Chapter 18: Vol 2 Chapter 4

Mission 4

It was right after the “surprise party” when Fushimi heard that Fushimi Niki had passed away in the hospital during his hospitalization. Just like the doctor had told him in November that it would be difficult for that guy to enter the new year, his death day was the 29th December, just as the end of the year was approaching.

Accepting his last few days that had been like a sentence and dying in a meek manner, wasn’t that the only thing in his whole life that had been ordinary? - that was the first thought that came into Fushimi’s mind. He didn’t care if people who knew absolutely nothing reproached him for being coldhearted or disrespectful.

The funeral was held with only the relatives present. Because he had been a man without a job he didn’t have any acquaintances from work. Nobody in the family knew if he had any private friends.

Since Fushimi didn’t want Yata’s parents to pay a visit of condolence he was relieved that the funeral was only for the relatives. He didn’t want to show this ordinarily at peace, ordinarily nagging, ordinarily bothersome family his own relatives. He really didn’t want to have this conversation with Yata either. After all he still didn’t like how Yata had suggested with a good-natured expression on his face that he should go visit that guy when he was hospitalized. Fushimi absolutely didn’t want Yata to be concerned about him because that guy had died, and if he would have said something absurd like “Cheer up!” he probably definitely would’ve punched him.

Even if Yata knew to some extent of the situation Fushimi was in, he’d never be able to understand that Fushimi was genuinely relieved that that guy had finally died.

Because that man had been a strange, abnormal weirdo even among the relatives there were no tears in the attendees’ eyes. In the banquet hall too did nobody reminisce about the deceased. The conversations that were exchanged were idle complaining or bragging that had nothing to do with the deceased one, and the only thing that had to do with him was the bargaining of the inheritance.

Bored, Fushimi sat in a corner of the banquet hall with his arms around his knees. There wasn’t even anything he could eat because nothing but sushi and beer had been arranged. The smell of the cigarettes, the alcohol and the sea products, and the awfully high temperature in the hall made him feel sick.

Fushimi Kisa was tied up with the elderly and had been put in the middle of a juicy inheritance story. Here, Fushimi Kisa held the position of what they call a “wife”. But she was a woman with a lot of pride so even though she was in front of her husband’s family she didn’t submissively bow her head over and over. She wasn’t frantic about the Fushimi family’s assets and there was no need for her to cling to them because she had build a fortune through her own strength. With her usual attitude she went along with the sake poured into the cups one after another. Only in that point Fushimi reevaluated that woman just a bit.

The relatives’ interest got also directed to Fushimi, who had by status the inheritance rights.

“Saruhiko-kun, the entrance exams for high school are soon, right? At which school will you apply? Maybe you should really go to Tsubasagahara, they’re the best in the Kanto region. If you need a housing then there is still our place left…”

The elderly cozied up to him with favor currying smiles glued to their faces. ‘Saruhiko-kun’, huh… he had heard that when that guy gave him that kind of name for fun all of the relatives laughed, saying, “He’s the one with the funny name.” Fushimi hated the one who had given him that name the most in the whole world, but for the other people he felt much the same.

Die, all of you, he thought while answering,  “I am not applying anywhere.”

Even though you’d normally judge a middle schooler if he’d oppose a suggestion and answer bluntly the way Fushimi had, the atmosphere didn’t become any more appropriate because the elderly were generally insensitive.

“What do you mean with that? Ah, maybe you’ll wait until fall and study overboard. I heard that you are an excellent student. Your uncle also has experience with studying overboard so if there is anything you’re worried about then you can definitely discuss…”

Within the sea of black mourning clothes that looked like an assembly of bugs and made Fushimi feel sick was another person wearing Himuka Middle School’s deep red blazer just like himself. It was Oogai Aya sitting in a corner diagonally from him and just like Fushimi she had her arms wrapped around her knees with a bored expression on her face. She wore her black-green glasses today too and now that he thought about it, she seemed to be in the same mood as him. When Fushimi saw that Aya said a few words to her mother who was close by and then stood up, he too stood up because he couldn’t breathe properly any longer. He didn’t reply to the elderly still talking next to him anymore.

