"So what was that all about exactly?"

Tonooka threw himself down on the bench and leaned on the palm of his hands.

Just what is going on? he wondered. He knew that these two were crazy, but even this felt like it was too much for them.

"Hahaha. Sorry about that, Kazuto. I just needed to get some energy out before going through with everything."

"Toyko was lookin' pretty tense there, so I decided to help him."

"You noticed, darling~!?"

"Of course I did, honey. I always pay attention to you!"

The way the two of them threw themselves over each other and laughed reminded him how out of place he really was. Mitsuteru had said they were friends and that he was good to bring back normalcy to his life, but that always seemed to be pushed aside whenever these kinds of people were around.

I can't really complain, but it's pretty annoying to be told something like that by him at this point.

He wasn't that simple sniper boy from before. Over time, he had become someone who solidified himself and started to take flight. Compared to others who stayed grounded where they were, he had flown off to see all kinds of things.

This was one of those things.

All the different kinds of people he had gotten to know had turned him into the person here.

"Hah..."

I guess it's better that he's like this than how he was after his first squad had left him.

Bringing that up now would get a laugh from him, and he would probably talk about it fondly. For everyone else who knew about that time, it would have still been a sore topic to bring up when they remembered just how down he had been during all of it.

"What's with the sigh? Do you need to use the bathroom?"

"Considering I'm in a trion body... I'm good."

"Oh, that's right. Don't worry, Kazuto. If you want, we can take you out too~"

Tonooka rolled his eyes and saw how both of them were eying him now.

"I'm good," he said again. "Besides, I wouldn't want to mess up...whatever is happening here."

"Can't you tell?"

He couldn't. They were both weirdos whenever they were around each other.

Oki continued to smile as he put an arm around Mitsuteru's shoulder and leaned in to his side. But it was Mitsuteru who spoke up.

"We're maaaaaadly in love!"

.

Tono: "Did you get that, Misaki?"

Honest Sister: "I did! I honestly got it all!"

Daybreak: "Hold on now! Don't go taking that without our consent!"

Honest Sister: "I always ask for consent! Yes, when I grab a girl's boobs, a man's boobs, or when I start drawing two guys shoving each other's bananas into each other's mouths, moaning while doing so, then showing their faces to be resembling some people I know! And would you look at that! This time I'm picturing Aniki and Oki! Isn't it great how friends can just fill each other up and honestly moan right in front of each other!?"

Umi: "Please stop filling this space with crazy stuff... Oh, but good job censoring yourself, Misaki."

Honest Sister: "What are you talking about? I meant a literal banana. Because a banana can lead to them figuring out where they really want something that long and thick! Oh, and don't worry, Aniki and Oki, I'll honestly make sure that whoever is topping has a big dick so the bottom can honestly moan as loudly as he wants without anyone wondering why! Aren't I honestly the best? I'm so considerate!"

Daybreak: "How is that considerate!? And if this is going to be the end result, at least make me the top!"

Okay: "Hey now."

TetsuG: "He's a bottom."

Pokari: "Bottom he is."

Isa: "Absolutely a bottom."

Umi: "I'll just hold my tongue here..."

Daybreak: "You all are the worst!"

.

...I should have expected this to go horribly wrong...

Yet he did it anyway. Tonooka felt some guilt upon seeing Mitsuteru fall to the floor with tears in his eyes.

Wow. I didn't know he could cry on command.

Sometimes you just learn new things about your friends.

"My life is over..."

"Because of the doujinshi or because all of your mentors just said that you are a bottom."

"I don't even swing that way!"

The glare Mitsuteru gave him from over his shoulder was actually pretty amazing.

Tonooka tried to look away, but the glare he was getting sent a shiver down his spine.

"Alright, alright, I'll try and make up for it."

"Is there really any way to make up for being turned into a doujinshi?"

As expected, Oki would be no help here.

"I'll find something to do. Anyway, come on. Get up. You were saying something about getting your energy out."

It was a hassle, but he managed to lift Mitsuteru up and onto the bench again. To make sure nothing else could happen, he sat him between him and Oki. Now either one of them could move to stop him from falling to the floor again.

For an added measure, he bumped their shoulders together and leaned in a bit to Mitsuteru's side.

"Seriously, I'm sorry about that. I didn't think it through all the way."

"It's fine." Mitsuteru gave a sigh and smiled at him. From his other side, Oki waved a hand. "I guess I prefer this over everyone worrying too much about things around them. At least this shows me that everyone is still enjoying themselves in some way."

