whispered in a scandalous way.
"There are steamy H-scenes."
"H...H-scenes?" Stella asked nervously as she blushed again.
Apparently, the aforementioned 'Private School Prince Academy' (also just called 'Pri-Pri' by its fans) is set in an all boys school that just turned co-ed in time for the female protagonist, who's eyes were obscured, to conveniently enroll. It was standard Visual Novel fare with 'CG images' accompanied by text and voice acting.
As Stella would discover, the Ikki look-alike was named 'Issei Washimine', an soft spoken wealthy young lad next in line to inherit his father's company.
Another uncanny thing about Issei was that along with his strong resemblance to Ikki, his voice also sounded just like him. It made Stella all the more pleased to hear the character speak sweetly to her as if it was Ikki himself.
"Don't you see? I can't look at anyone but you!" Issei's voice sounded out with his CG image displayed. "Please, don't leave me alone."
Stella bore a wide satisfied smile as she held a wireless controller. In front of her on the table was the laptop that Madoka lended her.
"Yes! This is how it should be. I want him to see nothing but me!" she thought.
"As long as I have you by my side, I don't need anything else!" Issei declared.
"Oh Ikki…" Stella internally sighed. "Imagine if it was like that with you and me. Holding hands...kissing...and then maybe...maybe..."
She shook and rubbed her legs in excitement. Once she unlocked Issei's route, she'd be able to see his H-scene. She figured that if Ikki was going to be difficult in real life, then at least within the game she could fulfill her Ikki-related fantasies.
Unfortunately, her mood had taken a sour turn when the game introduced her to a new character.
The male character's name was Burai Igawa, a tsundare/kuudare type character with a mysterious past. But what got on Stella's nerves was that his appearance and voice was uncannily similar to Bruce's. The only difference being the cross shaped scar on his cheek and him extruding a delinquent-like vibe.
"Tch, Baka! Quit wasting my time and go bother someone else." Burai scoffed as his CG image glared at her.
Stella's eyes narrowed in annoyance. It seemed that his attitude was also uncannily similar to Bruce's. Before Burai's CG image appeared three option boxes for choosing the players response:
1. Apologize sincerely.
2. Look away and retort.
3. German suplex.
She chose option 3 without hesitation and was treated to a satisfying CG image of the protagonist slamming the backside of Burai into the ground.
Surprisingly after that, the illustration of Burai smirked at her.
"Heh. Not bad, princess. I'm glad at least SOMEONE in this academy knows some moves." he said.
"Urgh! He's even calling me 'princess' just like Bruce does!" Stella internally complained. "I don't like it when he does that, it sounds so condescending."
Over an hour went by and Stella found herself becoming more engrossed in the game's story than she thought she would. She would spend her time chatting up Issei and learning about his backstory but occasionally would encounter Burai as well. She'd just choose whatever negative response she could but for some reason Burai responded in a positive manner and slowly began to open up to her.
Apparently, Burai came from an orthodox feudal family and grew up with a chip on his shoulder due to rumors about his illegitimate birth and a traumatic past. There were scenes of him that garnered some sympathy from Stella.
She guessed that maybe Burai wasn't as bad as Bruce.
Then she reached a point in the game where Burai suddenly visited her character's room in the middle of the night. A few texts of dialogue later and things took an unexpected turn.
"Listen, Princess. I know I come off as cold and heartless but it's not like I don't feel anything. On the contrary, I feel EVERYTHING." Burai suddenly said with emotion.
"Eh?"
Stella was well aware that these were fictional characters but that fact that Bruce's image and voice was saying these things was throwing her mind off balance.
Dramatic piano and violin music swelled up as the Bruce look-alike began to pour out his feelings.
"The truth is that I'm scared. I'm scared of anyone getting too close to me because I don't want them to get hurt! So I built a wall around my heart!"
"Wait. What's going on?"
"But ever since I met you...bit by bit, I felt that wall crumble..."
The music reached its epic orchestral crescendo followed by a CG image of Burai embracing the female protagonist.
"Dammit! Do I need to spell it out!? I LOVE YOU,...my Baka Princess."
Stella's jaw dropped as her face became red.
"What the hell!? How did I get locked on Burai's route!?" she balked.
She growled in frustration that all her work to fulfill her Ikki-related fantasies ended up being for nothing.
"Grr! I guess I'll start over. How do you go back?" Stella asked as she tried pressing some of the control buttons.
Unfortunately, she triggered the game 'message skip function' and text flew by as the CG images changed rapidly.
"Wait! It's going too fast!" she called out as she frantically pressed buttons all over controller.
Doing so made her select option boxes that went by too fast for her to read. When she finally got the game to play at normal speed, she was treated to a CG image of Burai taking off his shirt and exposing his well drawn body.
"Forgive me, Princess. I'm a ravenous beast and I can't hold back!" the character said.
"WHA!? H-SCENE!?" Stella exclaimed. "No! Stop! This isn't what I wanted!"
But it was too late. Stella's eyes widened and the redness on her face deepened as erotic image after erotic image played out in front of her. Her mind was sent into an awkward tizzy over the fact that the person depicted in these scenes happen to look like Bruce.
"You're mine at last, Princess! NNGH! YOU FEEL SO GOOD!" the Bruce-like voice sounded out.
"NO! NO! NO! ARGH! Stupid game! I don't want to be with Burai! I want to be with Issei!"
"Who's Burai and Issei?" asked Ikki behind her.
"GAAAAH!"
With a panicked scream, Stella jumped forward and slammed the laptop screen shut and then turned to see Ikki standing by the door.
"Ikki! What are you doing just barging in like that!?" she exclaimed with her face still red.
"Um, This is also my room." Ikki responded, looking perplexed at her. "We're roommates, remember? What were you watching on that laptop?"
"N-n-none of your business! What are YOU doing back so early!? Shouldn't you be with your Darling Little Sister?"
Ikki heard her say that last part with scorn which prompted him to scratch his hair sheepishly.
"Oh. You're still mad about that."
"Damn right I'm mad about that!"
He sighed, feeling bad about his awkward behavior in front of her and Shizuku and that he didn't get a chance to be clear with her before she stormed off.
"Stella, let me explain. It's not that I don't want to teach you, it's just that there's nothing I could possibly teach you."
Stella's expression turned confused at this.
"Huh? What do you mean?" she asked.
Ikki took a seat next to her as he continued to speak.
"Most of the students here aren't that well versed in Martial Arts in the first place. Even with someone like Shizuku, I can see areas that could be improved."
The fact was that most Blazers view skills like martial arts and swordsmanship as low priority since they believe magical power would be all they need and the Mage-knight System supports this idea. But there were true warriors who employed both but aren't that well known to the public eye.
