Parallel World Arc
Chapter 5: The Aoi Residence Part 1
Gohan let out a loud burp as he shook the household, and caused everyone to stare at him before he exhaled.
"Man, that food was delicious!" Gohan spoke in a relieved manner as he leaned back into his chair while patting his stomach.
"How uncivilized..." Kazuya muttered beneath his breath as he looked at him with a disgusted look. The boy did not indicate whether he heard Kazuya despite his acute hearing.
"I am glad you enjoyed it..." Kazuha sweatdropped before looking at her brother, "Since everyone is finished with their meal... could you take Gohan upstairs to your room?"
"What? Why?"
"I need to have a private discussion with my classmates..." Kazuha replied with a smile
"But..."
"It's okay, Kazuya." Kazuha replied cheerfully with a smile, "Trust me."
Kazuya narrowed his eyes at Yumi. The boy remembered how she slapped his sister when he wasn't around and felt like he needed to be here to make sure it didn't happen again. The Korean felt uncomfortable by his stare due to her guilt about the incident.
"Don't worry, Kazuya," Elize said with a smile. "I'll ensure she won't harm your sister this time."
"We will make sure it doesn't happen..." Shion interjected, "No one is going to harm her..."
"Yeah." Gohan jumped in
Kazuya seemed like he was considering leaving the room with Gohan; however, the child of the Aoi family looked like he was going to stay until he heard Kazuha's low yet stern voice.
"Kazuya..."
Kazuya took a deep breath and let out a heavy yet defeated sigh.
"Alright..." Kazuya said as he got off his chair and looked at Gohan, "My room is upstairs... follow me..."
"Lead the way," Gohan said with a smile as he followed Kazuya, and they walked upstairs.
"So, are you going to be staying here or something?" Kazuya asked with a raised brow as he looked at Gohan from the corner of his eye
"I am not sure, however; we have a backup plan if she doesn't accept having me around."
"Even if my sister does accept you, I won't," Kazuya replied curtly.
"Is there a reason why you don't like me?" Gohan asked curiously
"For starters, sis apparently has a strong interest in you for some reason..." Kazuya answered as he stopped moving to look at him, "Second, I also caught you staring at her butt when she went to get you more food on the table. And third, I don't want my sis anywhere near guys like you."
Gohan blushed at the revelation.
"Oh... you saw that..?" Gohan asked with noticeable shame in his voice.
"Yeah..."
"Then Yumi, Elize, and Shion saw me as well..." Gohan thought with dread.
"I-I don't just look at Kazuha like that..." Gohan stammered, "I also look at Yumi's body and even Elize when it comes to her legs..."
"Is that suppose to make it any better?" Kazuya asked in bewilderment as he looked at Gohan incredulously while stopping in his tracks
"W-Well, after saying it out loud..." Gohan muttered with a sheepish grin while his blushing increased, "I'll be honest, I'm not good at situations when it comes to girls..."
"I've noticed..." Kazuya said while shaking his head with disappointment and disgust, "I appreciate your honesty. Just keep your eyes to yourself, okay? Especially towards my sister!"
The two continued walking; however, Gohan wanted to get rid of the awkward atmosphere between them.
"So, where are your parents?" Gohan asked as he tried to change the topic and make a more friendly
"Sis doesn't like to talk about them," Kazuya replied dismissively, "She never tells me anything about our parents or her feelings towards Grandpa."
"Are you on bad terms with them or just her?"
"Just her when it comes to Gramps, but I don't know about Mom and Dad since I never met our parents. Sis doesn't like to talk about them either."
"Did I bring up a sensitive topic..?" Gohan thought worriedly
"Right..." Gohan replied
"What about you? Why stay here when you can be with your own family?"
"I figured he was going to ask me this question right after mine..." Gohan thought with anticipation
"Let's just say I am far from home." Gohan replied, "My dad is no longer alive..."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that..." Kazuya replied as he stopped again and felt a little sympathy for Gohan, "What about your mom?"
"I don't know about her situation, but I hope she is still alive," Gohan replied with concern yet hope in his voice.
"I guess his situation is rather complicated..." Kazuya thought
"We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to..." Kazuya said to him
"Thanks, Kazuya. I look forward to seeing what your room looks like." Gohan replied as they proceed
Meanwhile
The girls sat on the couches opposite each other with a glass table between them. Yumi was on the right side, Elize was on the left, and Shion was in the middle. Kazuha was sitting by herself in front of the three Pandoras as she gave Yumi some hot tea in a cup.
"Ah, thank you," Yumi replied as she grabbed the tea cup Kazuha gave her.
"You're welcome..." Kazuha replied as she gave the last cup to Shion
"You're too kind..." Shion commented without looking at Kazuha as she took it from her
"I'd like to make something better, but our budget is pretty tight," Kazuha commented.
"Budget? You don't have any money?" Elize asked
"Yes, that's right."
"Is that so...?" Shion asked, "Are the houses around these parts that expensive?"
"The houses near the Genetics facility are quite expensive." Kazuha confirmed, "We barely have enough every month after taking out the rent and Kazuya's tuition. Most of our income pension I get from being a Pandora."
The girls stared at Kazuha as they took all this information from her.
"Um... Aren't you Gengo Aoi's granddaughter?" Yumi asked her hesitantly and curiously
"Yes, that's right..."
"I don't understand..." Shion thought to herself, "Your family should have plenty of money just from his name alone. That shouldn't be possible..."
"Then why are you so short on money?" Yumi asked her, "In fact, where are your parents? They should easily be able to find a suitable job with a good income to support you and your brother, even if the costs are expensive..."
Kazuha was quiet for a brief moment without responding to Yumi's question as some memories came back to the Pandora from her childhood.