Fushimi stepped on the black shoes that had been left jumbled at the entrance of the Japanese-style room, shoved his toes into his own loafers and stepped out into the corridor.

“Hey.”

When he turned at the end of the corridor and called out, the small back clad in the deep red blazer flinched.

“Was there some kind of agreement to target me? Or was it just out of your personal spite?”

Fushimi tapped the right arm of his glasses lightly. The big gauze had been removed but under the glasses’ arm was still a band aid. It seemed like his eye had been injured through the party popper attack and according to the eye test results the eyesight on the right had dropped slightly. Well, it had been bad from the start so it  wasn’t like much changed.

“If it was out of Aya’s personal spite then what, like, would you do? Will you get back at Aya?”

Haughty, Aya turned to the side but her profile was twitching.

Does she think I’ll do something and that there is no use in arguing about it or what.

“Not really. Though with this we’re even so I won’t apologize either.”

This is enough already, right, Misaki… he muttered in his mind. If anything then the damage I received is bigger than hers. I’m not complaining and I’m replying gently, aren’t I?

He hadn’t told Yata that Aya had been in the mob that had assaulted them. Yata probably believed Aya hadn’t participated at all.

“I’ll give you an advice for now. Stop using «jungle» any further. It isn’t a mere social network or a game. In the center of it is…”

“A 'King’, right?”

Fushimi was actually surprised at Aya replying before him and it left him dumbstruck.

“All of the ones at the top of the ranks know. If the king likes you he will give you 'power’. Aya will, like, collect more and more points and get 'power’ from the king and then Aya will finish you off.”

“«jungle»’s king isn’t necessarily your ally. Worshiping him just because you want to defeat me, just how naive are you?”

“You don’t say that!!” yelled Aya all of a sudden and glared at him.

The corners of her mouth rose with an almost enraged look in her eyes. An odd smile that reminded him of an amphibian appeared on her face.

“It’s both. It was out of Aya’s personal spite but there was also the agreement to go after your face. The painful experience of opposing a King and losing, it serves you right. You’re so lame. Ahaha- ahahahahahahya–”

Her laugh pierced through the air and quavered in an odd way.

This is enough already, right, Misaki… he repeated in his mind like a spell to restrain himself and with his fists on the sides of his body he somehow managed to hold back.

Sometime soon I might wring her neck.

“Are you, like, angry? Did I hit a sour spot? Are you vexed now? Was your complete defeat frustrating? That you, who, like, has never lost before has been humiliated so much serves you juuust right.”

“……enough already. You, don’t talk anymore.”

Aya’s face was red with a flush that might have come from her being possibly drunk because she got hit by the banquet hall’s alcohol stench. Her face twisted and resembled the laughing face of Niki who shook people’s emotions and basked in the joy of it. Fushimi had until then never liked or hated her as an individual and just didn’t really care about her, but in that moment he felt clear hatred towards her.

“You will go to the 'red monster’’s place, right? If so then Aya will become your enemy. Because…” For just a moment her pupils, wide and fixated at him, seemed to quiver. “…you aren’t looking at Aya.”

Mission 5

“Can you take my hand?”

The “Red King” turned to the two of them and casually held out both his hands.

It was a hand with thick veins on the surface and many scrapes, almost like a boxer’s fist, and you could guess that the man this hand belonged to had struck at many people and maybe even things with it and survived until now.

“Y- yes.”

When Yata was about to shake his hand, nervous but still determined, in that moment – did flames wrap around the man’s fist. It was a real fire that tinged the surroundings in a vivid red and emitted strong, pale light from the center of the fist as if it was the head of a matchstick.

Yata unintentionally flinched and stopped his stretched out hand and looked at Fushimi with a hesitant expression. They exchanged glances and swallowed hard. But they made up their mind, nodded to one another and grabbed Suoh’s hands at the same time, Fushimi the left one and Yata the right one.

