"Sensei, I know you need help over here, but can I leave now?"
Akasora Chishi lifted his head from what he was looking at to see Yuki facing him with an expecting look.
Ever since the Yagura Branch had been officially created, Yuki had been assisting him in any way possible as his right hand man and direct messenger to the other branch and Border HQ. To say that a good amount of work went to the sick boy would have been an understatement.
Akasora knew that he should not put any more on the boy's shoulders when the condition of his health was known. The issue came when Yuki insisted that he wanted to help out his former teacher however he could. He was his direct boss and former instructor for both Border and school, giving him high importance to the boy.
When a simple request like this was asked of him there was no chance he would reject it.
"That's fine. You're free to go. Take some days off as well. At least from helping me out over here. Anything else will have to be dealt with later on."
"Thanks. I've been meaning to get some other things done and this will help out a bit with that."
"Oh? Is it something you can speak to me about? Or are you planning on keeping this a secret from others as well?"
Yuki gave a hollow laugh.
"No, no. Right now, I just want to see how my former squad is doing in their match. They started some time ago and I wanted to see them in person instead of recordings of them."
"You idiot. You should have told me that. I didn't know they were having their first match today. I would have thrown you out long ago to watch them."
Yuki gave another laugh. This time it was filled with something else.
Akasora knew exactly what it was.
"As for the other things... Well, it's not like it's particularly a secret. I just don't think that there's much of a reason to mention it. Some of it involves the first squad I was on while others concerns some Tamakoma members."
"Don't tell me that you're planning on fighting Reiji again."
"Please don't remind me of that..."
Yuki fixed some loose papers on the desk while pretending nothing had happened in his past with the Full-Arms user of Tamakoma.
Akasora could see what he was doing and only grinned at the response.
"Disregarding those things... Do you want me to tell you how things go with Kotowari Squad later on? As Toby and Takeshi's former school teacher I figure that you might want to know how they currently are."
"It's up to you. I never taught them anything when it came to Border. There's no reason for me to know how they do things outside of school."
"Fair enough." Yuki sighed, knowing full well how his teacher was at times. "Then I'll be leaving now. If anything comes up, let me know. I'll be back as soon as possible."
"Just go already."
Seeing his student roll his eyes was enough to lighten Akasora's shoulders.
The assistance he was getting from Yuki was appreciated, that was clear, but he did feel bad for not telling his student that he did not need to help out so much with his condition. It always annoyed him that he never said anything concerning the topic.
He let out a sigh of his own as he watched his student leave the room through the door.
That should have been how he left. But...
"Did he..."
Akasora looked towards the door and registered the fact that it had been closed the entire time. It have never been opened to leave the room within the last few seconds.
"That brat. He's getting too use to that body."
Akasora folded his arms with a grin.
"Using Teleport to get out of here. Cheeky brat."
Wisteria:"Takeshi, don't-"
Suzume was unsure as to what was going on as she continue to run from the relentless attacks of Kirikari Jinsei.
Ever since he had found out where she was located he had been attacking her from both close range and from a distance. Each attack was made to force her into action instead of taking her out. Whether it was to mess around with her or for a plan was unknown.
Even so, she had not taken a single hit from him yet. That alone was rather troubling. The things she was hearing from her teammates only caused her to become more worried as the time went on.
"Hey! What's going on?"
Werewolf: "(That damn bastard used me as a decoy! He shot right through me!)"
Wisteria: "What he is saying is that Takeshi shot through him without his consent to try and get a hit on Hikigane."
"What!?"
"Hey, hey, hey~~ Do you really think you should be distracted, Suzu-kun~?"
Feeling Jinsei even closer, Suzume turned around and fired a shot from her Lightning. Using the shot as a distraction, she glanced to the side before disappearing.
She appeared just behind a building and landed before taking off again. Using her Radar, she found where Jinsei was, along with the other four fighters.
