MPK: So bear with me ya'll~ There's another change storywise that you'll catch wind of in this chapter.

I've changed the name of Niika's mark to fit the new name I gave her cybody. From Ni mark to Wata mark! And also, it's shape! It's not a cross with stars! It's basically a box-like W now.

I plan to change this in the other chapters soon enough. I would like to do it when I edit the previous chapters again. There are a bunch of out of character flaws and other things I'm gonna fix when I do so. Honestly, the beginning chaps make me cringe as a young adult.

If you made it this far~I commend you!

"Yo, Takuto."

"Kazuma-kun?" The redhead turns to his right in his seat. The whitenette was standing there with a smile. "Oh gosh, what is it now?"

Kazuma's smile instantly flips upside down, "What do you mean "What is it now"?"

Takuto starts to sweat, realizing he wasted a good thing. "You know what, nevermind."

"Nevermind!? All I did was say "Yo" and I get this kind of response!?"

Takuto takes a breath, "What's up, Kazuma?"

"Nuh-uh. You missed your chance with that." Kazuma grumbles. "You should've answered like that the first time, dummy."

"Oh, good grief." Takuto facepalms.

"Serves you right." Kazuma sits on top of the empty desk behind Takuto. He eyes the redhead staring in Niika's direction as she leaves the classroom. "So...I've noticed you haven't been talking to "Midori no me" recently. What's up with that?"

"Midori no me is my nickname for her. You stick with Niika." Takuto pouts.

"Heh? I'll just make up my own then!" Kazuma proclaims, "Let's see...Miss Ditzy? No, Cutesy Clutz? Nah. Dang, this is harder than I thought."

"Those sounded more like insults to me."

"Oh hush Takuto!" Kazuma folds his arms, "Answer my question. Why haven't you and Niika been hanging out? Did something happen?"

"Wouldn't you like to know..." Takuto says. He puts a hand to his cheek and sighs, "Unfortunately I'm as clueless as you are. Every time I've tried to talk to Midori no me after school recently, she tells me she's busy and runs off."

"Maybe she's finally tired of your idiocy."

"Maybe I'm tired of your insults. Lay off will you?"

"Aw Takuto~Don't pout!" Kazuma leans closer to Takuto's desk in order to ruffle the redhead's hair. Takuto whips his head away before he can mess it up too much. "I'm sure Niika will play hooky with you soon. Maybe she is busy~"

"Doing what? I can't imagine it."

"How about studying?"

"How about no?" Kazuma pouts. "If that was the case, wouldn't she have told me?"

"Maybe she wants privacy. She doesn't have to tell you everything."

"...I think she may be hiding something from me. From the both of us."

"Oh no!" Kazuma mocks, "You mean you don't trust Niika-chan? I'm shocked!" Takuto glares at him. "But really, it's only been about a week. She's already left school for the day; nothing you can do about that. Just give her time...NO!" Kazuma suddenly shouts, unfolding his arms. "I know what you should do. The best way to get her to hang out with you...is to ask her on a date! She'll make time for that!"

Takuto chokes on his own saliva, "Was that a joke? You're joking aren't you?" He says catching his breath again, "Kazuma, think for a second. Don't you like Midori no me? Why would you suggest that I go out on a date with her? Have you lost it?!"

"Nope." Kazuma folds his arms again, "Don't you worry, I'm fine with it. I've already been on a date with her anyway."

Takuto chokes again, "WHAT?!"

"We had a lovely time together, just the two of us. I find it only fair that my rival has a chance to whoo her back from me." Kazuma lifts his head high in triumph. His nose seems sharp and pointy for a moment. "If you go on a date with her, she'll be able to see what she wouldn't be missing when she becomes mine."

Takuto's ruby eyes droop low, "Oh yeah? It sounds to me like you're just covering up that your date didn't go well."

"No!" Kazuma fires back, "I-I mean, she was a little disinterested at one point...but she, for the most part, enjoyed herself!" Kazuma sounded unsure looking worriedly at his wiggling fingers.

Takuto placed a hand on his shoulder, "You've already lost. Nice try though."