The fire spread from Suoh’s hand and in no time it wrapped their entire bodies. The image of his own body being burned spread in Fushimi’s mind with high speed. The blood in his whole body evaporating, his skin melting, his hair burning, his internal organs boiling ― he thought he was really going to die. There are usually people who die of shock from something like this, right? If he had been assailed by this kind of sensation for just a bit longer he probably would have fainted. The flames that in just a moment rushed about every nook of his body disappeared like they were an illusion.

No…. it condensed in one point and remained within his body. Throb, throb, there was a hot and aching spot.

“Hmph…”

Suoh let out his breath and huffed a laugh almost incidentally before he let go of their hands.

The man around them who had watched with slightly worried expressions let out their breath in relief. Here and there rose applause.

“Very nice, very nice. It wouldn’t ’ve been very funny if two middle school candidates were burned 'n killed.”

“I believed that it would work out somehow. Congrats, you two!”

The impression that his whole body was burned still lingered in Fushimi’s mind and while he felt his body still shake slightly he nervously dropped his eyes to the throbbing spot. When he pulled down his collar, he saw that a red mark symbolizing a flame had appeared under the collarbone on his left side. Rather than that it looked like it had been pasted on his skin from the outside, it seemed like something that has originated from within his body had naturally penetrated his skin from beneath it. The red light flickered together with the sharp pain that still hadn’t left.

As the pain subdued the light got weaker and settled gently within his body.

He looked at Yata next to him. Yata looked back at him in the same moment. Yata too looked like he had thought for a moment they would actually die, and he made an expression as if his soul had left his body. After they looked at each others’ faces they dropped their eyes and saw that the mark had appeared for both of them on the exact same spot, on the left collarbone.

“…it’s in the same spot!”

“It really is…”

They inspected their marks in wonder and then looked at each other again.

“Hoh? Isn’t this the first time the 'mark’ appears in the exact same spot? Mikoto, did ya do that on purpose?”

“I can’t control where their marks appear.”

Suoh, Kusanagi and the others of the group were a bit surprised themselves.

Yata made a fist and crouched a bit before he jumped up and landed on the floor with a loud thud as if his body was overflowing with joy.

“Alright! With this we’re genuine partners!”

“Eh, did you until now not think of us as partners?”

“Ehh!? I- I did! Of course I did! But y'know, didn’t you also want some kind of item that proved it!?” explained Yata eagerly to Fushimi who had pointed that out with half-closed eyes.

“You two sure get along well,” friendly laughter came from the men surrounding them. That they had unintentionally been laughed at made them make a sour face, but then they grinned at each other.

“Saruhiko.”

“…yeah.”

They stretched out their arms and put their fists on the other’s mark.

At that time they still didn’t doubt a bit that they had received this power through their hands and accepted it within themselves with the same thought and the same goal.

Period 2 (another side)

Himuka Middle School’s graduation ceremony in March was on a day on which cold rain fell.

After homeroom had ended Aya went back to her mama’s car. When she stepped out through the students’ entrance with her newly bought umbrella held up there were the guardians’ cars forming a long line in front of the school gates and she had no other choice but to go looking for the car.

“Oogai.”

She stopped when somebody suddenly called out to her from between the cars. A boy stood in front of the fence with the hood of his raincoat pulled over his eyes. He had one foot on a skateboard.

He tugged at the hood and showed his face.

“Yo. ’s kinda been a awhile,” he said shyly but in a bright voice.

“What does the dropout group need from me?” said Aya bluntly and looked at him with eyes full of disdain.

“Ah, um, you don’t need to worry. They said they let Saruhiko and me graduate. If we take the test during spring break, that is.”

“Who is, like, worried? Either way you’ll be a dropout if you graduate from middle school. Aya, like, made it to Tsubagahara’s high school. It’s the best school for girls in the Kanto region. Mama is veeery satisfied. Well, Aya isn’t satisfied at all. If it’d be, like, a boys’ school the level would be much higher, but Aya can’t go to one. Just why is it that only boys receive preferential treatment in education?”