I need to really be careful here. If I don't move carefully, Jinsei will find me out. Having never fought him before also puts me at a disadvantage. Even Toby hasn't had too many matches with him. Damn that Takeshi... Why is he-
Wisteria: "Suzume, don't bother thinking about Takeshi. Just stay out of his way and go after Inukai. If you want to score points then go after him then hide for the rest of the time. We will make sure others can't get some points due to time running out at the very least."
So he's already injured, huh? I guess that'll help. We can deal with Takeshi later.
Nodding to herself, Suzume headed towards the four fighting while still being on lookout for Jinsei.
We really aren't in synch this time...
Gummy: "I-! I can't believe it! Agent Awdry was taken out by what seemed to be an attack from Captain Hikigane and a shot through the body from his own comrade, Captain Kotowari!"
Kata-3: "I guess we use this to see how much the team has been effected with their original captain off the squad."
U-T: "Even so, this development is concerning. To shoot through an ally with no consent or concern is bad. Especially when facing true enemies."
.
"Why would he do something like that to his own teammate!?" Mitsubachi yelled as she turned to the two Snipers.
"That does not look good..."
"With the way Kotowari is acting, I doubt he'll be actually scoring any points. He just gave one to the opposing team. Misaki should be aware of this, so she'll most likely stick to sniping the current weakest fighter and stay out of any fights to at least earn some points."
Narasaka turned his attention from the screen to take a side glance above them.
I wonder how Tsukiko is reacting to this...
"She should be able to stay clear of any fighting. Her Side Effect is good for dodging close range opponents, right?"
Narasaka looked over at Kodera's question.
He faced the screen once more. His answer gained the attention of the two females next to him.
"Yes, but there's an issue now thanks to Kotowari. Misaki is able to dodge close range fighters because of her Side Effect while Awdry is able to dodge long range attacks because of his Side Effect, but with Awdry out and all current fights being able to fire at long range... She'll have to be careful."
"My daughter is smart. I am sure she will truly find away around all of this, regardless if she doesn't have backup from her supposed teammate," Seihana commented calmly. "That is my feelings towards the matter. I can only speak as an outside for this kind of issue."
"I suppose we'll see how she does then."
Suzume could see her target from the top of a building roof. Her lighting was ready to fire at an unsuspecting Inukai with the only stopping her being the raging winds around them.
The moment she was ready to fire...
"Found you~~"
"!"
Suzume reacted purely on instincts by ducking under the Kōgetsu strike that was aimed at her head.
She used teleport to move away as multiple shots were fired where she had once been. Even that seemed to be planned out as more shots were already going right for her without a second to rest.
Even if it wasn't that far, they're coming at me before I can honestly teleport again!
Mentally cursing at the time delay she had to deal with, Suzume prepared a shield while moving back to evade any more attacks.
Looking around, she found no places where she could teleport to without giving Jinsei time to reach her once more. Seeing nowhere to go now, she stood straight while lifting her hand and deactivating her Bagworm.
Looks like I honestly don't have a choice.
Gummy: "And there is Agent Misaki's Twin Stingers!"
U-T: "I haven't seen that look on her face before. She must be really mad."
Kata-3 "I wouldn't say she is all out mad, but she is getting pretty irritated right now. I don't blame her though. Finding out she can't trust her own teammate and having been stopped by the same person would easily tick her off. She's the type to take camaraderie seriously, so the fact she hasn't taken out Kotowari out yet shows her ability to stay calm."
U-T: "She must have realized something about the disbandment then. She is the first one of the three to seem to have gotten over it. At least enough to continue fighting here."
Kata-3: "We'll see about that..."
Jinsei continued to grin while moving forward with the clear intent to win this fight.
Their back-and-forth continued on with each attack being blocked or simply missing. Each time Jinsei would go for an attack, Suzume would seem to be prepared with a counter measure to the attack. This continued on even as they jumped from one building to another.
Even surprise attacks via Teleport were useless when everything was laid bare for him to see. Each attack from behind was predicted and blocked while also attacking at the same time.
He moved his arm forward to grab onto her head. This was also defined by kicking his hand away. The moment he went for a kick it was pushed down using her knee.