"Why you!" He tugs Takuto's ear. Takuto in turn tugs on Kazuma's hair. They seem to bump heads.

"Hey. I said the fight's over." The two look up at the short-haired brunette.

"Arata-kun!"

"Midori no me's Onii-chan!" They both swallow at Arata's heavy presence.

"Oh come on Takuto. You know me by now. Call me by my name." Arata says standing in front of the two with arms folded. "I know you guys aren't fighting again. Your heads were really close just now. That's exactly what it looked like unless you were kissing...You weren't kissing were you?"

"NO WAY!"

"Then what's the problem?"

"Takuto's in sad boi mode because Niika's been avoiding him."

"Good." An arrow shot through Takuto's chest. He comically bleeds out on his desk.

Kazuma scratched the back of his neck, "I'd laugh right now, but since she started avoiding Takuto, Niika hasn't been talking to me either."

"Even better." An arrow shot through Kazuma's chest. He comically bleeds out on the desk behind Takuto, beside the redhead. The boys' souls fly upward into the air. "Stay away from my sister. Six feet at all times."

A silent tear falls down both their faces. "...Y-Yes sir."

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Niika-chan. You're here early."

"Hi, Hyou." Niika greets the light blue-haired girl as she walks inside. "So...how are you adjusting to staying here?"

"Even though it's temporary, it's very...spacious is the word," Hyou says putting her long locks into a low side ponytail. "But it's still better than any place I most likely would have found on the mainland on my own."

"I'm glad your safe. And that you're being taken care of." Niika pats her back. "You've been through a lot recently."

"What about you, Niika-chan? What brings you inside today?" Hyou asks.

"I'm not staying long. I just came to ask if you wanted to come over to my house tomorrow after school. I'll finally have some time to catch up with you. And maybe we could bake together...but only if you want to!" Niika blushes in embarrassment.

"You know what? There is a recipe that I would like to share with you." Hyou told her placing a finger to her chin in thought. "I would love to do that with you."

"Great! I'm glad you like that idea!" Niika is excited. She had never had friends formally come over to socialize, and just the thought of that brightens her day. "Then I'll call you later tomorrow, we can walk home together."

Hyou nods, "I'd like that."

"Niika-chan, you've arrived." Another person entires the foyer. "The master is waiting for you. Let's get you changed at once."

"Oh yes, I'm coming," Niika says. She squeezes Hyou's hands one time before leaving with that person.

Five minutes later, Niika knocks on the door of a dojo. "It's Niika-chan, Master."

"Enter."

Niika cautiously slides the dojo's door open. The person inside is facing away from the brunette staring at the opposite wall. She steps inside the room, her bare feet feeling the tatami matted floor. Sliding the door closed again, she sits on her knees close to the door as a sign of respect. "I'm sorry I'm late. I spoke with Hyou for a moment."

"How is she adjusting to the place? I haven't gotten the chance to properly speak with her."

Niika rested her hands on her knees. "She is comfortable for the most part. But it's all still new to her. Please forgive her, she's been through so much in the recent months." Niika bows her head respectfully. The male in front of her turns his head sideways to see. "Thank you, for taking her in on such short notice. I promise to repay you back in any way that I can. Master."

The male stays silent for a moment. He then turns around, the light from the windows gliding across his body as he passes the shadows of the room. He stops in front of Niika, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Stand." She did. "You needn't be so indebted to me, Miss Takashiro. We are friends. Everything I've done for you and Miss Matsuri was done free of charge. Please understand that."

Niika bows her head, "Yes. Master."

The male swallows, "Also, refrain from calling me "Master". You sound like my maids." He grimaces. "I suppose I understand that I've become a teacher to you, so it's respectful to be formal inside the dojo. I'll allow you to call me Sensei or use the suffix -sama. However, once we're done for the day, please call me by my real name."

Niika holds her head up. She looks into the boy's amber eyes. "Yes. Sugata-sama."

Without losing eye contact, the bluenette reaches into a long vase at Niika's side. He pulls out a wooden kendo sword. He holds it to her chest. "Saa, let's begin."

With conviction, Niika's own emerald eyes harden. "Right."