He was always like this. Even when he was choosing to be selfish, he would be fine if everyone else around him was happy.

Well, it's not like it's a bad thing. He knows he's allowed to be angry or selfish, so it really isn't a problem.

That was what led Tonooka to think that he wanted to talk about something involving that anger or selfishness.

"Well, about what I was saying before." Tonooka nodded, and Oki patted his shoulder. "I didn't want to have too much energy when I have to talk to my mentors. They would take advantage of that, and I would probably end up not saying what I need to say."

"What exactly do you need to tell them? I feel like anything you would say could be turned on you."

"I was thinking the same thing. That's why I want to make sure I can stand my ground against them. If only this one time."

This must be a serious matter if he's only asking for this one time.

Most of the time, people would only say that to get their point across. In reality, they wanted to be heard each time they spoke. But...

Mitsuteru isn't like that. His words are true in every sense. They are spoken with his feelings and are so straightforward that it almost feels like he can't lie. So if he's saying this, it's really "this one time."

Oki had understood that much as well from the way he straightened his body.

.

I sure am thinking of the past a lot.

He had spoken about his feelings, starting from the past, with Ema.

Murakami had spoken of their past the night before.

The worries from the past had come up in two days.

Now...

I need to follow up on a promise I made to myself in the past.

There had been many promises made in the past. One had been made to both versions of his mentor, a few had been made to his partner, at least three had been made to his current squad, two had been made to his first squad, one had been made to his former squads, countless ones had been made to both Murakami and Ema, a special one had been made to Kanda, and even Oki and Kanda had been given promises that he was still holding on to.

Every one of those promises had been made with his honest words and without any emptiness to them. That was how he had decided to live his life after many empty words and promises.

But this was different.

The promises from the past had not been directed at anyone around him.

It had been directed inward.

From past me to future me. So that makes it present me.

A promise to oneself was something that you would know about. Something that could not be forgotten and something that should be engraved on one's heart the moment it came up. There would be no witness to it, but that was what made it all the more important.

Going against it would mean forsaking one's self.

My name is read as "Forsaken," but that was only because my parents thought that "Mitsuteru" sounded cool. So there's no reason for me to hold on to that name too tightly. If I wanted to change it, then I have no doubt that they would be fine with it.

But there was a reason he held on to that name.

He did not hold it tightly, but he held it close to him.

I like my name. It's not something to strive for. What it is is something I should strive not to be.

Even if others deemed him pointless or forgettable, he would remain true to himself. Never again will I go back on myself. Doing so would only cause trouble for others and himself, meaning he only needed to follow up on the promises he made to himself.

"I've made my decision already. I refuse to have them ignore it, no matter what."

"And what decision would that be?"

What had been the promise he made to himself?

That is...

"I think...I've grown enough now. I don't know everything I can know, but I want to learn that on my own."

"Oh? Does that mean what I think it does?"

Mitsuteru nodded and smiled at both Oki and Tonooka.

"I'm going to tell them that I'm no longer their student. They don't have to see me as an equal, but they can't look down on me like some pathetic kid now."

.

Oki chuckled into his hand.

It was adorable how serious his friend could be about the most random of things.

But that's what's so great about him.

No one else could be so self-aware as to say those kinds of things. Even knowing they were weak, people would do what they could to reject that kind of thought and move on. Finding ways to lose that weakness meant they would become strong.

Mitsuteru was different.

Instead of denying that weakness, he chose to embrace that weakness and move on from there. It never mattered if he was strong, so long as he could continue living like the weak.

He'll still ask for help, cry when those guys mess with him, and complain to the rest of us about it later. But...

But...

He'll accept their advice, work to impress them all, and boast to the rest of us how much better he's gotten.

It was all so amusing that he couldn't help but chuckle at it all.

Still...

"I'm glad for you, Tok..."

No. That name was for that student who was always behind his mentors.

"Good job, Mitsu. Proud of ya for takin' that step."

"Even if it's going to end poorly, we'll be here for you to complain."

"Thanks for the confidence..."

The three of them laughed, and Mitsuteru threw his arms over his and Tonooka's shoulders.

He pulled both of them close until they were right under his cheeks. From there, Oki could feel just how relaxed he really was.

There's no tension...

"I'll do just that. So I hope you two are ready for my whining before we become opponents again."

That's right. They would soon be on their own squads, with Mitsuteru even leading one of his own. They would be provisional squads, but it would place all three of them against each other in a way that was different from direct combat.

A new feeling of competitiveness started to surface, making Oki grin and throw his own arm over Mitsuteru's shoulder.