From his spot in the fight he could see flashes from the side and laser-like beams tearing the air apart. His grin never fell as he guided the girl towards those raging attacks in the distance. It was clear that Suzume was only focusing on him and his movements, deciding to disregard their surroundings.
He had never bothered to make any sort of plans, leaving everything up to the moment and chance, but this seemed to be the perfect time to make one. He could tell that there was no reason not to when his current opponent was not completely in the right mind.
Life: "Hey, Kai-chan, we're headed your way. Did you take anyone else out yet?"
WorTri: "Hah. No. Each time I go after Inukai, damn Masa gets in the way. And each time I go after Masa either Kotowari or Inukai get in the way."
Life: "Well get ready to take one of them out in a bit."
WorTri: "Hah."
Putting his little plan into motion, Jinsei rushed forward with a cube of trion appearing next to him and his Kōgetsu ready to strike.
.
Suzume prepared for the incoming attack the best she could. Already having figured out the other's "Rhythm," Suzume got ready to either block or defend. That was all she could do again this kind of opponent, but that meant she would have a good chance at defending against it no matter what attack was coming.
What came was...
"! ! !"
Instead of head-on attack, like she thought would come, multiple shots were fired from multiple directions. Jinsei himself was using Grasshopper to move around the area the best he could.
A changing Rhythm!?
Suzume used her Lightning to try and shoot down some of the shots while blocking multiple attacks from Jinsei himself with her Scorpion.
"!?"
Crap! The wind!
Some of the shots had made it through, tearing holes into her body. This was followed up by the loss of her right arm by Jinsei.
She moved back once more, this time turning around completely. He sights quickly went to the battlefield she could see in the distance.
Knowing that there was a zero percent chance of getting in a good snipe, she came to a different conclusion.
She nodded to herself as she replaced the Triggers she had with two different ones. No longer was she using Lightning; instead taking to Ibis.
Using the rushing footsteps that were coming towards her from behind, she tilted her body in the direction of the wind.
This gave her enough room to twist her body on her heel so that the Kōgetsu blade going for her sailed passed her while also putting the attacker in her line of fire.
She used her leg that was in the air to push Jinsei forward while also becoming airborne in the process. From her position in the air she could see both the battle going on and Jinsei himself,
She fired a shot from the air, aiming for Jinsei's head.
Preparing for the inevitable evade, she fired a second shot in the same line as the previous one.
She saw Jinsei continue to fall forward so that the first attack would not hit him. Instead the shot destroyed the side of the roof, leaving an open space for the second shot to be fired.
The second shot, having nothing to stop it, continued on into the battlefield going on. The target was no longer Jinsei, who continued to defend, but Inukai who was busy with a different fight.
The moment it reached the target...
"Nope!"
A shield came up to stop the attack from the Ibis.
From her position in the air she could see Inukai turn towards her, fully intending on attacking her while he had the chance.
The only issue that came up was...
Trion limit exceeded. Bail Out.
She watched as Sekai made a clean cut through Inukai's neck.
Wisteria: "Use this chance, Suzume."
Doing as she was told, Suzume turned her head to make an escape and force Bail Out on herself.
Once more, Jinsei had caught up to her while she focused on her attacks. This time he used his position in the air and a Grasshopper plate to push her directly towards the fight going on.
Clicking her tongue again, Suzume went back to a defensive strategy as she was thrown into the middle of the battle.
Gummy: "And that's another point for Hikigane Squad. That was rather amazing. It seemed that Agent Kirikari used Agent Misaki's shot to distract Agent Inukai so that Captain Hikigane could get the hit!"
Kata-3: "That's unusual. Most of the time those two don't come up with plans and just go for it."
U-T: "I'm guessing it was a last minute thing by Kirikari. It worked out well and he manipulated Misaki so well that she didn't even notice it was a set up. Not only that, but look at where she is now."
Gummy: "Now all the remaining agents are gathers in one area! This is now become a 2 vs 1 vs 2 fight!"
U-T: "That's wrong. It's more accurate to say this is a 1 vs 1 vs 1 vs 2 fight. Let's not forget that Misaki is also alone on this battlefield."