Without warning, Sugata pulls out a kendo sword from the sleeve of his dojo attire. He swings it in the same motion at Niika's head. She leans back just in time to miss the impact. "You were able to dodge that attack. That was~quick thinking!" With both hands, Sugata swings again mid-sentence. Niika catches his sword with her own. "I attacked you again without warning. Were you surprised?" Niika doesn't respond. "I see. You refuse to celebrate a small victory. That's a good mindset. Even if you've won a battle, you've not yet won the war. HAH! HAH!" Sugata swings in the opposite direction twice, and Niika blocks both of those attacks as well. "You've learned quite quickly in a short amount of time."

"That is the goal isn't it?" Niika steadies her sword even as Sugata leans away from her.

"You've gotten fast but let us find out how fast." Sugata takes two steps back. Just as quickly, he closes the distance between himself and Niika once more. "HAH HAH! URRRAH!" Sugata slides his blade across Niika's hoping to create an opening. But Niika is able to lock her sword in place at each angle, stopping him. Sugata steps away and relaxes his body. "Good. You're doing well."

"Thank you. Sugata-sama." She says but frowns. "However...If I can say..." She asks Sugata for permission. He nods, "I can't but feel that you're holding back...if I can say that."

"It's only natural to do so." He replies. "This is your first week. Of course, I'm going easy on you, you're a beginner." Sugata points his sword downward. "I get that you're eager to learn, but give yourself some time. You still have a ways to go. Although, you picking up things rather quickly. You should feel proud of yourself." He says. Sugata steps away to the east corner of the dojo. "I can't help but feel like you are holding back yourself, Miss Takashiro. But I believe that's because you're not using the right weapon to fight with." He opens the large cabinet in front of him. Weapons are displayed on its inner walls. "Come." Niika steps next to the bluenette in front of the weaponry.

"These are..."

"Very dangerous. And if used correctly, very deadly." Niika swallows. "You aren't going to use them all. I'm just curious. Out of your own curiosity, which of these weapons seem to peek your fancy the most, Niika-chan?" Niika looks around the cupboard. She eyes each individual weapon carefully, feeling as if she was being tested. "You have my permission to touch it."

After a minute, Niika picks one up. "This one."

"May I ask why?"

"...It's less sharp than the rest." Sugata blinks. He then follows up with a light chuckle.

"Haha. I see. The Bo Staff is indeed a blunter object." He smiles, "You've chosen the exact weapon that I had in mind for you."

"Really?"

"Yes. However," Sugata grabs an identical staff from the cabinet. "I imagined it with its partner." He throws it to Niika and she catches it. "In the short amount of time I've seen you fighting, I've noticed three things about you, Miss Takashiro. One, you are a dual wielder. That means you are more comfortable with two weapons rather than one at a time." Niika grips the two bo staffs in her hands. "Two, you are able to move with speed and elegance without thinking. Your fighting style is very timid at first but becomes more powerful the faster you attack." Sugata closes the cabinet, his back to Niika. "And three," Sugata grazes her shoulders. Niika shivers, "Forgive me. May I?" She nods. He once again places his hands on her shoulders. "You're too tense. That can be bad in battle." Sugata moves behind her. "You find it hard to relax don't you?"

"Yes." Niika bluntly admits.

"You have to be comfortable in a fight. Otherwise, you've already lost." Sugata massages her shoulders ever so slightly. Niika lets out a groan as she winces. "That's no good. We'll work on this next." He releases his hold on her. "All these quirks are fixable. But they also pertain to the fighting style of your cybody, Wataru."

"Wa-ta-ru," Niika repeats slowly.

Sugata nods, "Wataru. A name connecting to the word "Watashi", a pronoun meaning "I". The "Wata" mark you possess can activate it." He points just above her chest at her mark, visible because of her attire. "Galaxy Star Girl's fighting style is known to be graceful and swift, two qualities I've already seen within you. In order to pilot Wataru, you'll have to first master those abilities. Only then can you successfully be a warrior cybody star driver."

"S-Sugata-sama."

"Yes?"

"When will I...know I'm ready? That I've mastered it."