Flashback
"K-Kazuha..?!" A woman was startled by the sudden appearance of the 6-year-old girl, who was glaring at the woman near her brother's crib.
"Hey, lady... Just what do you think you're doing to my brother?" Kazuha asked the woman as she got closer to her without changing her facial expression, and the woman looked away from her
The woman laughed to herself maniacally, and it got louder. Kazuha's facial expression didn't change at all. She wasn't scared, confused, or worried. The little 6-year-old girl kept looking at her with an unnerving stare.
"HAA!" She screamed as she pressed the pillow on the sleeping baby Kazuya. Kazuya widened her eyes as she ran to the female's attempt to kill her brother.
"Get your damn hands off my brother!" Kazuha shouted as she ran to stop her by any means necessary.
There was another flashback that took place after the incident with a man laughing even more deranged than the woman before him as he sat on a rocking chair with Kazuha looking at him in a concerned manner.
"Tell my father..." Ryuichi said with a crazed look as he had a gun to his head, which terrified Kazuha. "I will be the one to decide how my story ends..."
*BANG*
Kazuha put down her tea cup and smiled at them with her eyes closed.
"Because our Grandpa and parents have nothing to do with our lives..." Kazuha said with a smile
Yumi and Elize looked at each other with concern while they also noticed Shion had a blank expression with her glasses covering her eyes.
"But you're his granddaughter and not even an adult! Isn't it weird he is not taking care of you?" Yumi asked her with concern and curiosity in her voice.
"Not at all, when it comes to Grandpa anyway!" Kazuha replied with a smile
"Did he want to live separate from you and was against you leaving or something along that line?" Elize asked
"Haha! No way!" Kazuha replied with laughter
"He enrolled me into this school in exchange for leaving the house." Kazuha replied, "Basically, the main point is that becoming a Pandora was much better than living with Grandpa."
Yumi's concerned look remained, but it became more apparent from her response.
"So then the reason you become a Pandora is..."
"Yes, Grandpa wanted me to. That was the condition for allowing Kazuya and me to leave. We have to handle the living expenses all by ourselves."
"..."
"Let's not pry into her personal life..." Shion commented, "There is no need to ask any more questions on the matter..."
"R-Right..." Yumi replied as Elize nodded her head while Kazuha sipped her tea
Though Shion said this statement to her friends with a straight face, the Pandora couldn't help but feel a sense of anger towards Kazuha for all of her smiling. She has been around enough people and has good social skills to know a genuine smile from a fake one. It made Shion feel like Kazuha was insulting her intelligence with her deception.
Despite feeling this way, she knew no good would come from confronting her on it, especially since the real reason why they were here was for her to let Gohan stay in her household. She often felt this way towards Gohan on some occasions despite the short time Shion spent with him, but it didn't affect her because of how young he is and has been through a lot for his age based on what they learned about him so far.
"This girl... She might be in a more complex situation than I ever would've imagined..." Yumi thought as she stared at Kazuha, who was sipping her tea
The Korean hunched her body forward before speaking to Kazuha.
"I'm sorry..." Yumi said with her head down as she caught Kazuha's attention
"I had no idea of your circumstances, nor did I try to learn about them, and simply treated you like a horrible person..."
"And... I... Even... Well..." Yumi stuttered as Kazuha looked at her with minor confusion about the Korean's actions
"I'm sorry for raising my fist at you..." Yumi said as she bowed her head to the Aoi granddaughter
Kazuha looked at Yumi with a smile before closing her eyes and spoke her thoughts on the matter.
"Anybody can say they're sorry." Kazuha replied, "Prove it by letting me hit you."
Elize widened her eyes, but Shion kept her usual calm demeanor while Yumi kept her head down.
"Hey! Your upperclassman is giving you a sincere apology here!" Elize shouted at her
"Enough, Elize," Yumi said after she raised her head and stood up.
"It doesn't matter if I'm Kazuha's senior. I'm the one in the wrong here." She said while walking towards her while Kazuha didn't take her eyes off the Korean.
"Hit me with all you got, Kazuha Aoi." Yumi replied confidently, "I promise there will be no punishment for it."
"Y-Yumi!? Dont you think this is-"
"Quiet, Elize." Shion cut her off and got everyone's attention.
"Shion?!" Elize asked as she looked at her in disbelief
"This is necessary..." Shion answered, "Actions speak louder than words. It's easy for anyone to say they are sorry, and those people like to think it will always absolve them of their wrongdoings, but if they are truly sorry for their misdeeds towards people, especially when the aggressor physically harms someone less fortunate than themselves, then the offender should experience the pain of what they put others through themselves. There is no better way to prove their sincerity than to experience the victim's pain. If that's what it takes to make things right between them, then it must be done."
"You have quite a profound way of thinking, Shion," Kazuha said as everyone's attention went back to her and stood up.
"Truly, you are fit to be a student council president..." Kazuha said to Yumi with a smile as she walked towards her, "You speak in a very dignified manner..."
Elize, Shion, and especially Yumi had a nervous sweat on their faces as they watched and listened to Kazuha's words. There was silence in the room as the atmosphere created a strong sense of tension. Despite this sensation, it didn't shake Yumi's resolve. Yumi tightened her fists and mentally prepared herself for whatever was going to happen as Kazuha got closer. Elize and Shion hoped she wouldn't go too far with it.
"But I don't know if I can hit my senior..." Kazuha said ominously, "So, in exchange..."
"Let me rub these puppies right here!" Kazuha said cheerfully; to everyone, as she grabbed Yumi's boobs with her hands, and the girl's face was almost between her cleavage.
"Ehh?!" Yumi and Elize shouted disbelief in unison with the same reaction.
Shion's glasses covered her eyes at the scene.
"..."
"I've always wanted to give 'em a good groping the first time I saw them," Kazuha said with a grin.