"Ya know-"

Kuma: "Hey, is Ariake around?"

Oki blinked as the sudden screen appeared in front of the three of them. The color was green, and he could see the floor through it. Curious about it, he leaned forward to see that you could not see the front side of it from behind.

"What's that?" asked Tonooka.

Mitsuteru was the one to answer.

"Oh, it's something Seiji-san volunteered for us to try out. Apparently, someone from Germany had come and implemented this for us. It's pretty fun, actually."

"Is that so...?"

Mitsuteru seemed to have fun with it as he typed out a message. The way it worked seemed similar to a tablet, but there was no need to hold it; he typed on it like a keyboard instead.

Daybreak: "Yeah, what's up?"

Kuma: "Well...I'm at the solo booths, and word is getting around over here."

Daybreak: "About what?"

"Well," repeated Kumagai.

Kuma: "Apparently Shigenaga is going pretty wild against Kageura-senpai."

She could feel the rush.

Each time her blade touched his, she would feel the feedback and found herself enjoying everything even more.

To say that they were clashing would have been wrong. Each time they encountered each other, their blades would collide, ring out, bounce back, and then be forced forward once more.

Both of them were trying their best to defeat the other with everything they had.

He would try to cut through her or devour her. Each time he moved, it would be to step forward, go around her attacks, then move to slice her up.

For her, it was different.

An oni did nothing but destroy what was in front of them. A strike forcer moved to secure victory by pushing forward with all of the power in their body.

So what if you mixed those two?

"!"

You got a single girl pushing through every obstacle in front of her.

The distance between them continued to close, open, then close again. Each time this happened a new sensation would arrive and threaten to consume her mind. Doing so would leave her as nothing but a mindless oni who would only charge in.

But that was not who she was anymore.

She was a fighter.

"Here!"

"Keep going!"

He responded to her shout.

This was their tenth battle already, but neither one of them seemed to get tired of it.

She had lost the first nine fights, but he had not looked down on her. On the contrary, he spoke up to help her improve. All of his movements went to match hers instead of trying to catch her off guard or make her fumble in her actions.

He was acting like a true opponent.

When they compared each other, it was a rough result. One was a tall male who had reach and speed, something that got his blade through her attacks. Then there she was, on the taller side, but still shorter than him. Her blade had a definite reach, but she also had a rifle.

That rifle had already been cut in half three times now.

"!"

"—!"

Neither one of them gave an inch. All of their forwardness came together to create a storm of blades and bullets.

.

Shigenaga felt her body start to move on its own. Out of pure reflex, she had started to move through the constant attacks from Kageura. Each one felt like it was aimed directly where she would be unable to guard, so she played into it by weakening that part of herself to the point where her body would react to those attacks.

This kind of technique was dangerous in most cases, but she understood both herself and her opponent well enough to know this would work.

And more than that...

I know how to get around his Side Effect!

Her partner had found a way to overload his Side Effect by throwing all of his emotions at him at once. This would swallow him up and distract him from what was in front of him for a moment.

A moment was all she needed.

Shigenaga was an oni-type of girl, meaning she would follow through on her attacks with even harsher ones.

"!"

The next attack came to her right. Following that was a whip-like attack that was meant to lock down her left side. This kind of thing would be a definite loss to most Attackers. Each one of them would reactively fall for the whip-like attack.

But Shigenaga purposefully moved into the attack from her right side.

With a powerful push, she increased her speed to the right. It had matched the blade for a moment, but she had increased her speed a second time and started to move faster than the blade.

The blade that reached her cut through her left side.

There was no hesitation in the way she lifted her rifle and fired an Asteroid shot at Kageura.

Her attack must have been obvious since he was already in the motion of moving backwards and to the side.

But that's fine! I need to fight these types of people!

They were the ones who would finally let her fulfill that promise.

A promise made to herself.

.

She had once heard him talk about a promise he had made to himself.

At first, she had thought he was just being stupid. A promise made to one's self was nothing but a want that they could not fulfill themselves. Something fools decided to make because they knew they could never follow through with that promise.

But he had done it.

That idiot had made a promise to himself and seemed to take it as seriously as any other promise, maybe even more so than those.

He probably thought I couldn't hear him.

She did hear him.

She didn't know what that self-promise was, but she knew he had made one. A promise that would only affect him but also chain him to whatever that promise was.

As time went on, she became curious about that promise. It only started going further than curiosity when he refused to tell her exactly what that promise was.

It's one of the very few things that he adamantly refused to tell me.