"I can't tell you." Niika frowns, "It's not because I won't. It's because I don't know. The peak of your readiness is determined by you and only you."

"I understand."

Sugata picks up the discarded weapons. "We'll just have to take things step by step. We'll start like this. Follow me."

"Yes! Sugata-sama!"

Sugata extends his arms out with both wooden kendo swords quickly in a solid single pose. "OSU!"

Niika follows his every move with the bo staffs. "OSU!"

"OSU! OSU!"

"OSU! OSU!"

"OOOOSU!"

"OOOOSU!"

Sugata takes a breath, "Good. You're on your way, Miss Takashiro."

"Call me Niika." Sugata is taken back by her tone of conviction. She breathes heavily, sweating. "I'll continue to follow you. I'll do whatever it takes."

"Ahhh. Midori no me hates me."

"If she hates you so much, why would she take the time to invite you to her house?"

FLASHBACK

The next day after class, Takuto approaches Niika's desk. "Niika-chan."

"Oh, Takuto-kun. You have good timing..." She tells him in her normally soft tone of voice. She starts to gather her things for the day. "I know I haven't been walking with you recently but~!"

SLAM!

"Roses are red, Violets are blue. Everything's going to be daijoubu!"

"...Eh?"

"Ah! Ignore that poem! Kazuma wrote it!" Takuto removes his hands away from her desk to plead with her. "Please don't be mad at me anymore!"

"Mad? Why would I be m~"

"Niika-chan!"

"YES!" Niika is startled by the redhead's behavior.

Takuto holds one of her hands clasped in both his own, "We should...we should...w-we should~!" Niika blinks, "You and me...Friday...we should~"

"Oh my god! Just ask her already!" Kazuma screams from halfway across the classroom. "I feel like I'm watching one of those dumb school-life romcoms that make me want to scream at the characters the entire time! Like just talk!"

"AH! Don't just yell like that Kazuma-kun! What if the entire class hears you!?"

"They're already gone! You took too long!" Takuto panics looking around the empty room. "Niika even left already!"

"HEH!?"

"Sike! She's still there!" Kazuma leans back against the far wall, "Haha sucker!"

"You~!" Takuto growls in the whitenette's direction.

"I'm afraid I don't understand what's going on." Niika picks up her schoolbag, while the two boys yell across the room at each other. "But I really do have to go. But Takuto," She says to him, "I was wondering...only if you were willing that is...if you would c-come to my house later tonight?"

Both boys' mouths drop open, "WHAT!?"

"Only if you want to! It's just an i-invitation!" Niika blushes in embarrassment.

"Kawaii~" They mutter in unison.

Niika waves her hands frantically in front of her, "Kazu-kun can come too! I've never really invited people over before...but I think tonight is as good as any..."

"Oh thank god. I'm invited too~" Kazuma mutters under his breath. "I'm in!"

Takuto grabs her shoulders, "Of course I'll come! I won't be late, you have my word!"

FLASHBACK END

"And then I'm already an hour late from when she texted to come by!" Takuto pulls on his hair. He purposely steps in front of Kazuma as they walk down the dirt trail towards Niika's house. "Ahhh. Midori no me will definitely hate me if she already doesn't!"

"I don't think you could've evaded a thirty-minute detention. In your defense, I think the teacher was already moody before you stepped into class late for the exam." Kazuma checks his cellphone for a message from Niika. "Also, if she hated you for being late, she would have texted you not to come. She would have told me not to come either...which reminds me, I don't have her number do I? How come you have it and I don't?" He mutters to himself before shutting off his cell.

Takuto lowers his eyelids, "Because she said when she went to ask you for your number before, you were being too scary to approach."

"SCARY!? I AM NOT SCARY!"

"But that's an even better point. If Midori no me didn't hate me, she wouldn't have invited you too!" Kazuma gave him a look. Takuto sighs, "Aaahhhh! Midori no me really does hate me!"

"Give it a rest will you?" Kazuma rolls his eyes, "We're here." Kazuma rings the doorbell.

"How did you know this is where she lives?" Takuto questions.