*Squeeze* *Squeeze*
A loud noise was heard inside the household.
"She hit me again..." Kazuha said to the other Pandoras as they were all standing while she had a big bruise on her head, and Yumi covered her chest.
"You deserved it this time..." Elize replied
"Indeed," Shion commented with her arms crossed.
"Anyway, now we are even..." Kazuha said as she got even Yumi's attention and bowed her head to them, "I hope we can start over on the right foot this time, ladies..."
The girls just stared at Kazuha before smiling at her, except Shion for the smiling aspect.
"No problem, we're going to work you like a dog as part of the Numbers starting tomorrow!" Yumi informed with a friendly smile
"Hurry up and get out of the last place in your class, okay?" Elize said with enthusiasm
"Yes, we look forward to having you on our side, Kazuha..." Shion spoke with a smile this time
"I am glad we got this resolved..." Kazuha replied before lifting her head, "And more importantly..."
"...?"
"I take it you didn't just come here for an apology, right...?" Kazuha asked them
"To be honest, it was part of the reason why I came here today..." Yumi informed as she straightened her posture, "But, you're right, we've also come here to ask if you could let Gohan stay in your house."
"I figured since you got him some clothes and brought them on your way here." Kazuha replied, "I am glad you brought him to live with us."
"Just to be sure, I want to ask you something..." Shion spoke as she slightly approached Kazuha
"Sure. What do you want to know?"
"You don't have a thing for little boys, right?" Shion asked with concern but did her best to be respectful
"No..." Her face had a mix of annoyance and disgust
"Just checking..." Shion replied with a forced smile, "I've noticed that you've been staring at Gohan a lot when we found, and after hearing your little brother mention how you talked about the child to the point Kazuya got defensive over it made me curious if that was the reason you were staring at him so much."
"I had a reason for looking at him, but that wasn't my actual reason for it!" Kazuha thought irately as she decided to be more mindful of this to avoid any potential misunderstanding in the future.
"I see..." Kazuha replied, "Don't worry, I assure you that is not my intent or feelings towards Gohan..."
"I'm glad to hear that." Shion let out a sigh of relief
"Yeah... we don't want other Elize..."
"?! How dare you! I have no such thoughts!"
"I didn't want to bring this up in front of Gohan when we were eating together, but we saw how you felt up his upper torso when he was unconscious during the time he was in the nurse's office when she wasn't looking," Yumi replied with judgment.
Elize blushed at this statement.
"Th-That was purely for medical purposes!" Elize replied hurriedly, "I told you I wanted to be a doctor before we even met him!"
"Right..." Shion replied with a smirk, "I'm sure you were just checking his pulse... with your hands... and a big grin on your face."
Kazuha and even Yumi covered their mouths with their respective hand, trying to contain their laughter, and looked away for a moment. This caused Elize to comically glare at the females.
"Stop laughing!" Elize shouted in embarrassment and anger at them
"Okay, okay, let's get back on track here," Kazuha said, still chuckling and wiping the tear from her eye. This is not how Kazuha envisioned her day going, but she loved the unexpected humor of it all. "There is something else I would like to know."
"What's that?" Shion and Yumi asked in unison as they looked at her
"I would like to know what information you learned about him," Kazuha said as her expression changed from a friendly one into something serious.
The three Pandoras all had the same expression as Kazuha.
"Before we tell you, I want you to promise us you won't pry into Gohan's personal life unless he feels like talking about it." Shion bargained
"Is his backstory that bad...?" Kazuha thought sounding more intrigued by the enigmatic dimension traveling youth's entire story than sympathetic for what he might have been through despite his age
"I give you my word there will be no coercing him into telling me or Kazuya anything about himself," Kazuha replied sincerely as she looked them in the eye.
"I'll hold you to that promise..." Yumi replied seriously since she was the one who came up with this idea, so the Korean was the most adamant about the matter, "We're counting on you to respect his privacy."
"His secret is safe with me..." Kazuha replied, "Now, please... tell me everything you know..."
"Very well..." Shion commented, "Allow me to explain..."
Back to Gohan and Kazuya
"You have a younger sibling?" Kazuya asked curiously as he was sitting on his bed while Gohan sat on the floor. He chose to sit on the floor on his own free will.
"Yeah, a few days before my dad died, my mother told me I was going to have a younger sibling in a couple of months, but I never got a chance to find out the gender," Gohan replied, "She told me when I am older, I will know where babies come from."
"Wait, you don't know where babies come from?" Kazuya asked in a surprised manner at the information of someone older than him doesn't know this stuff
"No..." Gohan replied casually, "I was focused on more important things than thinking about stuff like that... Maybe they are delivered by storks from one of the books I've read in the past..."
"I see..." Kazuya replied as he was weirded out by Gohan's response
"He says this like learning procreation isn't important in itself..." Kazuya thought with a sweatdrop, "I can't tell if he is an idiot or messing with me... Sure, we are kids, but even I know where they come from..."
After replying to Kazuya's question; Gohan was deep in thought about how different the multiverse is and how different people's lives would be. After revealing the existence of his younger sibling to Kazuya, Gohan couldn't help but wonder about this fact.
"I know, Elize told me there are multiple realities where we live different lives, but in my universe, I had a younger sibling before the android invasion." Gohan thought, "Is it possible there is a reality where I don't have a younger sibling or where my Dad didn't die from his heart virus?"
"Is there a universe where I was killed by the androids..?" Gohan thought with horror at the thought of actually failing his family and friends against the twins' adversity.
"What's the matter?" Kazuya asked him since the boy noticed the change in Gohan's facial expression
"N-Nothing..." Gohan replied, and then they heard a knock on Kazuya's door
*Knock* *Knock*
"Who is it?" Kazuya asked politely
"It's me, Kazuya..." Kazuha said through the door, "Can we come inside..."