It was why Ikki and Bruce were a fascinating topic among the students in Hagun, because the concept of strength by technique rather than magic was uncommon to them.
"But you, you're not only far too advanced for someone like me but your sword style is rooted differently from mine. Mine is based on fragmented techniques, while yours is based on raw power. Your prowess in magic makes it unnecessary to learn the tricks I use."
Next to Shizuku, Stella's expertise and versatility in magic were among the best. She was not only born with amazing power but was also trained at a young age to expertly wield it, like a true prodigy.
"And even if I did teach you, all it would do is complicate what you already know and slow you down."
Stella remained quiet with her lips parted slightly, keying in Ikki's words. Then the boy turned and locked his dark eyes with her ruby ones.
"I don't want to be responsible for that. I want you to grow in your own way, to always go...beyond my imagination."
"Do you mean that?" Stella asked softly.
"Yes. I do."
Nothing else could be said in the duration where they were locked in each other's gaze. Ikki couldn't remember if he had done so before but his own peerless vision began to take in her appearance, everything from her skin to her eyes to her hair.
There was one strand of hair dangling in front of her face which for some reason made him feel that it looked wrong. Out of impulse, his hand went to it before grasping it gently and tucking it at her ear.
Stella gave a light moan as she nudged her head towards his hand. That's when he focused on her lips that looked so inviting. There was a feeling of apprehension biting at him, he knew he could've easily taken advantage of their situation but he also respected her too much to allow his hormones to take over...but at the same time the pull was so great.
"Stella..." he whispered as he inched his face closer.
~Doki Doki~
The princess's heart pounded at her chest in excitement.
"Could this be it?...Are we finally...?"
She fluttered her eyes closed and leaned her lips toward him. It felt like the two of them were enclosed in a bubble, cut off from the rest of the world.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
Both Ikki and Stella snapped out their moment and just like that, the bubble popped.
Stella's mind was in a state of stunned disbelief as Ikki got up to answer the door where he was greeted by three of his female classmates.
"Hello Kurogane-senpai, I hope we're not disturbing you." one of them waved friendly hello.
Another of them peaked into Ikki's room and darted her eyes around.
"Whoa, so this your room? It's so unassuming, just what I'd expect from a rising star! Oh hi Vermilion-san, didn't see you there."
Stella's expression was still like a gaping fish.
"Anyway..." the third girl began to ask. "We were wondering if you could help us out with our techniques? We're doing some training with our Devices but we keep messing up it somehow."
"And having you around would be super-helpful!" the second girl squealed.
"Right now? I dunno, I'm kinda-" Ikki began to say.
But before he could say anything further, his hand was grabbed by one of the girls which sent Stella's temperature spiking.
"Oh it won't take long." the girl said with a smile.
In a state of unusual helplessness, Ikki found himself dragged and lead outside by the trio of girls. Dragged far enough where he couldn't hear Stella's loud roar of frustration.
With the arrival of Saturday came no classes and the option for the Student-Knights to visit their homes or do something fun for the weekend. For various reasons, some of them decide to just spend their weekend in the campus. Among those were the two Kuroganes, the Vermillion Princess and a certain tall lavender-haired boy.
While not earning as much attention as his peers, Nagi Arisuin was no less respected or talked about than they were. Nicknamed 'Black Sonia', he has remained undefeated due to his quick and methodical uses of his shadow powers.
The student body were already well aware of his gender-association and that he was usually seen with Shizuku. But this time, he was alone and was on his way to meet someone.
Nagi smiled when he found him at the recreational behind the main building.
"I must say, I was pleasantly surprised that you called me all way out here." he grinned.
Bruce was leaning against one of the trees with his arms crossed. He had procured Nagi's number from Ikki and sent a simple message. The location was of course known to both of them, it was the same place where Nagi attempted to help Bruce with his powers.
Once thing that didn't escape Nagi's attention was the long rope dangling before him and coiled on the ground. His eyes followed it upwards to see it tied and secured to the thick branch that arced above them.
"However, that rope is red flag. What sinister and deviant things are you planning?"
The older man pushed himself to a stand and fully addressed him.
"The rope is a precaution. I called you here because there's something I'd like your opinion on."
"Oh?" asked Nagi.
Bruce nodded.
"That...'Shadow Walk' Nobel Art you taught me that day. I've been doing some experiments of my own and I think I discovered something."
Even though Bruce didn't elaborate, Nagi seemed to immediately understand.
"Ah, I see."
He then stepped closer.
"Well then, let's get started."
Bruce's brows jumped in surprise.
"Just like that? Aren't you apprehensive after what happened last time?" he asked.
The tall boy's recalled the time the two of them almost sank into an endless abyss while the walls seemed close in on them. He didn't know what could have happened had Shizuku not rescued them.
"A little, yes, but I can't help but feel curious. However, let's keep this to ourselves. I don't think Shizuku would be happy if she knew about this."
The Dark Knight swallowed the guilt he felt surging inside him. Honestly, he couldn't blame the young girl for acting hostile towards him, he too felt responsible for putting her friend in danger.
"Alright." he nodded.
Just as before, Nagi took his place besides Bruce with the rope between them. Bruce summoned his Device to his hand but paused before proceeding further.
"Remember...if anything goes wrong, use the rope to climb out as fast as you can. Don't look back, even if it means leaving me behind." he said.
Nagi giggled at this.
"Aw, so sweet! There's no need to talk in such extremes. You've clearly done this before so there's nothing to worry about, right?"
With nothing else needed to be said, Bruce waved the sword and they both sunk into their shadows.
With nothing else needed to be said, Bruce waved the sword and they both sunk into their shadows.
Everything looked the same as it did the last time they submerged, including the same pulsing red cracks around them. Bruce still felt that foreboding feeling as he was sure Nagi was feeling it too. But this time he urged him to steel himself.
"Don't do anything! Just wait."
They sunk further down as the shockwave-like throb hit them, Nagi began to feel more and more unnerved but Bruce remained firm.
"Wait..."
The boy was brought to the point where he had to shut his eyes and then...
Nagi felt a sudden calm, prompting him to slowly opened his eyes back up and looked around.
"We're back on the surface again." he said in astonishment.
"As I thought, forty seconds exactly." Bruce noted.
"But how?"
"I don't know, that's what I wanted your input on. From what I could tell, it doesn't seem to be as harmful as we thought but it more like a..."
Bruce trailed off when he noticed that Nagi was clutching his arm tightly, which made him release an exasperated breath with an annoyed scowl.
"You can let go of me, Arisuin."
Nagi instead tried to snuggle closer.
"Must I? I rather like your arms."