"I've been here before."

"HUH!?" Takuto's mouth went agape, "YOU WENT INSIDE!? NO FAIR!" His mouth didn't close once the door opened.

"You both made it!" Niika says excitedly. She was wearing a light pink apron over her uniform skirt and button-up school shirt, which was unbuttoned at the top ever so slightly. Her long light brown hair was wrapped into a small messy bun that left out her bangs and some type of cream was on her cheek. The girl gives them a smile, "I'm glad!"

The boys can't help but blush at the sight, "Kawaii."

"You're just in time!" Niika pulls them both by the hand inside. "The treats are just about done!"

"TREATS? SAY NO MORE!" Kazuma bolts for the kitchen before he can be stopped.

"Wait! There's someone I wanted to~"

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHH! WHO ARE YOU!?"

"Introduce you to..." Niika deflates.

Takuto pats Niika on the back, "Kazuma-kun! Don't be rude! You just entered a girl's home for crying out l~"

Kazuma screams again exiting the kitchen, "Niika! WHO IS THAT ALIEN IN THERE!?"

"I am not an alien..." The person peaks from the kitchen doorway.

"AAAHHHH!" Takuto screams, startled as well. He clams up, "It really is an alien!"

"No, it isn't!" Niika pouts, "She's just wearing a face mask!"

"A face mask?" The boys ask in unison. She ushers them inside the kitchen.

"It's a homemade facial. For your skin." After reevaluating, they realize she was right. The girl goes to the sink quickly wiping off the natural mixture. She pats her face dry and it sparkles. "See?"

"Oh, it's just a girl after all." Kazuma calms himself, "Hey, she's kinda cute."

"Thank you." She bows, "I'm sorry for startling you."

"It's all good."

"We didn't mean to ruin your girls' night." Takuto apologizes, "It looks like the two of you were having fun."

"We were!" Niika smiles again. "We even made cupcakes!"

"CUPCAKES!" Kazuma's eyes bulge at just the word.

"Yes. Niika-chan taught me a recipe for cupcakes and I taught her a recipe for cookies." The girl told them, "You're not bothering us. We called you over to taste test them. We were afraid we'd bake too much. Which we did." She lightly smiles with a sweatdrop.

Kazuma put a hand on her shoulder, "You called the right guy."

"How lucky..."

"Niika you have a little something on your cheek," Takuto whispers to her.

"I do!?" Niika panics rubbing at her left cheek with a finger. "How embarrassing! Did I get it?!"

Takuto hesitates but reaches out grazing Niika's right cheek, "Here hold still." He scraps what he realized was frosting away in one motion. "There, it's gone." He then notices how awkward the action was and panics internally.

"T-Thank you." They both look away shyly. The girl smiles at them.

"Fujimoto Kazuma, Tsunashi Takuto. My name is Matsuri Hyou-chan." Hyou finally introduces herself. "I met Niika once when we were little. We met again just recently. Nice to finally meet you both."

"It's a pleasure~," Kazuma says between bites. He's sitting at the counter on a stool, already on his second cupcake. "These are delicious." He's in his own little world.

"We're glad you like them. Niika-chan put a lot of effort into those."

Kazuma chomps on a cookie in between cupcake bites. His face lights up. "These are good too~! If I knew you girls could bake like this, I would have brought over more ingredients hours ago!"

"It's more of Niika's strong suit than mine. She can cook just as well as she can bake."

"Don't say that! Hyou-chan! They'll have h-high high hooopes!" Niika stutters.

"You shouldn't be so modest Niika. She made me dinner tonight and it was incredible, you both would've loved it~"

"Then I guess we know what to do for next time we come by." Takuto laughs. He tries a cookie, "AH! He wasn't lying! These really are good!" He grips Niika's arm, "Can I eat my meals at your house from now on, Midori no me?! This is much better than school food!"

"Hey! Don't give him any special treatment! If he gets food, I get food too!"

"Stop being greedy!"

"Stop being selfish!"

Niika becomes flustered when the two start pulling at each other's clothes. "W-Wait! Please don't fight!"