"We?" Gohan and Kazuya thought with curiosity.
"Of course, sis!" Kazuya replied as Kazuha opened the door with Yumi, Elize, and Shion behind her. Kazuha walked right in between them and looked at Gohan for a moment then at her little brother.
"Kazuya..." Kazuha spoke, "From this moment on, Gohan is going to stay with us..."
Kazuya widened his eyes at this statement.
"So, she wants me to stay here?" Gohan thought with interest
"Wha-?! Why?! How come?!" Kazuya asked her as he got up and shouted at her
"Because it's necessary..." Kazuha replied, "Besides, you could have some company when I am not around..."
"Don't I get a say in this?!"
"No..."
"Bu-"
"My decision is final," Kazuha said bluntly as her tone made it clear this was not an argument nor a negotiation, "He is living in this house whether you like it or not.."
Kazuya frowned with his head down, as he looked like he was about to cry. Sure, he knew she might accept him, but he thought she would hear him on the matter before she made her decision. As much as Kazuya loves his sister, her behavior sometimes makes him feel like she doesn't care about what he thinks or feels about things he feels strongly about. Gohan noticed his sadness and spoke to Kazuha.
"I'm sorry, Kazuha, but I can't accept your offer to live in this household," Gohan commented.
"What?!" Kazuha and Kazuya asked in unison as they looked at the boy with wide eyes
"Huh?!" The three Pandoras mimicked their comical facial reaction and voice, only more surprised than the siblings themselves
"I appreciate the offer Kazuha, but I must respectfully decline..." Gohan replied
"Why?!"
"I will only accept if Kazuya agrees to let me live here too." Gohan answered shocking everyone present greatly with his words, "He lives here too and deserves to have a say on this matter as you, Kazuha... If he wants me to stay, then I will live here with both of you, but if he wants me to leave, then I am fine with it as well, and there will be no hard feelings. I don't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable or forced for my sake."
At his words, the room fell silent. Yumi and Elize looked at Gohan with admiration, while Shion and even Kazuha were touched by his compassion. Gohan was only eleven years old, yet he was caring and considerate for his age towards others.
"Gohan..." Their voices were barely a whisper.
Kazuya, who had been quiet until now, stepped forward.
"You truly mean that?" Kazuya asked with wide eyes as he got closer to Gohan
"Of course, Kazuya..." Gohan replied with a smile, "We are both not old enough to live in a household of our own, but you have just as much of a right to have a say on whether I live here as Kazuha."
"Bu-But, where will you go? What will you do?" He asked him
"As I said, I have other options besides staying here, and even if there were none, I'd still leave under your say-so," Gohan answered.
Kazuya kept looking at Gohan as he tried to comprehend him in any way he could. Gohan is a year older than him yet the boy looked so confident about the idea he could take care of himself even without any adult or even someone like his sister Kazuha's help. The Aoi grandchild knew he needed someone to provide for this household and couldn't do anything on his own but Gohan seemed like a different story as if the older child knew how to survive. Even so, the younger child felt a sense of concern for his well-being.
Kazuya began questioning himself when he started caring about him so much despite disliking him moments ago. The more he thought about it, Kazuya felt a lump in his throat as he looked at Gohan. He couldn't believe that this boy, whom he disliked so much, was being so kind and understanding towards him.
"I honestly don't know what to say..." Kazuya said, unsure of how he felt about the half-Saiyan now as the boy stared at him
"Just be honest with us..." Gohan smiled, "Do you want me to stay, or do you want me gone?"
Kazuya looked indecisive, and his eyes moved frantically as he looked to see the reaction of his sister and her three friends. He felt torn, but he knew deep down what he needed to do or more like what he wanted to do.
"I want you to stay," Kazuya said with his head down, his voice barely above a whisper.
Kazuha tilted her head slightly.
"I'm sorry, Kazuya." Kazuha spoke, "I didn't hear you. Could you say it louder for us?"
"I can't tell if she is lying or telling the truth..." Gohan thought as he stared at her with a sweatdrop
"I said I want him to stay with us!" Kazuya shouted as he felt embarrassed
"Good!" Kazuha said with a bright smile, and Kazuya blushing with his head down before glaring at Gohan
"However..." Kazuya spoke sternly, as the child got everyone's attention, "I still don't approve of you inappropriately staring at my sister! You can look, but you better not touch her because if you do..."
Kazuya walked closer to Gohan as he locked eye contact with him.
"Not only will I no longer approve of your company, but I'm going to give you a beating you won't forget!" Kazuya said in a serious tone, with his eyes promising violence. "Got it?!"
Gohan let out an awkward chuckle with a shaky smile to go with it.
"Got it..." Gohan said uncomfortably from the exchange, "Thank you for allowing me to stay here..."
"Hmph! You better if you know what's good for you!"
Unbeknownst to the boys: Yumi sucked in her lips to hold herself back from laughing while Elize and Shion covered her mouth with her right hand, with some tears starting to form in her eyes when they heard Kazuya say that to him. Kazuha let out an even more uncomfortable smile and an awkward chuckle than Gohan at her brother's words. The boy isn't aware of how muscular Gohan is due to his clothing covering up his physique. The three females have seen Gohan's movements when he was training earlier with an impression he could defeat any grown man all on his own, and Kazuha is aware Gohan could be stronger than they are led to believe.
All of the girls appreciate how protective he is of Kazuha's safety and well-being, but from their point of view, it is adorable yet comical at the same time. Despite only a year difference, they know Gohan can easily beat Kazuya with no effort at all, but from what they've seen from him, they are positive that Gohan is a good kid. He also gave them the impression that he wasn't the type to harm others unless they harmed him or those around him first. Kazuha regained her usual composure before speaking to the boys.
