Preface:
Welcome back to the conclusion of this arc. I'll preemptively warn you that my personal life is hectic, so I've lost some motivation to work on this. It's the reason this chapter was a bit late since I didn't have the energy to do my final check-ups on the day of uploading.
Fortunately, I still have this chapter and two more in the backlog, so hopefully, it's enough time for me to recover from this slump.
Chapter 5: Tohka Integration - Showdown at the Festival
Asher's POV
"Shido…" I worriedly mumbled out as I undid the transformation.
"Asher! Where did Shido go?!" Tohka worriedly asked as she and Kengo ran up to me.
"I… I don't know… but we'll find him. I swear." I anxiously responded. I wasn't sure where he was either, but seeing Tohka's nervous expression made me want to reassure her that everything would be fine.
Suddenly, I felt my phone ringing in my pocket.
"[Oi. What the hell was with that performance.]" Kotori's stern voice could be heard on the other side.
"C-Commander Kotori?!" I nervously cried out.
"[You let Shido get captured!]" Kotori angrily yelled out before sighing. "[Well, I guess I can't fault you for it. My brother's always been selfless to an unhealthy degree.]"
"You… don't sound all that worried." I responded.
"[I know my brother better than anyone else, including himself. He won't be one to go down easily.]" Kotori replied.
"[I expect you guys to put your full effort into recovering Shido. If it turns out anything bad happened to him, I'll personally come down to kick your ass before I kick the Zodiarts's!]" Kotori yelled out.
"R-Roger!" I nervously squealed out. With that, she hung up on me.
"Asher? Was that Commander Itsuka?" Kengo asked.
"Y-yea, it was… she said to find Shido immediately. Fraxinus will also be looking." I nervously spluttered out, still not recovering from how fierce the young redhead was.
"Agreed. We should split up. He might still be in this area. Worst-case scenario, we'll have to rely on Fraxinus's tracking capabilities." Kengo concluded as he set Burgermeal off to find Shido before he started searching in a separate direction.
I was about to run in search of Shido when I noticed that Tohka had a sad expression on her face.
"Muu… Asher… do you think Shido's…?" Tohka nervously asked. I walked over to her and gently smiled.
"Don't worry Tohka. I'm sure Shido will be fine. Come on, let's go find him." I reassured Tohka, which seemed to brighten her mood a little.
With that, the two of us searched together through the streets for Shido. I know Kengo advised we all split up, but I didn't have to heart to abandon Tohka. She was clearly rattled after seeing Cassiopeia kidnap Shido in front of her eyes.
We searched through the streets, alleys, and even some shops, and yet no Shido in sight. I was nearly ready to throw in the towel and just call Kengo and Kotori and ask what I should do but…
"S-Shido…?" Tohka nervously mumbled as we turned into an alleyway. In the distance was someone sitting up against the wall. Though it was quite a distance, the Raizen High blazar and blue hair made it quite obvious who it was.
"Shido! Shido!" Tohka cried out, both out of worry and happiness, as she ran towards him. As I got closer to him, I could see he was unconscious. I pulled out my phone to alert Kengo and Kotori while Tohka shook Shido's body.
"Shido! Wake up! Please! Wake up!" Tohka nervously cried out. Shido then suddenly began to stir and groan as he slowly opened his eyes.
"Ugghh… Y-Yatogami?" Shido groggily stated.
"Shido, are you ok?!" Tohka asked, completely oblivious to the change in Shido's speech pattern.
"Yeah, I'm ok… Yatogami, so you don't have to shake me anymore." Shido calmly stated.
"Oh… I'm sorry Shido…" Tohka took her hands off Shido's body and looked at him worriedly.
"Hey, Shido, are you ok?" I asked him after hanging up with Kengo and Kotori informing them of Shido's position.
"Yeah, I am. Thanks, Asher." Shido answered. I noted the difference in how he addressed me and Tokha in the back of my mind.
"Did Cassiopeia do anything to you?" I asked him curiously.
"Well, after it grabbed me, it brought me to this alleyway. It looked at me and simply stated 'You're not my target.' Then, it summoned one of those mirrors. After that, there was a flash of light and then… then I woke up." Shido explained.
"You don't feel weird? At all? You feel completely fine?" I asked nervously.
"I feel completely fine! Thanks to you and Yatogami finding me!" Shido exclaimed, though this just made Tohka pout.
"It's Tohka, Shido! What's wrong?" Tohka grumbled out.
"Oh, sorry about that Yat— I mean Tohka." Shido hastily corrected himself.
"Asher! Yatogami! Itsuka!" I heard Kengo call out in the distance. I turned around to see him running up to us.
"Kengo! We found Shido. He seems to be fine, for the most part, anyways." I explained, though Kengo raised an eyebrow at me.
"We should call Commander Kotori and ask her to bring us up to Fraxinus to check up on Shido." I pulled out my phone, but before I could even punch in a number, a familiar buoyant sensation filled my body.
Seems like she was one step ahead of us, huh?
"Well, it's good to see you did your job correctly this time." Kotori sternly greeted us as we were teleported to their teleporter room.
"Reine. Take Shido and Tohka to get checked up." Kotori commanded as Reine stepped forward.
"...Shin. Tohka. This way." Reine calmly demanded. Shido and Tohka followed Reine out of the room. All too familiarly, it was now just the three of us alone in the room.
"You two. Command room." Kotori curtly ordered. With that, she exited the room and we quickly followed her.
"So. Speak. What was that, who was it, and did anything happen to Shido." Kotori stated as she laid back on her chair in the command room.
"Judging by the constellation patterns on its body, that Zodiarts was the Cassiopeia Zodiarts." Kengo explained.
"As for who it was… it someone who clearly has a grudge against Tohka, but for what reason?" I followed up, but Kotori simply played a secret recording by one of Fraxinus's hidden cameras. The footage seemed to be when Shido and Tohka first confronted Cassiopeia, before either of us arrived.
"[Tohka Yatogami, you… it would be so much better if you and that Origami girl just disappeared.]" Cassopeia's venomous voice rang out in the command room.
"Seems like it isn't just Tohka that it has a grudge against, but also that AST girl, Origami, as well." Kotori bluntly added on.
"The both of them…? For what reason…?" Kengo mused to himself as he suddenly became lost in thought.
"And? Are you going to answer the last part of my question?" Kotori reminded.
"Ahh, well. Shido seems fine for the most part." I responded.
"What do you mean 'for the most part'?" Kotori eyed me intensely. Kengo looked over at me as well.
"Well, there was one thing I noted when I found him. He started referring to Tohka as 'Yatogami,' but who knows if that means anything. Maybe he just hit his head? Still, it is a bit odd.'"
"Aahh, is that all? That was kind of a letdown." Kotori huffed out as she flopped back into her chair. "Still, I'll consider it when we check up on him. Perhaps the Zodiarts messed around with his brain or something." Kotori casually stated. Shido is getting checked up, huh? Probably for the best, but still… he wouldn't have needed to get checked up if I was better…
"I'm sorry about not stopping the Zodiarts from taking Shido." I apologized to Kotori, the guilt weighing on my mind, though she just looked at me in confusion.
"Haa? Where's this coming from?" Kotori asked incredulously, causing me to just look at her in shock.
"Listen up. My brother's one of the stupidest people I know. He's selfless and reckless to unimaginable levels. Something like this was bound to happen. I don't expect you to come to save him from every danger that he comes across, god knows he's tougher than he even realizes. You're not some guardian angel that needs to protect him 24/7. What I do expect is that you make sure you pull him back to reality when he does start acting stupid!" Kotori concluded.
"Besides, you found him relatively unharmed. For that, I'll forgive you for your shortcomings if it really bothers you that much." Kotori added on.
"Commander…" I responded completely dumbfounded.
"Now, you two should get home. It's been a long day for you two. I expect you to uncover the Cassiopeia Zodiarts's identity as soon as possible." Kotori exclaimed.
With that, she ordered one of the staff to guide us home. Deciding that there wasn't much else to do, Kengo and I agreed to monitor Shido in the following days in case Cassiopeia actually did do something weird to him. We'd also need to watch for anyone targeting Origami and Tohka.
As I arrived at my apartment, I plopped down on my bed, completely exhausted. I was tempted to fall asleep right then and there.
Hang on, I haven't done my homework.
Eh, it's fine. It's Golden Week tomorrow.
Wait. Raizen still has school those days; it's just half days this week.
…god damn it…
May 1st
"Ugh… why the hell is this school the exception when it comes to Golden Week?" I groaned out as I turned off my alarm clock.
Washing up, I tried to wake myself up after a long night spent cramming the homework I hadn't done yet. For some unknown reason, every school in the nation aside from Raizen High is on break this week.