So she let it be. There was no point in arguing with him if he was going to be that stubborn about it.

Although there had been more to it than that.

More time had gone on, and she felt like she had been leaving him alone. Even if they remained the same, he was holding on to something she knew nothing about.

Thinking about it now, I should have just told him that I really wanted to know...for his sake.

Instead, she had done something else.

She had made her own promise.

A promise to herself.

For a brief moment, she had decided to be like that idiot and make a promise that only she would know about.

It would have been tossed aside the next day if not for how she knew how he felt about these sorts of things. Knowing that he disliked empty words and promises, she had decided to keep hers. There was no way he would ever find out about it, but that meant it really was up to her to keep it. Otherwise, knowing that she broke that promise would have ended up hurting her even more than simply thinking she was stupid for making it in the first place.

So she had kept that promise to herself.

And I'm finally here!

When she looked at the blade that missed her face, she could see her opponent's face. What was beyond that blade was someone who was taking her seriously by trying to defeat her. Someone who was above her in skill.

This was enough.

Now I just need to follow through and complete this promise to myself!

.

Kageura could feel a sudden change in his opponent.

For every one of his attacks, she would meet it with three of her own. This continued on for the first nine fights they had. Each time, those three attacks would become more refined until they could properly counter him.

Then, at the start of this tenth fight, things changed.

It only took her two attacks to meet his one.

The amount of excess movement from her had gone down a lot, and she had started to push forward instead of pushing against him.

But there was still something off.

She isn't using that shield...

From all of his time in B-Rank, and even during a time in A-Rank, there had always been one annoying thing for him to deal with. Something that would come in multiples that was unlike anything else he had to fight against.

That shield...

A shield created by the Hikigane Squad Captain.

That multi-layered shield had been the bane of many Attackers' fights. It created a defense that was pushed forward like an offense, took a wide range, and was created at a moment's notice. Fighting against it was already trouble, but the user of it would follow up on it by pushing forward himself.

And this girl was not that different.

She knew how to use that shield the same as him, albeit to a lesser degree. Kageura had seen it in the logs, but he had not properly fought against her shields yet.

Why is she holding back on using them against me? Does she think I can work around them since I've fought Sekai?

That may have been it. From the small interactions they had, he could tell that she was the type of person to compare herself to others when it came to abilities.

Their current fight was probably her way of showing off how she fought as herself.

But...

That's stupid! Don't hold back just because you can do the same thing as someone else!

It was insulting to a lot of people.

At the same time, there had to have been a reason she refused to use those shields against him. From the short interactions he has had with her, he could tell that she wasn't someone who didn't have a reason for doing the things she did.

Unlike those guys. They just go on and do whatever they want because they can. Not a care in the world about what they're doing unless it's to make fun of someone.

At least they kept to that and didn't back down.

But this girl was not like them. She made sure there was a reason behind everything she did.

So...

Tell me what that reason is in this fight!

.

Shigenaga had been focusing on the enemy's attack timing.

She aimed for the instant the enemy pulled back his blade.

This Attacker used his whip-like sword with compact movements. Instead of making wide swings, he generally swung it forward.

After pulling it in with his elbow and wrist, he jabbed the blade out with the back of his hand pointed downward.

It was a simple movement, but understanding it did not mean she could do anything about it.

She had to focus on when the Attacker pulled the blade back.

He could not attack during that process, so she would wait for that moment of safety.

Some might call that cowardly, but while she was confident in her skill, she had decided not to overestimate herself. So...

...I want to avoid rushing in while they're making their attack!

She would dodge the enemy attack and then strike. That was the way the powerful did things—they did not care about their enemy's circumstances.

She knew she did not qualify as "powerful" yet.

She did not think she could win this with a single attack made while rushing past her foe, even if they were a former A-Rank. And if she did manage it, it would be thanks to something other than her skill.

She wanted to avoid any careless actions since this enemy's blade had a physical form.

After all, she was not a mountain oni. She was a strike forcer who looked out for the ones she cared about.

That consideration would be meaningless if she grew careless and failed to return to him.

Her victory had to be a precise thing. That principle seemed to suit her current hard personality.

So...

"There!"

She made a luring attack and fell back to get the enemy to pursue.

And once the enemy had pulled back once, she pushed in a second and third time.

...Now!

Her timing was good.

The enemy pulled back the blade in his right hand, so she immediately kicked off the edge of a nearby wall.

She launched herself forward and swung her right arm back for the briefest of moments.

This was immediately followed up by one of her specialties.