"Let. Go." Bruce commanded firmly.
With an over dramatic sad sigh, Nagi did so and then took a few steps forward with his chin caressed in thought.
"I had been thinking deeply about your magic since the last time, and perhaps this all but confirms it: I'm clearly not the right instructor for you."
"What do you mean?" Bruce asked.
Nagi turned around and addressed him.
"Firstly, it's a different element than mine. There's a reason I'm only a D-rank. My powers utilizes shadows, you can't have shadows without light. But you? It appears that you can control darkness itself! A Dark Knight indeed."
The boy chuckled but Bruce just continued to listen.
"But it's more than just that. This magic is of a completely different nature than mine. With the Noble Art I taught you, it became less of a 'Shadow Walk' and is more similar to one of my other Noble Arts."
"Your other Noble Art?"
Nagi suddenly smiled with a strange gleam in his eye.
"Oh yes. Come, let me show you." he gestured Bruce to follow.
He then led Bruce to a secluded spot within the campus, between two school buildings. The sun above had one of the buildings cast a long shadow over the wall of the other building, making the place much darker and cooler compared to the rest of the area.
With his hand raised, the lavender haired boy materialized his Darkness Hermit and spun dagger in his fingers a lot like the assassins and mercenaries that Bruce encountered over the years.
"Hermit's House."
He then plunged the blade up into the darkened side of the building and pulled it down like he was tearing a thin fabric.
And it looked exactly like that. Before Bruce's eyes, Arisuin's dagger was affected by the building's solid nature but seemed a tear a hole in space, creating a black opening which the boy easily walked through.
"Well? Aren't you going to come in?" Nagi asked, poking his head through the hole.
Perhaps it was just his paranoia but Bruce felt like a spider just invited him to its parlor. He chided himself and stepped in the dark hole, mentally reaffirming that he was a grown man and could take care of himself.
He was surprised at what he saw beyond the black veil, it looked a small apartment except that everything was in gray monochrome like an artist sketched it. It was about ten square meters with the left side taken up by a small kitchen and an attached washroom, while the rest was for a bed and a low tea table positioned right in the middle.
"Would you like some tea?" offered Nagi as he moved to the kitchen in the far corner.
"No thank you." Bruce said simply, leaning against the gray wall with his arms crossed. "All this was made with your own magic?"
After Nagi poured himself some tea, he sat on one of the stools by the table.
"Not all of it, there's no electricity here but I was able setup a my own gas and water supply. Remember what I said some time ago? About magic being building materials for a blueprint, this is a literal example: a hidden room made using the space between shadows."
As Nagi took a sip, Bruce turned his sights around the room, studying it.
"Tell me Brucie, how do you like Hagun so far?" Nagi suddenly asked.
Bruce turned his eyes back to the effeminate boy, surprised by the sudden change in subject.
"Pardon?"
"You've become quite a sensation. After your win, everyone has gone ga-ga over 'Dark Knight' Bruce Wayne. But how do YOU feel? You seem so keen to isolate yourself from everyone, is it because you feel...out of place?"
Bruce frowned at that last bit, was it an insinuation?
"I could ask you the same." Bruce said. "From what I can see, you seem ready to keep to yourself as well."
Nagi smiled.
"Because I'm a maiden trapped in a man's body?"
"That's not at all what I meant." Bruce shook his head earnestly.
Even back in Gotham, Bruce saw himself as being quite liberal and supportive of members from the LGBTQ community. As with his code, he values all human life and always believed a person's morality and good nature was the most important of all.
"This room seems to have it all. Running water, gas, a bed to sleep in. And those are food rations if I'm not mistaken."
Bruce pointed towards the far corner of the room which had a stack of small boxes.
"And I thought Ikki was the one with the Perfect Vision." Nagi chuckled.
"If a person wanted to, they can hide away here for months. I just wonder why you have a room like this. Aren't you happy with your accommodation with Shizuku?"
"Oh, I am." Nagi took a sip and then grinned mischievously "Maybe I just brought you here to have my way with you."
As usual, Bruce didn't give a reaction and just looked at him without humor, prompting Nagi to sigh in mock-sadness.
"You're not as fun to tease as Ikki, I see."
Nagi stared at his cup and to Bruce's surprise, he didn't seem playful this time. There seemed to be genuine sorrow in the tall boy's eyes.
"Perhaps there are just some things I don't want to burden Shizuku with."
Bruce then felt a sudden chill as the boy raised his cup to his lips, his expression changed so much that he was barely recognizable; his eyes sharpened with coldness and unfeeling like a snake's. And this completely different Nagi said one more thing before taking another sip.
"We all have our secrets, don't we Brucie?"
Bruce's senses went on high alert and he narrowed his eyes. That was an insinuation is he ever heard one.
"Listen, I should be going now." Bruce spoke up.
He half-expected the boy to stall and trap him here but that didn't happen.
"Yes, I suppose." Nagi said in a slight disappointed tone and got up. "Allow me."
Walking up the wall where Bruce was, Nagi reopened the hole and gestured an 'after you' to Bruce.
He still didn't know what to make of the effeminate boy but he felt from the start that he was dangerous, his shadow powers allowed him to move around without detection and he also has the perfect fox hole to hide or hide something.
But it brought the question: What was all this about anyway? Why did he even bring him here? Just to let him know that he suspected something about him?
Just who was Nagi Arisuin?
There was just still too little to go on.
It unexpectedly rained not long after Bruce parted ways with Nagi. The remaining students in the campus collectively groaned in annoyance that they had to stay indoors but Bruce saw it as an opportunity to work on a new project and set out in the evening, when the rains stopped, to test it.
Unfortunately, he would yet again find himself sidetracked when he happened to run into Ikki who apparently had a favor to ask.
"Pass." Bruce said dismissively with a frown.
"Oh come on, Bruce. The other students look up to you and you showing up would be really helpful for them."
It seemed that Ikki and a bunch of other Student-Knights had plans to go to the pool tomorrow morning.
With Ikki's sudden popularity, many students have approached him and he had no problem entertaining their company. When it came to Bruce on the other hand, the Dark Knight was far less sociable. But that didn't deter them in fact, his elusiveness and mystique made them all the more curious about him.
So when the student body learned that Ikki was friends with him, they goaded him into inviting him.
Honestly, Ikki also wished for him to come. He was frankly getting annoyed by Bruce acting like a crazed loner all the time.
"You guys are just going for a swim. I don't see how my presence could have any significance." Bruce said.
Ikki sighed and shook his head.
"It's not just for a swim. It for a special swordsmanship training."
Bruce looked at Ikki curiously.
"Training? You mean for your classmates?"