How does Raizen get away with this? I know Raizen's Chairman has quite a big reputation, but there's no way he has this much power.
Well, not like complaining will make the facts go away.
After much effort, I got fully prepared for school and left to walk toward Raizen High.
However, the moment I entered the school building, there was a large gathering near the bulletin board at the school's main lobby.
"Hmm? What's going on?" I internally questioned as I walked to see what the commotion was about.
It was a large poster designed similarly to the previous Raizen Top Boy and Girl voting contest. The big bold letters now read, "The Raizen Festival Showdown! The Top 3 Boys and Girls will be having a public vote tomorrow to determine who is the best of the best for the rest of time!"
Ok…? Why?
As I scanned the poster, my eyes bulged when I saw who the top 3 girls were. Sure, the top 3 boys were just some random people I didn't know anything about, but I knew who the top 3 girls were.
Origami Tobiichi, Tohka Yatogami, and Reina Utsukushi.
What kind of coincidence was this?
Well, I guess that was the result of the polls last week. I didn't expect Tohka to be that popular, though, given that she only transferred last week.
"Hey, hey! Who do you think's going to win this time?" One of the students in the crowd asked.
"Isn't it obvious? Origami's totally going to win this, she's our ice-cold queen after all!" One of the other students replied.
"But that Tohka chick's pretty cute too! I'm sure she'll win this!" Another one excitedly responded.
"Hey, hey! Have you seen Reina's posts over the weekend? I don't know what happened, but she looks like she turned into a model superstar overnight! She'll easily sweep the competition!" A third one cried out.
Ahh, I don't like getting invested in these sorta things. Ignoring the chatter, I decided to make my way up to my classroom to get away from the chatter.
Unfortunately, Classroom 2-4 was also another hotspot for gossip and theorizing. About 90% of the class was fervently discussing tomorrow's vote.
"Hey, hey! Apparently, classes are getting canceled tomorrow so that the entire student body can attend this competition tomorrow." Tonomachi explained.
"Well, it's not like there's anything better to do. Seriously, what kind of school forces students to come on a holiday?" Ai wondered.
"The chairman of the school has apparently always been quite eccentric and powerful. I've heard he's got ties with the US, Russian, and Japanese governments thanks to his space research." Mai added on.
"That's insane!" Mii finished.
What kind of life story did this chairman of ours have exactly?
"Hang on. We're seriously having classes canceled, so can we all attend this thing?" I asked incredulously. Tonomachi just turned and looked in my direction.
"Of course! As stated by the chairman himself, 'I wish for the nourishment of every student's individuality.'" Tonomachi replied. Well, that's certainly one hell of a reason. But if you're so willing to cancel the class for a dumb festival, why couldn't you be a normal chairman and give us the holidays off?!
Suddenly, the sound of a large crowd stampeding in the halls could be heard. Curiously, I opened the door, only to be met with a bizarre sight.
The blond-haired girl I met the week prior who handed me a poster was now dressed in a very elegant blue dress. This completely ignored dress codes, but I guess to hell with the rules for this week. People were rolling out a red carpet in front of her, ensuring that with every step her fabulous slippers were never sullied by Raizen's "filthy" floor. Her adoring fans crowded behind her, following her every move like servants.
However, the most notable thing was her literal dazzling beauty. It wasn't an exaggeration that her skin and make-up gleamed so brightly that it nearly blinded me the moment I opened the door.
"Oh my! How do you do on this wonderful day?" Reina elegantly asked me, as she ignored the cries of attention from her desperate followers.
"Uhh… good, I guess?" I awkwardly responded. The moment I gave her my answer, she immediately ignored me and looked straight in the direction of Tohka and Origami.
"I just came here to greet my upcoming competitors for tomorrow. You two should prepare yourself for tomorrow, I expect the very best from all of you. If you two aren't prepared, then victory will surely be mine!" Reina spoke like royalty. A calm yet almost commanding presence surrounded her.
"Well, then, I bid you all farewell." Reina lifted her dress and bowed before she began walking off into the distance, her mindless fans following close behind her.
…what in the world just happened?
"HOLY MOLY! That's Reina?!" Tonomachi shouted out in shock the moment she left the hallway.
"Wow, I never knew she had that large of a makeover!" Ai commented.
"And her speech and mannerism… they're fitting of a true queen!" Mai added on.
"She's so cool!" Mii concluded.
The rest of the classroom was filled with similar discussions about how beautiful or graceful Reina was.
"Hmph! I don't really care about that! As long as Shido's beside me, I don't care about some dumb vote!" Tohka huffed out, probably a bit annoyed at the show Reina put on earlier.
"You're wrong. Shido's heart belongs to me." Origami retaliated. However, for some reason, Shido completely ignored them both, just looking at the empty spot in the doorway where Reina previously stood.
Then, without warning—
"She's… so beautiful…!" Shido dreamily spoke as if in a trace. He slowly stood up before walking out of the door, following in the direction of where Reina and her crowd went.
"Shido?!" Tohka cried out in shock. Even Origami went a little wide-eyed upon seeing Shido exit the classroom.
"So, even he's been enraptured by Reina's beauty… Alright! I'm done hesitating! Shido! Wait up! I'm coming to join you!" Tonomachi yelled out as he too left the classroom to join Shido. This then started a domino effect, where every single man (except me and Kengo) and some women left the classroom to follow Reina. This just left essentially only a handful of people remaining in class.
"Ok! Homeroom is in—oh…" Tamae cheerfully walked in before immediately going silent upon noticing how empty the entire room was.
"Well… I see that most of the class is not here. In any case, I have a sudden announcement that comes from the school's principal himself. 'To best prepare our students for the festivities that will occur tomorrow, students are encouraged to socialize and assist with fostering a lively and competitive environment! For that reason, classes will be canceled for this day. Please take this opportunity to make tomorrow's competition an exciting and fun time to remember for all of our students!'" Tamae concluded.
What in the actual hell was going on at this point? I get it's a semi-holiday, but was this even a school environment now? At this point, why not just cancel school?!
"If I may say something for myself, Yatogami! Tobiichi! I'm very proud of you two for making it to the top three! Make sure you do your best and represent Classroom 2 - 4 tomorrow!" Tamae gave a little cheerful fist pump. "If that's all, I hope everyone has a fun day today and tomorrow." Tamae then left the classroom as quickly as she entered.
…I genuinely have no idea how to react to any of this.
With Tamae gone, the people who stayed behind now got up and slowly made their way out of the classroom. Looking out of the windows, I could see a lot of people already out and about, socializing and generally having fun.
"Shido. I'll rescue you from that woman's ensnarement." Origami spoke with resolve as she left the classroom. At this point, it was only me, Kengo, and Tohka.
"In any case Asher, I'll see you tomorrow. I think I need to go home and rest for the day." Kengo stated as he got up. I looked over at Tohka, but her face was quite sullen.
"Shido… you left me…?" Tohka mumbled sadly.
Kengo opened the door to leave, but in his way was a familiar figure.
"Murasame-sensei?" Kengo replied in shock. This caused Tohka and I to turn around and see the sleepy woman walk towards us.
"...you three. Follow me." Reine listlessly demanded. With nothing better to do, the three of us followed Reine towards the Physics Preparation Room. Behind the door… was not a physics preparation room. Instead, it was a dark room with the standout feature being a large computer with several monitors on a desk near the center of the room.
"...this is the Physics Preparation Room?" I asked in disbelief.
"It's been repurposed." A sharp voice cut through the air. Looking at where the voice came from, I saw Kotori sitting on a nearby chair, wearing her commander's outfit.
"C-Commander Kotori?" I exclaimed.
"Is there a reason you wanted us?" Kengo asked Kotori and Reine. Kotori gave a large sigh before speaking.
"You guys need to become Tohka's representatives so she can win tomorrow's competition." Kotori bluntly stated.
"Hang on, what?!" I cried out in shock. "Why do we need to do it? Why can't Shido?!" I argued back, but Kotori just pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance before speaking once again.
"That's because my brother is being a very big idiot right now," Kotori simply stated as Reine displayed some live footage on one of the screens. On the screen, Reina was on a podium, giving a mock speech to her crowd of followers… who were all equipped with a variety of things: posters, fans, penlights, and even coats with Reina's face printed on the back.
When the hell did they even make them?
In the sea of people, I could see two familiar faces cheering frantically as if they were possessed. Tonomachi… and Shido.
"Really… Shido…?" I cried out in confusion. It wasn't Shido that was acting like this. Everyone in the crowd was acting in a similar frenzied manner.
"Seems like that woman's beauty really managed to get to Shido." Kotori explained.
"So? Why does this explain why you want Tohka to win tomorrow's competition?" I questioned, though Kotori just raised three fingers.
"Three reasons. One. Retribution for Shido leaving Tohka in favor of that woman." Kotori curled one of her fingers.