Hikigane Shield!

Two shields formed in front of her moving arm.

"Keh!"

I can still only work with two of them...

It was a shame that she still couldn't find it in herself to finally take that last step to create a third.

What was she missing?

Is my resolve too light...?

No.

She knew what she was missing.

The final piece to fulfill that promise!

An image briefly appeared in her mind.

It was an image of him.

.

Kageura saw the two shields finally be created.

She finally found a reason to use those against me!

He was fully prepared to strike back. His arm had been pulled back, and she was using that to her advantage.

In truth, he had seen this coming and purposefully took this action as a final chance for her to use those shields.

Now that they had shown themselves, he prepared for his counter.

There were two shields, one to the right and one to the left. The most likely outcome was that she would use those shields to block his path on those sides while she charged down the middle with the sword and rifle in her hands.

My arm still needs to come back from being moved backwards, but my other side...

He could swing his second arm forward without any problems.

Destroying that side's shield would be annoying, so he would just throw his blade around it instead.

"Now-"

"Here!"

Kageura could feel his eyes go wide as something started to form directly in front of him.

Two shields should have been her max. Any more, and she would likely mess up her own timing.

Yet...

"A third!?"

"...!"

Shigenaga said nothing as the third shield was created between the right shield and the left shield. The design was fully created and was a perfect copy of the other two shields. This told him that it wasn't some quickly made shield, but instead one that was made with a new resolution.

Kageura clicked his tongue and moved to intercept any incoming attacks.

Sekai himself could create many more shields than this; he knew that much. But these three shields were much closer than Sekai's usually were and were pushed forward with much more resolve than him. Countering them would take a lot more than three from Sekai.

So he started to move.

It sure does look like they're having fun, thought Mitsuteru.

He had gone back to see what the commotion was about. Kumagai had messaged him about the situation, but seeing it for himself, it all looked much more peaceful than what he thought.

It sucks that Kōji and Kazuto had to go, but it isn't like they could handle Shigeko all too well to begin with.

She was fine with them and treated them well enough, but they had always been a bit afraid of her rough personality. In a way, he found it endearing since he understood all three of them well enough.

Mitsuteru looked around the area and saw some familiar faces around him. As expected, the area was filled with Attackers, Shooters, Gunners, and All-Rounders. Every now and then he would see someone from R&D or a Sniper, but they were probably just here to meet up with someone like he was.

It was only when he turned around that he noticed one of the special cases of Border.

"Huh? What did I-... Oh, when were you there?"

Mitsuteru found himself smiling down at the sudden white-haired boy.

His name is Kuga-kun, right?

They had met once before, but Kuga must not have remembered that. If that was the case, then it reaffirmed something within Mitsueru.

He's strong. Otherwise, he would have known I was standing here.

To Kuga, it must have looked like there was nothing there at all. He had continued walking forward without even noticing him until he ran into his stomach.

This was nothing new. Mitsuteru understood well that strong people would tend to forget about his existence. There may have been a few exceptions, but this was true for the majority.

Now that I think about it, the two Neighbor attacks we had to deal with had strong opponents, right? I wonder what would have happened if I had taken part in that.

As a Sniper, he would not have been within eyesight of any of them.

As a weakling, he would not have stayed in those strong people's memories to attack him.

But...

I'm still weak. If I'm not careful then I get taken out easily.

That was fine. Any time he lost, it would make way for the strong to appear and win. That was how it had always been for him.

"I'm sure he can understand that..."

"What?"

Mitsuteru shook his head with a smile.

"It's nothing to worry about, Kuga-kun."

.

Yūma was having a hard time.

The person standing in front of him was definitely there, but it felt like he was just a ghost. This person's presence was felt for a moment before his attention started to drift somewhere else.

He tried to focus on what this person was saying, but that was hard to do for some reason. Their words were true—that much he knew. Everything that came from their mouth was true, but the words themselves were a bit hazy. Once they were heard, it would take him a moment to remember what had been said in the first place.

And this wasn't the first time.

A Side Effect maybe?

But Osamu had been fine with this person before. Even acutely aware of them.

"So are you here to meet someone, Kuga-kun?"

"Kage-senpai and Murakami-senpai," was all he could get out. Any more and he would forget what was asked.

"I see," this person said. "Well, I don't know where Kō is, but Kageura-san is currently fighting with one of my teammates."

Yūma turned his head to follow the finger pointing to the scoreboard. It was hard to tell which one had Kageura in it, but the same must have been true for...

For who?

Was there someone else waiting with him?