Even though he didn't acknowledge it, Bruce remembered Stella's rant about Ikki giving lessons.
"Yeah." Ikki nodded. "They seem really insistent on wanting to learn but aren't able to grasp a few concepts so I thought we'd go about it in a different way. Besides, I think it would helpful for you too."
"I doubt that. My skills are already at its peak."
"I'm talking about your magic."
Bruce raised a brow and flashed him a doubtful look.
"Swimming in a pool is going to help my magic?" he asked dryly.
"You'll know what I'm talking about when it happens." Ikki said with a knowing smile. "So what do you say?"
The older student let out a breath as he ran his fingers through his hair, wishing that the boy would just drop the whole idea.
"Shouldn't you focus more on yourself, Ikki? It's fine that you want to be helpful but you can't lose sight of your own goals and need to be wary of those who may take advantage of you." Bruce tried to reason.
Ikki dropped his expression and then crossed his arms in thought, considering Bruce's words.
"I guess. But the thing is...I just can't help myself."
Bruce listened as Ikki elaborated further.
"The people I looked to for guidance all ganged up on me like I was their enemy. That's why if I see someone in need, who can't solve their own problems, I have to try."
There were key differences between Ikki and Bruce, Ikki could afford himself fun, happiness and love while Bruce resigned himself to a lonely fate. But at their core, they were both shaped by their painful pasts and were determined to make a better future for others.
"I want to help them climb the wall they can't because I know what it's like to climb it alone." said Ikki.
"Just like how I want to save lives and fight injustice, because I know what it was like to lose a loved one to it."Bruce mused.
Ikki scratched his hair in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry, I know that sounds stupid-"
"No." Bruce interrupted. "It's not stupid at all."
But despite that understanding, Bruce frowned. He remembered that he still had a mission tomorrow and so reverted back to his no-nonsense tone.
"That being said: Look, I appreciate the invite but I have other-"
"He'll be there." came a voice.
Bruce and Ikki turned to see Kurono Shinguuji approaching them. She wore an overcoat over her usual suit for the chilly evening, hands in her pockets and a lit cigarette held by her confident smirk.
"Director?" Ikki wondered out loud.
Bruce furrowed his brow but kept his tone neutral.
"With all due respect, I don't think you can speak for me in this matter."
With her other arm crossed under her chest, Kurono took the cigarette from her mouth with two fingers and chuckled.
"Oh really? Because as far as I know, it's the weekend and there's not much class assignments. I don't see any reason why you can't spend time with your peers."
She then stepped right up to Bruce with her own scrutinizing glare, causing him to take a step back in discomfort.
"Unless you've been spending your time on something that I don't know about. But you wouldn't keep secrets from me. WOULD YOU, Wayne-kun?" she grilled.
Ikki looked on in confusion as Bruce sweated with grit teeth, internally cursing that he was being put on the spot like this. He knew that Kurono might already be skeptical about him not crime fighting and she was just backing him into a corner.
He could feign ignorance or just walk away but all that would do is draw unnecessary suspicion, which he definitely didn't need with other the students around.
Besides, there would still time.
"Fine. I suppose I could come for a short while." he said begrudgingly.
Ikki blinked in surprise, unable to believe that Bruce actually relented.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Oh."
Ikki didn't know what to think of it but he sure wasn't going to complain.
"Okay then, I'll tell them you're coming. See you then!"
Bruce watched as the boy left before shooting the Director a dirty look.
"Had your fun?"
"Whatever do you mean?" Kurono asked.
"Like hell you don't know."
Kurono laughed, enjoying his reaction.
"Learn to loosen up, Wayne. You weren't really going to turn down the poor boy after such a speech, were you? Besides, it might be fun so what's there to lose?"
The former billionaire sighed in exasperation as he put his fists to his hips.
"Don't you think it's too weird for a man of my age to be hanging out with a bunch of teenagers?" he asked.
"I'm not forcing you to do anything inappropriate if that's what you're thinking. I already have Nene to keep an eye on so I don't need another pervert on my hands."
Kurono took a drag before looking at Bruce warily.
"You're not actually considering doing anything funny, right?" she asked.
"What are you implying!? Of course not!" Bruce responded irritably.
This brought out more laughter from the director.
"Relax, I'm just kidding!" she said with a teasing smile.
She walked past him, ignoring his scowl, and stopped just a foot away from him, hands in her coat pockets as she gazed towards the dark cloudy skies, there was no humor on her face this time.
"You know, after I met you I wondered over and over how could a man like you be compelled to do what you do. And after seeing the way you interact with these kids, I'm starting to get a partial idea."
Bruce's expression didn't change nor did he say anything and only looked towards her, waiting to see where she was going with this.
"For someone who has no problem staring death in the face, you act clueless in situations like this and honestly, it makes me feel sorry for you."
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
Kurono looked back towards him.
"I'm talking about adolescence, Wayne. Friends, Having fun, Crushes, Growing up. Something tells me you never really had one."
She could see his body go rigid at that statement but he remained silent.
"Whatever your story is, I not going to pry into it but I will encourage you to not see this as an inconvenience but as a second chance, to reclaim something you once lost."
"Something I lost?"
"Of course, THAT'S completely up to you." Kurono said, her lips growing into a smile. "Anyway, have fun tomorrow."
With a wave, the Director of the Academy turned and walked away, leaving Bruce alone.
"A second chance..." he murmured.
He internally scoffed.
"She's clearly being ridiculous."
Once again, Bruce found himself marveling at the sheer scale of the campus of Hagun Academy. In addition to their gyms and arenas, they also had their own indoor swimming pools. In fact, the large structure had two pools separated by the shower and changing rooms. One was a competition style pool with an attached diving well, which was currently undergoing routine cleaning, and the other was by no means smaller but it looked more designed for leisure than serious training.
And to Bruce's dismay, leisure seemed to be on almost every student's mind today. Some of them have brought flotation devices, rubber balls and toys. The girls took longer to change than the boys but when they were done, they came flocking out. Giggling among each other while wearing different kinds of swimsuits which in turn prompted the boys to ogle and make sounds of awe.
Stella in particular was wearing quite an eye-catching number: a black laced bikini with white spots that exposed most of her skin. She walked like a fashion model, as expected of her royalty background, causing her large milky white breasts to bounce with each step. She was clearly dressed to impress...impress a certain F-rank knight that is.
Shizuku was also among the girls who attended and although she lacked Stella's proportions, her white and orange swim-dress brought out a cute Moe-quality which also drew gazes towards her.
"I'm so emotional right now." one of boys said shakily, trying to hold back his tears as a whole gallery of cute girls in swimsuits were arrayed before him.