"Two. Tohka may be favored by others more if she wins this competition." Kotori curled another one.
"Three. This might give you a chance to investigate the Zodiarts host." Kotori curled the final finger.
"The Zodiarts host? What makes you so sure of that?" I questioned, but instead of Kotori answering, Kengo cut in.
"No, I can see where Commander Itsuka's logic lies. Think about it, Asher. What clues do we know of Cassiopeia?" Kengo asked.
"Well, she has a grudge against Tohka and Origami as well as being narcissistic." I answered.
"Utsukushi was one of the top three students in last week's poll, alongside Yatogami and Tobiichi. Additionally, she's quite beautiful. Plus, don't you think her personality was a bit different compared to before?" Kengo added, my eyes widened realizing the implications.
"You think that Utsukushi's Cassiopeia?" I asked cautiously.
"Granted, the evidence I've laid out is circumstantial at best. However, if we engage in this competition and best Reina, perhaps cracks in her persona will form and we'll be able to obtain definitive evidence that she is Cassiopeia." Kengo replied.
"I'm glad someone here has a working brain." Kotori quipped. I tried not to let her comment get to me.
"So? What exactly is your plan for Tohka to win tomorrow's competition?" I asked Kotori.
"...according to the details, the competition tomorrow is split into two phases. A performance phase and a speech phase. We'll come up with a strategy for dealing with those tomorrow, but we won't get anywhere if Tohka doesn't have a good fanbase for tomorrow." Reine explained.
"Looking at the student body, it seems that Tohka already has quite a popular reputation. Her beauty and cute attitude certainly contribute to that. You'll need to help Tohka bolster this reputation and get other students to rally behind Tohka." Kotori explained.
"And we'll do this how?" I nervously asked out, though Kotori just gave a smug grin.
"If that girl's fans are already acting like idol fans, then we might as well hop on the bandwagon. We'll set up a classic hand-shake event to compete!" Kotori announced.
I could only feel the dread dripping down my face as the room went silent.
I looked out the window and saw the Fraxinus crew setting up the booth that Tohka would be in for the next couple of hours.
"We're really doing this, aren't we?" I asked out loud as I finished putting on my white gloves.
"I can't believe I got roped into this tomfoolery." Kengo sighed, sitting down on a nearby chair already fully dressed.
Kotori and Reine gave us some fancy black suits to match Tohka's dress for this event. We looked like stereotypical butlers, though I guess it's not surprising they went for that theme. I'm somewhat surprised, though, given that these clothes are exactly my size. How did they know this information?
"This better lead to us uncovering Cassiopeia's identity." Kengo huffed out. Before I could respond, the door to the room suddenly opened, revealing Tohka in a stunning purple dress. Her hair was expertly done, and her make-up accentuated her beauty. She was as dazzling as Reina was earlier.
"Muu… these shoes are so hard to walk in…" Tohka grumbled as she took a couple of steps in her new high-heels.
"You look great, Tohka." I complimented her, though her mood was still considerably downcast.
"Tohka? Is something wrong?" I asked worriedly.
"Shido… why did he leave me…?" Tohka mumbled once again. I guess the sight of seeing Shido leaving her for Reina hit her pretty hard.
"Tohka, I'm sure it'll all be fine. You just have to show off your beauty to Shido. If you do that, then I'm sure he'll come back to you." I reassured. Tohka's widened a little before being replaced with a glint of determination.
"I see… Ok! I'll do this! For Shido!" Tohka resolved. I smiled earnestly back at her.
Hopefully, today's efforts will be a great success.
"Attention, Attention! Please line up for the hand-shake event with the one and only Tohka Yatogami! Also includes pins and accessories!" I loudly announced into my megaphone before sighing away from the mic. Kengo was currently holding a sign advertising the event since he refused to be the one to yell into the megaphone.
I sweatdropped, namely for two reasons. One, for the things I was being forced to say. And two…
"Umu! Thank you!" Tohka happily shook hands with one of the male students before giving him a random goodie from the nearby bag provided by Fraxinus.
This event… was a LOT more successful than I thought it would be. A large crowd had gathered at the booth. It took a lot of effort from both Kengo and me to make sure there was even a line in the first place. Boys and girls filled the crowd, and while nowhere near as fervent as Reina's fans, they certainly loved to chatter about how cute and beautiful Tohka was.
"I see. So, that is the method that you have chosen, Tohka Yatogami?" A calm voice suddenly rang out. The three of us turned our heads, only to see Reina approaching our booth, with her crowds of mindless fans not following far behind.
"You!" Tohka shouted out in anger, but Reina just brushed her anger aside.
"A valiant effort, but with the elegance you have, you'll never match up to me." Reina flaunted before walking up to one of the people waiting in the crowd. She gently wrapped her hands around the person's hand before bringing it up to her face. She slowly leaned down and gave a little kiss on the back of his hand, like a princess welcoming a knight.
"I'd be very grateful if you would come to vote for me at tomorrow's competition." Reina elegantly stated before gently setting down the man's hand. She then began walking away.
At first, the man just stood in complete shock, but seconds later…
"Of course! Anything for you Reina!" The man suddenly shouted and dashed to leave the line, following Reina and her crowd.
It wasn't just him either, several other people, mostly the men, left the line to follow Reina. Jesus, how enchanting was she to people?
"Shido!" Tohka cried out upon locating Shido in the crowd. I looked over in the direction she yelled, only to find Shido amid the crowd, wearing one of those dumb-looking headbands and jackets filled with Reina's portrait.
Shido glanced at Tohka for a couple of seconds but eventually turned back to follow Reina.
"Shido…!" Tohka desperately cried out, but Shido continued walking with Reina, not even bothering to look back anymore.
Despite the hit in our numbers, a hefty number of people were still lined up. Additionally, we were still getting an influx of new students thanks to the Fraxinus crew putting up posters around the school to advertise the event.
"Umm, excuse me?" The student waiting in front of the booth spoke up, causing Tohka to jolt a little as she focused on the person in front of her.
"Hmm?! Oh!" Tohka went to reach her hand out, but she suddenly stopped, as if thinking to herself. Seconds later, she brought together both hands and tightly wrapped them around the student's hand.
"H-Hey?! You're squeezing a bit too tight!" The student yelled out. Hearing this, Tohka immediately let go.
"Muu! I'm sorry… then how about this!" Tohka then suddenly grabbed his hand and yanked it towards her face.
"Ow!" The student cried out as his arm suddenly jolted forward due to Tohka grabbing and pulling his hand closer to her. Hearing this, Tohka once again let go, causing the student's arm to droop back to his side.
"I'm sorry! Here!" Tohka grabbed a goodie from the bag and gave it to the student. He took it in annoyance and grumpily left the booth.
This continued a couple more times. Tohka would try to act "elegant" like Reina, but she usually ended up flubbing it, which did more harm than good to her reputation among those students.
"Ok, ok. Give us five minutes. Kengo, keep them entertained." I announced as I walked over to Tohka and kneeled to talk to her in private.
"Tohka? Are you ok? Is something the matter?" I called out, her distress visible on her face.
"Muu… Asher… does Shido not care for me?" Tohka asked.
"Why are you saying that? Of course Shido cares for you." I reassured.
"But he's following that Reina person… is it because she's more beautiful than I am? More elegant than I am?" Tohka nervously questioned.
"I'm sure that's not the case."
"But! All those people, they follow her because she's so graceful… I could never be like that…" Tohka worried.
"Tohka, you don't need to be like Reina. You just need to be yourself. Listen, Tohka. The reason why you became so popular was because of who you were, not because of who you were like. Don't worry about being like Reina, just focus on being who you are, and I'm sure people will come to appreciate you for that." I consoled.
"But… will that really bring back Shido?" Tohka asked.
"I'm sure of it. I've only known Shido for about two weeks now, but I know how much he cares about you. I think Shido will always be there for you, no matter what." I affirmed.
"But then why would Shido follow Reina?" Tohka questioned. Hmm, she has a point. If I believed that, why did Shido follow Reina? If the theory of her being Cassiopeia is true, then maybe it could be something like that?
I scanned my surroundings, seeing if anyone could possibly listen in. Thankfully, everyone was pretty much distracted by Kengo, who was doing some impressive tricks with the signboard he was given. Seeing that no one was nearby, I looked back at Tohka and leaned in closer.
"Ok, this is all speculation at this point, but you know how we think Reina might be the Cassiopeia Zodiarts, that white monster being you saw the other day? Well, maybe that Zodiarts… I don't know… has the power to brainwash or hypnotize people?" I silently whispered to Tohka, though she stood straight up upon hearing this.
"What?! Shido's being brainwashed?!" Tohka cried out, but I quickly shushed her and sat her back in her chair.