"Alright, that's enough..." Kazuha interjected, "Remember, we will be living together from now, so let's all get along..."
"Of course..." Gohan replied
"Yes, sister..."
"So, where am I going to sleep?" Gohan asked her, "I'm going to share Kazuy's bed or something?"
"That won't be necessary, Gohan." Kazuha replied, "This is a three-bedroom household, so we have a spare room for you."
"Wonderful!"
At that moment, Gohan knew he found a home, and the boy was grateful for it.
"Well, if that's all, then we shall take our leave." Shion informed as Gohan widened his eyes at her comment, "I must report this to Lady Margaret about the matter, and if either of you ever need something, feel free to let us know."
"There is something I wanted to tell you after speaking with Kazuha," Gohan spoke as he got their attention.
"What is it, Gohan?" Elize asked him curiously
"There is going to be a fight between two Pandoras over a personal dispute tonight," Gohan answered, "They are planning to fight in a restricted area in a facility beyond your campus at midnight..."
This statement caused every female to give Gohan their full attention when they heard him provide them with this information.
"How do you know this?" Shion asked him curiously
"I overheard their conversation..." Gohan admitted
"Who?!" Yumi asked loudly, which caused the boys to flinch as she got closer to Gohan despite being the furthest away from the child, and as the Korean brushed between Shion and Elize, "Tell us their names! Now!"
"I-It's Miryung Baek and Saeko Kotou..." Gohan stuttered at her reaction as Yumi widened her eyes at the revelation.
"Miryung and Saeko?" Yumi repeated, "Why would they do that?"
"I don't know the full story, but it has something to do with you, Miss Yumi, because Saeko insulted and blamed you for making Miryung the strongest Pandora of their year due to favoritism," Gohan answered.
This response caused Yumi to perform a facepalm as her right hand slid down her face and covered Pandora's mouth before speaking.
"She's still going on about that..?" Yumi asked in a muffled voice with annoyance, "That foolish girl..."
"So, you didn't pick her over favoritism, right?" Gohan asked her with a voice full of relief
"Of course not!" Yumi replied, her voice louder than she intended as Gohan comically reeled back. "The fact that Kotou honestly thinks she still lost to her because of something like that... does that girl hate me that much..?"
"I don't think she does..." Gohan thought
"Thanks for telling us, Gohan." Elize informed, "We will put an end to this immediately before it gets out of hand."
"No, we won't," Yumi replied, which surprised Elize and Shion.
"Y-Yumi?! What are you-"
"She'll figure it out once they fight each other..." Yumi replied while looking at her this time, "Miryung got first place for a reason. Keep in mind, that we will be watching them and making sure it is a fair battle. Not to mention preventing anything bad occuring from their fight."
"Hopefully, it won't..." Gohan thought with a sense of dread
"I trust that's okay with you," Yumi said in a more serious tone to her roommate and friend.
"..!"
"I assume you will take full responsibility if anything bad happens during their combat, Yumi," Shion said with a raised brow and her arms crossed despite the Pandora already knowing the answer. She wanted Yumi to further display her good qualities in front of Kazuha, Kazuya, and Gohan.
"Despite Yumi's tendency to let her genuine feelings cloud her judgment, she has a strong sense of honor and accountability for her actions." Shion thought, "She can be straightforward to a fault, however, Yumi has plenty of redeeming qualities."
"Of course! I, Yumi Kim, will take responsibility for anything that occurs from their battle!" Yumi declared boldly
"I'm starting to like her even more than before..." Gohan thought with a warm smile as he stared at her; however, the child widened his eyes when he realized what he said to himself in his thoughts
"N-Not in that way, of course..!" Gohan denied as he shook his head frantically, "I don't harbor such feelings for her... I mean, sure, she is prettiest among them, but-" The half-Saiyan thought, but he scratched his head vigorously, "Aww! What am I thinking? What's wrong with me?!"
"Is something wrong?" Kazuya asked curiously
"No... nothing at all..." Gohan replied
"Anyway, we should get going now," Yumi informed
"Wait!" Gohan replied as she stopped in her tracks
"What is it now?" Yumi asked him
"Can you take me with you as well?"
"Huh?" Was all Yumi could let out as she looked at him with confusion, "Why do you want to come with us?"
"I want to spend one more day with you three before staying here at the Aoi household, and I want to watch them fight," Gohan answered. "My curiosity to see how powerful Pandoras are has increased during my time here."
"That's not going to happen..." Elize replied for Yumi this time, "I appreciate wanting to spend time with us, but we can't risk your safety from them fighting each other. If it's a restricted area, then even us, Pandoras, are not allowed inside without permission. So civilians, especially a child, are an absolute no-go."
"Besides, you've seen enough violence for a kid your age." Yumi replied somberly, as her hair covered her eyes, "Stay here with them... we will take care of it from here..."
"But-"
"Gohan..." Shion said sternly with her arms crossed
The child had his head down and grunted at their response. Kazuha looked at him while contemplating whether she should agree with them or not. Sure, she knew Gohan was powerful, but the young lady didn't know how powerful he was.
"I could ask for a sparring match, but I am worried Kazuya might hate him if he harmed me too much. Before Gohan could say anything else, Kazuha intervened.
"I don't see the harm in bringing Gohan with us..." Kazuha said as she stared at the child.
"Huh?" Everyone in the room said in unison as they all looked at her with the same confused expression
"If we take him with us, then it will show this child what we Pandoras are truly capable of..." Kazuha replied, "Besides, he does show great potential as a Limiter when he gets older..."
"Who said he wants to be a Limiter?" Yumi asked a little too aggressively at Kazuha's words, "We already told you about his past, yet you are already talking about his skills as a warrior?"