“Oh, ohh, suddenly you said a lot. You don’t have to list all those things for me. It’s not like you want to be acknowledged by me, right?”

With an embarrassed expression Misaki-kun ducked his head.

Misaki-kun is normal, is what Aya thought. His parents have remarried, but that wasn’t that rare and he had been born into a normal family and been raised normally; he had a normal mind, and that was all. His only strong subject was P.E., and music and art, let alone the subjects from the entrance exam were awful. He didn’t harbor any peculiar angry thoughts. He acted tough but when Saruhiko wasn’t there it was a simple badness where he could do not more than rebel halfheartedly. Despite being the kind of shy where he was unable to talk properly with the girls in class he could talk with Aya fairly well. Aya knew that was only because when he had realized that Aya wasn’t making him into her opponent, he had stopped being nervous. Or, to put it the other way around, because he thought the girls were aware of him he can’t talk to them; he was an overly self-conscious, normal boy in middle school.

It was mysterious to Aya and she couldn’t understand why this normal person was the only friend of Saruhiko, who since young age had never have any friends.

“Sorry to stop you in the middle of the rain, but this will only take a moment. It’s kind of meddlesome from me I think but because we won’t meet again I thought I should say it, y'know…”

After he said that Misaki-kun hesitated a bit, and as if to gloss over that he rolled his skateboard with his foot fore and back.

“His, well, y'know, father affects him, but, well, you probably know that better than me, I wonder why he doesn’t understand… he can only interpret your behavior as direct malice, he doesn’t understand that you’re trying to get his attention. He kinda does that thing where he only lets negative feelings grow in his mind…”

“What are you, like, talking about? 'Get his attention’, what is that supposed to mean? Ridiculous. That’s right, what else is there but malice? Aya, like, hates Saruhiko. Ever since he’s been born he has been a thorn in Aya’s side.”

“Um, yeah, okay, if I’m just misunderstanding then you can ignore me. It’s also not like I could understand a woman’s heart, but, y'know… ah, whenever I mention Saruhiko’s family his mood gets bad so I wouldn’t say this in front of him, but, maybe it’s because you’re too smart? And I don’t get why things turn out like this, but… Wouldn’t it be good enough to say things normally, and honestly? That’s definitely a weak point of his.”

Misaki-kun’s face had become gradually redder and his explanations had quickly risen. He yanked down his hood and hid his red face.

“Well, that’s all. Give your best in high school. Stay well.”

With these words he kicked hard off the ground. With two, three kicks his speed rose and he stepped with both feet onto the skateboard. He skillfully broke his way on his skateboard through the students and guardians that were filling the road narrow from the file of parking cars, while fine raindrops flew off his raincoat’s surface.

When he passed by a woman holding a brow umbrella he ran through a puddle of water with his skateboard and accidentally splashed her so that the woman let out a scream.

“Ah, sorry!”

He turned around without stopping and apologized, and his figure quickly became a smudge in the gray and rainy scenery.

“What’s wrong with this child, that’s dangerous in a place like this… Ahh, Aya, there you are. Didn’t you look for me? The car is over there.”

The owner of the brown umbrella came closer while grumbling. It was mama.

“That’s Yata Misaki-chan. You talked to him once on the phone. Mama, that umbrella is plain. Isn’t that papa’s? Aya is embarrassed.”

“Niki-kun died at the end of last year, right. And it seems like grandpa has the rights to that house and now they’re talking about what to do with it. Seems like Kisa-san is okay with selling it. I don’t know what’ll happen to Saruhiko-kun, though…”

Mama only listened to the things she wanted to listen to, and only said the things she wanted to say. That’s why Aya also only said what she wanted to say and didn’t respond.