They all stop moving when hearing Hyou's laugh. Hearing her laugh makes them all laugh in return. Eventually, they all end up in Niika's living room eating together. Kazuma beats them all in quantity by a mile. "Ahh, how are you able to eat so much and not get full?" Hyou asks.

Kazuma looks to her, "Trust me, I'll regret this all later. But as for right now, I feel the rush and it's delightful."

"Just don't get sick. Because I'm not carrying you home." Takuto tells him. He then turns to Niika, "By the way, where's Ara-Arata-kun?" He was afraid he would appear.

"Big brother said he wanted to do some research at the library after boxing club today." She puts a finger to her cheek, "Something about, information he couldn't find anywhere else."

Kazuma chokes on his 14th cupcake, "Ugh, that guy." He just says.

"Oh, I see. He's really on point when it comes to grades I see. It's hard to believe he's been held back to our grade sometimes..." Takuto sweatdrops.

'He must be going to the spot I told him about. Hold on, that place is an ID clearance zone. There's no way he found a way inside already...or did he...' Kazuma thought. He puts his cupcake down and texts Arata just in case. 'Nah.' He receives a message seconds later.

Arata: I didn't need an ID. Your friend Miss Kisumi is a nice woman.

Kazuma pales. He texts back angrily.

Kazuma: WE ARE NOT FRIENDS! DON'T TALK TO HER!

Arata's responses are quick.

Arata: Would you relax? I didn't hit on your sugar mom.

"Sugar Mom!? That bastard!" The three look at the boy. He turns away acting like things are fine when he's fuming on the inside.

Kazuma: She is NOT my SUGAR MOM. Don't INSULT me! I said don't talk to her because she's a member of the Crux! Don't converse with her!

It takes a moment for Arata to send a response back.

Arata: I don't care.

Kazuma's blood blazes. "WHAT THE FRICK!?"

"Are you okay, Kazu-kun?" Niika asks. He only waves her off, taking a sip from his glass of water.

"Pardon his rudeness. I'd like to think he has manners at least some of the time." Takuto says, "So Hyou-chan. If you don't mind me asking, how did you and Niika meet?"

"It's not much of a story really. When Niika used to live here, I happened to meet her by chance at a spot near the shore. I had run away from home for the day, and it turned out she had done the same. It was then we met."

"You used to live here? Midori no me?"

"For a little while after I was born."

Takuto hmms and glances at Kazuma, "So technically you and Arata are islanders then." Kazuma chokes on his 17th cupcake and 5th cookie. He finally decides to put the sweets down.

"I guess you can say that. I don't remember this place as well as the others living here do, but something about the air does give me comfort." Niika closes her eyes. "When Hyou and I met, I was really little. Maybe...5? I can't believe I remember the experience...I was feeling down about my mother passing away, so I ran away to the shore to escape my father and brother. I regret running from them..."

The room seems quieter, "...Your mother passed away?" Kazuma gets the courage to ask.

She nods, "My father did too. But not long after that." Niika fidgets uncomfortably, "At the time though, it was only my mom. She was always sick after she had me I was told. Arata said it was inevitable, I think was the word he used." After seeing the pitying looks on her friends, Niika waves them off. "Please don't feel sad for me. I've gotten over their passing since then. Back then though, I couldn't take it and cried my eyes out. Then it was Hyou who found me first and told me a story to help me feel better. And it did. I went home feeling better. I even told my father and Arata about it. They both said that I heard a myth from an island ghost or something when I said I never saw you again, which gave them a laugh. But our second meeting proves them wrong. You really did exist."

"I do exist, Niika-chan." Hyou lightly chuckles, "And that story isn't a myth, it's true."

Takuto puts down his 5th cookie, "What story?"

"The story of Sam the Squid Piercer."

"Heh? That sounds familiar..."

Kazuma leans back on the couch, his hands behind his head. "It's the name of the story the play we're supposed to be doing this year in Drama is based on. Remember?"

"Really?" Hyou questions wearily, "That's strange. Not many people know this story."

"Well Endo Sarina-senpai does."

"Endo Sarina? Interesting..."

"Now that you mention it, you never told me what happened to the characters Hyou-chan."