"Shhh! Not so loudly! Besides, we don't know if that's even the case, let alone if Reina is Cassiopeia." I quickly explained before sighing.
"That's why we need you to win this competition. If Reina truly is Cassiopeia, then she might expose herself if you win the competition. It might reveal what happened to Shido." I explained in a hushed manner. Tohka's eyes filled with determination and purpose.
"I see! Then I'll do it! I'll be myself and win this competition for Shido! Thank you, Asher!" Tohka happily chirped out before standing back up, ready to take on the next person in line.
With Tohka cheered up, I went back to my position next to the booth.
"Thanks, Kengo. Didn't know you could do tricks like that by the way." I called out to him.
"It's nothing much. What did you say to Yatogami anyway?" Kengo responded.
"Just a little pep-talk." I answered.
"Umu! Thank you so much!" I heard Tohka excitedly chirp as she passionately shook the students' hands before giving them a goodie. She was back to being her energetic self. Good.
Well, can't exactly fall behind now, can I? We still have our roles to play in helping Tohka win. I brought the megaphone to my mouth and prepared to give another announcement.
"Attention, Attention! All students, come and meet the one and only Tohka Yatogami!"
May 2nd
The entire student assembly was gathered in the gymnasium. It was filled to the brim with students… which surprised me, given that I expected most of them would be skimping on classes to enjoy the holiday. I guess people cared more about this competition than I expected.
Some teachers were present in the assembly, perhaps to monitor the whole thing or because they were also interested in it. I guess it was a nice break for them as well. It must be hard to do nothing but lectures and grade papers daily.
I guess we only have our eccentric Chairman and Principal to thank for making this happen.
The atmosphere in the room was chaotic. The entire air was buzzing with people conversing with one another, wondering who would come out on top and what performances each girl would give. Of course, the top three boys would also be doing a performance and speech, but given that it was a fact that no one cared about the men's side of things, practically everyone ignored them as the boys went on stage.
I kinda felt bad. Their presentation and speeches weren't too bad.
Looking around, I couldn't find Shido or Kengo anywhere. Kotori had done another check-up on Shido. This time, they did find something off about him. After looking through the analysis, Kengo realized that some Cosmic Energy signatures could be detected within Shido.
What this meant, though, was completely unknown to anyone. The only conclusion that could be made was that Cassiopeia did indeed do something to Shido. Perhaps the brainwashing theory had some merit?
"Alright, Alright! Are we ready for this year's Raizen Festival Showdown!" A voice boomed over the speakers, as the entire audience gave an ecstatic cheer. Looking over, I could see a table near the side of the gymnasium.
"My name is Hiroto Tonomachi, and I will be one of your emcees for this upcoming competition!" Tonomachi cried out as the spotlight focused on him.
"And this guy over here is our second emcee! Rivaling Ms. Origami Tobiichi in terms of brains! Give it up for the Infirmary Genius, Kengo Utahoshi!" Tonomachi cried out as the spotlight then shifted to focus on Kengo, who was sitting right next to Tonomachi.
"Why in the world did I get chosen for this…?" Kengo exasperatedly cried out as his worries were drowned out by the subsequent cheers and excitement.
"Today on the docket, three girls enter the battlefield, yet only one will come out as the victor! Who could it be?! Origami Tobiichi, the cold-hearted yet beautiful genius?! Tohka Yatogami, the rising newcomer?! Or Reina Utsukushi, the fan-favorite princess?!" Tonomachi yelled into the mic, raising spirits even higher.
"By the way, my vote's already been decided. REINA! I'LL ALWAYS BE THERE FOR YO—" Tonomachi shouted, but his mic suddenly got cut off. Probably from one of the teachers monitoring the entire situation.
"This competition is divided up into two sections. A performance section, where each contender will perform and attempt to appeal to the student body. Afterward, a speech section where contenders will attempt to persuade the students to vote for them. Afterward, students will have 30 minutes to vote for their chosen contender. Once the votes have been tallied up, the contender with the most votes will emerge victorious." Kengo bluntly explained.
"As Raizen's new best girl for the year!" Tonomachi added on, his mic apparently having been reconnected once again.
"Now then! Let's kick off this performance, starting with Origami Tobiichi!" Tonomachi cried out. The spotlight shifted to the stage as the crowd suddenly went wild.
Origami then walked on stage, and I nearly spat out the water I was drinking at the time. The men wooed as Orgami walked on stage with nothing but a school swimsuit. Might I add, her face was completely stoic. Did she even have shame?!
"Oh my! Origami starts with a bold costume! Appealing to the men's inner desire, could there be a stronger start?!" Tonomachi wildly declared. Origami simply went up to the mic on stage as music suddenly started playing from the speakers.
The moment her voice echoed from the mic, my jaw dropped. The entire went dead silent in pure shock as Origami performed a masterpiece of a ballad. Her singing was as beautiful as an angel. The song itself was slow yet romantic. Even though it didn't look like it on her face, it sounded like she was pouring her heart and soul into singing.
Several minutes later, the song concluded as Origami stepped away from the microphone and walked off stage.
"My word! Origami has started this competition with a masterful showcase of her voice!" Tonomachi announced as the crowd erupted into cheers.
"Even I have to admit, that was a wonderful performance." Kengo added on.
"Now then, this show's not over yet. Let's give a warm welcome to our next contender, the ever-popular Reina Utsukushi!" Tonomachi announced.
Reina walked on stage, once dressed in another beautiful dress, this time colored yellow. However, instead of the shoes she wore last time, she was now wearing ballet shoes.
As the music came on, Reina began moving like a ballet dancer. Her elegant and precise movements captivated the audience, including me. The way she moved on stage was truly divine. I never knew she was this good at ballet.
The music came to an end. Reina bowed before exiting stage left.
"Simply amazing! Impressive! I knew that Reina Utsukushi would deliver a marvelous performance! I was right to place all my love and devotion towar—" Tonomachi cried out as he was once again cut off for rambling on too much. Regardless, the crowd didn't seem to mind as the room filled with applause.
"To move with such grace and skill. She's clearly very skilled at her profession." Kengo added on.
"Ah-ah-ah. Is this thing on? Ok, I'm back." Tonomachi's voice echoed from the speakers. "Anyways! It's time for the last of our performers! Give it up for the rising star, Tohka Yatogami!" Tonomachi eagerly cried out.
I held my breath, waiting for Tohka to come out. I had no idea what Kotori and the rest of Fraxinus prepared.
Seconds later, Tohka appeared, dressed in an adorable maid outfit.
"Whoa! What a turn of events! A maid outfit! A classic and timeless choice!" Tonomachi shouted.
Tohka did a little twirl with her dress, which just made the crowd ecstatic. I'm not going to lie—that twirl was kind of mesmerizing.
"Umu! I'll be the best maid you've seen! Now then…!" Tohka suddenly jumped off the stage as props were moved on stage. Even though I couldn't tell who they were, it was clear they were Fraxinus members setting the stage.
"Here! Come with me!" Tohka cried out as she grabbed a random student and dragged them on stage, which had now been transformed into a small little cafe, complete with a table and chair.
"Now then, muu… what am I supposed to do now…?" Tohka mumbled to herself as she plopped the student onto the chair. Seconds later, her face shone with realization.
"That's right! Ahem. May I get your order, Master?" Tohka politely stated.
"Ehh, umm, what do you recommend?" The student nervously responded, unsure of what exactly he was supposed to do.
"Muu… ahh… Umu! Omurice!" Tohka suddenly chirped out cheerfully. The entire crowd recoiled from the adorableness Tohka's exhibited.
"Then, I'll have the Omurice…?" The student went along, though he suddenly gave a puzzled expression as Tohka ran off stage.
Seconds later, his eyes widened with shock as Tohka reappeared with a tray with Omurice and a bottle of ketchup.
"Now then, this is for you, master!" Tohka happily stated as she laid the food on the table. Seconds passed by awkwardly, with neither one moving.
Eventually, the student picked up the fork and moved it toward the food.
"Ahh! Wait, wait, wait! I forgot!" Tohka clumsily shouted out, which garnered some chuckles in the crowd. Tohka grabbed the nearby ketchup bottle and opened it. She flipped it over and squeezed it. However, nothing came out.
Annoyed, Tohka grunted before squeezing harder. However, she squeezed a bit too hard, causing ketchup to splatter everywhere. Some of it landed on Tohka's dress, dirtying it a little.
A bit flustered, Tohka continued onward, drawing on the Omurice with ketchup as students giggled and laughed, though not out of malice. They were genuinely enjoying the performance and having a blast.
"Umu! It's perfect!" Tohka happily exclaimed, though her drawing of a heart… wasn't perfect. It was a bit messy, yet it's clear it was full of passion and good intentions.