.
There is no possible way she can get out of this one. With Kotowari going at his own pace and the other three ready to surround her... Looks like they won't be scoring any points this time.
Narasaka shook his head and let out a small sigh.
"That idiot. Not even going to help his own teammate."
"Narasaka-senpai, do you think she'll be able to-"
"Of course, of course she can! She'll be able to get out of this no problem!" Mitsubachi looked at the screen with determination.
"..."
"Do you believe that, Misaki-san?"
"As I said before: you know my daughter better than me when it comes to fighting. It's up to you to decide that." Seihana kept her eyes on the screen, but still had her attention on Narasaka. "So what do you think?"
"... I think she will Bail Out soon."
Wisteria: "Suzume... This depends on you. You have no way of leaving this fight now. Your two main options are to either let Takeshi shoot you so others can't gain any points or have someone else take you out so you can leave it as is."
Honest Sister: "I know. I'll just give it my all, I suppose. Honestly. This isn't what I thought would happen in our first match. Damn."
Letting out a sigh, Suzume lowered her Ibis.
To everyone it seemed like she had given up, but they all knew she was not the type to just throw in the towel, so no one made a move yet, not even Takeshi.
.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Having had enough of it after a minute, Jinsei was gone in a second. He was behind Suzume in an instant and was in mid-swing when...
"!?"
Jinsei was pushed back when his swing was stopped and swatted away by Suzume.
The fighters were surprised to see how it had happened. Instead of using a Scorpion to block, or just take the hit, she had pulled up her Ibis and swung it around to land a heavy hit on the boy.
"Screw all of this! Honestly, I'll beat you all down with brute force if I have to!"
That's when the battle started up again.
The orbs around Takeshi's head started firing off laser-like beams at Ninomiya, Jinsei and Sekai.
Two cubes of trion appeared by Ninomiya before splitting up and firing off multiple shots.
Cubes of trion appeared next to Sekai and Jinsei respectively as they ran towards their opponents.
Suzume brought out a blade from her stump of an arm.
Jinsei rushed at Suzume intent on finally finishing her off while firing shots to block Ninomiya's attacks and dodged the beams that were able to branch out.
Suzume blocked each strike from the Kōgetsu while she weaved through each beam and swatted each shot away. Each step she took seemed more and more like dance steps instead of someone trying to survive a thought battle.
Ninomiya continued to move around so as not to get hit by the laser-like beams, the Kōgetsu strikes from Sekai or the shots from Suzume. He unleashed Hound after Hound as he moved around.
Takeshi did the same by using his laser-like beams as a defense against shots and a wall from Sekai. He separated them according to who he was going after. The intent was not to actually hit Suzume, yet he did nothing to prevent anything form hitting her.
Sekai internally sighed as he had to dodge everything from laser-like beams, to shots and even some stabs. He knew it would be tough, having fought Ninomiya multiple times, but having Takeshi going crazy with his beams and an Ibis being swung around helped nothing.
.
Suzume had been able to get some good shots on Jinsei, and even some on Ninomiya, but was quickly running out of trion. She knew she could not last much longer, so she got ready to end her fight in a flash way.
She managed to push Jinsei back while switching out her Ibis with Egret. She lifted her arm to fire a shot at him to finish him off when...
"...!"
A noise filled the air as a laser-like beam tore through the space, taking Suzume's remaining arm as well as Jinsei's right arm.
She clicked her tongue as another laser-like beam went forward. She moved to the side so that it would go passed her and towards Jinsei.
.
Seeing the attack coming, Sekai was able to move his teammate out of the way, albeit at the cost of his own arm. He threw a Scorpion at Takeshi and watched as it was destroyed from another laser-like beam.
Trion limit exceeded. Bail Out.
He turned his head to see Jinsei Bail Out and Ninomiya turning his eyes from the area back to Takeshi. Sekai let out an irritated sigh as he rushed at Suzume.
He noticed that something was off with her compared to a moment ago.
"Guess that's all for me."