Saruhiko was Aya’s second cousin and so they had the same great-grandpa. One time when Aya had gone to her great-grandpa’s house with her mother she had carelessly run into that guy, though she didn’t know why he had been there. As soon as she spotted him Aya was on guard and her body stiffened but that guy approached her in an overly familiar voice. She had been about eight, nine years back then so that guy had to be still in his twenties. He was young and handsome and sparkled just like an entertainer and he was the kind of cheerful man who went to such extremes that it seemed like some kind of limiting circuit had blown.

“Hm? Aren’t you the shorty who’s the same age as our little monkey, that fucking conceited shorty? What’s up, what’re you so scared about? Did I do something?”

“Th- that’s because you’re the one who destroys the things that are important to Saruhiko.”

Aya knew the story of how that guy had destroyed Saruhiko’s independent research project in the summer of his first year, the one he had been so devoted to. After that guy looked at her in puzzlement as if he really wouldn’t understand why she was frightened, he guffawed.

“Why are you scared because of that? Saruhiko thinks nothing of you so there’s no way I’d mind you, right? I’m not interested in you, shorty.”

Shocked at the humiliating words Aya didn’t say anything and only turned red.

Aya and Saruhiko, the two only children of the same age in their family, have been since they were born compared in everything. Aya herself was proud of that. She didn’t follow Saruhiko’s back around like a little sister but was equal to him, is what she thought. Saruhiko saw right through it, although they hadn’t talked much ― regardless of how the other adults saw it, Saruhiko himself never thought of Aya as an equal. The truth was he hadn’t even once associated with her.

Not only Saruhiko, even his father made fun of Aya! Annoying! Annoying! Annoying!

Her shoulders trembled. The umbrella clattered.

“Aya? What’s wrong, get into the car quick.”

They were already in front of the car. Mama called out to her in an impatient voice after closing her own umbrella and getting onto the driver’s seat. In the glass by the passenger seat was Aya’s own hand grasping the grip of her favorite new umbrella reflected. From within the car stared mama in wonder at her under the umbrella and with a “My, my,” she made a smile looking just like a real big-hearted mother.

“You’re the only one from your middle school who goes to Tsubasagahara, right, Aya? Being separated from one’s friends makes one feel lonely, doesn’t it.”

The umbrella Aya held low was shaking. The image of her own face gritting her teeth and sobbing silently under the umbrella was reflected in the glass. She took of her glasses and wiped away the tears with the sleeve of the uniform she’d never wear again.

“Have you ever listened to me with your eyes sparkling and saying 'amazing’?”

“Wouldn’t it be good enough to say things normally, and honestly?”

When did she do what wrong? Should she have been like Misaki-kun from the beginning? Then would he haven’t been taken by Misaki-kun? Even though Aya aaalways, aaalways had so much time…

“Aya. You’ll make new friends in no time. Also, at Tsubasagahara are lots of cool boys. The sport club there is pretty strong, right?”

Mama leaned towards the passenger seat’s side to open the door, gently tapped Aya’s arm and pulled her close.

Aya is not an idiot. Even though mama doesn’t understand anything… Aya is not an idiot. While thinking so, Aya tossed away her umbrella and her glasses and clung to her mothers neck, crying and wailing loudly.

Intermission______Fire pride

“They meddled in our affairs! Those two brats again!”

“Get them!”

“Im- impossible! They’re fast…!”

Homra’s duo, who’s strong point is speed ― it seemed like this was the kind of reputation Yata and Fushimi had gotten among the hooligans in the neighborhood not longer after they had joined Homra.

“Who’s a braaaaat!”

“What does that make you guys who can’t even get a single hit in against these 'two brats’? Aren’t you just wasting your years, only gaining flab to your stomachs and brains?”

Like a vanguard the two charged at the hooligans who were ready to run away. Their task was to cut a way open for Suoh, and arrive as the first ones in a charge at the place the enemy’s boss has retreated to. If they thought there was no need to cause Suoh trouble the two of them would sometimes destroy everything by themselves. They’d wait calmly while sitting on the back of the enemy’s boss who was covered in bruises and burns and unconscious from the pain, and they’d dumbfound their comrades who arrived late. Kusanagi would recoil, Totsuka would give a wry smile. Then Suoh would arrive as the last one and as soon as he saw the situation, he’d, maybe unintentionally, lower his eyes and let out a breath, and turn his back with a “We’re leaving.”