"Now then, for the secret technique!" Tohka stepped back a little.
"Become delicious, moe, moe, kyun!" Tohka exclaimed as she made a heart symbol with her hands. To say this was a critical hit among everyone was an understatement.
"GWAHH!" The entire student body recoiled from that one devastating attack.
"My word… what a powerful performance…!" Tonomachi groaned out as he recovered.
"To involve an audience member, such a unique idea." Kengo flatly stated, being the only one still acting normal.
With Tohka's performance done, she turned towards the audience and gave a bow before walking off stage. The entire crowd erupted into hysterical cheers, as the Fraxinus members came on stage to clean up the stage. They even carried off the student who was still eating the Omurice in his chair, too entranced by the food and the memories of Tohka's technique.
"All three performances were the best of the best, but the show's not over yet folks! Up next, we have the speech section now! Once again, please welcome back Origami Tobiichi on stage!" Tonomachi signaled.
With that, Origami once again reappeared on stage, though still wearing her school swimsuit outfit.
Origami simply went up to the microphone and said the following words.
"Shido. Vote for me. If you do, I'll ****** and ***** with some ******." Tobiichi boldly stated without any change in emotion, with some convenient bleeping for some of the more… explicit terms.
And just like that, she just walked off stage. The gym was dead silent. I didn't know whether to laugh, cry, groan, or all three at once.
"W-Well… thank you Origami for that… enlightening speech?" Tonomachi hesitated. Kengo didn't even bother gracing Origami's speech with a comment.
"A-Anyways… for our next contender, welcome Reina Utsukushi back on stage!" Tonomachi exclaimed, trying to revive the lively mood from before.
Once again, Reina walked on stage, though she had changed into the blue dress she wore the previous day.
"Greetings everyone. In the past, I was just like you all. A face in the crowd. Unimportant and unnoticed. But as the days passed, I came to a realization. The only way for someone like me to be noticed is to stand out. So I endured. I poured countless hours into researching. How to improve myself to become smarter. How to improve myself to become more beautiful. How to improve myself to be more than the insignificant existence I was. Now, here I am. Standing on this stage. Every vote for me goes to show. That anyone, even you, with hard work and effort, can succeed and shine as bright as the stars." Reina gracefully exposited. The crowd gave a grand applause as she bowed before walking off stage.
"Impressive! Absolutely inspirational! I'll take your words to heart! To think, even a person like me might even succeed!" Tonomachi fake-cried as he wiped his eyes with his sleeve.
"An inspirational speech undeniably. Hard work and effort will always be rewarded." Kengo commented.
"Now then… rounding off this contest is our last contender! Give it up for Tohka Yatogami!" Tonomachi announced.
Tohka appeared back on stage, still wearing her maid outfit and holding a stack of note cards.
"H-Hello everyone! Thank you for your attention!" Tohka stiffly stated as she looked at her note cards before shuffling to the next one.
"I w-wanted to give my… biggest thanks to all of my supporters! W-without you… ehh… muu… I couldn't have made it this far!" Tohka nervously stated as she constantly switched her focus to the audience and back to the cards. Her eyes nervously scanned the crowd, though it was clear most were unimpressed by her stiff performance.
Eventually, Tohka's and my eye's locked together. I'm unsure, how she saw me in the crowd, but someone how, she did. Guess it must be in part of her being a Spirit. Her eyes pleaded for help or some reassurance.
"Be yourself!" I mouthed to Tohka. She must have seemingly understood what I was trying to communicate, as she took a deep breath before putting the note cards down.
"Ehmm… before I came here, I was very lonely. But after coming to this school, I've met so many new people. Made so many fun memories. Experienced so many unique things. I want to keep having fun here! I want to keep making more memories! I want to keep doing all of these things together with you all! Because I've never been more happy than being here with everyone!" Tohka passionately cried out.
The crowd was silent at first, but slowly and surely, more and more people started applauding. Eventually, it turned into a standing ovation for Tohka.
"What a heart-warming speech! Tohka! I'll help you! We can make some fun memories toget—" Tonomachi cried out before being cut off again.
"Such an intimate speech. I can truly understand Yatogami better as a person." Kengo commented.
Tohka bowed and walked off stage. Tonomachi then announced that everyone should start casting their votes. Seeing that the competition was practically over, I decided to head backstage to check up on Tohka.
"Tohka! You did great up there!" I congratulated her, shooting her a thumbs up.
"Asher! I did it! Thank you for helping!" Tohka happily responded back.
"I mean, I didn't really help though. I just gave some advice, though I'm kinda surprised you understood from that distance." I explained.
"Still! It helped me!" Tohka responded before quieting down.
"Do you think I'll win?" Tohka nervously asked.
"Hmm, I can't say for certain, but I think you definitely have a shot." I theorized. Tohka smiled a little and gave an audible hum.
"Did you see Shido in the audience at all?" I curiously asked, since if she could see me in the crowd, then maybe she could see Shido.
"Muu… I didn't. You were easy to find because you were by the side and in an open area…" Tohka responded. Oh. Well. That's true. I did kinda distance myself as far as I could from the crowd of students.
"Now then! The votes are being tallied up right now! Can all contestants come back on stage as we reveal the final results!" Tonomachi's voice rang out from the speakers. I could feel my heart beating with anxiety. I couldn't imagine how Tohka must be feeling right now.
"Well then… you should go back. I believe in you. You'll get first." I reassured Tohka, though partially also to reduce my own anxiety as well. Tohka nervously nodded her head before walking back on stage.
Returning to the crowd, they were tallying the votes live. On the board, Origami was dead last. To be fair, with a speech like that, it's no wonder she was in that position.
However, between Reina and Tohka, things were neck and neck. Hell, they were essentially constantly swapping first and second place with each new vote counted.
"Oh my, my, my! It seems things are really heating up! Currently, Origami is in last place with 98 votes! However, both Reina and Tohka are tied for first with 165 votes each!" Tonomachi announced.
"This is it!" Tonomachi raised his hand, with a slip of paper in it. "The last vote to be counted! One… Shido Itsuka?!" Tonomachi cried out in shock before regaining his composure. "...will be the one to decide which of the two will be walking home as the champion!" Tonomachi announced, causing my heart to drop.
Oh god, could fate have played a more fitting trick? Shido's previous behavior made it obvious that he'd vote for Reina. I looked at Tohka, who looked equally as nervous as I was.
Shido, come on. Tell me you voted for Tohka. Please, please, please.
Tonomachi slowly opened the paper, his eyes widened with shock before calming down.
"And with Shido Itsuka's vote… our champion of this year's Raizen Festival Showdown is…" Tonomachi dramatically stated. The anticipation was killing me.
"Tohka Yatogami! Congratulations!" Tonomachi announced.
"YES!" I shouted out as the room filled with cheers. Tohka herself looked shocked before her eyes went wide upon the realization she had won.
"I did it! I did it!" Tohka happily celebrated. Origami looked hurt, though it seems she was more hurt by the fact that Shido voted for Tohka rather than coming dead last. However, what was more concerning was Reina's behavior.
"How…? How could this have happened?" Reina quietly questioned as her body soon began to tremble.
"Muu? Reina? You did a great job as well." Tohka went over to Reina, though she just ignored her.
"This can't be happening… I worked so hard… how could this have happened?!" Reina yelled out before angrily confronting Tohka.
"You don't deserve it! You can't come in out of nowhere and steal what was rightfully mine!" Reina angrily cried out as Tohka just recoiled in shock. Seeing the escalating situation, I quickly made my way up to the stage and tried to defuse the situation.
"Hey, hey. Second place out of every female student is still a great achievement." I tried to placate Reina, but this just made it even worse.
"Don't you dare pity me! Second place?! Who cares about being second?! It's only the best that people acknowledge! No one wants to be with someone who isn't the best! Who won't ever stand out! Who will never be more than an insignificant speck of dust!" Reina ranted.
"Calm down… you're wrong. If you think people, will only pay attention to you if you're the best, then you're wrong." I tried to give her some advice, though she just gave a self-deprecating laugh.
"No. No one will ever care about me, no matter what I do. Even after what I did to that Itsuka boy… he still ended up choosing her instead…" Reina muttered as she eyed Tohka.
Hang on, what she did?
"Utsukushi…? What did you do to Shido…?" I cautiously questioned, though Reina simply pulled something out of her dress. My eyes went wide with horror when I saw the object.
《LAST ONE 》
"I'll shine, brighter than anyone. That way… I'll never be ignored again…!" Reina resolved before pressing the Zodiarts Switch.
A fierce black wind suddenly emerged as the Cassiopeia Zodiarts appeared, leaving behind Reina's body wrapped in cobwebs.
The moment Cassiopeia appeared, the entire room descended into complete and utter chaos. Some people attempted to run for the door, but before anyone could leave, a ring of mirrors surrounded the room.