A large cube of trion appeared in her hands. It was split into four pieces. It was only a few seconds after that they were sent flying towards the remaining fighters.
Reacting as soon as they were sent for the attack, Sekai appeared in front of Suzume. His blade was already in mid-swing, cleaving her body in two.
He watched as cracks started appearing on her face.
He knew that it was too late.
Trion limit exceeded. Bail Out.
Four large explosions filled the area as a beam of light flew through the sky, indicating Suzume's loss.
That was not all.
"..."
Sekai let out a sigh.
Multiple shadows could be seen over the area of the three remaining fighters. Each one brought up defenses to handle the onslaught that came upon them in an instant.
A rain of Meteora fell from the sky and created nothing but destruction in its wake.
"Whoa... That was amazing!"
"Narasaka-kun, what was that just now?" Seihana asked, turning to the Sniper. "Besides that initial one, I did not see any other attacks. They were also the last fighters from what I could see."
"I'm sure they'll explain in a second."
.
Gummy: "It looks like Agent Misaki used those four large explosions as a way to distract the three remaining captains from her real attack - a rain of Meteora."
U-T: "Not only was she able to move around like that while swinging an Ibis around, but she had enough trion to do that. It really is quite amazing."
Kata-3: "That's not surprising. She clearly has the talent to be an All-Rounder. The issues come in multiple forms. In this case it was the lack of support and relentless attacks from others."
.
"That is seriously my sister for you!"
"That woman... She says that she is a Sniper but does everything in such a flashy manner. Fighting close-range is fine and all, but..."
Narasaka glared at the screen while tensing up.
"It's things like that, and the fact that she doesn't even seem to care, I absolutely hate her style of fighting. Not only that, but using an Ibis as if it was just a blunt weapon..."
"I have to admit that using a Trigger for sniping like that..."
Kodera got a worried look on his face. It's not that he was against her way of fighting, but he just did not like certain aspects of it.
"If it gets the job done, then what's the matter?"
"I'm honestly sorry guys. I couldn't even get an injured person," Suzume said in a low voice.
"It's fine. You didn't know that Jinsei's Rhythm would change. That is my fault for not saying anything to you."
"I thought that only Yuki-san could change his Rhythm, so I wasn't prepared."
"I'll make you a list of people who's Rhythm can change later on."
"Thanks, Mei-san."
"You did great out there, Suzume. It's that damn bas-"
"Toby."
"Tsk. I'm just saying..."
"The fight is almost done. Complain to him when he gets back. It shouldn't take too long."
It's just us three. I should have used Senpai to get a hit on Hikigane.
Building his defenses back up, Takeshi looked for an opening to try and get one of his two opponents to Bail Out, but found none.
I am low on trion. But I refuse to run from these two. Especially since, if I beat Ninomiya, I could beat Yuki. That's all I have to do.
Getting back to the fight, he saw some Hound shots going for him. He got rid of them and fired at Ninomiya. Seeing that there was no way to win for him, Takeshi put all his remaining trion in trying to get Ninomiya.
Even so, he could not do much as Sekai was quick to get behind him with his blade ready.
"Hm. That's checkmate."
Both the Shooter and All-Rounder were not surprised in the least when they were both full of holes in an instant. They both flipped Ninomiya off before...
Trion limit exceeded. Bail Out.
Trion limit exceeded. Bail Out.
Gummy: "Both Captain Kotowari and Captain Hikigane have Bailed Out! That's the match! With Captain Ninomiya being the only one left, Ninomiya Squad gets the survival points. The final score is 5-4-0! The victors are Ninomiya Squad!"
Kata-3: "This fight really showed how much Tsukiko's absence made a difference it the squad, along with what the other squads seemed to think of them."
U-T: "This match wasn't so much one of strategy as it was a free-for-all to see who could take out Kotowari Squad first and end the remaining squad."
"..."
"You're not gonna stay? They're about to do the review~"
"Kushikage, do me a favor."
"What ever do you require from me, o shitty brother of mine?"
"Shut up and never speak again."
"Love you too."