"Thank you so much, Kurogane-sama. Following you all along until today really paid off!" another boy exclaimed as the others nodded with with tears in their eyes.
Ikki chuckled nervously as he scratched the side of his head.
"Erm, Thanks you guys, but it's only been a couple of days."
Bruce shook his head with a slight wry smile. He couldn't exactly blame those boys. After all, his previous public persona was a womanizer so he was definitely far from being a prude. He can appreciate an attractive female body.
"Don't get any ideas. They're still minors." he warned himself.
After that mental decree, Bruce noticed something from the corner of his eye. Narrowing his eyes in suspicion, he quickly turned towards the form peeking out of the corner of the pool's entryway only to see it disappear. He did manage to catch the flap of long flowing dark blue hair. Was there someone spying on him?
"Bruce?"
Hearing Ikki's voice caused him to turn back around to see the F-rank and the other boys looking at him curiously.
"You're still in your uniform, aren't you going to join us?" Ikki asked.
All the other male students were already wearing swimming trunks. Till now, Bruce hadn't bother changing and just stood around.
"I think I'll just watch." Bruce said with a small smile. "Besides, I don't have a pair of trunks on me."
"That won't be a problem." a voice sounded out.
"Alice!?" Ikki blurted in surprise.
Ikki jump a bit when Nagi appeared next him out of nowhere. The effeminate boy was dressed in a one-piece body suit that hugged his lean frame. In a smooth motion, he presented a clear plastic bag that appeared to contain a peice of men's swimwear.
"Ta-dah! It's just your size too." he chimed with his eyes closed and his smile like a fox's.
Bruce narrowed his eyes slightly. He still didn't trust Nagi but there was there was not much he could do about the situation. He didn't know what the boy knew or didn't know, nor what he did or plans on doing. And what complicated matters was that subject was close friends with Ikki, Stella and Shizuku. He couldn't openly confront him while knowing so little. So for now, he'll have to play along like nothing happened.
"Where and when did you get that?" Bruce asked suspiciously.
Nagi places his fingers to his lips to muffle a giggle.
"Oh, I just had a feeling after that little talk we had. Don't worry, I definitely wasn't mentally measuring you when we were alone or anything." he said innocently.
"What!?" Bruce balked as he shirked back.
"Now go on, get changed. Don't be such a wallflower now."
With that Nagi tossed the bag to Bruce who caught it easily and as he did, he noticed Ikki giving him a questioning look.
"Just don't ask." was all Bruce groaned before marching off towards the changing room with an annoyed expression. He figured that the sooner he got this whole thing over with, the sooner he could leave.
"Um, okay...?" Ikki uttered in confusion.
At the girls side, Stella was looking over the whole pool in fascination while Shizuku stood next to her.
"Wow! So this is a Japanese pool." Stella said with awe.
"It's not just Japanese, all pools look like this." Shizuku said with a roll of her eyes. "How sheltered were you in your castle? Don't they have pools in your country?"
They did but this was actually the first time Stella had come to a commoner's pool. The Princess gave a proud 'hmph' and retaliated.
"Of course we do. But in my castle, we called a pool this size a bath!"
With low growls, two girls engaged in a glaring match until someone slid adjacent to the space between them, scribbling on her notepad with fervor.
"Ooh! Is this off-ring drama I see brewing!?"
Both Stella and Shizuku looked to their side to see none other than Hagun's plucky reporter girl. She was wearing a dark boyleg style one-piece swimsuit that showed off her figure quite well.
"Kagami? You came too?" asked Stella.
"Sure did! There's no way I'd miss an opportunity to see Kurogane-senpai give his insightful lessons. It'd make for a great story."
Then, in a sudden change in attitude, Kagami's posture went straight and her expression turned very serious, her eyes hidden by the reflected light off her glasses which she pushed up slightly.
"By the way Stella-chan, I heard from Madoka that you've been playing my copy of Pri-Pri."
"Gegh!" Stella choked.
"Pri...Pri?" asked Shizuku in confusion.
Kagami dropped the serious persona and whined in self-pity.
"And not only that but you managed to unlock Burai's route! Haa, I'm so jealous! His route's notoriously difficult to access among Otome fans. I've been playing for weeks trying to figure it out!"
Shizuku looked back and forth between them before addressing Stella with a suspicious tone in her voice.
"What is she talking about?"
"N-nothing! I have no idea!"
But despite her fib, Stella found her arms grabbed beseechingly by Kagami.
"Oh come on, don't play ignorant. At least tell me how you did it! Please? Please?"
"Kagami, I really don't want to talk about-"
"KYAAAAAAA!" "KYA~!" "KYA~!"
There was a sudden eruption of loud girlish squeals around them. Stella, Shizuku and Kagami looked towards their fellow female students in confusion and could see them all focused in one direction; some with their fists bunched together at their chins, others with their hands cupping their cheeks, but all with rosy cheeks and literal hearts in their eyes.
The three girls followed their gazes and the sight made them recoil with their faces going red.
"Aah!" Stella and Shizuku gasped.
"O MAI GAH!" Kagami exclaimed as blooded spurted out of her nose.
Before them was Bruce Wayne, leaving the dressing rooms wearing nothing but a pair of black swimming briefs that exposed majority of his bare body. For the group of girls, he looked like a character that jumped out of a Josei manga and their perspective appeared to be overlayed with pink mist and floating sparkly bubbles.
Bruce himself looked slightly uncomfortable. Not because of the stares, he was used to that back in his world, but because he felt that the briefs were a little tighter than he expected: tight enough to leave things down there little for their imaginations.
Stella's mind wasn't helping in the least, it acted on its own and began to recall those certain CGs from that damned Otome, comparing them to him. And to make matters worse, it then remembered Nene's remarks about his 'dragon'.
Shizuku's eyes drifted towards Stella and took notice of her stupefied state: the way her face was totally red, eyes widened and jaw slacked. It brought a sinister grin to her face and so she decided to strike while the iron was hot.
"You know Stella-san, my brother doesn't tolerate disloyal wenches." she said smugly.
Stella snapped out of it and then shot her a dirty look.
"Shut up! I'm not disloyal!"
Bruce made a bee-line towards the boys side, sporting an annoyed scowl directed towards Nagi who's lips were stretched in a Cheshire grin.
"Couldn't you've gotten something a little less tight!?" Bruce admonished.
With his own cheeks tinged, Nagi lightly bit his own finger like he was in ecstasy.
"And do us ladies such a disservice?" he said. "Perish the thought! It's YOU who should be ashamed of yourself for hiding such a sinful body under that oversized uniform."
With the bridge of his nose pinched, Bruce sighed in exasperation and was about to lecture him further when Kagami's voice sounded behind him.