"Everyone! Look at me! Respect me! Worship me! For all of eternity!" Cassiopeia madly cried out before every single mirror suddenly began glowing brightly.
"Tohka!" I tackled her down to the ground, making sure both our heads were facing towards the ground. Seconds later, I felt the flash dissipate. Tohka and I slowly got up, only to see the entire crowd now completely still.
Suddenly, every student and teacher turned to face Cassiopeia before chanting in sync.
"The best. The most beautiful. Reina Utsukushi." I heard Origami flatly speak behind us. Don't tell me, she brainwashed them all? Then Shido really was brainwashed into following Reina.
"My dear followers! Go after these heretics! Punish them for their disobedience!" Reina demanded before pointing at me and Tohka. Suddenly, the entire crowd shifted to turn towards us.
"Shit!" I grabbed Tohka's hand and ran with her out of the gym using the back exit. I could hear the sounds of a stampede following closely behind us. I didn't dare look back, fearing that giving them even a millisecond would cause them to catch both of us.
Running into the school, I used the hallways and tight corridors to gain some distance and lose the crowd. However, if we didn't hide quickly, then we would eventually be spotted. It was just the two of us against an entire crowd of people. How in the world were we going to fight them?
Then I remembered a location in the school where we might get some help.
"Come on… please be in there!" I internally yelled as I made a mad dash for the Physics Preparation Room with Tohka.
"Wow, holding hands already? Are you trying to steal Tohka away from Shido?" Kotori sarcastically said as I slammed open the door to the Physics Preparation Room.
"Don't… make this… awkward!" I huffed out before slamming the door behind us and collapsing to the floor, exhausted by how much running I did.
"So, that's what a Last One looks like? Interesting." Kotori mused as she looked at her monitors, which had several live displays of the school, one of them focusing on Reina who was still in the gymnasium. I could see that she still had a small group of brainwashed followers, treating her as if she was a princess. Tonomachi, Origami, Ai, Mai, Mii, and… Kengo.
Oh man, that must be humiliating. I wonder if he'll remember this.
"Hang on, where in the world is—" The door to the room suddenly slammed open. Turning around, I saw Shido standing in the doorway. My heart dropped. Of course. Shido would know about this room as well.
"Shido… don't do this…" I anxiously warned as Shido just continued to stand in the doorway. I didn't want to fight him.
Seconds passed though before he just calmly closed the door behind him and gave a puzzled look.
"Asher? What are you doing? Why are you acting so defensive?" Shido asked normally.
"S-Shido? Is that… really you…?" I nervously questioned.
"Hmm? What are you talking about? Of course, it's me!" Shido exclaimed. This caused Tohka to suddenly smile brightly as she ran up to hug Shido.
"Shido! Shido! I knew you would vote for me!" Tohka happily chirped as I just continued giving Shido a confused stare.
"Wait so, you aren't under Cassiopeia's brainwashing?" I asked. He just shook his head before speaking.
"I… don't really remember much after Sunday afternoon. It was like I was under a spell of some kind. But after hearing Tohka's speech, my mind started coming back to me. When Cassiopeia brainwashed everyone, for some reason, I wasn't affected. Maybe I was immune to it because I already went through it?" Shido wondered.
More like the power of love, sheesh.
"Well… it's good to see you're on our side. It's us… versus the entire school and Cassiopeia… ugh…" I groaned out. The odds were not stacked in our favor.
Still, there's only so much groaning can accomplish. I pulled out the Fourze Driver and put it on my waist.
"You guys should stay here… I'll solve this somehow…" I went to open the door, but Shido and Tohka stopped me.
"What are you doing?" "Asher!" Shido and Tohka cried out worriedly.
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
"Don't tell me, you plan to face them all alone?!" Shido questioned.
"Well, that's not the idea, but if I have to… I'll find a way." I responded.
"You can't go out there, it's dangerous!" Tohka replied.
"But… I need to. I need to defeat Cassiopeia and save Utsukushi." I explained, my voice firm with conviction.
"Save…? What do you mean by that?" Tohka questioned. I sighed, deciding there wasn't any harm in taking some time to explain some things.
"Those Zodiarts Switches… they're evil. They exploit a person's fears and desires and corrupt their host. I could tell. Deep down, Utsukushi was alone. She was afraid and scared. The Zodiarts Switch preyed on those feelings of hers and slowly corrupted her." I explained.
Tohka looked aghast at my explanation. It was like she was seeing a part of herself inside Reina.
"It was the same with Orion and his host. The Zodiarts Switch corrupted his host's love for American Football and hatred for his upperclassman to the point that he nearly committed an act he couldn't take back. That's why I have to go out and stop Cassiopeia. Not only for the sake of others but for her sake as well." I vowed.
Silence fell between us, though eventually, Tohka spoke up.
"I want… I want to help save her too!" Tohka exclaimed.
"Same here! We want to help!" Shido added on.
"You two… but I mean, it's dangerous out there." I tried to warn them but Shido just chuckled.
"What are you saying? I've been in worse situations than this!" Shido exclaimed.
"Umu! I'm sure we can do it! Aren't we all part of that, umm… 'Kamen Rider Club'…?" Tohka added on. This caused me to chuckle a little.
"Yeah, we sure are. We're the Kamen Rider Club! But… I don't really have a strategy on what to do. My idea was kinda just to run straight for Cassiopeia but now that there's three of us…" I trailed off.
"I'd hate to interrupt such a touching moment, but aren't you forgetting someone?" Kotori's voice echoed in the room. Not going to lie, I kinda forgot.
"If you need a strategy, you've got the perfect person right here!" Kotori shouted out.
"Commander Kotori! Do you have a plan in mind?" I asked since I was kinda desperate for ideas. Kotori gave a reassuring smile before focusing on the monitors.
"Right now, the biggest hurdle in reaching Cassiopeia is all of her brainwashed minions. If we can draw them away, you'd be able to fight her without worrying about injuring anyone innocent." Kotori surmised.
"Yes, but all of them are searching for Tohka and me." I responded.
"Correction. You or Tohka. Either one would work." Kotori stated.
"Or…? Hang on… is your plan to draw out everyone that's brainwashed to—" I nervously asked but Kotori stopped me right there.
"You're close, but not on the mark. Don't worry, with this plan, I'll make sure everyone makes it out safely. You have my word." Kotori reassured.
With that, Kotori began explaining the plan in depth to the three of us.
Third Person POV
"The best! The most beautiful! Reina Utsukushi! Get the heretics!" A group of brainwashed people chanted out as they searched the school grounds for Tokha and Asher.
"Umu! Are you looking for me!" A voice suddenly shouted from above. The brainwashed people looked upwards, only to see a girl with long purple hair standing on the roof.
"Heretic spotted! Get her! For the best! The most beautiful! Reina Utsukushi!" One of the people rallied as everyone started running up to the roof of the school.
However, by the time they got to the roof…
"You guys are too slow!" Tohka tauntingly yelled from the main entrance area on the ground floor.
"Heretic spotted! Catch her for the best! The most beautiful…" The brainwashed group once again ran downstairs, but once again by the time they reached where Tohka was last seen, she was no longer there.
The group saw Tohka in the distance, but once again, she wasn't there when the group arrived at the area.
It was like she was somehow teleporting…
Asher's POV
Shido and I were currently hiding near some bushes by the gym's entrance. After several minutes of waiting, we saw Kengo, Tonomachi, Ai, Mai, Mii, and Origami leave the building.
"Kotori, your plan worked. Cassiopeia must've sent the rest of the people to assist with going after Tohka." Shido said over the phone.
"[That just leaves Cassiopeia alone in the gym. We'll keep using Fraxinus to distract the brainwashed folks for as long as you can. It's up to you two to deal with Cassiopeia. I believe in you guys.]" Kotori informed. With that, she hung up.
I looked at Shido, who was currently holding the Astroswitch Case. Since Kengo was presently out of commission, it was up to him to be my backup. I took some time to explain what each Astroswitch was and what their powers were before we left the Physics Preparation Room. I did notice that Shido and Tohka were utterly captivated by my explanations of the eight Astroswitches we currently had.
It was pretty endearing.
We nodded at each other before exiting the bushes. Opening the doors of the gym, we saw Cassiopeia sitting on a makeshift throne placed in the center of the gym's stage.
"Oh? The heretic and the traitor. Have you come to grovel for forgiveness?" Cassiopeia simply asked.
"Not really. After all…" I put the Fourze Driver on my waist.
"We'll be putting an end to this festival!" I quipped as I flipped the four switches.
【THREE】【TWO】【ONE】
"Henshin!" I pulled the lever as the white armor formed around my body.