"What the hell is your problem! Using us like that wasn't a part of the plan!"
Takeshi looked forward while being pulled forward by Toby. His expression was cold and he made no move to get away. The only thing that could be said was that he looked ready to bring out multiple orbs of trion for his Laser-Shooter.
If not for Mei and the fact they had just finished fighting, that may just have happened.
"That was a part of the plan."
Throughout the entire fight, he had planned out each action. Anything and everything he could use in the fight had been incorporated to ensure his victory. From the wind to the buildings, from Toby to Suzume, he saw them all as a nothing more than things to use to win. To achieve a win that was not for his team but himself.
That was all that had mattered in the fight.
After all...
"Winning is the only thing that matters. Moving up and advancing is how this world functions. Using what you can to win is the only essential thing here."
He moved his eyes to the side, now looking at Mei.
What he saw were a pair of eyes that told nothing about what she was thinking.
"That's why Yuki keeps using others. So he can keep winning in this world."
.
Mei knew exactly what the look was for.
She had told him something she should not have and this was the end result of it. While she did not have foresight like Jin, she had her calculations that bordered his precognition. She could not tell for certain how her choices would effect things later on, but she could calculation the odds of the future events because of it.
This is one result she had calculated.
Due to those calculations, she knew that Suzume would be well enough after the disbandment while Toby would at least cooperate with the rest of them. She had not planned for outside interference from his family, but the end result seemed to be the same. Those two were well within her range of calculations. They were not part of her current concerns.
Takeshi was different.
There had been a handful of results that could come from Takeshi. Each one was vastly different from each one with only two or three going down a similar route. This had brought her to see Jin in order to determine what would have been best for the Laser-Shooter.
He had told her of the different paths that could be taken with Takeshi, but they seemed to only narrow down the results by two or three routes. The remaining ones seemed to be solidified depending on what actions she herself would take.
This was the end result that she had created with her own hands.
Instead of trying to move on from the disbandment, Takeshi seemed to still be focusing on the whole things while taking what Mei had told him as more of a reason to stay with it. It seemed as if his view on his former captain just went down even more with the new knowledge he had gained from their previous talk.
This whole ordeal had caused something to stir within Mei. It was a want that had not come out for quite some time with the only other times involving the strangest of people.
It was a sense of curiosity.
She was curious as to how Takeshi could get so attached to Yuki in a short amount of time. She was curious as to how he could easily revert back to when she had first met him. She was curious as to how close the two actually were. She was curious as to who Takeshi actually thought he was.
It was due to this curiously that she was not particularly mad at him for what he had done or what he had said.
She knew this kind of thinking was dangerous.
Her thoughts on the boy were cut short as Suzume's tired voice rang throughout the room.
"For now... Let's honestly hear the review."
Gummy: "This match was set in a windy, industrial area, chosen by Kotowari Squad. Their opponents had been the #1 Ninomiya Squad and the ever-topping Hikigane Squad. They were the ones who chose the location, yet they were the ones who had lost without gaining a single point."
Kata-3: "I'm sure Kotowari had already planned something out, but as things went on, he changed his course to simply using sneak attacks, that ultimately failed. Instead of synchronizing with his teammates, he used them as if they were dispensable tools. A style like that is terrible in general, but against a squad like Hikigane, where they don't even need too much practice to be in synch, that was just stupid. Not only that, but there's a reason Ninomiya Squad is at the top. Teamwork is always key when entering these matches."
Gummy: "Moving to the match itself, both agents Misaki and Awdry weren't able to score any points, but under the circumstances they were in, they seemed capable enough."
U-T: "Even with the thought that his teammate would be backing him up, Awdry didn't pull any punches and showed his skills in close combat and weaving through each attack aimed for him. Misaki also showed great skill in adapting to what was going on and using her chances to try and score a point, even if it failed. If they had been with a squad that properly worked with them, they would have done much better."
Kata-3: "That being said, while using an Ibis as a blunt weapon isn't against any rules, and can actually come in handy in situations like this, it can give Snipers a bad image. She has already started a controversy with the way she uses her Lightning, and this may have just switched some of the people not minding her to the other side."