"Ha ha. I guess you really are just that strong."

A voice reached him. It came from the side.

Yūma turned to where the sudden voice came from and saw someone standing there.

A ghost? he thought for a moment.

Another laugh reached his ears. This time from a different direction.

He knew this laugh much more than the other one.

It was...

"Kage-senpai."

.

"That's right. I guess you were hit pretty hard by this guy."

"I didn't do anything, Kageura-san!"

"Hm. He's too much of a wimp to try anything."

"Now that's just mean, Shigeko..."

Kageura threw his arm around Ariake's shoulder once he reached the strange duo. Something he did not expect was for Kuga to focus back in on both him and Ariake.

This was something new.

So others can pay attention to him when someone stronger is around him?

In truth, he had no clue what people meant whenever they said that they couldn't remember Ariake. To him, there was nothing special about him, but he knew that he would not forget him naturally.

"Oh, looks like he's finally coming to," said Ariake, coming to the same realization. He gave a slight wave to Kuga. "Hello again, Kuga-kun. Looks like these two are done now. Oh, you looked confused... I'm Ariake Mitsuteru. Nice to meet you...again."

When had they met for the first time? If Kuga didn't notice him until now then a few seconds ago couldn't count as their first meeting.

Just as Kageura was going to question him on that, he felt his arm get thrown off of Ariake's shoulder.

Looking over, he could see Shigenaga looking at him with a glare. Her tinted glasses had been placed on top of her head.

"Hello, Kuga. I am Shigegana Naki. I have seen the logs of your squad during the B-Rank Wars."

"Oh? Then what did you think? As someone who was fighting Kage-senpai."

Kageura was ready for her to scold him for thinking like that. Maybe even move in to stop any physical damage.

Instead, she only nodded.

"You are a tough opponent. And with that being said, humor me for a bit."

From next to her, Ariake blinked but said nothing. He could understand the confusion.

That's right. She looked like she finally found something out during our fight.

Her resolve.

"I'm fine with that. But are you, Kage-senpai? Did you want to fight?"

"Just do it. I can wait a bit since I just fought her. Besides, you're a different kind of opponent for her compared to me."

But before that.

"Shigenaga, isn't there something you need to say here?"

Kuga tilted his head, and Ariake furrowed his brows for a moment.

Between them, Shigenaga nodded a second time and turned to her partner.

No. I don't think it's like that anymore.

.

Shigenaga felt all of her nerves release upon seeing his face. There had been a bit of tension that built up in her, but it was all released once she saw his face again.

I can't wonder why that is anymore. Doing that would just mean I'm a stupid little girl.

While she knew she could be immature at times, she was not a child.

Which was why she knew what she wanted to say.

"Mitsuteru. There's something I want to say to you."

"What's that?" he asked.

Of course he would still be casual about all of this.

"I don't need you around."

That's right. Everything needed to come out right now.

"You're weak, and I don't need you around. We have completely different personalities; you can be too relaxed most of the time, and you live somewhere that I never bothered to step into."

So...

"I don't need you around to do whatever I want. My fight against Kageura just now proved it."

But...

"That doesn't mean...I don't want you around."

She knew what she wanted to say.

He let her say whatever she wanted to say.

"I don't need you around. But I do want you around."

Do you understand?

He was not someone special and had nothing really going for him. Everything about him was something she knew she could find in other people. People who were much better than him and who could handle her just as well, if not better.

They both understood that.

But he is the one I want near me. Not any of those better people, strong people, or more reliable people. They aren't the ones who asked me to be their friend.

She was both his partner and his friend.

"I understand," he said.

There it was. The smile that she knew she would get. There was no sadness, tension, or anger in his voice.

Only understanding.

.

Shigenaga nodded twice, said nothing, then grabbed Kuga by his clothes. Doing as she normally does, she pulled him away so the two of them could fight.

There were no complaints from Kuga, so neither he nor Kageura said anything about it.

"Hey," said Kageura.

He looked to him.

"You aren't going to tell her you already knew she didn't need you?"

"No, that's fine," he said with a smile. "Shigeko isn't someone who can handle praise. She also can't handle people who don't push back against her, so it would just make things worse for her."

"I would have asked what you meant, but I figured it out during our fight."

"Right. Thank you for going along with her wants."

"I just wanted to fight her. There's nothing to thank me for."

As always, Kageura was caring in his own way.

Letting out a breath, he turned around. There was no longer anything to worry about.

"I guess I should also start showing some independence too..."

"I'm looking forward to seeing what you do."