"Um, Senpai..."
Bruce turned and saw that it wasn't just her, there was a crowd of girls with her and they were all looking over him with curious eyes.
"Where did you get those scars?" Kagami asked.
With most of Bruce's body exposed, so to were his scars on display. They were scattered not only over his back but there were some on his front as well; remnants from bullet wounds, knife wounds and even claw marks, all stitched up thanks to Alfred.
He looked around to see that it wasn't just the girls staring but also some of the boys, including Ikki, were also eyeing him, looks ranging from fascination to suspicion.
Back in Gotham, he would've easily answered Kagami's question. His bored billionaire persona had allowed him an assortment of made up reasons: race car accident, slipped while rock climbing, Hang Glider mishap, disgruntled ex-girlfriend.
But what kind of excuse could a seventeen year old student have?
"I fell." he said.
"Y-you fell!?" Kagami balked.
"It was a nasty fall." was all Bruce said.
The time then came for Ikki to give his lesson. Standing with Kagami (who was furiously taking down notes) at the edge of the pool, he forcibly swallowed his own nervousness before addressing the gathered students who had already entered the water. Some sat at the edge of the deep end, among which was Stella. The remaining were standing in the shallow end just before Ikki where Bruce happen to be.
Bruce could feel the eyes on him, particularly from the female members of their group, but he paid them no mind and listened while crossing his arms.
"Okay now everybody, I want you to just relax, allow yourself to float and drift through the pool." Ikki instructed.
"Huh? Is that really going to help?" asked one of the female students.
Ikki smiled and nodded.
"It will, trust me. First of all, it'll improve your lung capacity which is very useful in a sudden fight..."
None of what Ikki was saying was particularly interesting to Bruce because this was pretty basic stuff to him and in fact he had already mastered how to fight in the most grueling conditions possible. But he wanted to be considerate and continued to listen.
Stella on the other hand, who was quite experienced herself, wasn't as patient as Bruce and was beginning to feel bored.
"I know he came here to continue giving his lessons but couldn't he also spend a little time with me too? And after I spent so much time picking out the perfect bikini." she internally whined.
"For us swordsmen, this is something just as important as physical exercise and strength." Ikki continued to explain. "But for today, well...this is just extra benefit."
"Extra benefit? What do you mean?" Kagami asked, looking up from her notes.
"It'll become clear when you do it but immersion can be a catalyst to bring you closer to your truest self."
"Closer to your truest self…" Bruce idly mused.
Now that he thought about it, didn't Ikki mention something along those lines before?
"Anything can be a weapon. A twig you find on the ground can be a weapon or even a small rock. But a Device...that's part of who YOU are."
Is that what Ikki meant about helping with his magic? All this talk about Devices being part of a person's soul, was that how it was all connected?
"My magic, the sword...this Device...is part of my truest self..."
A familiar image flashed in his mind, where he was on his knees as boy under the yellow light from the street lamp with the dead bodies of his parents.
Another image flashed, this time it was of a little girl with dark blue hair sobbing by a statue monument in the middle of a town.
Then came the memory him slumped on his chair bleeding in the manor, his head that held eyes of fury lifted wearily towards the window in front of him as a certain flying creature crashes through the glass.
This was followed by another scene where the same girl, now older, appeared to be traveling with two other people: a silver-haired girl about her same age and an older gentleman with long hair and a styled mustache.
Bruce pulled his cowl over his face, completing his costume as he stood over a stone gargoyle, cape flapping in the wind, looking over the city he vowed to protect.
Her city was up in flames as she clashed her sword against the invading enemies, using her swordsmanship and every Noble Art she had at her disposal, bending the dark to her will. She was overwhelmed but she kept on fighting, until a wide axe head plowed into her abdomen.
Bruce's eyes opened with a start and the strangest thing was that he couldn't remember when he had them closed.
"Right, Wayne-senpai?"
"Huh?"
Bruce snapped out of his state and turned his head to his side where a group of three girls were in the water with him. The short brown-haired one addressing him had her arms slung over the other two's shoulders who were looking bashful.
"I was just telling them that if we're about to drown, you'll come save us. Ri~ght?" she asked playfully.
He knew that they were just messing around but he decided to humor them anyway. After all, it's not like he wouldn't try to rescue anyone in trouble. What kind of gentleman he'd be if he didn't assure them?
"Sure, you can count on me." he said and then for an extra emphasis, he flashed them his trademark playboy megawatt smile.
The effect was immediate with all three of them blushing and in awe like they were in the presence of something lustrous.
This didn't go unnoticed at the deep end of the pool where the bunch of girls sitting by the edge began to chat amongst themselves.
"Dang, I didn't realize that Wayne-senpai was so hot!"
"There's something so mature about him. How do I put it? He gives off such an adult composure for someone his age."
"I know, right!? So much different from all the other guys!"
Stella meanwhile, was trying to listen to Ikki's instructions but she kept getting distracted by the voices from the group of girls and it was starting to grate on her nerves.
"Urgh! These girls keep talking about Bruce! How can I focus with all this chatter!?"
And much to her aggravation, the yacking continued on and on.
"What you think of that chiseled body? It looks like it was cut like diamonds! Ahh! So much eye candy..."
"I'm not usually into machos. But those piercing blue eyes! And his facial structure. He's a total Ikemen!"
"That's right! I bet he'll look so cool and stylish wearing those clothes from men's magazines."
"I bet he'd look better wearing nothing at all."
They all broke down in a fit of giggles and Stella's tolerance was finally at its limit.
"Argh! I can't take it anymore!"
And with that internal scream, Stella slipped herself into the water and submerged herself.
She didn't feel the sting from the chlorine when she opened her eyes and all she could see around her was a vacant blue. When she looked up towards the surface of the water, it looked like a portal to a faraway world.
"It's so quiet in here." she thought with relief.
She floated towards the bottom of the pool and decided that since she was here already, she might as well try out what Ikki was talking about.
"To be closer to my truest self and listen to my own echo."
She closed her eyes and concentrated, every other noise faded away and she attuned herself to her body's functions; every pulse, nerve, muscle.
She realizes that is must be how Ikki sees the world. The source of his peerless vision.
And then finally she could feel the burning mana inside her, easily moldable at her fingertips.
If she was being totally honest with herself, none of this exercise was necessary since she was already so expertly trained at a young age.
With a sadden face, her eyes opened slightly.
"But then why do I feel like I'm too naive?"
She remembered Ikki saying that he wanted her to go beyond his imagination but how could she? Ikki defied expectations, he goes beyond limits, he inspires people.
But an A-rank Prodigy like herself? She was the best because everyone expected her to be the best.