Gummy: "Going to Ninomiya Squad, their reputation is well founded by the fact that not only did Agent Inukai hold out until he accidentally fell into a trap, but Captain Ninomiya seemed to have been the only one to score any points. As a matter of fact, only Captain Ninomiya and Captain Hikigane were able to score points."
U-T: "That was mainly due to the fact they were in the center of the fighting. Those two were the main targets of Kotowari, so they simply had to dodge his shots and go for anyone else they wanted. Hikigane-san is one of a few who is always on top form when given any sort of circumstances, meaning that if you aren't well prepared in advance, you're done. He knew that Tsuji was a great support so he must have already been aiming to get rid of him."
Kata-3: "The two captains also had unintended backup for their mutual opponent - Kotowari Squad. While Kotowari Squad was being targeted by the squad members, the captains were able to not only pick off the weakest squad there, but each other's squads as well. That can clearly be shown when Kirikari had used Misaki to distract Inukai long enough for his captain to deliver the final blow."
U-T: "If we were being completely honest, the fight might not even be over between Ninomiya-san and Hikigane-san. The only reason it is over is because Hikigane-san was probably getting tired of the fight."
Gummy: "I'm sure most are thinking that Ninomiya Squad may be keeping their position throughout this whole time while Hikigane Squad is trying, but not hard enough. They may even be thinking about Kotowari Squad and the actions they have taken throughout this battle. All of these are things to think about as this first round comes to a close. I, Ayatsuji, have been your commentator for this time. I would like to thank both of our guests for joining us as well."
Kata-3: "No problem."
U-T: "My pleasure."
"Yes! Leave it to Taka to win!"
Minoru stopped his small cheering when he noticed Henry and his son start to leave.
"So, after that, and what they had to say about Fuzzy Head, what do you think?"
"He really is...a disappointment. Regardless if he was facing multiple people, he should have seen, or at the very least expected, the betrayal of his teammate. The fact he could not shows he clearly cannot go any higher."
"Hey, no one expected Take-kun to do that! You can't blame him for not thinking he would be betrayed! Those two are-"
"You are about to say, 'Those two are friends,' correct?" Henry gave a single glance back with a bored expression. "I can tell that the gray haired boy does not see anything but himself. He only sees the dullness of the world and is unimpressed by life itself. Someone like my failure son, who is full of life, is basically invisible in his eyes. The only thing those two share is a pitiful life where they cannot ever find a place. That girl seems to be the only one who can sneak her way through life. And even that can be put into question."
"You son of a..."
Minoru simply watched with clenched fists as the older man continued to walk away. He was not one to easily anger, but the man he had just spoken to was able to make him want to hit something, even if just one time. He had not even noticed a group of four people walking passed him.
.
"I didn't expect that..." Kodera muttered as he walked with the Misaki girls and his fellow Sniper.
"That's so, so, so messed up! If she wants to-"
"No, it's not 'if she wants to fight like that' at all," Narasaka said, looking down at the girl. "She took up the position of Sniper, so fighting like that and using sniping Triggers like that is insulting. If she wants to be the center of attention then she should be a Gunner, or an actual Attacker. I am sorry, Misaki-san, but that's how I feel."
"That's quite alright, Narasaka-kun. I understand how you truly feel," Seihana said with a calm expression. "That being said, you should tell her how you feel."
"I have, but she's too stubborn to actually listen."
"That sure sounds like her. Narasaka-kun, may I ask you a question?"
"By all means."
"Do you happen to know the reason why she became a Sniper?"
"No. Whenever we talk to each other we have usually have to be pulled away since we tend argue."
"I see. She does not truly tell us much about when she is here, so we actually do not know the answer either. You might want to ask her about it at some point. She does not speak so openly about things she dislikes, so it may not be something she ever tells. Even so, that answer may end up helping others."
With her final words being said, Misaki Seihana and her youngest daughter started to make their way down the hallway they had first walked in.
"I would rather not even be around her..."