If Yata was teamed up with Fushimi, then they demonstrated a power that was not only doubled, but multiplied. Their power was even equal to Kusanagi’s who, excluding Suoh, was the powerful man standing out among Homra’s members. Kusanagi, who used a lighter as a weapon and controlled with it a strong flame was so to speak the fire power, but Yata and Fushimi’s special trait was speed above all. They approached you from behind before you noticed, like a flame stirred up by tailwind, mocked you with the flames, cut you in two ― as soon as this combo made you their target you had nothing left but to flee or be terrified.

In this fall Yata Misaki was 17 years and roughly 3 months old.

His partner, Fushimi Saruhiko, was 16 years and roughly 11 months old.

When they had joined Homra in winter the year before last at the age of fifteen they had been the youngest among the members. However age has nothing to do with the merits and demerits of the flame’s power they received from Suoh. When they used their powers experience might be relevant to some extent, but Yata and Fushimi had even without experience stood out right away. Ever since then they bustled around as the vanguard for Suoh.

The position as Homra’s vanguard he held together with Fushimi was Yata’s pride.

“Wait!”

Seven, eight man clad in a uniform that had blue as its basic tone chased after them.

“This is the third squad of the third unit. We’re in the middle of pursuing the fugitives but a group of the red clan «Homra» is interfering. Engaging in battle with them is inevitable. Please give us the permission to draw our swords.”

After the man turned to his headset and gave an honest report he drew the saber from his hip.

Hah, so the Blues can’t fight without a permission or what, sneered Yata and looked back over his shoulder while kicking forward on his skateboard. There’s no way they’d lose in a fight against squeamish domesticated dogs.

When the Blue swung his saber, and cut the empty air in spite of the close combat weapon, several strikes came flying toward Yata. By bending his knees and letting his weight shift he changed his skateboard’s route. The wheels shot out fire and ran up the wall, dodging the attacks that drew near  from behind. Like that the skateboard ran long the wall while Yata made a half turn and raised the metal bat he carried on his shoulder.

“Uraahhh!”

He jumped of the fast moving skateboard as if tipping up. The bat was wrapped in flames. He smashed his bat against the saber the Blue had positioned above his head and a dull sound burst between them. With their weapons locked at the hilt (well a bat doesn’t have a hilt but still!) another Blue slashed at Yata from beside him but without paying any attention to him Yata only concentrated on the opponent right in front of him and pushed with strength.

In about the same moment the saber flew off the Blue’s hand he heard a sharp noise come from one side. Fushimi who had seemingly slipped in held the knifes in his hands crossed and stopped the saber of the other Blue who had slashed at Yata.

“Saruhiko!”

Yata smiled at him.

This time it was Fushimi who was close to locking weapons with the Blue but right then the left behind skateboard lunged through the air and crashed against the Blue’s back of the head. The Blue sunk to the ground with a groan that made him sound a bit dumb.

Angered, the remaining Blues encircled them. Yata recovered his skateboard and got his bat ready again, Fushimi took a close combat knife in his right hand several throwing knifes in his left. Standing back on back they faced the enemies who outnumbered them.

“The vanguard of the red clan, Fushimi Saruhiko and Yata Misaki,” whispered one of the Blues to the one who seemed to be the leader. The latter cleared his throat turning to the two and raised in a stiff and formal voice.

“Minato Hayato and Minato Akito, clansmen of the former Blue King Habari Jin, have disobeyed the obligation of the limit to supernatural powers which is grounded on the peculiar development control law and caused injuries for the personnel in the «Scepter 4» government office building. We deem them as dangerous superpowered individuals and we have been entrusted with the task to swiftly capture them. With your interference, red clansmen, you are, as well as your king who also agreed to protocol 120, committing a grave infringement to this law.”