"So they did tell her..." Gohan thought
"His past?" Kazuya thought curiously, as he looked at Gohan and Kazuha
"I'm aware." Kazuha replied with an unfazed smile at her, "However, he is very determined to get back and have his revenge. Why not look for ways to help him achieve it? Besides, I am the granddaughter of Gengo Aoi. If anything happens, especially to him, during their conflict, I will take full responsibility, just like you will if anything goes wrong."
Yumi grunted when she heard her response.
"Revenge?" Kazuya thought a lot more curious than ever as he looked at Gohan, "For what, and get back to where?"
"Besides, I am sure we will eventually meet, and I am curious to see how strong Miryung is..." Kazuha reasoned further to Yumi and the others, "I shall accompany you and take Gohan with me when it's over."
"I wanted to bargain with him again by saying he would show me his power after the fight when I bring him to our home..." Kazuha thought as she looked at Gohan, "But I can't help but get the feeling, it won't be necessary for some reason. Whatever happens, I must know how strong he is..."
"Hold on! Can I come too?" Kazuya spoke up
"No!" Yumi shouted at Kazuya as the boys trembled, "It's bad enough, we might get in trouble for bringing one child around, especially to see Pandoras fighting each other, but two is out of the question!"
"I agree..." Kazuha replied as she looked at him from the corner of her eye, "You're staying here, Kazuya..."
"Then, can you at least tell me what you mean about Gohan's circumstances?"
"I'll explain later..." Gohan replied to Kazuya
"Forgive me if I am behaving too noisy or out of line for asking this question..." Elize spoke, "But if you don't live with your family, then who will keep an eye on Kazuya if you are not around?"
"I will..."
Everyone turned to look at Shion in surprise.
"You sure?" Kazuha asked her
"I wouldn't have said yes if I didn't have a problem with it."
"If you insist," Yumi replied half-heartedly.
"Well, I guess that solves her problem."
"Seems so," Kazuha said with a light chuckle.
Shion stared at Kazuha after she said this.
"I thought this way about Kazuha when I gave her a tour around campus..." Shion thought, "Her smile can be too convincing at times... It makes me wonder when she is being genuine or when she is putting on her act again..."
"That woman... Is she smiling from the bottom of her heart?" Shion thought in a puzzled manner as she thought of Kazuha's smile
"Hmm? Is something wrong?" Kazuha asked her
"No, nothing at all.." Shion replied, "I will stay here and keep an eye on Kazuya until you get back."
"Thank you, Shion," Kazuha said with the same smile.
"You're welcome," Shion replied casually. "Gohan, just promise me you will get out of there if things take a turn for the worse."
"I promise."
Shion smiled in response.
"Still, we should head back anyway," Elize replied, "We have some time on our way back to the dorm."
Yumi then turned her head in Gohan's direction as she narrowed her eyes at him ever so slightly.
"You better not try to look for ways to peek at us getting changed, Gohan..." Yumi said with a blush as she recalled the incident where he caught them in the bathroom
Gohan blushed so hard steam was coming out of his head as he recalled the events this morning.
"Yeah... We know you find us pretty, but don't be a bad boy..." Elize teased as the female German playfully covered herself
"I-I wouldn't think of it!" Gohan replied quickly with a blush, "I will act like there is nothing worth looking at!"
There was an awkward silence in the room as everyone stared at the 11-year-old child.
"Wow. He wasn't kidding about being bad with girls..." Kazuya thought
"Huh? Did I say something wrong?" Gohan asked innocently
"Gohan..." Elize spoke as he turned to look at her, "Even saying something like that to a lady is rude in itself..."
"What do you want me to say?!" Gohan asked hysterically
"Mom and the others didn't prepare me for that one..." Gohan thought
A few hours later...
The Nova prototype has remained in the same position where the Headmistress had last seen it. Two employees were working overtime to make sure everything was under control.
"I've checked the Faylan Engine." A blond engineer with glasses spoke to his red-haired superior, who appeared to be in his late 40s or 50s with a beard and mustache, "The activity levels are within the 120 percent range, as planned."
"Good, then the training session tomorrow should be fine." The elderly man replied
"At the least, it should be able to move a half an hour." The younger man informed
"What about the control system?"
"I checked that as well. There are no issues."
"Our Seiga Industries' Sigma Generator, Faylan, is something else." The older man commented, "It can produce more energy than a nuclear fusion... you could call it mankind's greatest invention."
"Gengo Aoi doesn't seem to think so, though..." The young four-eyed blond male informed
"Oh, yeah... he did say putting too much of a mass-produced Stigmata was dangerous, right?" The red-haired man asked the blond, "That's what the control system is for; am I wrong? As long as we have it, we can shut down the Faylan Engine, even if it goes berserk."
"It would be a different story if the central control system in the control room was destroyed, though, haha."
"True. I can't wait for tomorrow."
Midnight
Inside the same facility, Miryung was all by herself, as she stared at the Nova prototype from a lower level where Headmistress Lindman stood in front of it.
"So this is the new prototype we'll have to face to improve our skills against the Nova..." Miryung thought as she stared at it, "Is it as powerful as the original like they say...?"
Miryiung widened her eyes before she shook her head.
"No! No matter how strong this prototype is, I can't let this shake my resolve..." She thought with a serious expression, "Despite being a fake, we must prevail for the sake of humanity..."
Miryung's eyes twitched when she could still feel a small amount of pain in her leg.
"My leg hasn't fully healed, but I won't it affect my performance against her..." Miryung thought with concern
"Heh." A certain Pandora caught Miryung's attention as she turned around and saw Saeko, who placed her left hand on her hip with an arrogant smile, "You're finally here."
"Why wouldn't I?" Miryung asked casually, as Saeko looked a bit nervous at her expression, "After all, I'm only dealing with you."
Saeko's expression changed into a smile again.