Hyou closes her eyes with a cryptic expression, "I think it would be best to wait until your school play. That way you'll all hear the story at the same time." Because of her face, no one dares to question what she meant. "But I will say, it really does relate to this life and the past life before ours. It affects us...and our cybodies." Everyone's ears suddenly twitch.

"Us? And our cybodies?" Takuto says, "Did I hear you right just now Hyou?"

"How do you know about cybodies?" Kazuma looks to Niika, "Did you..."

"No! She already knew!" She exclaims.

"There's no reason to get hostile, Galactic Man of Mystery." Kazuma whips his head across from him at her. "It's only natural to know about cybodies if you own one, even if it's currently damaged beyond repair." Kazuma's eyes widen, "Niika told me to hide the fact that I knew, but I thought it would be better that you know. I don't like to lie, especially to the good guys."

Takuto instinctively glances at Kazuma. He holds his hands out, "Kazuma, easy does it..."

"You...You're the north maiden, aren't you?" Kazuma's green eyes darken, "You're the cybody user that just gave up her cybody to the Crux to be destroyed."

"Wait, Kazu-kun!" Niika pleads, "You don't know of her circumstances!"

"You knew!?" Niika leans back at the male's harsh tone, "For how long?!"

"It doesn't matter! Please just listen to what she has to say!"

"What else is there to say? She's a traitor!" Kazuma starts to yell, "She handed over one of the four keys we needed to protect this island!" He stands up facing Hyou. "Your naivety caused the Crux to be 25% closer to their goal! 25% closer to world anarchy!"

Niika stands up, grabbing his arm. "She was in love!" She screams.

"Love!? She gave up her cybody because of a guy!?" He forcibly pulls his arm away.

Reading the air, Takuto tries to settle the whitenette down. "Now hold on you two..."

"It doesn't get much more naive than that!" Kazuma yells over him. "You're a disgrace! How can you call yourself an island maiden!?"

Hyou looks down, "I knew of the consequences of my actions, yet I still believed things would work out for the best. At least for me, it hasn't. But I'm sure that it still will for everyone else~"

"Bullshite!" Hyou drops her glass of water. It crashes to the ground in pieces. "What are you a child?! I should've known your freespiritness was a bad sign! No matter how you look at it, you did your part to help the bad guys win! And for what!? A broken relationship and regrets!"

"ENOUGH!" Everyone in the room freezes. Niika throws off her apron. Her voice was steady and firmer than before. "You don't...You don't know what she had to deal with! Stop yelling at her!" Kazuma's mouth closes and flattens. "You don't know anything!" Niika points at him, "You don't know what it's like to fall in love and then have your heart hurt! You don't know what it's like to truly be alone!"

"N-Niika, I~"

"LISTEN!" She yells, "Hyou knows she made a mistake! She's sorry for the outcome. But we were not the only ones affected! She was too!" Tears flow in Niika's eyes. Kazuma doesn't have the heart to retort. "She was held captive! In a birdcage until a week ago! She was young! She was scared! She was confused! And the outcome of it all left her hurt, afraid, and lonely! You couldn't possibly know what it feels like! To feel trapped, and scared, and clueless, and weak in your own world!" Niika started to cry, "In a world... that's supposed to be your own..." It was obvious to everyone in the room that Niika wasn't just talking about Hyou anymore. Feeling ashamed, Niika runs upstairs to her room.

Hyou hugs herself awkwardly, "Thank you for defending me, Niika-chan. But it's okay. I deserved to be reprimanded." She looks to Kazuma, "I can't undo the breaking of the northern seal or my cybody. All I can do is apologize and beg for your forgiveness. It's all I can do and I'm sorry..." Tears fall in Hyou's own eyes as she runs up after Niika.

After staring at the empty stairwell for several seconds, Kazuma hears the front door creak open and looks out toward it. With schoolbag in hand, Takuto is standing in the doorway. "Wait to go, you got your point across. I hope you're satisfied." He leaves without another word.

Feeling defeated, the whitenette sinks into the couch until Arata comes home and kicks him out.

To Be Continued...