“Your preface is waaay to long. And it was kinda difficult so I didn’t really get it.”

“So does this mean the Red King has such a low-level education he can’t even read a law text?”

“Hah? Did you just make fun of Mikoto-san, you bastard!? Also, Kusanagi-san did go to college, got it!?”

Fushimi held Yata, who had suddenly become angry back with a “You shut up for a second,” as if Yata’s behavior was kind of troublesome. He took over for him and answered the leader with a cool voice.

“We got an instruction to go pick up some acquaintances, that’s all. You’re the ones who’re hindering us. We haven’t affirmed the information that the acquaintances are dangerous superpowered individuals so we didn’t know about that. Because you keep your information to yourselves and don’t distribute them.”

“Th- this kind of far-fetched argument from a bratty clansman….”

“You aren’t losing in an argument to a brat because of a far-fetched argument.”

Losing even his pride to Fushimi’s sneer, a vein popped out on the leader’s forehead. Yata saw it and felt a thrilling satisfaction. When it came to mocking adults Yata knew nobody who was as skilled at it as Fushimi.

The PDA in form of watch on his wrist let him know a call was coming in. The moment Yata brought the PDA close to his mouth there were a few Blues who tried to approach, but the knifes Fushimi threw without even looking pierced into the ground right in front of their feet.

“Yata-san!”

He could hear a deep voice mixed with static come from the PDA.

“Kamamoto. How’d it go?”

“We took in the twins. Kusanagi-san said you and Fushimi can also come back.”

The Blues could also hear the voice from the PDA and their leader turned pale.

“Shit, so this was a decoy…! They’re probably at bar HOMRA! Hurry!”

Yata and Fushimi exchanged glances over their shoulders and nodded at each other.

“They said we should come back, Saruhiko. Hey Blues, it’s exactly how you heard. The twins you’ve been going after are sheltered in the Red King’s HQ.”

“A kingly domain,” corrected Fushimi and took over the talking. “Intruding another king’s domain, isn’t that also a grave infringement of protocol 120?”

The Blues who were about to turn around at their leader’s orders were bewildered at that and stopped moving. The leader ground his teeth and grasped the saber’s hilt. Hostile, Yata readied his bat too.

“If the blue clansmen are no cowards then it’s okay to fight them, right?” Responding to Yata’s vigor flames entwined his bat. “It’s okay, right, Saruhiko?”

Fushimi who usually stopped Yata’s reckless actions fixated the Blues with a brazen gaze and let the flame power dwell in the knifes he held.

“Sure. I didn’t agree on today’s task so I’m pissed off.”

Even though they were surrounded by trained, sturdy men the two weren’t nervous at all. Ordinary soldier class clansmen of another king were no match to them.

This was different than from that one time in their first year in middle school when they had been beaten up by only three seniors. They had special powers now. On top of that had their powers manifested as strong, even among the ones who had received powers from the same king.

They constantly had disputes with other groups and had a brush with death on countless occasions. In this one and a half year ― as long as Fushimi was at his back, Yata was never afraid. He had not even once regretted that they had thrown themselves into this world. He didn’t think that these satisfying days were lacking anything.

He could feel the heat beneath his left collarbone. As if there was a second heart, throb, power was carried through his whole body with one big beat. If Fushimi was close he could even feel the power of the mark he had in the same spot.

Squeezing that part once from over his clothes a confident smile appeared on Yata’s face.

“Let’s go, Saruhiko. I won’t let this end with the blue dogs having made fun of Mikoto-san,” he called out, putting one foot on his skateboard.

Fushimi glanced at him over his shoulder with narrowed eyes.

“A dog, huh… Isn’t that what you are?”

Disregarding the puzzled expression that formed on Yata’s still smiling face, Fushimi kicked the ground and dashed forward. Become just like a thin, sharp knife himself he slashed into the sturdy Blues.

——-

1. Aya uses -sama here to address the King (王様 (ô-sama))