"Heh. That's the west for ya. All bark and no bite." Saeko replied, "You know where we are, right? This is where they are storing the dummy Nova. Cilivians aside, even Pandoras are not allowed in here. It's the perfect place for our showdown, isn't it?"
"Pretty gutsy of you to call me out here knowing all that." Miryung commented, "This is all on you if we get caught, got it?"
"No need to worry." She replied as the veins from her left hand began to glow with a misty teal color, "Besides, I'm sure you noticed why I picked this spot by now."
"It's cause I don't want anyone standing in my way time!" Saeko shouted in determination as she materialized her Volt Weapon, which turned into a long-handled battle axe. The Pandora grabbed it firmly as she stared intently at Miryung, "I'm going to crush you into the ground!"
"Heh. Talking smack is the only thing you've been better at than me...!" Miryung replied in a composed manner, as she materialized her long-handled javelin Volt Weapon. She took a crouching position as if she was ready to attack or defend against Saeko.
Before the females could continue their fight, they were interrupted by the light from above with three female figures above them. The girls covered their eyes but tried to see who they were before one of them spoke. It wasn't long until a certain female voice they knew all too well spoke to them.
"This is a restricted area," the authoritative voice of Yumi Kim spoke. "I hope you two are prepared for the consequences of sneaking in here."
"Yu-Yumi Kim?!" Saeko shouted as Yumi was in the middle with her arms crossed, Elize on Yumi's right, and Kazuha on her left.
"Y-Yumi senpai..." Miryung shouted in surprise before Saeko glared at her
"You little-! Trying to run away, huh?"
"Wha?! No! I didn't!"
"That's right, she didn't say anything to us at all," Elize said casually, as she looked from the corner of her eye at a certain Saiyan to reveal himself.
Gohan let out an awkward chuckle as he scratched the back of his head.
"A kid?" Saeko thought in bewilderment at the sight of him.
"Gohan?!" Miryung asked as Saeko turned to her, "Why are you doing here? I told you not to tell them about our fight!"
"Gohan?" Saeko thought as she looked back at him
"I had to tell Yumi to clear up this matter since this whole thing started because of her."
"You said you wouldn't tell anyone."
"Correction, I said you had nothing to worry about, Miss Miryung," Gohan replied
"You did say that..." Miryung replied
"So, is this one of the Nova creatures you gu-ladies were talking about?" Gohan asked as he examined it with interest
"Yes, but it is a prototype of the real thing," Elize answered, "It's a nearly flawless replica of the Type F Nova."
"They are extremely powerful and dangerous..." Yumi further elaborated, "If those people were properly doing their job, then we have nothing to worry about if things go haywire."
Gohan kept staring at the prototype with curiosity and interest, he wondered what these creatures were capable of and what their intentions were with the people of this planet. If this thing does go out of control, he is confident he should be able to beat it.
"So this is what those "Nova" aliens look like...?" Gohan thought, "I hope they are not too strong for me to deal with, but if Yumi and the others don't know ki and these things are nowhere near the Androids' or Frieza's level, then I can take care of it..."
Gohan had a determined look, something Kazuha noticed, but she kept a straight face.
"Even if they are stronger than me, I won't let that stop me from protecting the people I care about..." Gohan thought, "I won't let anyone else die..."
"Still, did you think we are blind or something? Anyone can tell that you are about to do something stupid." Elize said as Miryung and Saeko had a look of shame on their faces, "You're such children... I've never thought either of you would be this stupid."
Yumi stared at the girls before speaking to Saeko.
"Do you seriously believe you lost to Miryung because I favored her?"
"Khh..!"
"Kotou, do you really hate me that much?" Yumi asked her
"You know it's true!" Saeko shouted, "How else could I have lost the Carnival!? You planned it all out! You made all the other freshmen, go for me, so she would win!"
Gohan looked at Saeko oddly as she heard her say these things.
"I'm aware, I have been around them for a long, but from what I've seen of her, that doesn't sound like Yumi at all..." Gohan thought bewildered, "Is she sure they didn't attack her because of that condescending attitude?"
"I'm more shocked than anything... to find out you think that way..." Yumi said showing no anger or sadness toward Sakeo, it sounded more like she was disappointed in her.
"Fine. Go ahead and have your little match." Yumi said, which surprised them
"...?!"
"Wait, so you are really not going to stop us?" Saeko asked confusedly
"No, I will take accountable for anything that happens..." Yumi replied
"Then why is Gohan here?" Miryung asked confusedly
"I'm just here to watch you fight, that's all," Gohan answered her question.
"Hold on! What the hell is going on here?!" Saeko shouted, "You were getting on our case for fighting, yet you brought a kid to a restricted area so he could watch our fight?! Not only are you more likely to get in even more trouble than us for bringing him here, but it shows how hypocritical and irresponsible you all are, especially you, Yumi Kim!"
"In her defense, she didn't want him to bring him to this place. I'm the one who recommended him to come here with us." Kazuha spoke as she got everyone's attention, "I will be the one to take responsibility for anything that happens to him."
"And who the hell are you-" Saeko cut herself off, "Wait a minute! Are you that Aoi girl who got into the Numbers through her esteemed grandfather?"
"Yep," Kazuha replied with a bright smile.
"What is with this woman?" Yumi and Miryung thought in unison
"At least you aren't denying it, but there should be a limit to how much a person can get away with through family name alone..." Saeko sweatdropped
"No arguement there..." Gohan, Yumi, Miryung, and even Elize thought in unison.
"Whatever! That doesn't matter now!" Saeko shouted with excitement, "What matters is that I can do as I please, defeating Miryung in front of her senior, and Yumi Kim will take the fall for what we do! I can't ask for anything better! This is perfect!"
"Let's get this over with Miryung!" Saeko said with a grin, "I can't wait to beat you into the ground in front of your precious senior!"