It was one of the reasons she left her country. Everything just came natural to her and nobody bothered challenging her, hence trapping her in a box called 'genius'. It made her feel jaded, like she was just a monument to be beheld.
She wanted to be more than just a class of her own. She didn't want to just match Ikki skill for skill but also inspire like him, help others like him, to stand with him shoulder to shoulder as true equals.
Ikki said that he was trying to reach Ryoma Kurogane but who could she reach?
His dark image flashed in her mind, just as she remembered from that incident.
"Batman..."
She had hoped that her hero worship of the vigilante wouldn't go out of hand but she always liked the idea of being a hero, it why she wanted to be a Mage-knight and a major motivation for her when she first started training, because her country didn't have many strong Blazers.
"But for that, I need to be stronger. I need to go beyond the world that Ikki sees. If I could reach that place, then I might be able to see something I haven't yet discovered."
Stella closed her eyes again.
"Reaching...deeper...towards the place of the Crownless Sword king."
But Stella could still hear muffled voiced from above.
"By the way, what about Kurogane-san? Is he single?"
She tried to ignore it and pushed on.
"Deeper..."
"I dunno. He is roommates with Princess Vermilion though."
"Deeper..."
"Do you think Kurogane and Vermillion-san are dating?"
"Guehghgh!"
That caused Stella's eyes to pop open and choke on the water before passing out.
From black, her vision came back in a haze. She felt like she was floating, everything was an incomprehensible blur and garbled voices bubbled in her ear.
"Wh...pened..t...Vermillion-san!?"
"Is..sh..ll...ght?"
Bit by bit, her mental faculties regained itself and the voices became clearer.
"We need to do something! Does anyone know CPR!?" came Kagami's voice.
"Hold on! I'm coming!"
Stella stiffened when she heard Ikki's worried voice and shut her eyes just when she saw his blurry face.
"CPR!? As in...mouth to mouth!?" she thought in nervous excitement.
A golden opportunity was put before her and her mind spun wildly with ideas, she felt a moment of hesitancy but when she sensed Ikki's palm over her nostrils she impulsively made her decision and held her breath.
"Alright Stella, be cool. If you wait it out long enough then Ikki will…" she said to herself.
Stella held her excitement down and all signs of breathing. She was tired of hiding her affections in public and tired that they haven't been able to kiss so far. It technically wasn't actually a kiss and he wouldn't be aware of it but she was willing to take whatever she could get.
She then felt Ikki's palm over her chest, just between her breasts. Again she resisted the urge to blush and remained calm, even when he interlocked his other hand over the palm and pushed down in a rhythmic cycle.
Then finally, his fingers flew to her head and initiated the head-tilt/chin-lift maneuver before she felt his fingers against the sides of her nose. There was brief pause which caused her anxiousness to spike but then her waiting was finally rewarded when she felt his from lips press down against hers.
It was everything she imagined it'd be. A feeling of weightlessness, tingling electricity coursing through her from the tips of her toes and the flame inside kindled to the point where she barely felt the water on her skin.
Her whole body sang with joy and she tried her hardest to not kiss back and extend her tongue. But her lips did involuntarily move slightly along with a soft moan.
"Mm~"
And just like that, his lips were gone and she could finally breathe. Ikki probably realized that she wasn't in danger as he thought. Their lips met for barely over a second but Stella wasn't disappointed, it felt like it lasted way longer.
With her cheeks flushed, Stella's eyes slowly cracked open...before it enlarged completely wide open as her jaw fell agape in horror.
"AAAHH! B-B-BRA-BRUCE!?" she sputtered in shock.
Indeed, Bruce hovered over her with the other students looking over from behind him in worry, including Ikki.
"Thank goodness!" Ikki let out a relieved breath. "You scared me half to death! Good thing Bruce is more knowledgeable about CPR than I am."
"Yeah, we all panicked when we saw your body float up to the surface but Senpai reacted quickly and brought you here." Kagami said.
Stella's mind was totally in jumbles and it was made even worse when she heard Bruce's voice.
"Are you okay?"
Her ruby eyes nervously trained on his blue ones and she noticed that his hair was wet due to him carrying her out of the water. She also agonizingly aware of the way the water droplets were contouring over his body.
"I...I..." she blurted, her face like a deer in headlights.
She then suddenly scurried away and pushed herself into a run.
"I'm fine!" she let out a squeak, her face tomato red as she ran off and disappeared into the changing rooms.
Bruce and the others watched her with perplexed expressions with the exception of three people. One of them was Shizuku who had an evil smile of her face.
The other two were female classmates who were frowning with jealousy. One of them pretended to stumble forward and acted exaggeratedly dizzy.
"Ahhh...Senpai, I feel faint. I think I need CPR as well."
Not wanting to be outdone, her friend joined in as well.
"Ooohh...yes, me too."
Bruce let out a tired grunt.
"Why does fate hate me so much!?" Stella internally groaned for the umpteenth time.
Despite her grievances, she realized that fate was at least merciful. Because when she finally exited the changing room, she was glad to find out that Bruce had already left saying he had things to do. Good, she didn't think she could handle being anywhere near him right now.
Thankfully, Ikki and the rest just assumed that she was just embarrassed because she allowed herself to drown like that and that was the story she'd like to keep.
"Far as I'm concerned, the whole thing never happened. Especially the part where that jerk stole my first kiss!...Which technically wasn't a kiss but even if it was, it never happened!...Why am I still thinking about this!?"
"Are you alright, dear? You seem to be perturbed."
Stella snapped back into reality and notice Nagi, who was sitting one step below her, giving her a worried look.
"Oh, it's nothing Alice." she chuckled sheepishly.
Sitting next him was Shizuku who rolled her eyes and then focused them back towards the sunken plaza.
It had been a few hours since their time at the pool. Stella had hoped by then, she and Ikki could finally have some alone time but unfortunately their classmates weren't ready to leave him alone yet and they all ended up having lunch together. Poor Ikki found himself in an awkward spot when all the girls offered to share their lunch with him, drawing heated reactions from Stella and Shizuku.
It was now close to evening and they have all gathered to the sunken plaza where Ikki was showing them how their training at the pool had benefited them.
"I did it!" one of the girls cheered happily.
She had managed to perform a perfect Chinese-style sword technique and was rewarded with applause from the other students watching her.
"See? I told you." said Ikki with encouraging smile.
Kagami, who was also with them, suddenly smacked her head in realization.
"Ah! Such a cool moment and I forgot to take pictures! Kurogane-senpai, how about a Photo Op!?"
"Erm, I'm really not comfortable with constantly seeing my face plastered all over the school."
"Oh that's okay, it won't be for a school article. I'll just sell it outside for a quick buck!"