"UCHU KITA!" I screamed out as I did the usual squat and arm raise. "Kamen Rider Fourze! I'm sure my strength will bring about a miracle!" I exclaimed as Cassiopeia rose from her chair and glared at me with vitriol.
She jumped off the stage and ran straight towards me as Shido hid by some objects near the corner.
Her mobility was greatly enhanced compared to before. If I was unable to touch her when she was normal, then there was no way I was even going to land a hit now that she's Last One'd.
"Ohohoho! Garbage like you could never hold a candle to me!" Cassiopeia gloated as she nimbly dodged all of my punches and kicks. Every so often, she'd manage to get in a quick jab or slice.
But that didn't matter. I just needed to buy time.
"Shido! Status?!" I yelled out as I nearly dodged another attack. Shido was currently holding Burgermeal in his hand and monitoring Cassiopeia.
"Almost done… got it!" He shouted out. "It's located near her upper chest area!"
Good, now I know where to aim. The thing is though, close-range attacks won't work, and ranged attacks will just get reflected. If that's the case, I only have one course of action.
Throw her off guard.
"Shido! Gimme Number #5!" I shouted out at him as I gained some distance from Cassiopeia, quickly coming up with a plan in my head. Nodding, he threw the mentioned Astroswitch to me.
After catching it, I removed Rocket and replaced it with Magic Hand. I had no idea if this plan would work, but it's worth a shot. It all depends on how fast Magic Hand can move.
【LAUNCHER ON】【RADAR ON】
Turning on Launcher and Radar, I aimed Radar. However, instead of aiming at Cassiopeia, I aimed at the ground she was standing on.
Launching the missiles, they flew and hit the ground, causing a cloud of smoke to appear.
Distracted by the smoke, I launched a singular missile at Cassiopeia, aiming directly for where her Zodiarts Switch was located.
"You're sorely mistaken if you'd think that'd work!" Cassiopeia shouted out as she recovered from the smoke. She quickly summoned a mirror, which reflected the lone missile the moment it touched it.
【MAGIC HAND ON】
I turned off Launcher and Radar, as they had now fulfilled their purpose. Using Magic Hand, I quickly grabbed the reflected missile and redirected it back at Cassiopeia.
"A commendable effort but too slow!" She taunted as she jumped high into the air. However, using the momentum I built up when throwing the missile back, I continued to extend Magic Hand further. It grabbed the mirror summoned by Cassiopeia as it extended, eventually managing to get in front of the missile's trajectory. With Magic Hand now ahead of the missile, I turned the mirror around.
The moment the re-redirected missile hit the mirror, it reflected in the direction of Cassiopeia, who was currently in mid-air.
"Hmm?!" Cassiopeia let out a gasp as she turned around in mid-air. However, she had just enough time to quickly rotate her body, causing the missile to hit and create a hole in the ceiling.
"Ohohoho! It looks like your plan has gone to—!" Cassiopeia gloated as she rotated mid-air to face me, but immediately cut herself off upon seeing Magic Hand right before her.
Now, with no time to react, Magic Hand grabbed Cassiopeia by her stomach and held on to her tight. Before Cassiopeia could even attempt to struggle to get out, Magic Hand began rapidly pulling Cassiopeia towards me.
【DRILL ON】
Activating Drill, I aimed for her weak spot and struck it hard. Several seconds after being drilled, Cassiopeia flew and rolled on the ground. Phew. It was a bit complicated of a plan, but it paid off.
"You did it!" Shido exclaimed behind me. As Cassiopeia lay face upwards, a puddle of water started to form next to her, as rain started to seep through the hole in the roof created by that missile.
"...hahahahaha!" Cassiopeia madly laughed out as she got up. She summoned her mirrors once again and put them in a circle formation. Realizing what she was planning to do, I quickly put my arms up to defend myself as the mirrors began to spin faster and faster.
Only for the mirrors to suddenly face upwards and fire, completely disintegrating most of the gymnasium ceiling.
I looked upwards in shock as the rain started pouring into the room. However, as I looked straight ahead once again, I noticed something that made my blood run cold.
Cassiopeia was gone.
"You have no chance against me now!" I heard Cassiopeia's voice echo from somewhere unknown as the rain surrounded me. Turning off Drill, I spun around constantly. I mentally prepared myself for her to reappear, only to see a flash of bright light from the corner of my eye.
Cassiopeia appeared out of nowhere and quickly slashed at me. Powering through the pain, I quickly turned around, only to see that she'd disappeared. Seconds later, another flash of light from my left as Cassiopeia quickly punched me.
As I spun around only to find her gone once again, I made a terrifying revelation.
It was the raindrops. She was using their reflections.
"What do I do?!" I wondered as Cassiopeia struck me once again before disappearing. I can't make the rain turn off! At this point, my only solution was to find shelter, but even if I ran out of the building to get to the school, she'd be able to attack me as long as it rains!
I can't stand my ground either… was I just meant to hope and pray for the rain to end?
As Cassiopeia once again struck me, I practically resigned myself to say screw it and run but…
"On your right!" Shido cried out. It only took my brain a millisecond for me to register what he meant. Turning and punching my fist out in that direction, I landed direct contact with Cassiopeia.
"Guh!" She exhaled as she retreated into one of the raindrop's reflections. I stood completely still, just waiting for her next move.
"Back left!" Shido once again cried out. Immediately, I spun and kicked in that direction, again making contact with Cassiopeia, who retreated into the reflections.
"Underneath!" Shido informed. I quickly jumped into the air as Cassiopeia emerged from the puddle underneath me.
【DRILL ON】
I activated Drill as I fell back down to Earth. I once again hit Cassiopeia at her weak spot for several seconds before eventually sending her flying.
"How… how could you possibly be doing this?!" She wildly demanded as she staggered to get up.
【ROCKET ON】
"Isn't it obvious?! It's because of my friends!" I exclaimed as I lifted myself into the air with Rocket.
"Now then, it's time for the curtain call!" I gave a cheesy one-liner before pulling the lever.
【ROCKET DRILL】【LIMIT BREAK】
"Rider Rocket Drill Kick!" I declared out as I flew straight towards Cassiopeia. Being too tired to move, all she could only meekly put her arms up to defend herself. I eventually made contact, breaking through the last of her defenses and hitting her weak point.
Several seconds later, I broke through, causing Cassiopeia to explode completely. Landing on the ground, I quickly turned around. As expected, an object flew straight towards me. I caught it and inspected the evolved Zodiarts Switch.
Looking up, I could see that the rain was clearing up. The skies were becoming blue and sunny once again.
"I'm sure a new stage is waiting for you." I quietly remarked as I basked in the sunlight.
"Asher, you did it! That was amazing! I've never seen anything like that!" Shido praised as he ran over to me as I undid the transformation. Now that the energy boost of the suit was no longer fueling me, I staggered a little, but I managed to recover.
"Yea, we did it. Thanks for your help Shido. I gotta say, you've got some really fast reaction speed." I commented.
"Don't mention it." Shido responded. However, the two of us could hear footsteps approaching the gym.
"Shido, Asher! Did you beat her?!" Tohka asked as she kicked the door wide open before running over to us.
"Yea, we did." I informed her, showing her the evolved Zodiarts Switch. Both Shido and Tohka recoiled a little when they saw it, probably because of how grotesque it looked.
"By the way, Tohka, why are you here? What about the people chasing after you?" Shido asked.
"Well, as I was waiting for them, I suddenly noticed that they'd all collapsed! When I went to check on them, it seemed like they were all sleeping. I thought you guys must've beaten her if that was the case!" Tohka explained.
"I see, then it seems like everyone will be returning to normal soon. Well, that just leaves one last matter." I slowly made my way over to the stage of the gym, where Reina was still wrapped in that weird cobweb-like substance.
I tore them off before looking at the Zodiarts Switch and pressing it. It disappeared into nothingness as Reina's eyes began to flutter open.
"Hmm… what… what's happened…?" Reina groggily asked as she slowly awoke.
"Are you ok, Utsukushi?" I asked concernedly. However, she just looked at the destruction of the gym and froze with horror.
"What happened…? Did I do that…? What did I do?" Reina nervously pleaded for answers.
"No, this wasn't your fault. You weren't in control." I reassured her, but she just curled up into a ball.
"No… I still can remember what I did… the things I said…" Reina made a self-deprecating laugh as tears began to well up.
"I just wanted to be noticed and adored… now no one will ever want to be with me…" Reina lightly sobbed as she buried her head into her legs.
"No. That's not true." Tohka suddenly stated, catching me and Shido off guard. Reina looked up at Tohka, who walked over to her and kneeled down next to her.
"Reina, would you like to be my friend?" Tohka earnestly asked as she extended her hand.
"B-But! I did so many terrible things!" Reina pointed out, but Tohka just tilted her head slightly at her.