"Can you please stop referring to second years as juniors? They are sophomores, and the "seniors" are actually juniors." Gohan said as he felt mentally exhausted from hearing this, but it wasn't loud enough for them to hear. "Still, at least I can finally see what Pandoras are capable of and see if they truly are masking their energy with ki like us..."
"Saeko Kotou... What caused you to be so twisted...?" Miryung muttered, "Could Gohan have been wrong about you...?"
"Enough talk! You're mine!" Saeko shouted as she charged at her
"It's begun!" Gohan thought as he widened yet narrowed his eyes at them
Saeko attacked Miryung but she blocked her axe with her javelin. Miryung brushed her axe aside and lightly cut her right cheek with her weapon.
"You little..." Saeko said in frustration as she quickly spun her axe around and used it to jump so the Japanese girl could use her right leg to kick her in the face with her heels
"Bitch!" Saeko finished as she hit her on the cheek so hard the spectators could hear the impact from where they stood. Her heels didn't hit her eye, but the impact pushed Miryung a few feet away from her.
"...!"
"She's not bad," Elize commented as she looked slightly concerned for Miryung.
"She's not bad, you say...?" Gohan thought curiously as he looked at her but quickly back to the females, "Does that mean this could be the full extent of their abilities and not hiding anything from me?"
As Gohan was focused on the fight he was unaware of Kazuha seemingly more interested in his reaction than instead of the outcome between Miryung and Saeko.
"..."
"There's no way in hell someone like you..." Saeko said as she stared at Miryung menacingly as he lifted her axe even higher, "Could ever beat me one-on-one!"
She threw her axe at Miryung, as the Korean dodged it, but Saeko appeared behind her, ready to attack.
"So slow! It must have been a miracle for you to get first place!" Saeko said as she was about to punch Miryung with her left hook
"I guess she doesn't know about her leg, after all." Gohan thought
Miryung was startled
"Crap! I have to get out of the way-" Miryung thought, but she felt the pain in her leg as the Pandora was about to move.
It was too late when she got punched in the stomach.
"Is that all you got?!" Saeko asked as she put more force into it and caused Miryung to fly into the wall creating a large crater. Miryung coughed blood, and Gohan accidentally caught a glimpse of her pink panties, but he was interested in Saeko's power.
"Wow! That's some impressive strength..." Gohan commented, which made Saeko smirk
"Miryung and Saeko are definitely stronger than the ordinary people in my world..." Gohan praised them as he looked at them, genuinely surprised by their power and skills, "If this is the limit of some of their best Pandoras then I guess they weren't hiding their power from me, after all..."
"Hey! What's with her weird reaction?!" Elize asked surprised, which surprised Gohan because he assumed she knew the reason
"She didn't know?!" Gohan thought with wide eyes before looking at Yumi, "Then what about Yumi-"
Yumi looked at the scene with a stoic look.
"..."
"She knows..." Gohan concluded in his thoughts
"Looks like her leg hasn't fully healed yet..." Yumi thought
Saeko ran to the handrails, jumped high in the air, and delivered a flying sidekick to Miryung. It caused her to show her light blue panties, making Gohan slightly blush.
"I am seeing a lot of female undies, today..." Gohan thought with uncertainty about how to feel about it
"It's over, you piece of shit!" Saeko shouted as Miryung, Elize, Gohan, and Yumi looked nervous, although the latter kept a more composed look compared to them.
The impact landed on her cheek, this time drawing blood from her, but it still didn't hit her eye. Elize and even Yumi looked genuinely concerned, however, Gohan had a smirk at what happened next.
"...?"
Miryung firmly grabbed Saeko's right leg with her left hand as the Korean Pandora glared at her opponent, but she was slightly crying from the pain.
Yumi let out an awkward chuckle, "That girl..."
"That idiot! Why does she always take attacks head-on like that!?" Elize asked in annoyance at Miryung making the German Pandora worry about her well-being for nothing
"It was to get a hold of Saeko so she can toss her around..." Gohan answered, but only loud enough for them to hear, "This alone not only keeps her from moving around despite your injury but allows Miryung to harm her opponent as much as she wants... Clever..."
"That's quite informative and insightful for an 11-year-old..." Elize replied, "I'm genuinely impressed by your deduction skills."
"Indeed..." Kazuha spoke in a peculiar manner
"Thanks..." Gohan replied as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly
"You're right..." Miryung replied as she pulled her foot out from her face to look at her and grabbed it with both hands, "I'm definitely slower than you. The only way to catch you was to let you hit me."
Miryung tossed Saeko and slammed the Japanese Pandora on her back onto the floor so hard it created a very noticeable crack as her body shook. Everyone could hear it as Saeko coughed blood from the impact.
"Guuaah!"
"But now I got you, and you sure as hell aren't getting away...!" Miryung shouted with determination in her voice as she kept rag-dolling her all over the place
She tossed and slammed Saeko on her back with her head, hitting the floor this time, and slammed her face against the wall Saeko's whole body vibrated from it. Miryung threw her face first on the floor, even harder than the previous toss, as she still held onto the Japanse Pandora. The sounds could be heard each time Saeko landed as each of them became more loud and ferocious, then the last as everyone watched on.
"Kotou..." Yumi thought, "I hope you finally realized why Miryung Baek was worthy of being the strongest second-year Pandora..."
"Is she trying to kill her?!" Gohan thought with concern as he watched the scene with wide eyes, "I know Saeko is still alive because I can sense her ki, but if Miryung keeps this up... she could cripple her..."
"They can continue, but if things get dangerous. then I don't care if Kazuha and the others are here..." Gohan thought with a serious expression, "I'll be forced to step in... I don't want any more people to die..."
TO BE CONTINUED...