"That's...not exactly 'okay'." Ikki grimaced and sweated on the spot.
One of the younger First Year males of the group pumped both his fists in hype.
"That was so awesome! If we keep this up, we'll be just as good as Kurogane-sama in no time!"
Ikki flinched. He knows full well how difficult it is to be well versed in physical combat, his peerless vision and Blade Steal made him a unique case among aspiring swordsmen and the last thing he wanted to do was give his schoolmates a sense of false hope.
"Woah, keep in mind that all this is more of an exercise than full-blown training." he said with a raised palm. "It took me years to master the level I am now. I trained myself when I was very young and I was only able to do so because I didn't have a choice."
The boys in the group deflated at this.
"So it's not possible to be someone like you?" one of them asked, sounding disappointed.
Ikki shook his head and sighed.
"You don't have to be like me."
He looked around and addressed the whole group.
"You all have proper abilities unlike me. But by utilizing your Devices, you can fight with better range and scope so there's nothing wrong in trying to learn a little. If you need advice on how how to become stronger, I'm happy to offer it."
"But are you okay with that?" Kagami spoke up. "You do realize that you could be creating an unbeatable rival that might face you in the Selection Battles."
To everyone's surprise, Ikki smiled with excitement.
"Actually, I'd welcome it. That would allow me to both teach and fight. Besides, someday as Mage-Knights, it'll be our job to fight with our lives on the line."
"Whoa..." Kagami uttered with awe and tinged cheeks before she suddenly gushed like a rabid fan.
"YOU'RE SO COOL, KUROGANE-SENPAI!"
Ikki jumped back a little.
"Wha? I-I am?"
"It's not everyday you see someone who wants to help others without thinking of their own benefit. You're an ideal, something we can all aspire to."
The other students nodded in agreement.
"Er, I never thought of it that way before." Ikki said, scratching his hair in embarrassment.
Meanwhile, Stella watched the whole thing with her head resting on a propped hand and a fond smile on her face.
"It's too bad not everyone is capable of being helped, right Stella-san?" came Shizuku voice.
Stella glared at the youngest Kurogane member who was looking back at her with a smug smile. She was obviously talking about Ikki refusing to train her but Stella retaliated with her own smile, now that she knows Ikki's true reasons.
"Laugh all you want but Ikki told me that I'm too advanced for him to train me."
Shizuku dropped her expression and her jade eyes blinked.
"Ikki wants me to go beyond his imagination because at the end of the day, he sees me as his one true rival! An equal in every way." Stella added.
"Equals..."
That last sentence from Stella shot through Shizuku like a hot needle and she looked like someone just pelted her with rotten fruit. She idolized her brother in more ways than one and to hear such a notion was just blasphemous.
"Equals!?" she barked in outrage as she stood and faced her.
Nagi, who had been observing the two, began to feel nervous about the situation.
"Don't make me laugh! Sure, you're an A-rank but you can't compare to Onii-sama's strength of character! Onii-sama is not only strong but an inspiration! What have you done to that respect!?"
Stella was momentarily surprised that Shizuku reacted so heatedly but then she fired back.
"I can be an inspiration too!"
"Oh please! You only think for yourself! Look around you, who in this Academy have you helped when Onii-sama has guided others? Who!?"
"Girls, take it easy. There are people nearby." Nagi stood tried to calm them down.
Ikki and the others did notice the yelling but they didn't know what it was about.
Stella gritted her teeth in anger but deep inside she wrestled with what Shizuku said. Who could she possibly help like how Ikki does? Teaching the Vermillion Imperial sword arts would not only be pointless but it would be a major disservice to her country as it was only kept within the royal family. And besides, everyone was already quite versed in magic so it's not like she could...
At that moment, Stella found herself stunned as an idea popped in her head. A very crazy idea but an idea that has rooted in her mind and didn't leave.
To Shizuku's surprise, Stella lips began to curl upwards and her brows narrowed in confidence.
"Just you wait, Shizuku." Stella grinned and pointed her finger. "I'm gonna prove you so wrong!"
And with that, the red-haired girl suddenly took off, leaving everyone to just stare after her.
"What is that girl up to now?" Shizuku asked with fists to her hips.
A battle waged in the dusk skies above between the hues of pink and the foreboding dark clouds. From it, Bruce concluded that it would to rain soon as it did yesterday; one of Tokyo's occasional spring storms that washed away the fallen sakura petals. Some saw it as a cleansing, others as an omen.
Poetic imagery aside, there was one major reason he fixed his eyes upwards and on cue a swarm of them began to show up, their black wings looking sharp enough to rip the skies to shreds.
Pipistrellus Abramus, otherwise known as the Japanese House Bat. There were apparently colonies of them strewn throughout the city and were now lured out by the sudden rise of flying insects brought by the rains. Insectivores, yes, but with teeth that were no less deadly.
"Let's see if this works." Bruce said and then tapped an icon on his phone app.
A small speaker-like mechanism he planted on one of the campus street lamps activated with a flashing red light, it emitted a high volume utrasound inaudible to human ears.
He had been working on this in his free time. Lucius Fox would've probably done a better job but here, Bruce had to write the program himself and build the emitter with whatever parts he was able to cobble together.
There was a result but not what he was expecting, the flight pattern of the bats were disturbed and they were flying more erratically. Two of them flew down and circled the street lamps, they were joined by a two others and then a fifth but no more. They seemed curious more than anything.
With thoughtful 'hmm', Bruce turned the gadget off which made the five bats disperse and allowed him to retrieve it.
"I'll probably need to adjust the frequency but it's a good step forward." he mused as he pocketed the contraption.
It's often been theorized that bats have a complex language that varies from species and regions. Bruce figured that Japanese bats communicated a little differently compared to their western counterparts but once he figured it out, he would have another useful tool in his arsenal.
With that experiment out of the way, he then checked the time and his brows furrowed.
"It's almost time for Koshiro is show up. I'd better suit up and get to the station."
But just as he was about to, a voice called out behind him.
"Bruce! Bruce Wayne!"
He spun around to see Stella standing a distance away from him, panting while hunched over and leaning on her knees. She looked like she ran a marathon and she probably did. Bruce honestly found himself surprised and wondered what could she possibly want from him.
From Bruce's perspective, the pink hues from the sky were layed up behind her and seemed to add more luster to her hair while dark clouds hovered over his side, drawing a boundary between them. More poetic imagery in action? He wasn't sure.
The Crimson Princess finally straightened herself, grinned and jabbed a thumb to her collarbone in a proud and haughty manner.
"Your troubles are over. I, Stella Vermillion, am gonna train you in magic!"
TBC