"But it wasn't your fault? I heard that those Zodiart Switches corrupt you, so that means you weren't in control. That wasn't the real you." Tohka responded. Reina opened her mouth as if to say something before gritting her teeth in anger.
"I'm not a good person! I hated you! You and Origami for being more popular than me! I was petty! Why would you want to be friends with someone like that?!" Reina pushed back.
"Well, you don't seem to hate me now, right? If that's the case, everything's fine!" Tohka exclaimed, her naivety and optimism just leaving Reina completely flabbergasted.
"Why?! Why are you reaching out to someone like me?!" Reina demanded to know.
"Because I was like you once. Alone. Scared. I felt trapped in this cycle. I thought I would never escape. But it wasn't until I met Shido that I came to enjoy life! That's why I want to reach out to you! To be that person who saves you from that cycle!" Tohka cried out. I looked over at Shido, who looked genuinely flustered and a bit embarrassed seeing how much of an impact he had on Tohka.
Tears began to run down Reina's face at this point.
"T-Then… if you really mean it… I'd gladly accept being your friend!" Reina sobbed out as she shook Tohka's hand. Tohka just gave a warm gentle smile as Reina wiped away her tears.
"Y-You know… I think I can understand why you became so popular." Reina remarked, causing Tohka to make a confused expression.
"Your pure personality and attitude… it's unlike anything I've ever seen. I'm glad I lost to someone like you." Reina acknowledged, causing Tohka to just respond with a giant smile.
Well then, all's well that ends well, huh?
Feel like I'm forgetting something though…
Oh! Kengo!
With Reina and Tohka now friends, we quickly made our way out of the destroyed gym and outside. We could see that students were unconscious left and right on the floor. Reina looked guilty each time she passed by one, but we all reassured her that this wasn't her fault but the Zodiarts Switch's fault.
Slowly, the students began to wake up one by one, though they all seemed to have forgotten what happened. They didn't even recall Reina transforming into Cassiopeia, which was good. I didn't want her to be shunned. Probably also a bit convenient as well, huh?
We managed to find Kengo and woke him up. After a couple of minutes, we explained everything that had happened while he was brainwashed. He apologized for not being there when he was needed but thanked Tohka and Shido for assisting me when he couldn't. We brought him to the Physics Preparation Room to rest since Kotori was there.
Actually, Reine was now there when we entered the room, so he could get at least some basic check-ups while recovering.
As more of the faculty and students woke up, the damage to the gym was eventually uncovered. We managed to come up with a story about how a freak windstorm blew off the top of the gym. After all, we can't exactly say that a monster's laser beams destroyed the roof without arousing some suspicions.
With everything wrapped up and the competition officially over, Reina thanked us profusely for our work before heading home. Tohka frantically waved her goodbye as she walked off into the distance.
"Asher." Shido called out to me.
"Yea? What is it?" I asked.
"I never got the chance to say this, but thank you for being there for Tohka while I was brainwashed. And Tohka?" Tohka turned to face Shido, still waving goodbye to Reina, who was already long gone.
"I'm sorry! I heard from Kotori I hurt you badly when I was with Reina!" Shido apologized, though Tohka just shook her head.
"But you weren't yourself, right Shido? It's fine!" Tohka responded.
"She's right you know. Besides, I didn't do too much. Commander Kotori and Kengo were there as well." I stated before smirking a little. "I was just doing my job as a member of the Kamen Rider Club and looking after its members!" I quipped, which caused Shido to laugh a little.
"Yeah, I guess so. Still, thanks." Shido responded. I simply responded by holding out my fist. Seeing this, Shido fist-bumped me.
"What are you two doing?" Tohka asked curiously.
"Ah, this is a fist-bump. It's like a way to show affection." Shido explained.
"Ooh! Let me try!" Tohka exclaimed. We simply made space so Tohka could join in and make a three-way fist bump.
"Haa!" Tohka suddenly shouted as she extended her fist… except at the speed she extended, it was more like a punch than anything.
""Ow!"" Shido and I cried out in pain. I had to shake my hand to relieve the pain. Tohka looked at us nervously.
"W-what's wrong?! Did I mess up?!" Tohka asked.
"Tohka, it's not a punch! Just bring your fist closer to ours." Shido articulated.
After a couple of minutes to let the pain die down, we tried again, this time successfully. The three of us engaged in a three-way fist bump.
"...I look forward to working with you guys down the line." I stated. Shido and Tohka looked at me and nodded.
""Same here!"" The two exclaimed in sync.
Third Person POV
May 3rd
"Shido, would you care to explain yourself?" Origami questioned Shido as she confronted him in the hallways during some downtime.
"W-what are you talking about Tobiichi?" Shido looked at her confusedly.
"You did not vote for me. Were my offers of ****** and ******** with ****** not to your taste?" Origami asked as Shido blushed.
"You're wrong! It's just… it's hard to explain…" Shido muttered out. After all, he couldn't explain that he was brainwashed after all. Origami glared at Shido slightly before suddenly grabbing his hand and placing something in it.
"Here. For you." Origami simply stated. Shido opened his hand, only to see a red and white panda keychain in his hand.
"This is…?" Shido looked at the figurine confusedly.
"It's a figurine of Pandarone, from the popular anime series Animal Friends." Origami quickly explained.
"Oh, Tobiichi, I don't really ne—" Shido tried to respond but was cut short by Origami suddenly leaning towards him.
"Take it." Origami demanded as her face was now mere inches away from his own. Overwhelmed by the pressure, Shido nodded quickly and took the figure, causing Origami to back away.
"Hmm. Now we match." Origami proclaimed as she held up her phone, showing that she now had a similar keychain on it. She then walked away in a happy mood.
Sighing slightly, Shido returned to his classroom, only to see an interesting sight.
"Wooow! My skin is so shiny!" Tohka exclaimed as she looked at herself in a hand mirror.
"Naturally! With my skills, your beauty can outshine even the brightest of stars!" Reina proudly exclaimed.
"Hey, hey, Reina, can you teach me some more about make-up?" Tohka excitedly questioned.
"Of course!" Reina hummed as she continued showing off some more beauty products to Tohka and applying them to her.
"They sure are getting along well, wouldn't you say?" Asher turned to face Shido before looking back at the interaction between the two girls.
"It's good the two of them were able to connect and get over their grudges. It'll help Utsukushi rehabilitate after the incident with the Zodiarts." Kengo commented.
Shido couldn't help but smile. In just over a week, Tohka was already making close friends and foraging memorable experiences. Shido couldn't help but get emotional knowing how far Tohka's come since he first met her.
"Alright! Teach me about that one next!" Tohka happily chirped as the three watched in silence as Reina continued to apply makeup with Tohka.
Thus concludes the tale of how Tohka made her first friend at Raizen. Later, Tohka opened her locker only to find it flooded with love letters, but that's a story for another time.
Author's Note:
So fun fact, I COMPLETELY forgot about Golden Week. It wasn't until mid-way through writing this chapter of this arc that I realized it existed. I couldn't really mess around with the prior dates without making the pacing and timing of future events awkward so… guess this solution will have to do.
So yeah, this is the end of this story's first "fluff" arcs. Complete with a new OC. Speaking of that new OC, how was she? For some fun behind-the-scenes tidbits, Reina is inspired by Mimimi Utsukushisugi from 100 Kanojo/Girlfriends, both in terms of personality and design.
Also, this was my first time writing a truly original scenario. While yes, the whole festival thing is inspired by the Queenfest in Fourze; this chapter was mostly completely original. Also, Tohka twirling in her maid dress was a reference to GJ-Bu. It's not really important, but I think it's fun trivia. I would like to share this sort of behind-the-scenes trivia in these authors' notes.
Also, I know there's a lot of time dedicated to Tohka interacting with Asher. If you are worried that this will imply a Tohka x Asher relationship. No. It won't. I refuse to go down that path. I've stated this before, and I will state it again. Asher will NOT have a romantic relationship with any of the main Spirits. However, this does not mean he won't be shipped with other characters. This chapter was mainly to solidify the friendship between Asher and Tohka better.
Finally, I'd like to apologize for being somewhat late with this chapter's release (depending on what timezone you are in, it is released on a Monday instead of a Sunday). I've mentioned this in the Preface, but I'm currently going through a huge shift in my life (AKA preparing to graduate from University), so prepping myself for my future is kind of at the forefront of my mind.
However, Chapters 6 and 7 are already written; I just need to perform revision checks on them. Chapter 8, the start of the Yoshino arc, is nearly done, and I'm hoping I won't have to do another Fourze Genesis and split it into three chapters. However, we'll see. Hopefully, I'll be able to complete the arc before Chapter 6 releases.
In any case, I thank you for sticking with this fic. I'll see you all in two weeks for Chapter 6, the start of a new arc.